SSN - Arsenal make contact over Downing

[LeftfootlegendGooner]

TeeCee wrote: What are people expecting? Seriously? We've had comments that Samba isn't good enough, nor Cahill, nor Downing etc etc. Who the fuck do you think is:
A) going to sign for Arsenal?
B) likely to have huge money spent on them under Wenger?

Face facts, we can't and won't sign the likes of Sneijder, Ronaldo, Rooney, Villa etc. People throw ridiculous names in the pot who are either way out of our league or who are one season wonders - Hummels and Subotic for example. Get real, Arsenal can't and don't shop at Waitrose, we are at Lidl currently, hoping to have a couple of shopping sprees in Tesco FFS!
Samba, Cahill and Downing are all miles better than half of the players we currently have (at least) so they ARE a step forward and an improvement.

What about Juan Mata- probably no more expensive than Downing and a much better player who would bring a lot more to your side than Downing will? I think there are much better players than Downing that you could very realisitcally be targetting. As a slightly more unrealistic one (but still not a Villa), go and get Llorente and Mata along with Samba and you might actually challenge for the title- someone like Downing wont help you get near to the top spot

How the frig do you know mata is a better player, he hasn't played in th pl so you can't compare them....it's impossible ;)

[QuartzGooner]

He would be pretty good at Liverpool, Carroll would love him.

That is the key point.

We suffer from players not getting into the box often enough, so there would be too many times that Downing would cross only for RvP to be marked, and no one else to be available to make use of the cross.

If we do buy Downing then I hope we also buy Benzema.

[badliebenzell]

Cynical me thinks its just a con. I think we know we haven't a chance or real interest in landing Downing. Simply don't believe we would spend that sort of money on him. It's simply registering interest to make it look to the fans that we are trying night and day, or whatever Wenger said, to make it look like we are trying to sign players. It's simply a ploy to appease fans.

[Rosie_titters]

typical Arsenal PLC and Wenger

buy Downing for £18m and give him £60k a week

sale Nasri for £22m and save £90k a week

so there you have folks we save £4m in transfee fees and £30k a week in salaries

[Number 5]

Yeah, I'd sign Downing.

For about 6-8 million.

Anything into double figures is fucking ridiculous.

And if it goes through, I'm fucking o-u-t and off to support Barnet for the forseeable.

[Perryashburtongroves]

Cynical me thinks its just a con. I think we know we haven't a chance or real interest in landing Downing. Simply don't believe we would spend that sort of money on him. It's simply registering interest to make it look to the fans that we are trying night and day, or whatever Wenger said, to make it look like we are trying to sign players. It's simply a ploy to appease fans.

Spot on mate. Same with that Jones bloke. This is all smoke and mirrors so Wenger can go: "I did try to sign players but the price wasn't value for money." He nows that the mousers will bid more and he'll go there. This is panic bidding or panic buying as the board have woken up to the fact that we've paid for season tickets and memberships and they've done fuck all. They can't even point to a slow market, as other clubs have been bying for six weeks now. Chasing a player like Downing who wouldn't have even got a game in our stiffs a few years back, shows us that standards have slipped so far at our club.

[Nick Bendtners Ego]

Cynical me thinks its just a con. I think we know we haven't a chance or real interest in landing Downing. Simply don't believe we would spend that sort of money on him. It's simply registering interest to make it look to the fans that we are trying night and day, or whatever Wenger said, to make it look like we are trying to sign players. It's simply a ploy to appease fans.

Not beyond the realm of our flaccid power brokers . Keeps the ever dissenting flock believing that issues are being addressed and that come the inevitable cries of ' 6% , you're having a laugh ' , they can say that serious money was waved but declined and that we have to wait until the right players become available in the next window .

No chance of getting Downing Imo, but part of me would welcome him on the following basis as opposed to some names bandied about ;

* Proven Premiership experience
* Can add some of the missing British qualities that has being sadly missing for all too long.
* Direct footballer , there's a time for Tippy Tappy and a time to Cross (albeit allowing for the possibilities of RVP ,Chamakh or Gervinho getting in where it counts )
* Can last a season . Played in every PL game last season . Know he's had two fairly bad injuries but he's came back well.
* Might actually teach Walcott a few basics to help him move up a level

Don't think we'll have to worry though , most likely 'one for the future 'in the shape of Oxade-Chamberlain .

[MutleyGooner]

I think anyone with a street named after them is worth signing

[LyusN1]

I think anyone with a street named after them is worth signing

Heartache Avenue?

[Nick Bendtners Ego]

I think anyone with a street named after them is worth signing

Begs the question though , how many C**t streets are there in the world ?
We've signed at least five of them in the last few years

[Nick Bendtners Ego]

I think anyone with a street named after them is worth signing

Begs the question though , how many C**t streets are there in the world ?
We've signed at least five of them in the last few years

[Nick Bendtners Ego]

Oops , double worthless contribution !

[Its Up 4 Grabs Now]

one minute people are moaning about our lack of squad and the next its he's shit lets not buy him

id have him, he was villas best player last year, beats players ,gets goals and who gives a fuck about the price , spend our money wenger

If the Spuds were after him we would be laughing our heads off.Downing is nothing more than average.

He doesn't really beat his man- he is good at making space and whipping crosses in. That can be useful in its own right, but you need to have the striker who thrives on that kind of service which I think its fair to say (at this point anyway, I dont know if you're going to target anyone) Arsenal don't. He also has a tendancy to slow attacks down which isnt great if, like Arsenal, you are a flowing, fluent side. He needs to work to make space, he isnt quick, he just doesnt seem to tick the boxes for Arsenal.

I agree with all of that, except the bit about us being a flowing, fluent side. I dont think I've ever seen Downing beat a player with any kind of skill, ever. And however direct he was/wasn't at Villa, they play(ed) more of a counter-attacking style than we do. With us, once Wenger gets his hands on him, I can easily imagine Downing fitting right into the cut inside, oh shit I'm crowded out & dont know what to do next so I'll just lay it square Wengerball mode - except with less than skill than Nasri to occasionally produce something out of nothing.

[Bergkamp-Genius]

I think he would be a good signing....
He's an intelligent footballer, technically good, links up very well, crosses well, can shoot and puts a decent shift in...although he is not the type of player to set the place alight he will give us a good consistent level of performance and do the job he is supposed to do well...

The price being quoted currently (18m) is a bit steep, if it's true, but i'm past caring about value tbh..I'd just be happy that for once we have quickly moved to replace a departing player with someone of a similar quality, instead of the usual attempt to replace with some unknown quantity to save as much money as possible...

[Bergkamp-Genius]

Double post