Stewart Downing

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Mike E said:

Peter Whittingham had no England career nor much (if any) PL experience though.

"Whilst he's not in his mid twenties and the middle of an England career ". Whittingham wasn't and Downing isn't. What's the difference ?

[roversfan99]

10 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Peter Whittingham had no England career nor much (if any) PL experience though.

But he came in when we was at a lower level, and also never had pace to begin with.

[SBlue]

2 hours ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I will say Mowbray isn’t brave. 

Signings like di canio at West Ham were brave. Signing players that have a chequered past but the manager knows how to handle them  and get the best out of them whilst trying to keep a dressing room is brave. Signing players you have worked with or old pros you know will do a job but not push you on is not brave. Playing 10 soldiers and one artist every game at home is not brave. Sitting back every time we take a lead is not brave. Giving Breteton, chapman and Roth well ten minutes a season is not brave. 

If tony was brave I would believe we had half a chance of anything other than survival. He is a weak manager in tactics and the transfer market and he is on easy street here and I for one am getting tired of him.

Yeah brave is maybe the wrong word.

Theres just absolutely upside to be had if this one doesn’t come off with some positive effect, surely he knows that and trusts his own judgement.

Some would say foolhardy, I suppose.

Edited June 22, 2019 by S8 & Blue

[blueboy3333]

29 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You could have said all those things about Whittingham 

Tony probably did. 

[SBlue]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Tony probably did. 

Crazily Whittingham is younger.

Cant believe he was only 32 when we signed him.

Really don’t think he gave a shit at all.

[LDRover]

34 minutes ago, Mike E said:

Was Dack not a brave move? I'm not saying TM is brave by nature or anything, but that was a brave gamble to build the team around a guy who loves his nights out and had community sentences to carry out.

Not really Mike. Buying the previous year's League 1 player of the season to mount a promotion challenge in that league was hardly brave, especially at the price we paid.

[SBlue]

I think what I meant rather than “brave” was that he likes a “worth a punt” signing where others necessarily wouldn’t. If it doesn’t work out you get vilified.

Whittingham - Rodwell - Downing 

Good players down on their luck or at the end of their careers but with track records.

Imagine if Rodwell contributed even less than he did last year! Mowbray would look a right turkey. FWIW I don’t think he was really worth the risk at all. Surely Downing can play a bigger role than that.

The Whittingham signing would be like Ipswich going for Craig Conway right now -  but shitter. He was never anywhere near Downings level.

Third time’s the charm I hope. I’d have a 34 year old CR7 or Ryan Giggs...

All depends about what happens on the pitch and in the rest of the window.

[bluebruce]

Just now, LDRover said:

Not really Mike. Buying the previous year's League 1 player of the season to mount a promotion challenge in that league was hardly brave, especially at the price we paid.

It wasn't the previous year, it was the one before that. He had just come off a decent but far more indifferent season. 750k is peanuts for a club like ours though yeh.

[bluebruce]

2 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Tony probably did. 

Here's what he said about Whittingham: https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2017/june/mowbray-delighted-with-whittingham-deal/

Definitely some recurring themes there. No comment on his mobility though (maybe he didn't think it was fair to mention PW's scooter).

[blueboy3333]

Just now, bluebruce said:

Here's what he said about Whittingham: https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2017/june/mowbray-delighted-with-whittingham-deal/

Definitely some recurring themes there. No comment on his mobility though (maybe he didn't think it was fair to mention PW's scooter).

Yep, same old shite. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

42 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

But he came in when we was at a lower level, and also never had pace to begin with.

I don't think I ever saw him actually run. Possibly one of the most ineffectual "  Marquee " signings we've ever made.

[MarkBRFC]

All this talk of Whittingham, did he ever end up getting a club after we released him?!

[blueboy3333]

8 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

All this talk of Whittingham, did he ever end up getting a club after we released him?!

Never been seen since. Dreadful signing. 

[bluebruce]

3 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

All this talk of Whittingham, did he ever end up getting a club after we released him?!

Doesn't look like it, no.

We don't have much recent joy with these old heads who have just had decent enough seasons. In theory, Whittingham and even Murphy were both good signings at the time, having just played important parts for teams at a higher level. PW had just scored 7 from midfield in the Champs.

Both really should have done well for us for at least a season. Any transfer has a risk of going tits up though, the difference when it happens to older players is it just gets attributed to their legs going or loss of appetite.

Then there's all the older dross that was clearly dross right away, your Greers and Browns. Downing falls into the first camp, hopefully this one turns out differently and he has a real Indian summer. A possible plus might be that he played in this league last season not a higher one, as odd as it sounds. It means he won't have to adapt to the league, and he won't come thinking it's gonna be easy street compared to last season.

[SBlue]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Never been seen since. Dreadful signing. 

I’ve played more football since and my last action was pulling my hamstring two-footing a lass in a burka in the euphoric aftermath of the England Panama game.

 

 

edit - she was taking the piss with rainbow flicks and crap

Edited June 22, 2019 by S8 & Blue

[SBlue]

Just now, bluebruce said:

Doesn't look like it, no.

We don't have much recent joy with these old heads who have just had decent enough seasons. In theory, Whittingham and even Murphy were both good signings at the time, having just played important parts for teams at a higher level. PW had just scored 7 from midfield in the Champs.

Both really should have done well for us for at least a season. Any transfer has a risk of going tits up though, the difference when it happens to older players is it just gets attributed to their legs going or loss of appetite.

Then there's all the older dross that was clearly dross right away, your Greers and Browns. Downing falls into the first camp, hopefully this one turns out differently and he has a real Indian summer. A possible plus might be that he played in this league last season not a higher one, as odd as it sounds. It means he won't have to adapt to the league, and he won't come thinking it's gonna be easy street compared to last season.

For every Whittingham there’s a Tugay, and every Murphy a Hughes.

 

Cant wait to find out. 

[bluebruce]

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

For every Whittingham there’s a Tugay, and every Murphy a Hughes.

 

Cant wait to find out. 

Yep, absolutely. That's why I was sure to say recent. We've had quite a few good old signings just in my lifetime, even though I've usually been sceptical of them when they happened. We just don't seem to do it under Venkys at all. Closest I can think is Graham? I wouldn't have considered him massively old when we got him though, what was he 29?

Within a few months or so we will probably know whether we can finally buck the trend again.

[SBlue]

Just now, bluebruce said:

Yep, absolutely. That's why I was sure to say recent. We've had quite a few good old signings just in my lifetime, even though I've usually been sceptical of them when they happened. We just don't seem to do it under Venkys at all. Closest I can think is Graham? I wouldn't have considered him massively old when we got him though, what was he 29?

Within a few months or so we will probably know whether we can finally buck the trend again.

He was 30.

He was our player of the season last year at roughly the same age as Whitts was when he signed. Last year’s DG would have destroyed League One in any team.

Whitts didn’t.

Horses for courses. 

Hopefully age is but a number when giving someone a one-year deal chance to chip in.

Edited June 22, 2019 by S8 & Blue

[roversfan99]

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

He was 30.

He was our player of the season last year at roughly the same age as Whitts was when he signed. Last year’s DG would have destroyed League One in any team.

Whitts didn’t.

Horses for courses. 

Hopefully age is but a number when giving someone a one-year deal chance to chip in.

Like you've implied, you've got to judge each player on their individual merits.

For example, Graham and Mulgrew are both 33. Last season, Graham was brilliant, whereas Mulgrew went past the point of no return, regularly responsible for goals conceded and far worse points accumulation and goals conceded records with him playing compared to when he wasnt. You often find a sudden and sharp decline with players at that age.

With Downing, obviously he will be 35 before the season, but he played plenty of games last season, and 2 goals and 1 assists suggest his influence has massively waned. Boro fans seem pretty conclusive that they are happy that he has moved on. As a player reliant on his pace and running at full backs, a lot of his main attributes are now very much in decline. I am not at all optimistic, I also dont think hes going to be a squad player, so I worry that whilst he may obviously help them in terms of learning one or two things, he will be a hindrance to Armstrong, Chapman and Rothwell in terms of game time.

[SBlue]

I really hope that isn’t the case, and Chapman’s social media already shows he, at least, is appreciative of Downing’s presence.

Weirdly, even a signing like Fode Fucking Koita was more inspiring on here at the time...

At least Downing isn’t a never done nowt, never do owt shitter from the “10k a week is impossibly tight” days.

 

Downing could be a complete waste of time and money.

But he could be the steady, calm, experienced winner’s head that we’ve been missing and completely worth his place in a match day squad or 11.

 

Fingers crossed anyway.

 

CHRIST at least we’ve got someone new!

He’s played with Suarez, Coutinho, Gerrard at the highest level!

Fode Koita/Liam Feeney/Anthony Stokes didn’t!

 

 

 

Edited June 22, 2019 by S8 & Blue

[Maji]

17 hours ago, tomphil said:

It is as are the people who think these types come to Rovers for 5 grand per week and a similar in appearance money.  He might be 35 he might be a millionaire but like Rodwell you still have to lure them here with more than just games when there are other packages on the table perhaps from clubs with a lot more loose change than us who don't mind chucking 20/30k per week on squaddies.

He won't be cheap, that's all I know, otherwise why bench him? I hope he can earn his wedge whilst with us.

I will always be apprehensive in regards signing older players after Murphy et al. Let's hope he's not one of those ?

[Maji]

4 hours ago, S8 & Blue said:

For every Whittingham there’s a Tugay, and every Murphy a Hughes.

 

Cant wait to find out. 

It's no coincidence those that worked out were proper seasoned players ie some of the best in their countries and those that didn't were wannabes and almosts.

if he can start a few and come on and make a positive contribution in the last 20-30 mind of games, then I will be OK with his signing. Conway was ineffectual, so an impact sub would make a difference and be an improvement.

however it is yet another signing in an area Brereton plays. I don't want a player taking minutes away from him. We cannot be pissing away 7m and so whether we like it or not, we must play him and do everything we can to make him a better player. For that he will need game time and Downing, could reduce this.

[roversfan99]

Just now, Dr X said:

It's no coincidence those that worked out were proper seasoned players ie some of the best in their countries and those that didn't were wannabes and almosts.

if he can start a few and come on and make a positive contribution in the last 20-30 mind of games, then I will be OK with his signing. Conway was ineffectual, so an impact sub would make a difference and be an improvement.

however it is yet another signing in an area Brereton plays. I don't want a player taking minutes away from him. We cannot be pissing away 7m and so whether we like it or not, we must play him and do everything we can to make him a better player. For that he will need game time and Downing, could reduce this.

Im not sure the bottom paragraph is true. Brereton should only play up front if at all.

[Maji]

Just now, roversfan99 said:

Im not sure the bottom paragraph is true. Brereton should only play up front if at all.

Has he played there?

[roversfan99]

Just now, Dr X said:

Has he played there?

Yeah but very poorly and I dont want to see him play there again. Hes not a winger.