Downing off

Sad to see Stewart Downing go to Middlesbrough. Bilic says he wanted to keep him but Downing clearly wanted to go back to his hometown club and these days it's always difficult to keep a player against their will. But a £5 million fee (maybe rising to £7m if Boro go up) is good money for a player turning 31 and Downing himself gets the security of a four-year contract. The worrying thing is that we've lost the best crosser at the club and we're relying on Amalfitano and Matt Jarvis regaining their form. Payet should make a lot of goals but he seems to be more of a number ten than a crosser. So Bilic might have to go back into the market for a winger before the window closes.