Ashley Westwood

[KJT123]

I think he a very tidy player who possesses a lot of of technical skill, which most of the players in our squad don't possess. In my opinion his touch and control is up their with the very best in the league. However I don't think he will ever go on to become a great player for us purely because of his physicality. To be a central midfielder in the Premier League you must be fairly quick and agile and you must be physical enough to dominate matches. Westwood doesn't possess these traits and whilst I think he is a very good footballer, he has never been able to get the better of the opposition midfield. He basically does the job of Sanchez but without the defensive skills and the physicality of him.

[Woodytom]

That we've been conditioned to believe a player like Ashley Westwood is fundamental to the team speaks volumes of the present status of Aston Villa Football Club. The big clubs wouldn't touch him, and the second tier clubs like Spurs, Everton, Soton and Newcastle would probably have him sitting on their bench, at best. He's s a decent player, but nothing special.

Absolutely. Westwood is one of our better players but that says an awful lot more about aston villa than it does Ashley Westwood. An ok (at times) player in an utterly diabolical (most of the time) team.

[bobzy]

 

That we've been conditioned to believe a player like Ashley Westwood is fundamental to the team speaks volumes of the present status of Aston Villa Football Club. The big clubs wouldn't touch him, and the second tier clubs like Spurs, Everton, Soton and Newcastle would probably have him sitting on their bench, at best. He's s a decent player, but nothing special.

Absolutely. Westwood is one of our better players but that says an awful lot more about aston villa than it does Ashley Westwood. An ok (at times) player in an utterly diabolical (most of the time) team.

 

 

Yet the end product of Westwood is the same as English International super-midfielder Fabian Delph - who is also supposedly more attacking.

 

Sometimes people just don't like a player/need a scapegoat for whatever reason.

[Woodytom]

That we've been conditioned to believe a player like Ashley Westwood is fundamental to the team speaks volumes of the present status of Aston Villa Football Club. The big clubs wouldn't touch him, and the second tier clubs like Spurs, Everton, Soton and Newcastle would probably have him sitting on their bench, at best. He's s a decent player, but nothing special.

Absolutely. Westwood is one of our better players but that says an awful lot more about aston villa than it does Ashley Westwood. An ok (at times) player in an utterly diabolical (most of the time) team.

Yet the end product of Westwood is the same as English International super-midfielder Fabian Delph - who is also supposedly more attacking.

Sometimes people just don't like a player/need a scapegoat for whatever reason.

Erm not quite. Delphs form has been far better than westwood's tho I was stunned when he got a call up for England.

Nothing to do with liking/not liking a player, in fact I'm quite open about the fact that right now I'm hugely unimpressed with the whole lot of them.

[DCJonah]

I don't agree with the final ball being equal. Look at the goals delph scored last season, Westwood is not capable of that.

I'd also say that because of delphs ability to run with the ball the position he is in when he plays a final ball are usually better and more advanced than Westwood

[bobzy]

I don't agree with the final ball being equal. Look at the goals delph scored last season, Westwood is not capable of that.

I'd also say that because of delphs ability to run with the ball the position he is in when he plays a final ball are usually better and more advanced than Westwood

 

So Delph can only score absolute gems - nothing else?  They've scored the same amount and assisted the same amount - despite Delph being the more attacking player, the box to box guy.  Yet Westwood is seen as "useless" and Delph is seen as a "top player".  It's interesting.

[DCJonah]

I don't agree with the final ball being equal. Look at the goals delph scored last season, Westwood is not capable of that.

I'd also say that because of delphs ability to run with the ball the position he is in when he plays a final ball are usually better and more advanced than Westwood

So Delph can only score absolute gems - nothing else? They've scored the same amount and assisted the same amount - despite Delph being the more attacking player, the box to box guy. Yet Westwood is seen as "useless" and Delph is seen as a "top player". It's interesting.

I don't think its stats that just decide who is the better player. I was using delphs goals to show the quality he has, I don't think Westwood has the same.

At the end of the day there's a reason one is an England international and off to better things and one currently isn't.

[penguin]

I wouldn't say the overall opinion of Westwood is that he is "useless" at all, would say around the same amount of people think he's useless as those who think he's excellent. Majority opinion seems to be he is an average player.

Same with Delph, you may get a few people saying he's "top-player" but again it's certainly not the majority opinion, in fact he comes in for a fair bit of criticism. But he is held in higher regard to Westwood, rightly so imo as he is a better player.

[Keyblade]

I don't agree with the final ball being equal. Look at the goals delph scored last season, Westwood is not capable of that.

I'd also say that because of delphs ability to run with the ball the position he is in when he plays a final ball are usually better and more advanced than Westwood

So Delph can only score absolute gems - nothing else? They've scored the same amount and assisted the same amount - despite Delph being the more attacking player, the box to box guy. Yet Westwood is seen as "useless" and Delph is seen as a "top player". It's interesting.

I don't think its stats that just decide who is the better player. I was using delphs goals to show the quality he has, I don't think Westwood has the same.

At the end of the day there's a reason one is an England international and off to better things and one currently isn't.

Conversely, Delph doesn't have the technical ability to score the goal Westwood did at Old Trafford. They have different attributes, but still the same end product attacking-wise. Also Delph's style is far more eye catching than Westwood's which is probably why he's an been noticed before Westwood.

[Keyblade]

I do think Delph's the better player though I should add.

[Bunnski]

So Westwood doesn't score the exact type of goal that Delph does...what does that prove?  That they are different types of players perhaps.,..

 

 

Could Delph take a touch like that and get the ball out of his feet to get off a controlled shot?

 

 

Could Delph get the ball up and down like that from a free kick?

 

 

 

All it proves is that they are completely different types of players. Delph is all action 100 miles an hour type who when he scores it's usually a belter at full speed whereas Westwood is more controlled and possesses more guile.  Our best midfield would be Sanchez sitting in behind Delph and Westwood which imo would be a complete midfield trio that would complement each other perfectly when all are in decent form and 100%.fit.

[DCJonah]

We've had delph and Westwood for two years and its been a poor midfield. While Sanchez looks OK I don't think he adds that much to make it a quality midfield trio.

I would rather see delph with either Sanchez or Westwood and an attacking player like Cole in there.

[Stevo985]

Yeah, Delph/Westwood/Cleverley all really play the same position.

 

Delph plays it very differently than the other two, but none of them are particularly attacking midfielders. All would work better with a proper attacking midfielder along side them, imo.

[Bunnski]

We have seen Delph and Westwood as the 2 deep midfielders for the past 2 years, playing Sanchez behind them would be a completely different midfield and would allow us to have the luxury of plying a diamond with Cole at the tip or the 4-3-3 with 2 wing forwards.

[PaulC]

 

I don't agree with the final ball being equal. Look at the goals delph scored last season, Westwood is not capable of that.

I'd also say that because of delphs ability to run with the ball the position he is in when he plays a final ball are usually better and more advanced than Westwood

 

So Delph can only score absolute gems - nothing else?  They've scored the same amount and assisted the same amount - despite Delph being the more attacking player, the box to box guy.  Yet Westwood is seen as "useless" and Delph is seen as a "top player".  It's interesting.

 

 

Different type of players though. Westwood is a far better passer and Delph far better on the ball. 

[Swerbs]

Westwood can hit 50 yard passes, Delph can do step overs.

[Condimentalist]

Woeful tonight I thought.

[R.Bear]

Been really poor this season.

[Isa]

Been really poor this season.

Was poor for the vast majority of last season too.

[VillaChris]

I actually think he's been decent for most of this season apart from the last few games.

 

The midfield just misses Delph really. I think if he'd stayed fit it would've been him ,Cleverly as a two and if we needed a third one then probably Sanchez.