Arshavin or Downing?

[SuitsBlue]

I've not seen him, he's a young rising star at Cardiff and Wales. He gets a good mentions in the press


http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/foot...same-old-story-for-a-new-year-91466-20313016/

"And he’ll see Joe Ledley become a vital figure for country and club – whichever club that may be.

However much you look at, it’s hard to see the 20-year-old still at Cardiff City after the summer.

All you have to hope is that he does go to a team where his talents are recognised and he doesn’t spend too much time on the bench.

Everton are rumoured to have joined the bidding for the youngster and, at first glance, would appear to be an ideal destination.

They have a good and thoughtful manager in David Moyes, while Ledley’s talents would perfectly supplement a midfield including the likes of Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Phil Neville."




Of course whether he could step straight into the side is another thing It would be a longer term purchase

Can anyone research Cardiff? this Joe Ledley appears to be the third youth top talent in as many months. who is responsible for the youth setup/scouting at cardiff? is it someone well known to the game?

 

[SuitsBlue]

Have been weighing up this for a while.

someone mentioned that arshavin isnt a left footer, which appears correct, that said, neither is MGP who has gone right off the boil at burn. (get to blackburn in a bit)

looking at the following four players...

pienaar osman munny arteta

there is only munny who i am not sure on to do a job at left midfield, the ability for the switch around is so far as i can guess unequalled in the prem, for instance

arteta pienaar munny osman

imagine trying to deal with man marking in such a case.

that said, i'd like to see arshavin signed, not least because it appears he can slot into the cahill role on top of any position in the authentic midfield.

that said, moyes was a long time admirer of AJ, likewise yakubu, and arteta, recent noise suggests sean davis, so if the rumours have a grain of truth moyes may well have had downing on the radar for sometime and is waiting for their slump and player exodus to allow a swoop.

speaking of slumps, isnt it peculiar how blackburn have fared this season, there was speculation around hughes for the toon job, and persistent rumours about the manure job when saffy steps down. looking at their squad, im not sure how much longer they can punch above their weight, take friedel, santa cruz and bentley out of the burn side this season and they'd be down there with derby. (Edit bit: its going to be interesting watching where bentley goes, because such fine form never goes unnoticed and burn have already told newcastle 'hands off')

from one tenuous link to the next, take a look at the following...

SPARTA PRAGUE 1:1 AJAX (0:0) Sneider (91). (14.09.05, Prague)
12-Hans Vonk,
2-Hatem Trabelsi,
3-Zdenek Grygera,
6-Tomas Galasek (4-John Heitinga 93),
8-Hedwiges Maduro,
10-Steven Pienaar (7-Mauro Rosales 80),
11-Ryan Babel,
18-Wesley Sneijder,
19-Urby Emanuelson,
21-Olaf Lindenbergh,
24-Markus Rosenberg (9-Angelos Charisteas 76)

can anyone quantify pienaars actual role in that ajax side, was he wide left or actually centre left?

Also of note in a slightly idiosyncratic manner, there are two midfielders in that list on merseyside that join two other midfielders on merseyside that used to play together.

(knew i recognised 'Hatem Trabelsi' - arsenal and city)

 

[scottishtoffee]

great post suits. interesting about blackburn but if you took the core out of most teams they would struggle, take Howard, Lescott and AJ out of our team now and we would struggle (although not for long as we will have our Africans back soon).

i agree with you about the interchange and right footed players on the left (eg Joe Cole does a great job when played there) so i would love to see Arshavin here.

 

[Rob]

I personally think downing would be a great signing for us, and wants out of boro too!

 

[SuitsBlue]

it appears he is prepared to sit on his contract and force boros hand. if it comes to a free, i will be surprised if we turn out to be the suitors he most fancies.

 

[Sharpys top lip]

it appears he is prepared to sit on his contract and force boros hand. if it comes to a free, i will be surprised if we turn out to be the suitors he most fancies.

Id love to see him here, but as you say suits if he go's on a free. There will be a long line of clubs waiting to snap him up.

 

[Rob]

so in other words you think he will end up at newcastle?

 

[TX Bill]

Spot on there Rob !!

And they'll pay twice what he's worth to get him.

 

[Rob]

and then he will be crap and go to west ham in a paddy...

 

[zero]

if he's on a free he'll end up at Liverpool, they've got to watch the pennies over there nowadays.