Liverpool have completed their fourth signing of the summer with the £20m capture of Stewart Downing from Aston Villa on a long-term deal. Having had a £15m bid for the winger knocked back last week, Kenny Dalglish wasted little time in returning with an improved offer and with Villa giving the club permission to speak to the player on Thursday, the deal reached a speedy conclusion, following weeks of media speculation.
Downing joins Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Alexander Doni in arriving at the club this last few weeks and continues the major rebuilding process undertaken since Dalglish replaced Roy Hodgson back in January. Liverpool’s Director of Football, Damien Comolli, shared his thoughts on the transfer:
“We needed that pace and wide player that can bring us something extra, which we did not have in the squad. He has the right mentality, the right attitude and was absolutely committed to coming to us, so we are delighted.
He is a big, big signing for us. When we have Andy up front, he can put those balls in, but also he’s got more than that. We look thoroughly into data and statistics before signing players and we really think we are bringing a big, big asset into our team.”
Downing also spoke to the club’s official website upon completion of the transfer:
“It’s a great feeling and I’m very happy to be here. With the tradition, the manager and the players they have here, there was a big temptation to come here and once I knew of their interest, there was only one place I wanted to go.
‘It will be a great feeling to run out at Anfield. When I wanted to come to Liverpool, it was the first thing I thought of – playing at Anfield in front of those great fans. I’m really looking forward to it.”
The Statistics
A graduate of Middlesboro’s Academy, Downing debuted for his hometown club back in April 2002, though a failure to establish himself in the first-team meant he played just six games in his first two seasons. Loaned out to Sunderland in 2003-04, he made 7 appearances and scored 3 goals before injuries at the Riverside saw him recalled.
Resultantly given a run of games to nail down a starting place, Downing grabbed his opportunity and became a regular starter for Boro, staying with the club until the end of a doomed 2008/09 season that saw them relegated to the Championship. In total, he played 171 league matches for Middlesboro, scoring 17 goals and making 17 assists.
Snapped up by Martin O’Neill for Aston Villa in the summer of 2009, Downing, upon recovering from a broken foot, proved to be a key player for the Midlands outfit. Over the past two campaigns the winger has played 63 league games, scoring 9 and assisting 9 goals, with last season’s returns of 7 goals and 3 assists indicative of his growing influence on the side. He’s also played 22 times for England, picking up 3 assists.
The Prospects
The addition merely adds to the currently congested midfield but, as the weeks progress, departures are likely to start filtering out of Anfield and a clearer picture will emerge of Dalglish’s intentions.
Joe Cole and Milan Jovanovic seem certain to leave and with Raul Meireles and Maxi Rodriguez both linked with moves away from Liverpool, Downing’s prospects as a first-team option perhaps look greater than both fellow new-boys Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson, with less competition for a left wing role than in the centre and wide right.
Another factor here is that Downing’s arrival brings yet another set-piece taker to Liverpool; Henderson was number one for Sunderland corners, Adam took, well, everything for Blackpool and Downing shared corner kicks with Ashley Young. Downing took 93 corners last season but, with Steven Gerrard also added to the mix, he’s likely to lose that part of his game.
Downing’s crossing will bring a crucial extra element to Liverpool’s play, however, which may help the club bring the best out in Andy Carroll. Last season, Downing made 51 successful crosses, third best in the league behind Leighton Baines and Nani. With just 15, Raul Meireles was best Liverpool midfielder, a clear indication of the side’s inefficiency from the flanks.
This lack of quality aerial supply meant Carroll’s effectiveness in the air suffered; he won 62% of aerial duels at Newcastle but just 46% at Liverpool. For as much as Downing’s delivery has been talked about as the key to Carroll’s effectiveness, in terms of Fantasy perspective, Carroll may prove the answer to unlocking Downing’s potential; Downing made a total of 243 crosses last season and picked up just 3 assists- Carroll’s ability to turn those crosses into goals could considerably boost Downing’s assists and propel him into our Fantasy thinking as Dalglish looks for a top-four finish this time round.
The knock-on effect at Villa Park brings Marc Albrighton further into the picture, with the youngster currently Villa‘s only first-team right winger. New boss Alex McLeish must move to strengthen his options on both flanks, though, and has been strongly linked with Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia. The Frenchman is likely to play on the left, though Gabby Agbonlahor’s adaptability may influence Big Eck’s thinking here. Set-pieces are also up for grabs, with the club now bereft of their two main takers from last season and N’Zogbia would be nailed-on favourite if he makes the move to the Midlands.
McLeish is notoriously defensive-minded and much will depend on his favoured formation. Last season he fielded a 4-4-2 on twenty occasions but Birmingham’s other eighteen games saw them play with just one forward up top. Five in the midfield could even bring forgotten man Stephen Ireland into the equation, with the player positive of his chances of becoming a key member of the Villa side under the new regime.
