Listeners of the ESPN Soccernet Podcast may remember an episode about 18 months ago when producer Adam Williams compared then-Middlesbrough left-winger Stewart Downing to Bayern Munich maestro Franck Ribery. Adam got quite the ribbing over that remark, and his colleagues still give him stick about it when the opportunity presents itself.

Now, I’m not about to get up on my soapbox and pick up where Adam left off. Ribery is most certainly a class above Downing. He’s a class above most players. But that’s no slight against the now-Aston Villa midfielder. Downing, after all, is fully fit and a big part of his manager’s plans going forward. Ribery, on the other hand, remains sidelined through injury and tends to be a distraction—one of the many at Bayern—when he is in the team.

Both players, however, are poised to provide dramatic shots in the arm to their respective squads. Bayern Munich need to get back into title contention, and Ribery will give them that little something special that just might get them over the hump. Villa, meanwhile, are in a dogfight for the Premier League’s final Champions League berth—a battle that includes four clubs separated by five points. It’s a tight race and a tough assignment. But Villa are hopeful that Downing will add that bit of quality that will be enough separate them from Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool.

The 25-year-old’s inclusion in Martin O’Neill’s squad will immediately improve the Villa manager’s centre of midfield. Downing made his club debut against Burnley by replacing Steve Sidwell. Going forward, I think that’s exactly where he’ll be stationed. Stiliyan Petrov is having another good season and is cleverly redeveloping his game as he gets older. But the Bulgarian is not a creative force in the middle of the park. Downing can be that force. He had six assists for a very poor Middlesbrough side last season, and an incredible 12 helpers in 2006-2007. In 2007-2008, he chipped in 10 goals for good measure.

Ashley Young’s claim to the left flank is the primary reason why Downing will be pushed to the middle. But I really do believe that O’Neill believes his new signing can become one of the better passing midfielders in English football. And he’ll also provide some much-needed cover for Young in the event of injury or fatigue.

It’s a good addition all around. And it couldn’t come at a better time. The weekend’s opponent—Tottenham Hotspur—are flying high after their 9-1 thrashing of Wigan at White Hart Lane. They’re extremely confident—perhaps too confident—and O’Neill will be looking to use that to his advantage. But his players will need to more than just rely on the counter-attack; they’ll need to keep the ball. The timely addition of Downing will only help them in that.

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