Damion Downs

[SWLondon Saint]

5 minutes ago, Colinjb said:

Yes, let's berate the 21 year old lad who is adjusting to a new country, new team and new manager. More then willing to give him time. Graziano Pelle looked like a carthorse until he got a bit of confidence going, hope he can (literally) find his feet soon.

I think people are on the whole being pretty fair - he *should* be burying those chances, and he clearly knows it, he was super frustrated after the one last night, which unfortunately makes things worse as he then tries too hard. Still far too early to make any judgements, as I said above, we have to cross our fingers it's just nerves.

[sockeye]

I think DD will come good, and in not too much time. He’s getting into the right positions just needs to steel his nerves.

[Saint86]

1 hour ago, for_heaven's_Saint said:

Tbf it was a decent bit of hold up/knock down play from him that started the move for our goal yesterday. 

His movement, hold down play, and passing / lay offs are the bits that impressed me before we signed him. He's best with attacking players around him for support.

[disconnect]

48 minutes ago, Saint NL said:

This is true. This part of his game is decent, the jury is out on his finishing however.

Although he did score a great well placed finish in pre-season when the ball was slid in for him (from Robinson?)

[Saint86]

21 minutes ago, miserableoldgit said:

I do hope that we keep hold of Fernandes. It would be nice to have one player in the squad that we like and isn't useless.

Think there is genuinely something in this. Bazunu and Stephen's are currently off the menu... Our fanbase needs someone to have a go at - so up steps downs 😫

[Whitey Grandad]

1 hour ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Avoiding the defender and GK is all well and good, but you also need to put the ball right where the onrushing player needs it. He didn't even look up though, so couldn't possibly judge DD's run.

For the chance to be an absolute sitter, the ball in needed to be perfectly in front of him, and it wasn't. So I'm not going to join the bandwagon of knee jerk fans who seem to have already decided he's shit. The jury is still out for me.

Che Adams was frequently guilty of far worse misses than that, but was a very key player for us last time in this division and still got 16 goals, so I'm not gonna write Downs off just yet on the basis of a missed chance that wasn't quite as easy as many seem to think it was.

It's not the responsibility of the player making the cross to deliver it on a plate. The atta kernel has a clear view and needs to adjust his run so as to meet the ball wherever it might appear. As has been said above, he went for it with his wrong foot and got himself tangled up.

[Turkish]

1 hour ago, AlexLaw76 said:

LoL

he put the ball on the 6 yard line ready for an on coming player to tap it into an empty net.

The mental gymnastics going here is a sight to be seen.

it was a piss easy chance for any level of football, let alone for an international 

The excuses are hilarious 

6 yards from goal in acres of space with a ball crossed on the floor to an international striker and it's not a sitter, it's the crossers fault for not judging his run better 😂

It is entirely possible to admit it was a shocking miss and also not write him off but there seems to be this view that if you say it was a bad miss you're writing him off already, funny as fuck this place

Edited 21 hours ago by Turkish

[ally_uk]

The lad has been here two seconds, new surroundings.

Give him chance to bed in before squirting on the mattress. Jesus wept our fans sometimes! Bunch of wet sandwiches 🤣

[saintant]

2 hours ago, SWLondon Saint said:

Absolutely this, the problem right now is he's just flat out running as the pass is made, he's not anticipating having to adjust as it's struck when you can move to the flight of the ball. It just all says panic stations right now. Calm down lad!

For all the criticism of BBD, the one thing he really does seem to do well... Is cross it. Which considering he seems to lack most of the tools to get in position for it regularly, is just. Weird.

In a nutshell. He's currently far too eager and his feet are well ahead of his brain. Needs to realise he has more time than he thinks, time his runs much better and he'll arrive at the right point rather than a split second too early. On the plus side he is getting into position and making good runs - he just needs to calm down and the goals will come. The one he scored in the preseason friendly was very good but it was one where he ran onto the ball and finished instinctively so he needs to work on the bread and butter tap ins from close range. He's young and hopefully, with the right coaching, will learn quickly and develop.

[bugenhagen]

30 minutes ago, Turkish said:

It is entirely possible to admit it was a shocking miss and also not write him off but there seems to be this view that if you say it was a bad miss you're writing him off already, funny as fuck this place

Well said! I think he has had two bad misses, and he has not looked particularly good from what I’ve seen so far, but I am still interested to see how he develops and adapts. 

I thought Mane was poor most games in the first season. Must be OK to say so now that we know how he turned out. 

[Turkish]

2 minutes ago, bugenhagen said:

Well said! I think he has had two bad misses, and he has not looked particularly good from what I’ve seen so far, but I am still interested to see how he develops and adapts. 

I thought Mane was poor most games in the first season. Must be OK to say so now that we know how he turned out. 

Mane started okay, then was pony for about 2  months then got better, he was incredible for his last 4-5 months with us which is what ultimately got his big money move.

[bugenhagen]

1 hour ago, Turkish said:

Mane started okay, then was pony for about 2  months then got better, he was incredible for his last 4-5 months with us which is what ultimately got his big money move.

Forgot that he started ok, just remember him being very poor, and then started to turn the corner at the end of the season, and sometime in the start of the second season he became a nailed on starter for me. 

[Lord Duckhunter]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

The excuses are hilarious 

6 yards from goal in acres of space with a ball crossed on the floor to an international striker and it's not a sitter, it's the crossers fault for not judging his run better 😂

It is entirely possible to admit it was a shocking miss and also not write him off but there seems to be this view that if you say it was a bad miss you're writing him off already, funny as fuck this place

It’s the modern Nod, happy clappy get behind the lads. 
 

He should be sat there with 2 winning goals in 2 appearances under his belt. Instead he’s got 2 horrendous misses to his name. 

[Midfield_General]

2 hours ago, Turkish said:

The excuses are hilarious 

6 yards from goal in acres of space with a ball crossed on the floor to an international striker and it's not a sitter, it's the crossers fault for not judging his run better 😂

It is entirely possible to admit it was a shocking miss and also not write him off but there seems to be this view that if you say it was a bad miss you're writing him off already, funny as fuck this place

If Che Adams, BBD or Sekou Mara had missed that exact chance, I wonder if so many would have been saying how it wasn't that much of an easy chance actually 

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

7 hours ago, Midfield_General said:

If Che Adams, BBD or Sekou Mara had missed that exact chance, I wonder if so many would have been saying how it wasn't that much of an easy chance actually 

Exactly. And in the first half hour at Northampton, he didn't seem to win any high balls and seemed ineffectual. Cam Archer had a lot more about him.

[Bob60]

Think we need to give home some time, he is young and in the last month has moved club, and country he needs time to settle in and adjust. 

Two bad misses for sure but at least he was in the right positions.

Edited 11 hours ago by Bob60

[chiknsmack]

The cross was fine.

The finish was poor.

Two poor finishes don't mean he's shit.

[Saint Fan CaM]

34 minutes ago, chiknsmack said:

The cross was fine.

The finish was poor.

Two poor finishes don't mean he's shit.

Especially when he’s scored a blinder too. Far too much attention being paid to the misses. The lad will get there - his movement and vision is superior to any other striker we have currently. Judge him after 10 games perhaps.

[leeham_69]

5 hours ago, Bob60 said:

Think we need to give home some time, he is young and in the last month has moved club, and country he needs time to settle in and adjust. 

Two bad misses for sure but at least he was in the right positions.

This post really underlines my thinking.

[you muppets]

he will score of his arse against pompey and be everyones hero