Popular Post Woodytom Posted September 21, 2016 Popular Post Share Posted September 21, 2016 11 hours ago, darrenm said: He perhaps doesn't suit the championship style game as much as the premier league, There's literally always something somebody offers to shy away from the fact hes garbage. 'After having a full season in the prem, hel be much better next season'. 'Hel boss the championship' Hel play much better with better players around him' 'The championship probably doesn't suit him' The list is endless of poor excuses that retract from giving him any form of responsibility and ignore the distinct possibility that he's just nowhere near good enough. The only way the championship doesn't suit Westwood Is because it's above his level....... because he's yet to perform at any level above league 1 though that's in question if you take his piss poor efforts against lower league opposition. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 8 hours ago, avfc1982 said: His strengths? Ha! Yes he has strengths. As others have said, he's a good passer of the ball and he keeps things ticking over. Got a better long shot on him than most other midfielders we've had over the past few years although that's not saying much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 I think he's a good player, unfortunately he's been partnered with people that mean he can't focus on the game he's suited to. There are worse players with England caps, Ryan Mason comes to mind. Need high energy partners. Preferably a three! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomvilla7 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 I think he just hasn't got the bottle to take command of a midfield, especially in this league. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoof hearted Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 13 minutes ago, Bomvilla7 said: I think he just hasn't got the bottle to take command of a midfield, especially in this league. This is the crux of the matter I think, he seems a "nice lad" and a "good pro" which is all well and good if you're after a baby sitter, we lack (and have for some time) a, dare I say it, Robbie Savage/Joey Barton type to just wind players up and take a few names on either side. Our midfield has been nice for too long and Ashley has been the nicest of them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 44 minutes ago, Bomvilla7 said: I think he just hasn't got the bottle to take command of a midfield, especially in this league. Especially in this league? Who are the midfield commanders that are so prevalent in the Championship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raver50032 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 I'm quite on the fence about the guy - I don't see brilliance, and I don't see a complete liability. I'd happily accept squad player at this time. At the end of the day - if he was any good, he would have been sold by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 (edited) 16 minutes ago, Raver50032 said: I'm quite on the fence about the guy - I don't see brilliance, and I don't see a complete liability. I'd happily accept squad player at this time. At the end of the day - if he was any good, he would have been sold by now. Most of the "supporters" or "defenders" of Westwood feel the same way. If you don't call him complete shit or a coward or a bottler etc. at every available opportunity, though, you're basically calling him brilliant. Edited September 21, 2016 by bobzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomvilla7 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 35 minutes ago, bobzy said: Especially in this league? Who are the midfield commanders that are so prevalent in the Championship? What I meant was that it can be a bit of dogfight, each team is more than capable of taking points of the other and every match can be difficult. Ashley doesn't grab hold of the game and make a defining contribution like some others in this league have. Anthony Knockart, Alan Judge, Fernando Forestieri, are 3 off the top of my head who are good midfielders and make a significant difference to their team from the middle of the park, even Barton last year added huge bit of steel to Burnleys midfield. I don't think Ashley has that in him unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Bomvilla7 said: What I meant was that it can be a bit of dogfight, each team is more than capable of taking points of the other and every match can be difficult. Ashley doesn't grab hold of the game and make a defining contribution like some others in this league have. Anthony Knockart, Alan Judge, Fernando Forestieri, are 3 off the top of my head who are good midfielders and make a significant difference to their team from the middle of the park, even Barton last year added huge bit of steel to Burnleys midfield. I don't think Ashley has that in him unfortunately. I wouldn't describe any of those players as midfielders - aside from Barton, of course - and certainly not central midfielders like Westwood is. Knockaert and Forestieri in particular are incredibly attacking players. They'd be akin to how we should be viewing Ross McCormack, not a deep-lying midfielder. I think people see him as a weak player (physically and in terms of a weak link) and attribute myths to the position to strengthen their argument. I'm not necessarily saying you're doing this, but so many people mention the "physicality of the Championship" and "needing to be tough" or, as you did put it, he's a "bottler". They're nothing but buzzwords. I can't think of a single midfield in the Championship that is "tough" and yet so effective that it achieves success for that team. You might have it with Diame at Newcastle and Hendrick played a sort of... box-to-box role very effectively at Derby - but other than that? Presumably we've brought Jedinak in to be "that" player? Edited September 21, 2016 by bobzy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 3 hours ago, Dale said: I think he's a good player, unfortunately he's been partnered with people that mean he can't focus on the game he's suited to. There are worse players with England caps, Ryan Mason comes to mind. Need high energy partners. Preferably a three! Yes. Let's blame every midfielder we have had in the last 5 years as to why Westwood can't perform to the level expected. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 12 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: Yes. Let's blame every midfielder we have had in the last 5 years as to why Westwood can't perform to the level expected. To be fair, it makes a pleasant change from blaming Westwood for everybody else's poor performances. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomvilla7 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 2 hours ago, bobzy said: I wouldn't describe any of those players as midfielders - aside from Barton, of course - and certainly not central midfielders like Westwood is. Knockaert and Forestieri in particular are incredibly attacking players. They'd be akin to how we should be viewing Ross McCormack, not a deep-lying midfielder. I think people see him as a weak player (physically and in terms of a weak link) and attribute myths to the position to strengthen their argument. I'm not necessarily saying you're doing this, but so many people mention the "physicality of the Championship" and "needing to be tough" or, as you did put it, he's a "bottler". They're nothing but buzzwords. I can't think of a single midfield in the Championship that is "tough" and yet so effective that it achieves success for that team. You might have it with Diame at Newcastle and Hendrick played a sort of... box-to-box role very effectively at Derby - but other than that? Presumably we've brought Jedinak in to be "that" player? Yea ok I see what you are saying. I'm not strictly referring to the physicality of the league (yes its a part of it) but more so that type of teams who do well in this league tend to have a strong midfield player (like the names you have mentioned) and I hope Jedinak can be that player for us. For me it comes down to this, would an opposing player in midfield be worried if they knew they were coming up against Westwood at the weekend? I don't think so. And I think thats what we need right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 33 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: To be fair, it makes a pleasant change from blaming Westwood for everybody else's poor performances. I don't blame Westwood when Gollini makes an error? Or Hutton? Or Cissokho? Westwood is average to poor in every single game he plays. This has nothing to do with the players around him and everything to do with him being a squad player at best. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 (edited) 17 hours ago, Harry said: The trouble is Villa fans seem to need a pantomime villan who can be blamed, lambasted, hated, criticised and so on. At the moment it's Westwood. Previously holders include Joe Bennett, Matt Lowton and Mark Albrighton in recent years. Going back a few years we had Zat Knight and Gavin McCann. Most of the posts I read on here are utterly OTT and seemingly if we don't get the result that we want or expect somehow Westwood is to blame. Funnily enough I watch him quite closely in games these days. Is he Xavi? Definitely not. Is he as bad as many make out? Definitely not. My take is our midfield is weak and we have not yet got a partnership that works. Lots of fans reckoned Gardner was the next Xavi. At the risk of disappointment to some he really is not and no better that Westwood IMO. Because some think that Gardner may somehow suddenly morph into the player we want him to be he is criticised far less. Both players would look far better playing with the right partner or partners but neither is ever going to be a world beater. Final thought...it's funny how much better Gana looks playing in a better side with a better partner in Barry. I'm not saying Westwood is the equal of Gana as he's not but if you trawl through the Gana thread he was regularly criticised in much the same way as Westwood, although less and with less vitriol. so the moral of the story seems to be ......we shouldn't have let go of Barry .....We need to try and find a younger one. Edited September 21, 2016 by TRO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praisedmambo Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 7 hours ago, Mantis said: Yes he has strengths. As others have said, he's a good passer of the ball and he keeps things ticking over. Got a better long shot on him than most other midfielders we've had over the past few years although that's not saying much. Not sure about this shooting thing when he's scored about one long-shot goal. I don't feel I'm that critical but Westwood is a placeholder for the much better midfielder we never seem to get. I'm not sure that makes sense, but I just think he doesn't really affect the game. He's very very average. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srsmithusa Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 8 hours ago, Woodytom said: Nonsense. He's been criticised by some since he arrived. Not because he's some pantomime villan, but because he's shite. Fwiw, I think gardner is as shit. And this is why I don't bother. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 1 hour ago, Delphinho123 said: I don't blame Westwood when Gollini makes an error? Or Hutton? Or Cissokho? Westwood is average to poor in every single game he plays. This has nothing to do with the players around him and everything to do with him being a squad player at best. That's fine and for this season I'd agree with the bolded. However, there are people in every single thread saying shit about him. it's tiresome. Go to the Sanchez thread and it's Westwood's fault he was shit for us. Go to Veretout's thread, the same. The same in Gardner's thread, Jedinak's thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 3 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said: That's fine and for this season I'd agree with the bolded. However, there are people in every single thread saying shit about him. it's tiresome. Go to the Sanchez thread and it's Westwood's fault he was shit for us. Go to Veretout's thread, the same. The same in Gardner's thread, Jedinak's thread. To be fair, I haven't looked so you might be right. I certainly don't blame him for others performances. I think at the end of the day, all of our midfielders are shit. Individually, and as a collective. Helluva strike force, mind.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astonaidan Posted September 21, 2016 Share Posted September 21, 2016 I think your watching a different player, he was crap in the premier league just as hes crap in the chamionship 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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