Flynn Downes

[Badger]

I don’t think Downes has ever really wanted to be here. 
 

He was instrumental in promotion and credit to him for the part he played in it. If you remember the ‘promotion party’ he couldn’t resist blurting the word ‘irons’ into an answer to Blackmore’s question. Went down in my estimation from that, I think it showed exactly where he wanted - and probably expected to be - this season. 

Quite pathetic if he is still in a strop due to Lego going. Not sure where he hopes to be next season, could well be back with Lego in a season or two. At MK Dons level or similar. 

[Harry_SFC]

3 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

He came on today, and strolled around the pitch like we were four or five up. Absolute waste of a shirt. The amount of times he doesn't tackle just fucks me over. He's part of the weak mentaility we have at the club. We need to get rid, I don't care if he cares for the club, he is not good enough.

I've not seen much evidence of him caring about the club, looks to me like he puts in about 50% effort when he's on the pitch. 

[Harry_SFC]

Just now, Badger said:

I don’t think Downes has ever really wanted to be here. 
 

He was instrumental in promotion and credit to him for the part he played in it. If you remember the ‘promotion party’ he couldn’t resist blurting the word ‘irons’ into an answer to Blackmore’s question. Went down in my estimation from that, I think it showed exactly where he wanted - and probably expected to be - this season. 

Quite pathetic if he is still in a strop due to Lego going. Not sure where he hopes to be next season, could well be back with Lego in a season or two. At MK Dons level or similar. 

I agree. The only reason he signed for us was because of Martin. 

[Gloucester Saint]

3 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

He came on today, and strolled around the pitch like we were four or five up. Absolute waste of a shirt. The amount of times he doesn't tackle just fucks me over. He's part of the weak mentaility we have at the club. We need to get rid, I don't care if he cares for the club, he is not good enough.

It’s not a lack of effort with Will, it’s that he’s got a kid’s body trying to play adults football against fit, strong athletes. You can’t look like Ian Ormondroyd any more and although Peter Crouch looked like it, he had surprising upper body strength and used his levers well.

Fillet steak at Staplewood, protein shakes, weight training, It’s what any manager who was capable would have been getting Will to do last summer but the manager can’t be best buddies with the players, common theme with Russell Martin. 

[Farmer Saint]

8 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

It’s not a lack of effort with Will, it’s that he’s got a kid’s body trying to play adults football against fit, strong athletes. You can’t look like Ian Ormondroyd any more and although Peter Crouch looked like it, he had surprising upper body strength and used his levers well.

Fillet steak at Staplewood, protein shakes, weight training, It’s what any manager who was capable would have been getting Will to do last summer but the manager can’t be best buddies with the players, common theme with Russell Martin. 

I think that may be a little harsh - he looks weaker than I think he actually is because he looks like he's undergoing chemo.

I think he just not quite good enough, and there is no crime in that. We're trying to get Championship players to be PL and that just doesn't work.

[Saint NL]

Downes - what a whopper.

I wonder if any PL team will see his performances this season and want to buy him. Surely he's headed back to the championship.

[Gloucester Saint]

Just now, Farmer Saint said:

I think that may be a little harsh - he looks weaker than I think he actually is because he looks like he's undergoing chemo.

I think he just not quite good enough, and there is no crime in that. We're trying to get Championship players to be PL and that just doesn't work.

The alpecia I knew about but Chaplow had that as well. Be careful around the chemo - it can trigger people.

He probably isn’t a PL athlete but he can pass, good touch, finish, with a bit more strength he could play in a 2 in a decent Champ midfield which Martin couldn’t do with him last year because we got swamped. 

[Farmer Saint]

Just now, Gloucester Saint said:

The alpecia I knew about but Chaplow had that as well. Be careful around the chemo - it can trigger people.

He probably isn’t a PL athlete but he can pass, good touch, finish, with a bit more strength he could play in a 2 in a decent Champ midfield which Martin couldn’t do with him last year because we got swamped. 

It wasn't meant in any way as an insulting thing, purely that it makes people, quite rightly so, look sickly and weaker. I just want to make that clear.

[Turkish]

On 03/02/2025 at 19:37, redandwhitey said:

Conspiracy theory #1

perhaps Downes heard of Ipswich interest during the week and got the right hump when Saints said no, or not at that price ???

sounds like he's having a paddy about not letting him join a relegation rival (well a team that will probably also go down) only a few months after signing a long term deal. 

[Badger]

1 minute ago, Farmer Saint said:

It wasn't meant in any way as an insulting thing, purely that it makes people, quite rightly so, look sickly and weaker. I just want to make that clear.

Not taking issue with what you said, I agree that Smallbone does look weak. ( His tackling reinforces the stereotype).

But no one would have said David Armstrong looked ‘sickly’ or weaker because of his bald pate. But then again Armstrong did carry a bit of bulk that Smallbone lacks. 

[Turkish]

8 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

The alpecia I knew about but Chaplow had that as well. Be careful around the chemo - it can trigger people.

He probably isn’t a PL athlete but he can pass, good touch, finish, with a bit more strength he could play in a 2 in a decent Champ midfield which Martin couldn’t do with him last year because we got swamped. 

according to his stats he's 75kg which means based on what i've recently learnt about premier league strength and conditioning he should be able to squat c112.5kg and deadlift 150kg, i may be wrong be he doesn't look like he could.

[Badger]

5 minutes ago, Turkish said:

according to his stats he's 75kg which means based on what i've recently learnt about premier league strength and conditioning he should be able to squat c112.5kg and deadlift 150kg, i may be wrong be he doesn't look like he could.

Is that an ‘Xkg’ squat stat from another Rasmus spreadsheet ? 

[Wade Garrett]

29 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

It’s not a lack of effort with Will, it’s that he’s got a kid’s body trying to play adults football against fit, strong athletes. You can’t look like Ian Ormondroyd any more and although Peter Crouch looked like it, he had surprising upper body strength and used his levers well.

Fillet steak at Staplewood, protein shakes, weight training, It’s what any manager who was capable would have been getting Will to do last summer but the manager can’t be best buddies with the players, common theme with Russell Martin. 

Looked like lack of effort to me.  Jogged when someone went past him and didn’t even bother to break into a sprint.

[Gloucester Saint]

5 minutes ago, Turkish said:

according to his stats he's 75kg which means based on what i've recently learnt about premier league strength and conditioning he should be able to squat c112.5kg and deadlift 150kg, i may be wrong be he doesn't look like he could.

We can only judge by what we see on the pitch which is him brushed off very easily. No-one is expecting Roy Keane 50/50s but in central areas he has to be able to at least nick the ball and hold opponents off when he’s on the ball. He’s coming on in games and they pass him by. He got totally destroyed by Declan Rice in the Nations League as well.

[SaintNewForest]

33 minutes ago, Badger said:

I don’t think Downes has ever really wanted to be here. 
 

He was instrumental in promotion and credit to him for the part he played in it. If you remember the ‘promotion party’ he couldn’t resist blurting the word ‘irons’ into an answer to Blackmore’s question. Went down in my estimation from that, I think it showed exactly where he wanted - and probably expected to be - this season. 

Quite pathetic if he is still in a strop due to Lego going. Not sure where he hopes to be next season, could well be back with Lego in a season or two. At MK Dons level or similar. 

I agree, ive always had a feeling hes never wanted to be here. Weren't there rumours that he originally didn't want to join on loan, hence the delay,and he had some serious misgivings ... then he slagged off our fans a few weeks after joining (iirc) cos we drew at home to Rotherham, before the whole irons thing at the promotion party and coming really close to joining Ipswich instead over the summer.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 minute ago, Wade Garrett said:

Looked like lack of effort to me.  Jogged when someone went past him and didn’t even bother to break into a sprint.

Only the player will know if that’s the case. May be a lack of belief that he can physically compete but has to compete as best he can. 

[Badger]

2 minutes ago, SaintNewForest said:

I agree, ive always had a feeling hes never wanted to be here. Weren't there rumours that he originally didn't want to join on loan, hence the delay,and he had some serious misgivings ... then he slagged off our fans a few weeks after joining (iirc) cos we drew at home to Rotherham, before the whole irons thing at the promotion party and coming really close to joining Ipswich instead over the summer.

Yes there were.

The story was put out about food poisoning, but you have to wonder. 

[Gloucester Saint]

15 minutes ago, Turkish said:

sounds like he's having a paddy about not letting him join a relegation rival (well a team that will probably also go down) only a few months after signing a long term deal. 

If he’d been a standout like Fernandes has in an ocean of 💩 I might have some understanding of his seeming outlook. But he’s been arguably the worst midfielder regularly starting this season and that’s going some with such a dreadful midfield.

If Ipswich want to give us our £18m back after they sell Delap to Man U then fine by me. But Flynn can stop acting like a bell end in the meantime when he hasn’t contributed anything positive this season.

[Pamplemousse]

I want Flynn here, I think he can offer us something in midfield. Hopefully the issues can be resolved.

Let's not be lazy and slag him off, he was so so good last season.

[The Kraken]

Just now, Pamplemousse said:

I want Flynn here, I think he can offer us something in midfield. Hopefully the issues can be resolved.

Let's not be lazy and slag him off, he was so so good last season.

He was our most influential player last season.

This season he has been an abject disappointment. I think he’s a much better player than we have seen so far.

[goodymatt]

This is a sorry state of affairs. Downes was our most influential player last season (80% win rate when he played, 20% when he didn’t) now doesn’t want to be here. Armstrong, our top scorer and assister (last season) has already left on loan. Shea Charles didn’t want to come back in January. Aribo reportedly will join a Turkish side in the summer. KWP won’t be renewing. Ramsdale, Dibling and Fernandes will all have top flight suitors. We are going to have to rebuild an entire team this summer it will be even more change than last time we went down.

On Downes specifically, I really thought he would step up but he has really struggled under both mangers. THB has struggled too. We are just nowhere near good enough. I don’t want players here that don’t want to be here, so laters Flynn.

[Farmer Saint]

3 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

This is a sorry state of affairs. Downes was our most influential player last season (80% win rate when he played, 20% when he didn’t) now doesn’t want to be here. Armstrong, our top scorer and assister (last season) has already left on loan. Shea Charles didn’t want to come back in January. Aribo reportedly will join a Turkish side in the summer. KWP won’t be renewing. Ramsdale, Dibling and Fernandes will all have top flight suitors. We are going to have to rebuild an entire team this summer it will be even more change than last time we went down.

On Downes specifically, I really thought he would step up but he has really struggled under both mangers. THB has struggled too. We are just nowhere near good enough. I don’t want players here that don’t want to be here, so laters Flynn.

I hope everyone goes tbh. There's no-one in this squad, bar Fernandes and Dibling, who I want to see here next year.

Edited Saturday at 21:21 by Farmer Saint

[Football Special]

36 minutes ago, SaintNewForest said:

I agree, ive always had a feeling hes never wanted to be here. Weren't there rumours that he originally didn't want to join on loan, hence the delay,and he had some serious misgivings ... then he slagged off our fans a few weeks after joining (iirc) cos we drew at home to Rotherham, before the whole irons thing at the promotion party and coming really close to joining Ipswich instead over the summer.

Yes, and then he only signed permanently because Martin , always a problem if motivation is to work for a particular manager rather than play for a particular club. Having a strop now makes it difficult for him in terms of relationship with the fans. 

[Ralph Fastenbüttl]

1 hour ago, Dusic said:

Why would anyone want to get rid of Smallbone FFS? He was very good last season, a key player in a promotion season.

Has been injured most of this so hardly to blame for anything.

Players like him who actually care a bit about the are exactly the ones who we do need for next season.

Smallbone seemingly has the club in his heart but I just don't understand him as a player. I don't see what he offers. Honestly, I sadly do think we're best off getting rid.

[Turkish]

44 minutes ago, goodymatt said:

This is a sorry state of affairs. Downes was our most influential player last season (80% win rate when he played, 20% when he didn’t) now doesn’t want to be here. Armstrong, our top scorer and assister (last season) has already left on loan. Shea Charles didn’t want to come back in January. Aribo reportedly will join a Turkish side in the summer. KWP won’t be renewing. Ramsdale, Dibling and Fernandes will all have top flight suitors. We are going to have to rebuild an entire team this summer it will be even more change than last time we went down.

On Downes specifically, I really thought he would step up but he has really struggled under both mangers. THB has struggled too. We are just nowhere near good enough. I don’t want players here that don’t want to be here, so laters Flynn.

Good the one we’ve got is shite 

[Andy Hill]

Get rid - decent Championship player but way out of his depth this season.

[FarehamSaintJames]

Great in the Championship, but has been woeful all season.

Most of the team have. Pretty difficult to pick a player of the season.

You have a few that have done ok but it’s a low bar to say they’ve been in any way good.

[Winnersaint]

Juric damned him with faint praise a few weeks back. I’m paraphrasing this. “He is a good player, but  must understand the Premier League is another level.”

[Winnersaint]

Having a beer on my hols in Kefalonia last summer before start of the season. Chatting to a WHU fan. London cabbie of course. He said then that Flynn. Downes was never in a million years a Premier League player. Hmmm!

[warsash saint]

43 minutes ago, Andy Hill said:

Get rid - decent Championship player but way out of his depth this season.

Sorry to disappoint you BUT we won't be in this league in a few months ...'decent' Championship player are we are gonna need!!

[CSA96]

28 minutes ago, Winnersaint said:

Juric damned him with faint praise a few weeks back. I’m paraphrasing this. “He is a good player, but  must understand the Premier League is another level.”

He also said something like 'I wanted to give Downes a chance but today he played a bad game. The gap to the Premier League is big'

Which I did wonder at the time whether it would rankle with FD

[ErwinK1961]

1 minute ago, CSA96 said:

He also said something like 'I wanted to give Downes a chance but today he played a bad game. The gap to the Premier League is big'

Which I did wonder at the time whether it would rankle with FD

Probably did seeing as he can’t take criticism.

[macca155]

I think comments here are missing the obvious. Downes went from Swansea to West Ham (a dream move), to be ignored and sent on loan must have been devastating.

He showed his worth last year in a system that suited him. As the season has unrolled so has his career. Failing twice in the Premier League will be a bitter pill for him.

I don't believe for a second that he doesn't step on that pitch and give everything he can. However at the moment he appears to be struggling with the system and his own self belief.

Hopefully he can recover next season.

[West end Saints]

26 years old.

 

Played more in league 1 than prem.

 

Looked out of his depth in prem league

 

Hasn't earned the right to strop.

 

Paid too much for him. 

Edited Sunday at 00:09 by West end Saints

[St. Ciervo]

5 hours ago, FarehamSaintJames said:

Great in the Championship, but has been woeful all season.

Most of the team have. Pretty difficult to pick a player of the season.

You have a few that have done ok but it’s a low bar to say they’ve been in any way good.

Dibling perhaps. Or this Welington kid after only 2 matches. 

Edited Sunday at 03:55 by St. Ciervo

[Harry_SFC]

4 hours ago, St. Ciervo said:

Dibling perhaps. Or this Welington kid after only 2 matches. 

I think it's quite easy actually. Fernandes by some distance. 

[Holmes_and_Watson]

33 minutes ago, Harry_SFC said:

I think it's quite easy actually. Fernandes by some distance. 

Yup. Fernandes. Struggling to think of anyone else worth a nomination.

[SaintNewForest]

5 hours ago, St. Ciervo said:

Dibling perhaps. Or this Welington kid after only 2 matches. 

Larios is the obvious answer. By virtue of playing the least amount of minutes (a couple away at Cardiff in the cup)

[Lord Duckhunter]

Get rid. Fucking weak mentality.
 

Players like him and Smallbone are one of the reasons I want Ivan to stay. The last thing we want is another bloke coming in putting their arm round these twats and rehabilitating them. We need a culture change, kick the son in laws out, and get some gypsies & pirates in. 

[saintant]

Very pleased that Ivan Juric has been honest here and called out the bad attitude and lack of professionalism showed by Downes. He needs to get his shit together and start earning his money rather than throwing his toys out of the pram like a child. If not, then he is indeed a bad apple and should be put on gardening leave until the end of the season so he cannot have any influence around the other players. Should Downes not do the right thing he will be putting a red flag against his name to warn any future suitors that he has a bad attitude.

[CB Fry]

9 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Get rid. Fucking weak mentality.
 

Players like him and Smallbone are one of the reasons I want Ivan to stay. The last thing we want is another bloke coming in putting their arm round these twats and rehabilitating them. We need a culture change, kick the son in laws out, and get some gypsies & pirates in. 

Hodcarriers and lead violinists surely.

[beatlesaint]

14 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Get rid. Fucking weak mentality.
 

Players like him and Smallbone are one of the reasons I want Ivan to stay. The last thing we want is another bloke coming in putting their arm round these twats and rehabilitating them. We need a culture change, kick the son in laws out, and get some gypsies & pirates in. 

Whilst I agree can I point out that Juric does put Smallbone on at the most ridiculous times, he's not much cop when we are chasing a game and he's equally inept on the rare occasions we are trying to hold onto a game. I'm sure next year, like a lot of them, he will look 10 times better than he does now but I wouldn't be devastated if he did leave. 

Edited Sunday at 09:58 by beatlesaint

[Killers Knee]

43 minutes ago, beatlesaint said:

Whilst I agree can I point out that Juric does put Smallbone on at the most ridiculous times, he's not much cop when we are chasing a game and he's equally inept on the rare occasions we are trying to hold onto a game. I'm sure next year, like a lot of them, he will look 10 times better than he does now but I wouldn't be devastated if he did leave. 

When is not a ridiculous time for a Smallbone?

[bpsaint]

14 minutes ago, Killers Knee said:

When is not a ridiculous time for a Smallbone?

After the full time whistle.

[Gloucester Saint]

1 hour ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

Get rid. Fucking weak mentality.
 

Players like him and Smallbone are one of the reasons I want Ivan to stay. The last thing we want is another bloke coming in putting their arm round these twats and rehabilitating them. We need a culture change, kick the son in laws out, and get some gypsies & pirates in. 

I’m laughing at the directness of expression, not the gist of the post which I very much agree with.

The club needs half-a-dozen quick, physically strong units right through the spine of the outfield and another in goal after Ramsdale goes. We’ve needed that since 2016 as well. The weedier players we have with more a touch will benefit as well and it’ll set us up to be the counter-attacking and pressing best version of ourselves.

They don’t all have to be the size of Everest, express pace can compensate. But no more 5/8 to 6 foot ten stone dripping wet signings until we’ve built a backbone. The technical players are the icing on the cake in late July. 

[The Kraken]

15 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

The club needs half-a-dozen quick, physically strong units right through the spine of the outfield and another in goal after Ramsdale goes.

Exactly this. It was a failure of recruitment in the summer. You could see what they were trying to do, they just messed it up with actual decisions. Ramsdale, decent keeper so can’t complain too much but he cost a hell of a lot. Bournemouth showed a different option when they took Kepa on loan and by most accounts he’s having a brilliant season for a fraction of the outlay. I maintain there’s a decent player in THB but he needs someone good and experienced alongside him. We all assumed Downes would step up as he was our most influential player last season, but he’s been an actual shadow of that. And we spent £25M on Sheffield United’s strike force, one of whom isn’t at the club now, so you’d argue we’d have been much better off just targeting one striker for the combined sum/wage.

Get that spine right and you’re in with something of a fighting chance, as they can bring along others alongside them who aren’t as strong. Sadly we don’t have much of that at all right now. Our spine yesterday was an absolute disgrace both in terms of personnel and performance.

[macca155]

33 minutes ago, Gloucester Saint said:

I’m laughing at the directness of expression, not the gist of the post which I very much agree with.

The club needs half-a-dozen quick, physically strong units right through the spine of the outfield and another in goal after Ramsdale goes. We’ve needed that since 2016 as well. The weedier players we have with more a touch will benefit as well and it’ll set us up to be the counter-attacking and pressing best version of ourselves.

They don’t all have to be the size of Everest, express pace can compensate. But no more 5/8 to 6 foot ten stone dripping wet signings until we’ve built a backbone. The technical players are the icing on the cake in late July. 

Now I don't disagree with this at all.

However the modern game, at the elite level, requires a lot of pace and physically presence. Those two tend to be mutually exclusive. 

There are exceptions, Messi is an obvious one, but most Prem teams have some absolute monsters in their team. The more lightweight players have raw pace to give them an edge.

Saints seem to have very limited resources in either category, so it's no surprise they are struggling.

I wouldn't damm the whole team but substantial investment in the right areas is required.

I've major issues with Juric's formation, but I'd echo his Lordships sentiments on the fact that he can clearly see where a player is too weak.

It's a start I guess

 

Edited Sunday at 11:40 by macca155

[Fitzhugh Fella]

14 hours ago, Pamplemousse said:

I want Flynn here, I think he can offer us something in midfield. Hopefully the issues can be resolved.

Let's not be lazy and slag him off, he was so so good last season.

Character defects or weaknesses are not easy to resolve. We are in a deep trench and we needed everyone to pull together not act like a prima donna.

[Lord Duckhunter]

1 hour ago, Gloucester Saint said:

The weedier players we have with more a touch will benefit as well and it’ll set us up to be the counter-attacking and pressing best version of ourselves.

I’m not against the odd son-in-law or touch players that mince a bit. Tadic was sublime at times. But you can be “weedier” and have mental toughness and character, just as some physically strong players can go missing when the chips are down. We’ve had a weak mentality since Ralph went soft in the latter third of his spell. The culture is too Noddy for me, and the results are there for all to see. The likes of Downes, just enhance a culture that already exists. 

Edited Sunday at 12:26 by Lord Duckhunter

[Whitey Grandad]

He’s paid a lot of money to have his own selfish hissy fit. He’s a professional for heaven’s sake. Act like one.