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Gone: Downing shows real loyalty to us


andykeenan

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I don't think anybody need worry about Downing going anywhere.

It'll just take the edge off Young's departure if Villa management can say "But look - Stew's staying" :clap: as if there was any danger of him leaving.

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I hope he stays more than Ash tbh, i think the loss of Downing would be greater as we have a good replacement for Ash with Albrighton.

If Albrighton was ready to replace Ash we would have a queue of suitors trying to sign him.

We don't.

He is one for the future, but he is not ready to play week in, week out, and score/provide like Young does.

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I hope he stays more than Ash tbh, i think the loss of Downing would be greater as we have a good replacement for Ash with Albrighton.

If Albrighton was ready to replace Ash we would have a queue of suitors trying to sign him.

We don't.

He is one for the future, but he is not ready to play week in, week out, and score/provide like Young does.

Wrong on a few levels IMO.

If we'd played Albrighton all season instead of Young we would have won more matches. Albrighton on the right with Downing on the left was looking very effective in some matches. The problems started when we needed to start playing 2 up front and had to accommodate Young back on the left and Albrighton was the one who got dropped.

There have been reports from reputable sources that Albrighton is being watched closely by the big clubs. Man City were apparently trying to line something up for him in January. We're just lucky he's a Villa fan.

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I hope he stays more than Ash tbh, i think the loss of Downing would be greater as we have a good replacement for Ash with Albrighton.

If Albrighton was ready to replace Ash we would have a queue of suitors trying to sign him.

We don't.

He is one for the future, but he is not ready to play week in, week out, and score/provide like Young does.

Wrong on a few levels IMO.

If we'd played Albrighton all season instead of Young we would have won more matches. Albrighton on the right with Downing on the left was looking very effective in some matches. The problems started when we needed to start playing 2 up front and had to accommodate Young back on the left and Albrighton was the one who got dropped.

There have been reports from reputable sources that Albrighton is being watched closely by the big clubs. Man City were apparently trying to line something up for him in January. We're just lucky he's a Villa fan.

I think Albie has got some way to go yet. He relies on his pace to create a yard and can come unstuck when he comes up against someone as quick as him, as he did in the games against Wolves with Elokobi - hardly the best defender but he had the right assets to stop Marc. So he needs to start to learn to vary his attacking game. Defensively, he puts in a real shift but again he can be a bit impetuous and either allow his man to lose him or give away free kicks. Again, he needs to learn how to defend without diving in (not unlike his youth and reserve team mate, Mr Clark).

Great prospect but still a lot of development needed IMO. I hope he does a Gabby and goes on works on these areas of his game over the summer. However, I think he should have seen more action this season, even if it was just for the last 20-25 minutes of games spelling DJ or Ash.

And back on topic, great news about Downing committing. This is a big positive for me. Bring in NZogbia as Ash's replacement and we will have three very good wide options.

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I love you Stewiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

For the love of GOD, we need to get a Stewart Downing song ringing out like we do for Gabby, Marc and Ash !

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@ Woodytom... Comparing how many goals Ash and Downing have scored is rubbish! Ash has been taking pens and the majority of free kicks whilst Downing's goals come from open play! Also I'd love to know which season you refer to when you say Milner was rubbish for most of it! I've been a season ticket holder for years but I must have been watching something else every week that season!

As I posted - There is more too it than just goals! (Just used it as an example).

1st season of his move, he started coming good back end of January - think he scored a couple of FA cup goals, Blackburn away - and Everton - crackin free-kick.

Up to that point, he did very little to justify 12m!!

But Back to your point regarding Ash:

Its not the fact that Ash has better stats or the fact that the performances ive seen hes been the better player (albeit abysmal himself), its the extreme gap between the positives about Downing, and the negatives about Ash - Probably because hes leaving!!!

In short, I think people are saying they would prefer Downing to stay over ash simply because Ash is likely to leave!!

If there decision is made because they think Downing has been so good this season that it outweighs everything Ash has done over 4 years then fair enough - but I think their living in a dream world because, while hes no doubt been a positive this season, he really hasnt been 'that' good

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On irreplaceable - I could've 'replaced' Jimmy as our starting CM. But I wouldn't have been a good replacement. The term carries certain implications

No i get that, Im just amazed you dont think theres a good replacement out there.

If it wasn't difficult to find players of Milner's standard, and subsequently manage to attract them to a club of our stature (for a reasonable fee + wages).......surely we'd have bought one by now?

I struggle to see where you're coming from.

Im simply saying - James Milner is not irreplaceable.

If he is - then (with the greatest of respects to James Milner), Were in for a crap time supporting Villa over the next few years and onwards.

Think your getting mixed up between irreplacable and 'not actually replaced as of yet'!!

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