ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Winger and a Prayer

Can't help but notice how narrow our play has become since Peanut left for the ACN. Now with McFadden gone and Shandy still no nearer to getting his arse into gear, I feel it would make better sense to spend whatever budget we have on a wide player, rather than an injury prone journeyman like Davis (if the rumours are true).

Perhaps if we offer the smoggies £7 million for Downing we might just get him. He has his critics I know, but I think he is a player who could improve further with better players around him and would prove to be a very useful asset in both the short and long term.
Paul Chisholm, Liverpool Posted 21/01/2008 at 16:01:05

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Stuart Mitchell
1 Posted 21/01/2008 at 19:05:20

No point blowing our cash on someone in Jan, unless they are going to improve our squad in the long run.

Pienaar will be back in a month or so and I am sure we can cope till then.

Not sure Downing is really good enough to improve our team.

Would you be happy to sign Downing and then leave Pienaar out of the team when he returns?

Would rather have SWP anyway!

Tony Hawkins
2 Posted 21/01/2008 at 19:20:20

I’ve never understood the facination with SWP. OK, he runs up fewer blind alleys than McFadden but he aint all that.

I don’t particularly rate Downing and he probably has more assists than SWP.

Paul Chisholm
3 Posted 21/01/2008 at 19:30:04

Stuart, i’d have both Downing and Pienaar. 2 quality players playing for one position is the way forward. But the point is, whether its either or both of the above, we need to address the situation, and quickly.

Mick Simo
4 Posted 21/01/2008 at 19:49:18

I see that cheating bastard clatenberg is ref tonight. If your going to pay 7-8 million for downing why not make it 9 million and go for Bently.

Phil Harris
5 Posted 21/01/2008 at 21:24:50

Mick, good call Bentley would be a great signing for us yippee ! just heard Liverpool 2-1 down ? happy days!

Peter Pickles
6 Posted 21/01/2008 at 21:27:48

Since the rise of the centre left based on the European Social Democratic model the SWP have been seriously marginalised. Maybe when Pienaar comes back from the ANC we may be able to use their Marxist based revolutionary ideals to good effect.

Come on you Blues and Up the Workers.

Stefan Tosev
7 Posted 21/01/2008 at 21:41:13

1-2 CL we are comming

Alex Baker
8 Posted 21/01/2008 at 22:16:47

I think we should just wait for Peanuts to return from ANC duty, as South Africa are not likely to get very far. As Nigeria lost today, if one of Benin or Mali beat them they go out and Yobo and the Yak com home earley. The RS got a late equaliser from Peter ’Mr Bean’ Crouch.

Kevin Mitchell
9 Posted 21/01/2008 at 22:56:09

Paul, your right about us missing pienar but centre mid is a must if were going to stay in the top 6. Not sure about Downing.

Stuart Reid
10 Posted 22/01/2008 at 00:23:45

Downing can be excellent but I think £8 million would be a bit steep. Rather have Arshavin or Bentley for a bit more but can’t see Blackburn letting him go. For a straight left winger though what about Morten Gamst Pedersen? - good crosser, great shot on him, and scores goals.

It is essential that we sign up Pienaar permanently though ASAP - pure quality. A great Moyes signing in the mould of Arteta.

Dean Johnson
11 Posted 22/01/2008 at 07:42:12

Can someone please tell me what the fascination is in this country with David bloody Bentley?

Why is he so over-rated? What has he done that has given him such a reputation?

Brett Bradshaw
12 Posted 22/01/2008 at 10:06:08

Bentley has 6 assists equal with Arteta and Lamps.
He has scored 5 same as Lamps 1 behind Fabregas)
These are just prem stats. Oh, and he takes a quality free-kick which would make us less predictable as Artete takes the Majority of ours.

I think he would be a quality signing. Very unlikely though in my opinion.

Dean Johnson
13 Posted 22/01/2008 at 10:43:17

Surely you?re not comparing him with Fabregas?

Yes, he?s probably better than Lampard but that isn?t saying much these days.

Just look at our recent (albeit loan) signings, Pienaar, Fernandes ? we are now up a level on who we were signing before and if we were to sign another wide player then I believe it would be someone of a much higher standard than Bentley

Along with Lescott, Yobo, Jags, Arteta, Yakubu, Cahill, Johnson, we have consistently added players that are better than we had before (but that wasn?t saying much I guess!)

I don?t think that bentley would improve the squad, but I couldn?t speculate on someone else because we seem to play our transfer cards close to our chest these days.

Oh and did you see Arteta?s deliveries on Sunday? Nowt wrong with those matey. Sure he has an off day now and again, but I?ll forgive him for that.

Nick Flack
14 Posted 22/01/2008 at 11:17:16

I?d like Downing, would give us more options, allow us to move Peanut inside, rotate the midfield then, Cahill, Arteta and Ossie. I?m sure they?d all fancy a day off occasionally, keep them fresh.

Right back is the weaks pot, I?d love to see us get Chimbonda.

Mark Stone
15 Posted 22/01/2008 at 13:05:21

Bentley is quality! Blackburn wouldn?t let him go though.

Nick Wall
16 Posted 22/01/2008 at 13:03:57

I’d love us to sign a winger, but it has to be someone good enough to challenge Osman or Pienaar for a place in the first XI - we don’t need another Kilbane.

Ant Hill
17 Posted 22/01/2008 at 13:51:28

When Moyes sold McFadden he should have had someone lined up to replace him down the left. I?m not sure many quality players are available that fit that criteria. We should have got Bentley or Lennon when they were available for £1/2 million. I think it would be too much of a gamble to splash out on Downing. We might just have to wait until the summer and sign Piennar, Fernandes and maybe another wide man so Arteta can move into the middle?

Jimmy Changa
18 Posted 22/01/2008 at 13:55:55

We don’t have the big yin up front any more, we have pace and strength in Johnson and the Yak

I’d say we’re probably better focusing on midfielders with an eye for a pass rather than wingers who will be crossing balls into our midget team

Besides, a left winger is no good if you dont have a right winger (Arteta is not a winger by the way, lets clear that one up)

Mark Murphy
19 Posted 22/01/2008 at 15:14:18

Bentley is in the bottom 5 goals-to-shots ratios for the season according to The Observer last Sunday.

Ian Tunny
20 Posted 22/01/2008 at 15:39:27

Downing is up there with the best midfielders in the league in terms of goals and assists and has been consistant for a few seasons now. If he was in a better side I can only see this improving. But there must be a better value for money player out there somewhere like with Pienar for supposedly £2.5 mill. Downing would be at least £8M probably £10M because he is English. I know which one I'd rather have.