Ashley Westwood - Sold to Burnley

[supertom]

I wasn't at the match but from the stream I was watching, there seemed to be a huge amount of ironic applause when he went off and Gil came on. That struck me as not massively helpful.

I was there and it was horrible I thought. He was the best of our midfield three. The other two were a joke.

He is far from a world beater but has become an undeserved scapegoat for the masses. What about our big money signings?

For how many years now has Westwood stunk out our midfield?
He deserves all the stick he gets, and more in my opinion, and the sooner he's gone the better.

This. He's had ample time to improve and has been nothing more than a stinking example of how shit our side is. Fabian Delph is what you'd call a decent premiership midfield. Certainly not really what you'd call top 6 quality, despite his City move (bastard, c**t, etc). All you need to know about Westwood is the fact he looked a country fucking mile from being able to grab a game in the way Delph can. Different style of player granted, but still, a midfielder in this league has to stamp their authority on a game some how. They can do this be dictating the pace of the game. They can do it through skill. They can do it through dynamism (Delph), or they can muller some fucking shins. Westwood does none of that. He'll have 5-6 games (maximum) a season of looking the part. But the vast majority of games he just seems to disappear. Not in a good way.
I appreciate that some midfielders go along without being noticed much and not getting credit. Someone like Carrick, but what ends up happening is, the eventually do get noticed and they do get the credit. It's not like Carrick is short of admirers (and he's be no means brilliant).
Westwood just vanishes. Not in a good way. Not in a way that in any way helps us. If it did help us we wouldn't lose 99% of midfield bastard battles we go into. We even look shite against lower league sides all too often.

No more time. No more excuses. Get rid. Then we'll see just how quickly he slides down the leagues.

Likewise, Bacuna shouldn't be anywhere near a Premiership side.
Hutton did okay well last season but he's 31 now and shouldn't have been given the contract he was and will only get worse.
Lescott is looking for us much like Rio Ferdinand looked for QPR. One year too many.

All the young newbies deserve time to adapt. Dross like Westwood have had too much.

[Big Mac]

I wasn't at the match but from the stream I was watching, there seemed to be a huge amount of ironic applause when he went off and Gil came on. That struck me as not massively helpful.

I was there and it was horrible I thought. He was the best of our midfield three. The other two were a joke.

He is far from a world beater but has become an undeserved scapegoat for the masses. What about our big money signings?

For how many years now has Westwood stunk out our midfield?
He deserves all the stick he gets, and more in my opinion, and the sooner he's gone the better.

This. He's had ample time to improve and has been nothing more than a stinking example of how shit our side is. Fabian Delph is what you'd call a decent premiership midfield. Certainly not really what you'd call top 6 quality, despite his City move (bastard, c**t, etc). All you need to know about Westwood is the fact he looked a country fucking mile from being able to grab a game in the way Delph can. Different style of player granted, but still, a midfielder in this league has to stamp their authority on a game some how. They can do this be dictating the pace of the game. They can do it through skill. They can do it through dynamism (Delph), or they can muller some fucking shins. Westwood does none of that. He'll have 5-6 games (maximum) a season of looking the part. But the vast majority of games he just seems to disappear. Not in a good way.
I appreciate that some midfielders go along without being noticed much and not getting credit. Someone like Carrick, but what ends up happening is, the eventually do get noticed and they do get the credit. It's not like Carrick is short of admirers (and he's be no means brilliant).
Westwood just vanishes. Not in a good way. Not in a way that in any way helps us. If it did help us we wouldn't lose 99% of midfield bastard battles we go into. We even look shite against lower league sides all too often.

No more time. No more excuses. Get rid. Then we'll see just how quickly he slides down the leagues.

Likewise, Bacuna shouldn't be anywhere near a Premiership side.
Hutton did okay well last season but he's 31 now and shouldn't have been given the contract he was and will only get worse.
Lescott is looking for us much like Rio Ferdinand looked for QPR. One year too many.

All the young newbies deserve time to adapt. Dross like Westwood have had too much.

I have to agree I made similar points a few pages back. I thought he had a good first 20 minutes for his standards but then went completely missing. I don't know how anyone can say he was the best midfielder as all he did was recycle the ball from one defender to another for 5 minutes before Richards made something happen, Veretout was better because he have that run where he dribbled past 3 or 4 players and showed some nice skill in our box where he could have just hoofed the ball out straight to a stoke center half but played a couple of fast passes out to one of our players which I don't think Westwood is capable of. Gana actually puts a tackle in (which is more than what Westwood can do) then tried to get an attack going. On the booing I don't think it was aimed at Westwood it was aimed at Sherwood as we can't get a message through to him in any other way. Finally when he came off the difference was night and day we looked to go forward and looked like scoring but he still has an effect because I think Grealish took a corner which was there too be attacked at the front post but everyone is a couple of yards behind the back post because of the crap Westwood served up all game.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

I cannot see that. He's nowhere near as good as Veretout and Gana.

Both can tackle, both can drive the game on. Time and again Westwood let a midfielder run off him. He's going to drive me to murder the useless pointing bugger.

How about you stop pointing at the man whose drifted into acres of space behind you and track him you clown? Mind you, when he does get close, he's so lightweight that he's knocked away like a rag doll.

I can also see why he only passes five yards and to the side, as he's garbage playing it forwards. Four times he lofted a ball into a stripey shirt.

He is dross. There is no way any cogent argument can be made for him being a Premier League standard midfielder. He cannot cover a defence, he cannot drive the ball on and beat a man. His set pieces are so bad they're laughable.

I am sick and tired of watching useless twats like Westwood stink out our midfield.

And we gave this prick a five year deal.

this

its about time some of our shit players got some stick, fuck me its not like westwoods game is going to deteriorate is it, not when its been wank for two seasons

[Marlon's Hairy Wood]

I cannot see that. He's nowhere near as good as Veretout and Gana.

Both can tackle, both can drive the game on. Time and again Westwood let a midfielder run off him. He's going to drive me to murder the useless pointing bugger.

How about you stop pointing at the man whose drifted into acres of space behind you and track him you clown? Mind you, when he does get close, he's so lightweight that he's knocked away like a rag doll.

I can also see why he only passes five yards and to the side, as he's garbage playing it forwards. Four times he lofted a ball into a stripey shirt.

He is dross. There is no way any cogent argument can be made for him being a Premier League standard midfielder. He cannot cover a defence, he cannot drive the ball on and beat a man. His set pieces are so bad they're laughable.

I am sick and tired of watching useless twats like Westwood stink out our midfield.

And we gave this prick a five year deal.

Completely agree

Veretout is a defensive midfielder, who also possesses the ability to be a box to box and an attacking midfielder. Westwood is a sitting duck.

Veretout didn't have the best of games, but at least he was driving forward and making a few runs, like the one he went down in the box.

Also, at least with Veretout he's a young lad and you can see improvement with each game. Westwood has played 100 league games for us now and hasn't particularly improved at all.

Although to be fair, his performance against Stoke was slightly better that the games prior

[aj2k77]

He's 25, not a kid now, he ain't getting any better.

[achilles]

Well I am going to stick up for Westwood because I think he comes in for far too much criticism.

I have looked at the goal Villa conceded on Saturday numerous times and I suggest other people do as well. The ball broke to the Stoke player on our right hand side, Westwood was the only midfield player to try and close him down. When the Stoke player played it across to Glen Johnson, again Westwood was the only Villa player to try and close him down before he made the pass to Arnautovic. In the build up, Hutton just watched Arnautovic walk past him and did nothing, Gueye did absolutely nothing at all except move approximately two yards, no effort at all to get back, Amavi made a move forward of about five yards to close Glen Johnson down but realised that he had no chance and ended up marking nobody and doing nothing. Crespo had a Stoke player to mark as Amavi had left him unmarked. Perhaps Richards, although marking a Stoke player, should have left him to close Arnautovic down but what was Hutton doing? Westwood may have his faults but he is one of the few who is 100% committed, that may not be enough in the long run but it is the very least I expect from ANY Villa player!

[aj2k77]

I've just watched the goal back again, Westwood is running around slowly like a headless chicken and Richards is hopelessly out of position. In fact just before the through ball is played, Arnautovic pulls away and Richards is talking and pointing to another defender and not watching play, very poor.

The three centre mids we're all on the one side and no one was sat in front of the defence protecting it as well. Positionally it's all very poor.

[brontebilly]

I cannot see that. He's nowhere near as good as Veretout and Gana.

Both can tackle, both can drive the game on. Time and again Westwood let a midfielder run off him. He's going to drive me to murder the useless pointing bugger.

How about you stop pointing at the man whose drifted into acres of space behind you and track him you clown? Mind you, when he does get close, he's so lightweight that he's knocked away like a rag doll.

I can also see why he only passes five yards and to the side, as he's garbage playing it forwards. Four times he lofted a ball into a stripey shirt.

He is dross. There is no way any cogent argument can be made for him being a Premier League standard midfielder. He cannot cover a defence, he cannot drive the ball on and beat a man. His set pieces are so bad they're laughable.

I am sick and tired of watching useless twats like Westwood stink out our midfield.

And we gave this prick a five year deal.

Completely agree

Veretout is a defensive midfielder, who also possesses the ability to be a box to box and an attacking midfielder. Westwood is a sitting duck.

Veretout didn't have the best of games, but at least he was driving forward and making a few runs, like the one he went down in the box.

Also, at least with Veretout he's a young lad and you can see improvement with each game. Westwood has played 100 league games for us now and hasn't particularly improved at all.

Although to be fair, his performance against Stoke was slightly better that the games prior

Veretout is anything but a defensive midfielder.

Box to box - he doesnt have the stamina or the presence to be that either right now

Gana was shocking, probably the worst of the three against Stoke.

Lost the ball constantly, whinged at his team mates and walked around the pitch like he owned it.

If ever a player was in need of the hairdryer treatment after the game it was him.

to be fair to the trio, it was impossible to know the direction given by our coaches to them pre game.

Which of them was meant to push forward? which one to sit deep and get the ball off the back four?

[Vegas]

I thought Gana was the best of the three, then veretout, then Westwood.  Gana did nothing after half time though.

[brontebilly]

Well I am going to stick up for Westwood because I think he comes in for far too much criticism.

I have looked at the goal Villa conceded on Saturday numerous times and I suggest other people do as well. The ball broke to the Stoke player on our right hand side, Westwood was the only midfield player to try and close him down. When the Stoke player played it across to Glen Johnson, again Westwood was the only Villa player to try and close him down before he made the pass to Arnautovic. In the build up, Hutton just watched Arnautovic walk past him and did nothing, Gueye did absolutely nothing at all except move approximately two yards, no effort at all to get back, Amavi made a move forward of about five yards to close Glen Johnson down but realised that he had no chance and ended up marking nobody and doing nothing. Crespo had a Stoke player to mark as Amavi had left him unmarked. Perhaps Richards, although marking a Stoke player, should have left him to close Arnautovic down but what was Hutton doing? Westwood may have his faults but he is one of the few who is 100% committed, that may not be enough in the long run but it is the very least I expect from ANY Villa player!

Richards was most at fault imo, Arnautovic was the most dangerous option for that Johnson pass.

Sure Hutton might not have got back to whoever was in front of him but Richards has to take responsibility for Arnautovic

Zero pressure on the pass of course, Gana nowhere to be seen and Amavi should have pressed out on Johnson too

Watching the game live I thought Crespo was at fault but he was probably the one member of our back four that should escape blame

Lescott was pub player esque for their chance in the first few mins that Richards blocked superbly

Clayton Donaldson and Jon Walters have now ensured his half time replacement in 2 of the last 3 games, not good

Arnautovic looked level with Crespo for their earlier disallowed goal too, they ripped us apart that time and had a 3 v 2 in our own box on the cross. abysmal

[KevinGage]

Veretout might not be a defensive midfielder in the traditional sense.

He doesn't seem particularly adept at intercepting the ball or breaking up play.

But he has more physicality to his game than Westwood.

In truth, there isn't a huge amount of difference between them on current form at present. Slow and ponderous, and reluctant to play anything other than the sideways or backwards ball.  Of all our summer signings, Veretout is one that disappointment me the most.

But there is the chance with more game time the penny will drop and he can grow into the role.  After three years at the club, I don't think the same can be said for Westwood.

He might still have a role to play as a squad player, so I wouldn't write him off completely. But it will be a sign that we are progressing in the right direction when he no longer makes the starting XI. 

[aj2k77]

Veretout took the corners and free kicks at Nantes, so hopefully when he's fully fit this plodder will be off those duties.

[Jockey Randall]

Well I am going to stick up for Westwood because I think he comes in for far too much criticism.

I have looked at the goal Villa conceded on Saturday numerous times and I suggest other people do as well. The ball broke to the Stoke player on our right hand side, Westwood was the only midfield player to try and close him down. When the Stoke player played it across to Glen Johnson, again Westwood was the only Villa player to try and close him down before he made the pass to Arnautovic. In the build up, Hutton just watched Arnautovic walk past him and did nothing, Gueye did absolutely nothing at all except move approximately two yards, no effort at all to get back, Amavi made a move forward of about five yards to close Glen Johnson down but realised that he had no chance and ended up marking nobody and doing nothing. Crespo had a Stoke player to mark as Amavi had left him unmarked. Perhaps Richards, although marking a Stoke player, should have left him to close Arnautovic down but what was Hutton doing? Westwood may have his faults but he is one of the few who is 100% committed, that may not be enough in the long run but it is the very least I expect from ANY Villa player!

I agree I think he's 100% committed to the cause and comes across as a decent pro. I just think we've seen more than enough of him to know he's never going to better the level we're currently at and drag us towards mid table. He's ok as a backup but I'd rather see us go forward with a midfield 3 of Sanchez, Gana and Veretout.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Well I am going to stick up for Westwood because I think he comes in for far too much criticism.

I have looked at the goal Villa conceded on Saturday numerous times and I suggest other people do as well. The ball broke to the Stoke player on our right hand side, Westwood was the only midfield player to try and close him down. When the Stoke player played it across to Glen Johnson, again Westwood was the only Villa player to try and close him down before he made the pass to Arnautovic. In the build up, Hutton just watched Arnautovic walk past him and did nothing, Gueye did absolutely nothing at all except move approximately two yards, no effort at all to get back, Amavi made a move forward of about five yards to close Glen Johnson down but realised that he had no chance and ended up marking nobody and doing nothing. Crespo had a Stoke player to mark as Amavi had left him unmarked. Perhaps Richards, although marking a Stoke player, should have left him to close Arnautovic down but what was Hutton doing? Westwood may have his faults but he is one of the few who is 100% committed, that may not be enough in the long run but it is the very least I expect from ANY Villa player!

Richards was most at fault imo, Arnautovic was the most dangerous option for that Johnson pass.

Sure Hutton might not have got back to whoever was in front of him but Richards has to take responsibility for Arnautovic

Zero pressure on the pass of course, Gana nowhere to be seen and Amavi should have pressed out on Johnson too

Watching the game live I thought Crespo was at fault but he was probably the one member of our back four that should escape blame

Lescott was pub player esque for their chance in the first few mins that Richards blocked superbly

Clayton Donaldson and Jon Walters have now ensured his half time replacement in 2 of the last 3 games, not good

Arnautovic looked level with Crespo for their earlier disallowed goal too, they ripped us apart that time and had a 3 v 2 in our own box on the cross. abysmal

Agree - Richards at fault...as play moves across to the right Richards is keeping an eye on Walters, who is moving behind him...he points to Hutton to pick him up - which he does - while Richards himself starts to move across to close down Arnautovic, but too late...in that split second Arnautovic receives the ball and tucks it in.
From my seat it looked as though Arnautovic was in about 20 yards of space INSIDE our penalty area ffs!
 

[KRS]

The simple truth of the matter is that Stoke cut us to shreds many times (not that it was hard to do) in the first half but we got away with it. The amount of space getting exposed in that 352/532 was ridiculous, and better teams would have punished us. The back 3 spread across the pitch with acres of space between them was alarmingly amateurish, and the midfield trio looked completely lost running around like headless chickens. I couldn't actually believe what I was watching at times.

Lets also not forget Lescott getting pulled and caught out of position AGAIN leaving Richards to make a last ditch challenge to save us within the first 10 minutes.