Downing

indeedido said:
He played 45 times in a team that went up; only the goalkeeper played more. He played a significant part in our promotion. Our top scorer that season got 8 league goals.

You seem to be part of a gang who only want to ever stick the boot into him.
Gibson shouldn't have signed him on the terms he did, but to say he was a complete failure is highly unfair.
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Not at all, I loved Downing here in his first spell. But we had absolutely no reason to sign him a second time. I cant see how you can argue that a 7 million player on massive wages with zero sell on value can be anything other than a failure when his contribution was average at best.
 
JM14 said:
Not at all, I loved Downing here in his first spell. But we had absolutely no reason to sign him a second time. I cant see how you can argue that a 7 million player on massive wages with zero sell on value can be anything other than a failure when his contribution was average at best.
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He dictates the tempo of a lot of games

I think he single handily was responsible for around 15 points too

Rotherham
Mk dons
Fulham
wolves

there were all downing at that’s just off the top of my head
 
I'm sure if I look back at fmttm posts from the summer of 2015 there'll be lots of folk saying how its a silly deal and we don't need him etc.....
 
There is some cack on this thread. Downing was fine on his return. He d limited by the players around him. The comparison with Ramirez is nonsense they are not the same kind of player, downing spreads balls about and needs options, ramirez could beat a man. He was, as someone said a 7 nearly every week he played the absolute model professional. On another note my daughter knows him and says he isn't very nice.
 
atypical_boro said:
I'm sure if I look back at fmttm posts from the summer of 2015 there'll be lots of folk saying how its a silly deal and we don't need him etc.....
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Of course you wont, as well you know. 😀 People thought (hoped) we were getting the Downing of West Ham class and unfortunately at that time we were not party to the fact that Karanka didn’t seemingly want him. His performances were average, he rarely pulled up trees, yes, there were worse players though, as Indeedido rightly pointed out. His first spell, he was exceptional, quality. He created so much with that wand of a left foot. His second spell was, frankly, very underwhelming.

The reason you wont find many nay sayers in 2015 is because, In car terms, we thought we were getting say a respectable, but not flashy Audi A4, but unfortunately it gave the performance of a Renault Kangoo. It turned out to look more like a vanity project, especially as the Head Coach seemingly did not appreciate his gift. He certainly was never the answer to our lack of pace and creativity. (pace was never his strong point tbf).
 
coluka said:
He certainly was never the answer to our lack of pace and creativity. (pace was never his strong point tbf).
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He had the second fasts sprint recorded in the Prem the previous season to buying him and in his youth he was rapid until he got a knee injury playing for england that saw him lose a yard. The thing is though, Downing has the on the ball class to play until he is 40 in the lower champ, if he so wishes. He had pace, he didn't rely on it like say Theo Walcott or Aaron Lennon
 
That’s the thing that frustrates with Downing, he has a lot more in the bank than he offered. He never used his qualities to the maximum in my opinion, you always felt he had more. Shame as he was a quality player with a wand of a left foot and natural talent. Still love him though, especially from his first spell..
 
I can agree that he could and maybe should have done more, but I would balance that by saying he did do more than many 'fans' of the game realise. This is the Macedonia game where Downing got pelters and after this the Ingurlund brigade started singing you let your country down. He got hooked 69mins, but was the only player to create any chances at that point, putting a good ball through for Lampard which he didn't finish, a great freekick right on Lampards head, which he didn't hit the target with, then another great cross right on the money for Crouch, which was saved. He could have had a hattrick of assists, instead the uneducated pelted him, while saying Gerrard is our best player, despite woeful crossing, passing and shooting. There were other good crosses right in the zone which no one attacked. Yet he's the rubbish player. It shows the fickleness and lack of knowledge of many/most fans

 
BoroMart said:
He had the second fasts sprint recorded in the Prem the previous season to buying him and in his youth he was rapid until he got a knee injury playing for england that saw him lose a yard. The thing is though, Downing has the on the ball class to play until he is 40 in the lower champ, if he so wishes. He had pace, he didn't rely on it like say Theo Walcott or Aaron Lennon
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Yes, I remembered reading about the sprinting being the second fastest. However, when you compare that to the rest of the squad, it was bereft of pace, it is arguably faint praise depending on your outlook. That aside though, he always seemed to me reluctant to use it with the ball at feet 2nd time around, he seemed to prefer a pass rather than try to beat his man. I appreciate his game was more about getting that bit of space over a short distance to knock in a cross and, there were no Vidukas, Hasselbainks Or Maccarones waiting in the box Post 2015.
 
coluka said:
Yes, I remembered reading about the sprinting being the second fastest. However, when you compare that to the rest of the squad, it was bereft of pace, it is arguably faint praise depending on your outlook. That aside though, he always seemed to me reluctant to use it with the ball at feet 2nd time around, he seemed to prefer a pass rather than try to beat his man. I appreciate his game was more about getting that bit of space over a short distance to knock in a cross and, there were no Vidukas, Hasselbainks Or Maccarones waiting in the box Post 2015.
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Coluka, I think you misunderstand, he had the second highest sprint in the premier league the season before we signed him. Only Sissoko at Newcastle was faster https://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/t...ague-players-this-season-will-shock-you-20611

I agree he signed for a slow and attacking poor Boro team, but he was still quick, particularly over 15 yards, which is largely all you need as a winger. Should he have used it more? probably yes but I'm guessing that the management instruction was to play through teams, not get early crosses in.
 
BoroMart said:
Coluka, I think you misunderstand, he had the second highest sprint in the premier league the season before we signed him. Only Sissoko at Newcastle was faster https://www.sportsjoe.ie/football/t...ague-players-this-season-will-shock-you-20611

I agree he signed for a slow and attacking poor Boro team, but he was still quick, particularly over 15 yards, which is largely all you need as a winger. Should he have used it more? probably yes but I'm guessing that the management instruction was to play through teams, not get early crosses in.
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Yes, Interesting that 👍 I was referring to an article about sprint speeds at Boro and Downing surprised me at the time as second fastest at the club, I can’t recall whether it was on gazettelive or MFC website. Your link surprised me even more though tbf. I agree that he had a short burst to knock in the ball and he was as accurate as anyone in his first stint. It was a shame it never worked out, the squad was a curates egg tbf.
 
Block21 said:
That’s the thing that frustrates with Downing, he has a lot more in the bank than he offered. He never used his qualities to the maximum in my opinion, you always felt he had more. Shame as he was a quality player with a wand of a left foot and natural talent. Still love him though, especially from his first spell..
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He was at his best for me when he had Hasselbaink in his ear all game telling him to get at his man etc. That's what he needed for me and what he's always needed. Almost too laid back. Ability wise he was good enough to have played for a league winning side. Just mentally lacking a bit.

When he joined us in the championship he should have been grabbing games by the neck and dominating play. He had the ability to do so. But I just don't think it was in his nature. He has a good shot. Rarely used it. Good close control and a bit of pace but rarely got at his man. And yet every now and then he'd do it, look dangerous and you'd wonder why he didn't do it more.

As a kid he had more experienced team mates in his ear. How many championship players are going to be giving their 30 year old England international team mate grief though?
 
festa5 said:
He was at his best for me when he had Hasselbaink in his ear all game telling him to get at his man etc. That's what he needed for me and what he's always needed. Almost too laid back. Ability wise he was good enough to have played for a league winning side. Just mentally lacking a bit.

When he joined us in the championship he should have been grabbing games by the neck and dominating play. He had the ability to do so. But I just don't think it was in his nature. He has a good shot. Rarely used it. Good close control and a bit of pace but rarely got at his man. And yet every now and then he'd do it, look dangerous and you'd wonder why he didn't do it more.

As a kid he had more experienced team mates in his ear. How many championship players are going to be giving their 30 year old England international team mate grief though?
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I wholeheartedly agree with every word
 
For England he often sacrificed himself by allowing Ashley Cole to overlap and take up his natural positions. I’m sure this was coached into the team tactically as Cole was so good at it but a mentally stronger player would have imposed themselves on the team more. We all know he is a confidence player who needed to believe he was better than the opposition. I’m not sure he ever did but the effort was there.
 
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