itdoesntmatterwhatthissay Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I am still not sure Sherwood rates him- I think he likes his midfielders to be more pro-active. Having said that he is a good pro and I think he still could get better. So I would like him to be in the mix for a starting XI again this season. I think he does, he sits playing the ball around and does the job some of the top players in word football are trusted to do. The difference is he isn't a top footballer, but a good one who have been playing in a poor team that lacks attacking imagination. In that situation if you're the man playing the simple balls you probably need to do a little more, he doesn't have Pirlo or Carrick like passing (though sometimes he shows it) but I think he had some proper movement we'd see some more confidence and ability to play that incisive long ball. He's a long way away, as is our team, but for our level I do think he's a good starter and a superb squad player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post tylerreznik Posted July 20, 2015 Popular Post Share Posted July 20, 2015 I tend to agree with all of the above to some degree of another... He is definitely a better player than most give him credit for, fairly gifted technically and uses the ball pretty well. I think he'll improve by default with better players around him, i.e. his job is really just to get the ball to other people quickly and let them do something with it in the attacking third, and he already does that pretty well. But he does have a bad tendency to go missing in games, when you really need him to fire up and drive the midfield forward. Replacing him with somebody 'better' but serving the same role will achieve almost nothing because that new player will still be feeding the likes of Nzogbia, etc... Replace the dross around him with people who can do things in the attacking area's and I'm pretty he'll improve overnight without doing anything... I'd like to think he's still got some upside in him that can be realised with decent coaching, and if he doesn't improve this season working with Sherwood & Wilkins then he'll probably be the first to admit he has reached his ceiling and we would defo need to replace in order to progress. I also reckon along with being locked in relegation battles (which must knock the confidence of players) all the midfielders were poorly coached under Lambert and seemed to be under a spell of abject negativity most of the time, going to take a while to get that negative mindset changed. I'm quite looking forward to seeing him improve this season. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chunkyluke Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I tend to agree with all of the above to some degree of another... He is definitely a better player than most give him credit for, fairly gifted technically and uses the ball pretty well. I think he'll improve by default with better players around him, i.e. his job is really just to get the ball to other people quickly and let them do something with it in the attacking third, and he already does that pretty well. But he does have a bad tendency to go missing in games, when you really need him to fire up and drive the midfield forward. Replacing him with somebody 'better' but serving the same role will achieve almost nothing because that new player will still be feeding the likes of Nzogbia, etc... Replace the dross around him with people who can do things in the attacking area's and I'm pretty he'll improve overnight without doing anything... I'd like to think he's still got some upside in him that can be realised with decent coaching, and if he doesn't improve this season working with Sherwood & Wilkins then he'll probably be the first to admit he has reached his ceiling and we would defo need to replace in order to progress. I also reckon along with being locked in relegation battles (which must knock the confidence of players) all the midfielders were poorly coached under Lambert and seemed to be under a spell of abject negativity most of the time, going to take a while to get that negative mindset changed. I'm quite looking forward to seeing him improve this season. When your job is to give someone else the ball, the better that person is then the better result you will get. Not saying we couldn't improve on him, but he is the only player we have in our midfield who does that job, and to play the sort of football that Sherwood seems to favour then we need that person keeping our possession going and getting our creative players on the ball more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted July 20, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2015 Some excellent points raised in the above 2 posts and I agree with a lot of what is written. The thing with Westwood for me is that the better the players around him the better he will be, that isn't to say he should be playing for Man City either before someone replies with that! Put better players around him though and the better he will do, or Gil rather than N'Zogbia, players that can actually do something creative with the supply of the ball he gives them. Westwood isn't the reason we've struggled it's the crap defence behind him and lack of creativity ahead of him that were the issues. If he left us I think he would end up going to a team that finished above us last season like Swansea rather than a Championship side or newly promoted side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Westwood isn't the reason we've struggled it's the crap defence behind him and lack of creativity ahead of him that were the issues. Maybe him not doing much to help protect the defence or add creativity have played a part in our issues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted July 20, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2015 Westwood isn't the reason we've struggled it's the crap defence behind him and lack of creativity ahead of him that were the issues. Maybe him not doing much to help protect the defence or add creativity have played a part in our issues. I didn't absolve him from any blame but he isn't the cause either. He hasn't been in the side predominately to do either of those things either as the quote I posted from Sherwood demonstrates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I don't think he's the cause, I think he's part of the problem in that too many average players have been regular starters for us over the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted July 20, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2015 I don't disagree there I guess I just don't consider him one of them. Or not least for the position and budgets the club are working with currently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymond Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 You ask a man to build a house. He tells you he needs a hammer. You give him a wet noodle. He struggles to build the house. You say he is a bad carpenter. -The Parable of Westwood 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 20, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2015 You give him a wet noodle. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVTuco Posted July 20, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted July 20, 2015 I think he's a good player, and like mentioned above, is probably more appreciated by his teammates than fans. At the same time, I think DCJonah has a point when he claims Westwood doesn't protect his defense (enough?). If Ashley was stronger, he'd be able to battle in midfield better. That would instantly make him a very good player. Now he unfortunately is sometimes a liability when defending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shomin Geki Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Doesn't muck in enough. And conversely doesn't find space enough. Perhaps I am not alone but when I think of Ashley Westwood my mind drifts weirdly into images of Crazy Golf. Putt putt. A good test of a player's worth is to think of their very best game (proper 90 minute performance) and consider how often they scale those heights, or even get near them. Think Lowton, or hey, why not, Gabby. Westwood is nowhere near his very best performances most of the time. And I honestly have little idea why. Maybe he looks too much like a sneering WASP bully from an American comedy and doesn't want to sweat too much before his lacrosse-society choral recital. Putt putt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) I guess it depends on whether people think Westwood is one of the causes or potential cures of our last 3 seasons. Technical and underrated?, or lightweight and goes missing in matches? Both? Edited July 20, 2015 by The Fun Factory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted July 20, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 20, 2015 I guess we can all agree that it's a big season for him to prove himself either way. He's 25 now. His position is one that benefits from experience (as Sherwood has alluded to). It looks as though there is going to be more creativity and intent ahead of him on the pitch so if that's the case then he'll have no excuses. I don't think he has been bad and I don't think he has been brilliant. Let's see if he can have the kind of season that makes us sit up and take note because I suspect he's going to get the chance to do it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Westwood is a 6/10 sort of player. I'd like us to improve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreveryoung Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 (edited) Westwood is a 6/10 sort of player. I'd like us to improve. Well thats good, since we are a 4/10 team Edited July 20, 2015 by foreveryoung Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 I guess it depends on whether people think Westwood is one of the causes or potential cures of our last 3 seasons. Technical and underrated?, or lightweight and goes missing in matches? Both? bit of both. like many of our players inconsistent.....but good on his day. I've always seen him as lightweight......thats not just physical, but in terms of effectiveness too. Players to be any good have to make a mark on a game not just drift through it making up the numbers, we have too many like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackpotForeigner Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I guess we can all agree that it's a big season for him to prove himself either way. He's 25 now. His position is one that benefits from experience (as Sherwood has alluded to). It looks as though there is going to be more creativity and intent ahead of him on the pitch so if that's the case then he'll have no excuses. I don't think he has been bad and I don't think he has been brilliant. Let's see if he can have the kind of season that makes us sit up and take note because I suspect he's going to get the chance to do it. I agree he still has to prove himself. Merely being the disgruntled possessor of a wet noodle does not necessarily mean that a man is a good carpenter. - Parable of Diplodocus 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skruff Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Bossed it tonight. MOTM. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunnski Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Quality tonight and will be an important player for us this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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