Stewart Downing To Hand In Transfer Request To Middlesbrough

Glenn Hysén wrote:you've misunderstood my point completely.

Riera, Pennant, Keane, Eduardo and Jeffers weren't signed as first choice reactive replacements in the same way.

Riera has worked out so far, but he could just as easily have flopped and at the time, given the choice I think a lot of Liverpool fans would have preferred Downing, perhaps even Rafa.

Not me

Coops - How has Downing done for you this season?
Saw a stat on Sky yesterday, no goals scored apperantly. Surely assists are covering him for the lack of goals or am I wrong?

No goals..dont know how many assists. As ive said before though, the stats are misleading..despite the lack of assists alot of our goals come from his crosses/set pieces. Its just he often isnt the last one to have touched the ball before the final shot so he doesnt get the assist.

SSN reporting that the club have rejected the request.

Downing has been shit this season. Missed about three penalty's. Has yet to score, and has about 2 assists to his name?

I'd take the cash and run. Johnson will be the better player.

He hasnt been shit, he's underperformed and missed some penalties.

The game isnt just about assist stats.

borocooper wrote:He hasnt been shit, he's underperformed and missed some penalties.

The game isnt just about assist stats.

So he's been good? I've seen him live about three times this season. Don't think he beat his man once in any of those games, and his crossing was piss poor too.

But tbf, you're obviously far more clued up on his performances than me.

He's been average. He still causes more problems for the opposition defence than any of our other players, apart from maybe Tuncay.

Glenn you were absolutely right until you included Drogba - don't buy that myth about his poor 1st season.

He dumped Roy Keane on his arse to set up the winner in the opening game and held the ball up brilliantly to take the pressure of their defence in games when they were being dominated (Spurs away) which got them loads of away points and was one of the key players in Chelsea winning their 1st Prem title.

18 Prem starts, 8 Sub apps - 10 goals.

8 CL starts, 1 sub - 5 goals.

On his own up front.

Hardly shit.

well thanks for correcting me Pierre regarding the Drogba myth. I wasn't alive in 2004 but clearly as your stats prove it was his best ever season and not, as I had previously alluded to, a slow start.

My most humble apologies.

Glenn Hysén wrote:well thanks for correcting me Pierre regarding the Drogba myth. I wasn't alive in 2004 but clearly as your stats prove it was his best ever season and not, as I had previously alluded to, a slow start.

My most humble apologies.

So if its not his best season ever it is automatically a slow start ?

Are you saying that 18(8 ) 10 in the Prem, 8(1) 5 in the CL and a goal against Liverpool to win the league cup is a slow start ?

10 Premiership goals for a lone record signing striker playing in a top 4 side I would say is a poor return, particularly when compared to his record since. Regardless of who he scored against in the league cup final he is not a good example of a player who settled quickly. He was much derided early in his Chelsea career.

Carrick was much derided early in Man Utd career

Glenn Hysén wrote:10 Premiership goals for a lone record signing striker playing in a top 4 side I would say is a poor return, particularly when compared to his record since. Regardless of who he scored against in the league cup final he is not a good example of a player who settled quickly.

You could have even mentioned the fact that Drogba had two of the best wingers at the time playing either side of him in Duff and Robben who were ripping all defences before them. Both were unplayable and created numerous chances apon chances. For the price and who was supplying him, Drogba should have done much better than 10 league goals.

Lord knows if Torres last season had a similar record to Drogba's debut season, I wonder what Pierre would be saying...

Glenn Hysén wrote:10 Premiership goals for a lone record signing striker playing in a top 4 side I would say is a poor return, particularly when compared to his record since. Regardless of who he scored against in the league cup final he is not a good example of a player who settled quickly. He was much derided early in his Chelsea career.

What, when he starts less than half the EPL fixtures

He can't score when he isn't playing.

"When compared to his record since"

A goal every 1.8 starts is poor compared with a goal every 1.756 starts

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Glenn Hysén wrote:10 Premiership goals for a lone record signing striker playing in a top 4 side I would say is a poor return, particularly when compared to his record since. Regardless of who he scored against in the league cup final he is not a good example of a player who settled quickly. He was much derided early in his Chelsea career.

What, when he starts less than half the EPL fixtures

He can't score when he isn't playing.

"When compared to his record since"

A goal every 1.8 starts is poor compared with a goal every 1.756 starts

STATS

Drogba, like Ronaldo, was much derided early in his EPL career. And if you want STATS then since 2006 he has averaged better than 1 in 2 in the Premiership and better than 1 in 2 in Europe. But stats don't really tell the whole story, I remember that season, I remember Drogba looked like a donkey in front of goal.

You've already agreed with me so why are you so keen to prove me wrong?

Glenn Hysén wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Glenn Hysén wrote:10 Premiership goals for a lone record signing striker playing in a top 4 side I would say is a poor return, particularly when compared to his record since. Regardless of who he scored against in the league cup final he is not a good example of a player who settled quickly. He was much derided early in his Chelsea career.

What, when he starts less than half the EPL fixtures

He can't score when he isn't playing.

"When compared to his record since"

A goal every 1.8 starts is poor compared with a goal every 1.756 starts

STATS

Drogba, like Ronaldo, was much derided early in his EPL career. And if you want STATS then since 2006 he has averaged better than 1 in 2 in the Premiership and better than 1 in 2 in Europe. But stats don't really tell the whole story, I remember that season, I remember Drogba looked like a donkey in front of goal.

You've already agreed with me so why are you so keen to prove me wrong?

Having been proven wrong on the issue of stats (which he initially brought up) Glenn now moves on to Drogba being 'derided' in his first season, and to him remembering Drogba's first season.

As if the opinions of football fans and the memories of a cannabis fiend are more reliable than cold hard statistics...

President Darkie wrote: As if the opinions of football fans and the memories of a cannabis fiend are more reliable than cold hard statistics...

If you are now a convert to stats I take it you've become an Henry fan?

Roger Hunt wrote:

President Darkie wrote: As if the opinions of football fans and the memories of a cannabis fiend are more reliable than cold hard statistics...

If you are now a convert to stats I take it you've become an Henry fan?

My opinion > stats > Glenn's half baked memory > Henry





Just so we're clear.

Is this from the same school of thought as Gareth 'Spurs have only ever won one game when I've played' Bale > Theo 'England hattrick hero and who wants to be a millionnaire star' Walcott

does no one else remember Drogba being derided in his first season and looking like a donkey in front of goal?

President Darkie wrote:

Glenn Hysén wrote:

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Glenn Hysén wrote:10 Premiership goals for a lone record signing striker playing in a top 4 side I would say is a poor return, particularly when compared to his record since. Regardless of who he scored against in the league cup final he is not a good example of a player who settled quickly. He was much derided early in his Chelsea career.

What, when he starts less than half the EPL fixtures

He can't score when he isn't playing.

"When compared to his record since"

A goal every 1.8 starts is poor compared with a goal every 1.756 starts

STATS

Drogba, like Ronaldo, was much derided early in his EPL career. And if you want STATS then since 2006 he has averaged better than 1 in 2 in the Premiership and better than 1 in 2 in Europe. But stats don't really tell the whole story, I remember that season, I remember Drogba looked like a donkey in front of goal.

You've already agreed with me so why are you so keen to prove me wrong?

As if the opinions of football fans and the memories of a cannabis fiend are more reliable than cold hard statistics...

Pot kettle Black?

Glenn Hysén wrote:does no one else remember Drogba being derided in his first season and looking like a donkey in front of goal?

Yes.

The stats also show that apart from 1 season with 33 goals he's never scored more than 16 goals in all competitions, which is hardly earth-shattering.

His international record is good. Question - do African strikers tend to get more goals as a result of the format/ quality of the ACN?

Yes.

Its also true of Austalian players.

Didn't Australia once beat a team 30 something - 0 in qualifying?

Tweedle wrote:Yes.

Its also true of Austalian players.

Didn't Australia once beat a team 30 something - 0 in qualifying?

[EMP Mode]That's bullshit.

There's loads of hard games to play in African qualifying and derfinetly hardly any easy ones in the ACN [/EMP Mode]

Glenn Hysén wrote:does no one else remember Drogba being derided in his first season and looking like a donkey in front of goal?

I do remember that. but i also remember a player that was as important in Chelseas title winning team as Terry and Lampard. it is true that he didn't get alot of goals but he made sure that team worked well offensively. Part of the reason he was derided was exactly because people didn't understand his importantance to Chelsea and i think because he dived quite a bit for such a big guy.

Regarding his record in Africa it is easy to forget how many Cr@p teams there is in europe sometimes. i mean getting San Marino in your qualifying group is already at least a 5-0 win or at least it should be. then you have the likes of Andorra who have only drawn one game as their best result if im not far off. Australia and the qualifiers is something entirely different different that i wouldn't compare at all to africa.

Drogba in his first season did get derided a fair bit for missing some easy chances, if I recall. He scored 10, but probably missed a lot more, considering how Chelsea were doing at the time. Still, it was probably over-stated at the time due to his price tag - and the fact that people who didn't know much about him just assumed he was a Heskey-esque finisher due to his build.

we should organise a friendly tournament between San Marino, The Seychelles, Andorra and Ethiopia

Super Madrid wrote:Australia and the qualifiers is something entirely different different that i wouldn't compare at all to africa.

I'm always comparing Australia to Africa!

The similarities are ENDLESS.

More stats

Drogba has scored 33 goals in 52 games for Cote D'Ivoire.

Of these, 3 came in a hat-trick against Burkina Faso. He has scored twice in a game against Tunisia, Benin, Egypt, Cameroon, Slovenia and Austria - so 15 of his 33 goals, leaving 17 goals as 'singles' in a game.

Doesn't look like many easy chances to fill your boots there.

So why does he not score many for Chelsea?