West Ham Online

"Here’s a good article on Downes and how he is doing at Southampton. Let’s hope Southampton get promoted so they can afford to buy him. According to the article they rate him highly, use the proceeds to pay for Phillips permanent deal? OR would you let Phillips walk and bring him back to see if he can do it at Prem level? https://theathletic.com/5302904/2024/03/02/flynn-downes-southampton-west-ham/"

Lee Trundle - that's a good thing in my book... if Liverpool's youngsters are good enough for them then we can certainly have 4-5 on the bench next season (and actually use them!) We are in the very fortunate position that we have plenty to choose from. Give them a chance and let them play more than 2 minutes at the end of a drab holding on exercise. If they prove not to be good enough give another one a chance. Not only will it save £m's in transfer fees and wages but it will incentivise the youth players and give the whole club a lift. Obviously for this to happen Moyes needs to fuck off...

"Yer let’s buy Adam Armstrong , Smallbone,Bednerek and Che Adams as well all shitters in the prem but thriving in the championship alongside Downes"

"We're going to be desperate for home grown players too, next season."

Noble 2.0 need to invest in some local talent

Every team needs a Geoff Pike or Peter Butler.....

"I always thought Flynn Downes was one of those players that, given the proper opportunity, would prove the sum of its parts. He isn't going to stand out as he isn't outstanding. But I do believe, with time, he would've made our team better."

"""official position""! LOL. Fucking hell, Willtell. Last week you were telling us that Paqueta is a DM. Now Downes isn't one. You really do live in another world altogether."

"“Takashi Miike 3:09 Wed Mar 6 Re: Flynn Downes he's a defensive midfielder, he isn't there to score goals. tomas is a box to box player, who is much better when the team doesn't sit back. completely different players but no shock you went there” ————————— Not necessary Miike. I checked before I posted that Downes official position is ‘Central Midfield’. So he isn’t a DM! I clearly stated that goals wasn’t the only metric but any box to box midfield player that can’t score is never going to be a top player."

Graeme Souness has also habitually applied the same logic about Rice and other defensive midfielders needing to score goals to be considered any good. I reckon it's a generational thing. Back in the 442 days of the 60s-70s-80s there was no such thing as a holding midfielder really. Even Billy Bonds scored 13 league goals one season.

Graeme Souness has also habitually applied the same logic about Rice and other defensive midfielders needing to score goals to be considered any good. I reckon it's a generational thing. Back in the 442 days of the 60s-70s-80s there was no such thing as a holding midfielder really. Even Billy Bonds scored 13 league goals one season.

"Reckon Willtell must have been baffled with Rice going for over £100m using his ""logic""."

Here's a question.......would Noble have made it through under Moyes?

"Whether or not he’s good enough for the team is impossible to judge on the chances he’s been given, and the areas he’s been played in. It’s a fucking injustice that a home grown player who supports the club hasn’t had the correct opportunity to maybe flourish let alone be judged a failure. Says more about Moyes than Downes ability."

Willtell 12:49 Tue Mar 5 Re: Flynn Downes Huh?!?

I seriously doubt that a player who has been Southampton's (who have just come off a 24 match unbeaten run) best player isn't good enough to be a squad player for us. Whether he would rather play first team football or sit on our bench is another matter.

So how many goals does a defensive midfielder need to score to be outstanding then? N'Golo Kante scored 11 in 190 games in the PL. Bit shit wasn't he? Claude Makelele scored 25 in 809 games in total. I reckon he must have been the worst defensive midfielder of all time.

"...and it's amusing hearing he isn't premier league standard. this after flynn shining (a couple of MOTM games) in the tournament the moyes fundamentalists use to defend the footballing dinosaur, after he losing twenty league games last season"

"he's a defensive midfielder, he isn't there to score goals. tomas is a box to box player, who is much better when the team doesn't sit back. completely different players but no shock you went there"

"I don't often say these words but ""Comma is right"". He needs to be outstanding to get into our squad and he isn't outstanding. He doesn't score anywhere near enough to displace our worst midfielder - Tomas Soucek for example.. It's not the only metric to judge him or any midfielder by but after 208 games he should have more than 5 goals if he was going to be outstanding. And two of those were in League One. Nice lad I'm sure but he's never going to advance WHU to CL level."

"Havent seen him play for Southampton but the loan has obviously been good for him. Can that development turn him into someone good enough to play in the top half of the Prem? Dont know, which is why he should come back in the summer to be assessed by a new manager ... not as a no10 or on the left wing graveyard. If we dont think so there will plenty at top Championship level at least who will buy as he has had outstanding seasons with Swansea and Southampton at that level As he is a massive West Ham fan I'd love him to succeed as you know how much it would mean to him"

Downes is right now at the level he excels at. Top half prem standard he ain’t.

"Putting Moyes to one side, does anyone really have a knowledgeable view if he is good enough for a top half table PL side? I would like to think so, but I don't know. The only thing I would say is he needs more to his game than just sideways and backwards passing and treating the ball like he's allergic to it."

"Downes always looked a bit in awe of Rice, he'd look for him rather than take it on himself."

"Bring him back and give him a chance to impress pre season under a new manager. Same for Potts and Orford. Sell Soucek, send Phillips back. Let them 3 have a crack and spend the £40M set aside for Phillips on a CB or a CF which is more of a necessity"

"Willtell - You're still harping on about DM's? Give it a rest you fucking old bore, we heard you the first 100 times."