I’ve been a constant critic of Westwood, I’ll say that from the off.
I think he’s far too negative and quite simply goes for the easy pass, which is generally sidewards or backwards.
While I’d happily agree that you need a calm mind in front of the defence, someone who can calm things down when we’re under pressure, I can’t say I’ve ever seen Westwood as being the answer.
And if he doesn’t do that, what’s the point in him playing?
So, to what was seemingly tried to answer some criticism, he was pushed forward more and even though he scored a couple of goals in some game, he couldn’t keep it up.
He isn’t a goalscorer, simple.
So in my opinion, he does nothing except be decidedly average.
No doubt his stats might be good, passing-wise, but if that’s what we’re looking at, we need to sack the stat bloke.
Passes and touches need to achieve something and to my mind Westwood doesn’t cut it.
Fortunately, we’ve now got a new DOF in, who will no doubt look at this, but it is an interesting question.
I can’t recall how long Westwood has been at the Villa now, but it’s a fair while (3-4 years?).
But the most important point is that as far as I remember, every manager has stuck with him, even though it would seem most fans don’t rate him.
Why do we think that is?
I’d put my lad in, in front of this bloke.
And he’s crap.
I really don’t see why we stick with him and if Tsish can’t replace him, he needs to go too.
Westwood is a waste of space. The most pointless player we have ever had, offers nothing at all.
Your perception tallies with mine. In a good midfield who are capable of dominating the opposition, Westwood does alright. He is not shy of working hard and can pass the ball to the right coloured shirt. Given space he also has a good long range pass. He is not a bad player.
He just isn’t good enough for Villa. Right now he is not in a midfield capable of dominating and so pressure falls on him to do more. He is uncomfortable under pressure/close contact and will pass the ball away. This is fine, but if the bloke you are passing it to is also under close pressure, you are passing responsibility as much as passing the ball. It won’t show up on your stats, because you completed, but it can and has lead to conceding goals.
He lacks the guile and close control to step around an opponent, he lacks the pace to drive into the space such skill creates. He lacks the killer instinct to play that clever cutting through ball. He lacks the ability to take on that deadly strike.
In a world ranked out of 10, Westie is a solid 6. With 3 of those being awarded for decency, consistency, and effort. Westwood is a continuity player – not great at anything in particular. He is best sitting in front of the defence, knocking the ball to the more able.
Trouble is, that is what Jedinak excels at, with the added bonus of being calmer under pressure, better in the air, and having real power and a tackle that bites. Jedinak also has a sharp eye for the quick incisive ball, and rarely puts a team mate under pressure by bailing.
Westwood is a relic of the past – the low budget past. He is not a terrible player, just a mediocre one. And Villa are now surely moving past that phase? The Westwood Two Step – Side, back. Side side back. Needs to become a thing of the past too.
Sure, there are those who disagree, but then there are those who think Gabriel Agbonlahor is being hard done by.
UTV
Nicely put Son Lyme. I’d agree with that
Beautifully put SL can’t anything add or argue with any of that, you’ve summed him up in a nutshell.
Great post SL !!
wastewood as i call him is a div 2 player at best
can t tackle
can t score
can t pass ball forward
he was deadline day signing for lambert in his first season, has played in 122 games scoring 5 goals winning grand total of 33daming stats
Because he’s better than you’re giving him credit for?
Defensively he’s actually pretty good. Interceptions, blocks, and unlike most midfielders, he’s the complete opposite of stupid in that he rarely makes reckless tackles. He’s a smart player that knows his job and does it well. Anyone using his goal stats clearly has no idea what his job is (like the comment above). You wanna know why he doesn’t score? He doesn’t shoot. Most of his shots would come from free kicks or corners when the ball’s headed out of the box. Can we do better than him? Absolutely we could. But he’s good enough for us in midfield. I’d also go as far as saying he’s quite calm, seeing he rarely is ever dispossessed. He can also control the ball pretty well.
He rarely makes reckless tackles 😂😂
Really???
He rarely makes mistakes 😂😂 See I can do that too. Makes me feel smarter as well.
But yes, really. He averaged less than 5 yellows a season in his last 4 seasons. I’d argue he’s rarely reckless. He also commits less than 1.5 fouls a game on average. But you tell me how reckless he is.
Andrew, this is especially for. Enjoy!
Westwood god of football (skills,dribbles,goals)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tPnX7OPo0Q
Who claimed he was god? I don’t think anyone did. He’s a decent footballer good enough for us. That was the point of the entire argument. As per usual, you attempted to over-exaggerate the point. Well done.
andrew
you must be watching a different player ,what match this season two easy efforts flew miles wide as usual, his tackling nearly always late and most of his bookings are for dirty nasty tackles sheff wed first match of this season got booked probably should have seen red for it
its no coincidence we lose when he plays in midfield he offers no protection to back 4 at all he is everything you don t want in midfielder
Problem with Westwood is that he has stood still. He is no better now than he was when first came to club as a young player with potential. If anything he’s got slightly worse over the years
Westwood – the ultimate marmite player
You can’t hold him singularly responsible for the low number of games we’ve won in which he started; that’s just daft.
He has limited ability but fwiw I think he uses what ability he has effectively. Of course we could get better players but I reckon you could say that about a few others in our squad!
It will be interesting to see how RDM sets up the midfield with Jedinak first on the team sheet. Will RDM play either Ayew or Tish in the centre and Grealish / Adomah out wide. Whatever, we may well see Westwood starting from the bench which will no doubt please quite a few Villa fans.
Marmite Hitchy?
More like Tesco Yeast Extract with added vitamins, marmite but shite marmite at that.
He’s got to be the.most one dimensional player in existence sideways or a bit of backwards.
On another subject Sun reports that Gabby will never play for the Villa again. They’re ‘fuming’ that he turned down Reading.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/championship/1713151/gabby-agbonlahors-aston-villa-career-is-over-with-club-chiefs-fuming-after-he-rejected-a-transfer-deadline-day-move-to-reading/
I was slightly worried that he might worm his poisonous way back into the squad but thankfully that looks unlikely now.
This has probably made gabbys day.
Now it is official he can do sod all for his millions.
Weren’t we considering paying lescott off???? I can’t see what’s the difference paying that lazy bastard off.
I’d put him on litter duty for the rest of the season and make a example of him. The bloke has the worst attitude ever, he and nzog are the biggest parasites going imo!!!! I find players like that a complete disgrace
Wait until the Dr returns from China, he won’t out up with Flabby’s shite !!
The problem is that some clubs will give the likes of n’zog a chance ! If it was my club I wouldn’t look twice as their attitude towards wanting to play at their previous club should be a warning sign!
A true sportsperson should want to play their sport! Money, wages, family are important, but we are not talking about £200/£250 per week jobs here!
I am pleased with the trf, we got cover in all positions, and a real varied attacking option! I was disappointed with Adama, but the return we had from him wasn’t close to good enough! Jedinek I hope will be the difference!
Agree with views on Westwood, only to say the lad is a professional, and i would say a worthy player to have in the squad.
As fans we also need to back the club now (goalie inc), we have a chairman who is making all the right noises, and the league table as it stands, doesn’t have the expected teams at the top! Time is ticking, but it is there for us!
UTV
I scratch my head everytime he’s in the starting lineup ” negative player doesn’t want the ball ever, and we don’t win games when he’s in the side!!
He wouldn’t get in the Walsall side!
UTV
Gabby did not want to go to Reading because he thought it involved books !!
Lol 😀 nice one
The piece you’ve written about Westwood, Badger could apply to almost every player in the squad. Just pick any of them and it would be easy to write something negative, like shooting fish in a barrel. Everyone seems to be getting excited about our business in the transfer window, give it a few months and most of them will be getting as much stick has Westwood, I’m underwhelmed to be honest, we’ve vastly overpaid for a lot of average players reaching the end of their careers. And don’t start me on RDM, a dreadful appointment in my view, many of us on here will be calling for his head come Christmas.
If results are poor even before leading up to Xmas the doc will give him the bullet for sure this chairman actually does want success.
His track record at previous clubs points to us being there or there abouts come the end of the season but the issue with him appears to be is inability to sustain that success, if he stays true to form and gets us up we can happily cross that bridge when we come to it.
So did learner initially and look what happened there. The acid test for Dr X is if or when when do go up how much money will he threw at it. I think he would be ecstatic to see us as a midtable prem team having a good cup run and raking in the sky tv money. That’s about as successful as we will ever be under him
Gollini – 21
De Laet – 27
Chester – 27
Elphick – 28
Adomah – 28
Jedinak – 32
Tshibola – 21
McCormack – 30
Kodjia – 26
I’d say maybe 1 of those players are close to ending their career. Jedinak. McCormack maybe, but doubtful. The rest have probably 5 seasons+ to each of them.
No one can win at Villa. First we bought to young under Lambert his first season, then we bought foreign and not experienced enough in the Premier League, and now we buy 8 players, 7 of which know the league and they’re too old. Our fans will legitimately never be happy.
Westwood and me – a link. Dario Gradi when skippering Sutton Utd said to the Gaffer about me, “Is that kid the best left back we have left? He’s only half a footballer.” To me he said “KId. Use your speed to tackle the winger, and when you get the ball pass it to me or our left winger – that’s all I want you to do.” That’s what I did and we won 4 of the 5 games I played.
Dario Gradi as a manager was able to make a decent div 1 – or 3rd Div as I still consider it – midfielder out of half a footballer in Westwood. He might be OK with 10 other better players – but he is exposed as a lightweight with us..
Never been sure about Westwood but willing to trust the manager if he gets picked.
Wondering if Westwood is a Deschamps sort of player, ridiculed by Cantona as a ‘water carrier’, yet when he stopped playing the French team was never as good.
Is that the same Cantona that rarely ever got picked for France anyway!
I’ve always said that Westwood the most negative player I’ve ever seen, Abonglahor as well, but you only have to see a game with him in and your going nowhere into the opposition’s box, it just don’t go full stop. We’ve even had fans calling for him to be dropped and never was, whether that’s down to coaching and told to play side,back, hold i dont know, could it all change for him? I remember another player like him 14 years ago, his name was Barry, he couldn’t turn but he improved.
In my opinion Westwood offers nothing to the team need change in the middle of the park.
Reading reports that Paddy Riley got the bullet ,
Riley gone – at last.
Official Paddy Reilly’s gone – its in the Mail –
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-exclusive-paddy-riley-11833331
One of the last remnants of last season’s abject failure now out of the door. Amazing how many they’ve managed to get rid of in a relatively short time.
The new board have done wonders in a short time……… Flabby is next !
Please, Saddened.
Bill – I just cannot see the Dr putting up with him, he has already stated on Twitter ‘Gabby is not acting likea real man’ So have a funny feeling he could be asked to clean the toilets !
Blimey O’riley fucked off at last.
That’s good giddy, Bliley O’riley, very old saying that. One to go ??
Where’s the m.?