snowychap Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I don't think so. Who is likely to step in and buy Bent?Who knows. I think if a player like him became available there is bound to be clubs interested in buying him both in this country and abroad. Apologies for this going very off topic but I'm not so sure (especially clubs who might be willing or able to pay the sort of money which might enable the club to make a profit - i.e. something greater than his book value). There doesn't appear to have been a queue of people looking to prise him away from Sunderland, for example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tismyk Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 . 6 months down the line and we will have forgotten all about Downing.Highly doubtful Have we forgotten about Barry, Milner and even Dwight Yorke? Southgate and Ehiogu still get spoken about on here warmly with their ambitions for winning things and then joining Middlesvilla. Not sure we will forget about Downing in 6 months. Stewart who? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_The_Villan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Have we forgotten about Barry, Milner and even Dwight Yorke? Well i cant speak for anybody else, but yeah, ive forgotten about them. Those players are different anyway. They gave us years of service (bar Milner). Downing has been here five minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The Milner / Downing comparison is an interesting one. Both played for us for 2 years, being poor in the first year and then POTS in the second year. Both have looked to jump ship at the first opportunity, yet Milner gets a good reception and would be welcomed back, as opposed to Downing who will get roundly booed if he signs for Liverpool. Yes we signed Downing whilst injured, but we also paid massively over the odds for Milner, so the 2 scenarios are almost identical, which makes the difference in fan opinion towards the 2 players quite odd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dundeevilla Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 What this summer, and the previous few summers, show me is that Randy needs to seek further investment in the club if we are ever to achieve anything. Our best players join in a blaze of optimism, soon realise that we are going nowhere fast and use the club as a stepping stone on to bigger things. We can't compete with the likes of City, but we do need to have some kind of ambition and direction at the club if we are to attract and retain decent players. That direction and ambition seems to have vanished over the past couple of seasons. Now the board seem to be content just bumping along. We seem a bit clueless and rudderless at the moment. The farcical managerial search and appointment epitomises to me where we are as a club just now. IMO it's become obvious in recent month that the people running the club simply don't know enough about football. Players like Downing and Young will continue to come and go unless the board have a plan to compete. Bent will be off next summer, wait and see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tismyk Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The Milner / Downing comparison is an interesting one. Both played for us for 2 years, being poor in the first year and then POTS in the second year. Both have looked to jump ship at the first opportunity, yet Milner gets a good reception and would be welcomed back, as opposed to Downing who will get roundly booed if he signs for Liverpool. Yes we signed Downing whilst injured, but we also paid massively over the odds for Milner, so the 2 scenarios are almost identical, which makes the difference in fan opinion towards the 2 players quite odd. Not odd if you went and watched them, Milner would bust a gut for 90 mins every match, Downing was gutless for 90 mins every match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The Milner / Downing comparison is an interesting one. Both played for us for 2 years, being poor in the first year and then POTS in the second year. Both have looked to jump ship at the first opportunity, yet Milner gets a good reception and would be welcomed back, as opposed to Downing who will get roundly booed if he signs for Liverpool. Yes we signed Downing whilst injured, but we also paid massively over the odds for Milner, so the 2 scenarios are almost identical, which makes the difference in fan opinion towards the 2 players quite odd. Not odd if you went and watched them, Milner would bust a gut for 90 mins every match, Downing was gutless for 90 mins every match. In terms of performances in the first season? True. But we probably would have been relegated last year were it not for Stewart Downing. I'm not really sticking up for Stewart, but it's just a bit of an oddity that fans can feel so differently about 2 players who have essentially done exactly the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_The_Villan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We didnt pay massively over the odds for Milner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 At the time, most people thought £12m was overpriced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacketspuds Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I say take the £18.5m from Liverpool and start to rebuild the squad. The fact that we haven't signed anyone yet is frustrating, and hopefully just down to the fact that all energies have been put to sorting out compensation with BCFC for AMC. I am so bored of waiting for one of our top players to be sold we should just get on with it as it is inevitable. Won't really be annoyed at Downing as he's done ok for us and if we can get 2 players in for him then fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_The_Villan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 IMO it's become obvious in recent month that the people running the club simply don't know enough about football. Agree. Done some great things for our club but when it comes to footballing matters - they are clueless. Whoever 'advises' Randy is doing an awfull job. Anyway, back OT. Downing is a tosser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 IMO it's become obvious in recent month that the people running the club simply don't know enough about football. Agree. Done some great things for our club but when it comes to footballing matters - they are clueless. Whoever 'advises' Randy is doing an awfull job. Anyway, back OT. Downing is a tosser That, I will agree with. I dont question that Randy is the right man to take charge of this football club, but I question his choice of footballing advisors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_The_Villan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 At the time, most people thought £12m was overpriced. I think that notion was based on the fact that we VERY nearly signed him for 4m until Newcastle pulled the plug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacketspuds Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 IMO it's become obvious in recent month that the people running the club simply don't know enough about football. Agree. Done some great things for our club but when it comes to footballing matters - they are clueless. Whoever 'advises' Randy is doing an awfull job. Anyway, back OT. Downing is a tosser That, I will agree with. I dont question that Randy is the right man to take charge of this football club, but I question his choice of footballing advisors. Agreed. Right now it seems that the top people at our club just stick their heads in the sand when difficult decisions need to be made and just hope that everything will work itself out. We could very easily lose two of our best players this summer if Downing is sold, yet we could only spend very little on a new GK. There's nothing coming from the club except "we don't do our business in the media". This is commendable but when every other club is making us look more than useless at times it is not that much fun being a Villa fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macandally Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 20m is ALOT of money and that will be put to good use in other more important areas. 6 months down the line and we will have forgotten all about Downing. I dont think so. Its amazing how as soon as a player looks like he might leave, his quality suddenly disappears and he goes from being 2010/11 player of the year to an average Joe who we should grab 20 million for. Downing is a quality player, works hard, tracks back to help his fullback, is an England international with proven premiership quality. Players like that are two a penny arent they???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_The_Villan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Its amazing how as soon as a player looks like he might leave, his quality suddenly disappears and he goes from being 2010/11 player of the year to an average Joe who we should grab 20 million for. Dont know why im justifying my opinion to you...but look back at my posts and you will see ive never really rated Downing. Always thought he was a pussy footed shirker with not enough end product. Thats just my opinion though. No doubt you will say this opinion has only been formed since he said he wants to leave, but you are mistaken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macandally Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Dont know why im justifying my opinion to you...but look back at my posts and you will see ive never really rated Downing. Always thought he was a pussy footed shirker with not enough end product. Thats just my opinion though. Well thanks for sparing your valuable time, but maybe if you write "I" instead of the Royal "We" then I would have understood you were giving your opinion not speaking for all of us. Opinions are just that, seems like the rest of the Villa players and a large number of fans support mine over yours as to his worth, considering he was voted POTY etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villabromsgrove Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Downing is a pussy footed shirker of tackles, and is about as one footed a player as I've seen but he has a sweet left foot and an electric burst of pace to add to a great shot. If he ever added a gutsy tackle and a willingness to use his right foot to his armoury, then only Man City would be able to afford him! I rate him highly even with his deficiencies and I hope he stays, but only if he commits to Villa which frankly doesn't look like happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_The_Villan Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 seems like the rest of the Villa players and a large number of fans support mine over yours as to his worth, Well done Macandally. You win. Can you leave me alone now please. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makouns_grin Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 works hard, tracks back to help his fullback No he doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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