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Author Topic: Ashley Westwood - Sold to Burnley  (Read 231965 times)

Online Toronto Villa

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #900 on: October 05, 2016, 12:46:58 AM »
Goalkeepers point a lot.

Offline cheltenhamlion

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #901 on: October 05, 2016, 05:47:41 PM »
Westwood will only look decent in a midfield 3 for a team that are constantly on the front foot. Then he can quickly move the ball about with short passes and keep your attacks ticking, subtly changing the point of attack. We are none of that which is why all of his other deficiencies make him a liability for us.

Offline supertom

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #902 on: October 05, 2016, 06:31:10 PM »
Until we get good midfielders I think we have to put 3 in CM. There's no way around it. Strength in numbers. Jedinak can just sit as the hod carrier at the back. Tish is absolutely essential. The other is one of GG, Westwood or Lyden. At this point I'd give Lyden a chance because he's more athletic.

Online Nelly

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #903 on: December 14, 2016, 11:57:18 PM »
Brutal article on Ashley Westwood here

Loris Karius and five other 'keepers have better passing stats than the most pointless midfielder

Loris Karius and five other 'keepers have better passing stats than the most pointless midfielder
BY CONAN DOHERTY 

There's ineffective and then there's Ashley Westwood.
These players are in every club - two of them used to be at Villa but Tom Cleverley has since upgraded to stand around Everton doing nothing instead.

It's not that they're particularly terrible footballers - it's just that they're afraid to play football, which doesn't exactly help when you're a footballer.

They get picked every week though because they don't make any major cock-ups. A lot of managers are happy to throw boys onto their teams in the knowledge that they won't cost them the game. They won't help at all but most our predispositions is to be cautious and not balls the thing up first and foremost.

So Paul Lambert plucked someone like Ashley Westwood from God knows where and planted him into the heart of the Aston Villa team. Tim Sherwood came along and did the same. So did Roberto Di Matteo. Steve Bruce is flirting back and forward with the idea and, all the while, Villa fans are tearing their hair out asking how and why.

Let's get it straight, this man can kick a ball, he just won't. He hides from it. He never presents himself as an option and, the rare times he's forced to actually take possession, he either rolls it five metres to the next man or simply lumps it away or loses it.

As central midfielders go, Ashley Westwood is as anonymous as they come.

Now, Villa are playing at a grade below and their heartbeat couldn't be less interested. Against Norwich on Tuesday night, they lined out with a frightening front four that would be the envy of any Championship team. Top scorer Jonathan Kodjia played with Jack Grealish and Jordan Ayew behind Gabby Agbonlahor.

They were quickly made redundant though because their supply line wasn't pumping. It was running scared.

In 93 minutes, Ashley Westwood completed 18 passes against Norwich.
Five of those passes even went forwards.

This is a central midfielder, playing in one of the biggest clubs in the league, on one of the teams with the best personnel and he's stringing together 18 passes for 93 minutes of work.

In an era where men like Xavi has hit heights of almost 180 passes, Westwood is offering 10 times less in the Championship. Paul McShane actually completed 101 more passes than him on Tuesday night.

In fairness, Westwood managed one tackle and one interception too.

But it's not just Irish defenders that are embarrassing him when it comes to passing stats, in the last week alone, six Premier League goalkeepers have completed more passes than the man at the hub of the action for Villa.

Goalkeepers' pass completions in the last week:

Hugo Lloris (v United) - 24
Thibaut Courtois (v West Brom) - 22
Loris Karius (v West Ham) - 21
Victor Valdes (v Southampton) - 21
Claudio Bravo (v Leicester) - 21
Jordan Pickford (v Swansea) - 19
Artur Boric (v Burnley) - 18
Seamus Coleman made 24 passes against Watford at the weekend too. Darren Randolph completed 17 against Liverpool.

Ashley Westwood made 18. Against Norwich. From midfield. In 93 minutes.

In real life.

Online Sexual Ealing

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #904 on: December 15, 2016, 12:31:36 AM »
At least he's not on minus passes like all those keepers. Shocking performances from so-called Premier League stars.

Offline Chinchilla Bathhouse

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #905 on: December 15, 2016, 01:00:10 AM »
Much as I don't rate Westwood and would happily never see him in a Villa shirt again, I think that's a completely unnecessary hatchet job. If he was giving it the big "I am" and needed taking down a peg or two then it might be warranted, but he's not. Westwood seems a decent lad who's struggling at a level he can't cope with and shouldn't be being exposed to. That's not his fault. I don't think he doesn't try. I don't have a clue who the smartarse writer is or care how accurate his stats are, I think that's a pretty spiteful and nasty piece of writing. I hope Westwood never sees it.

Offline dave17

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #906 on: December 15, 2016, 01:37:37 AM »
Much as I don't rate Westwood and would happily never see him in a Villa shirt again, I think that's a completely unnecessary hatchet job. If he was giving it the big "I am" and needed taking down a peg or two then it might be warranted, but he's not. Westwood seems a decent lad who's struggling at a level he can't cope with and shouldn't be being exposed to. That's not his fault. I don't think he doesn't try. I don't have a clue who the smartarse writer is or care how accurate his stats are, I think that's a pretty spiteful and nasty piece of writing. I hope Westwood never sees it.

Very fair point

Still no assist or goals or through balls this season. Point still remains we probably need to upgrade

Offline AGRIPPA

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #907 on: December 15, 2016, 01:48:24 AM »
Much as I don't rate Westwood and would happily never see him in a Villa shirt again, I think that's a completely unnecessary hatchet job. If he was giving it the big "I am" and needed taking down a peg or two then it might be warranted, but he's not. Westwood seems a decent lad who's struggling at a level he can't cope with and shouldn't be being exposed to. That's not his fault. I don't think he doesn't try. I don't have a clue who the smartarse writer is or care how accurate his stats are, I think that's a pretty spiteful and nasty piece of writing. I hope Westwood never sees it.

Very fair point

Still no assist or goals or through balls this season. Point still remains we probably need to upgrade

I think that's the point.....it's so obvious that he offers nothing either offensively or defensively and we all know it but the managers don't....

I could be wrong as I'm no championship/premiership manager but he has never performed or progressed and for too long we have been carrying players like him and Clark ( now departed), Hutton and Agbonlahor

Online Rudy Can't Fail

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #908 on: December 15, 2016, 02:10:53 AM »
Until we get good midfielders I think we have to put 3 in CM. There's no way around it. Strength in numbers. Jedinak can just sit as the hod carrier at the back. Tish is absolutely essential. The other is one of GG, Westwood or Lyden. At this point I'd give Lyden a chance because he's more athletic.

Teacher's pet under RDM but never given a chance until now. He more than deserves his chance, playing along side a fellow Aussie. I really hope Bruce gives him a chance as I'm sure he won't let us down. I've always believed a few of our kids will see us through our promotional season. Lyden is the type that won't be looking to swap shirts at the end of the game as he loves it too much.

Offline dave17

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #909 on: December 15, 2016, 02:27:55 AM »
Much as I don't rate Westwood and would happily never see him in a Villa shirt again, I think that's a completely unnecessary hatchet job. If he was giving it the big "I am" and needed taking down a peg or two then it might be warranted, but he's not. Westwood seems a decent lad who's struggling at a level he can't cope with and shouldn't be being exposed to. That's not his fault. I don't think he doesn't try. I don't have a clue who the smartarse writer is or care how accurate his stats are, I think that's a pretty spiteful and nasty piece of writing. I hope Westwood never sees it.

Very fair point

Still no assist or goals or through balls this season. Point still remains we probably need to upgrade

I think that's the point.....it's so obvious that he offers nothing either offensively or defensively and we all know it but the managers don't....

I could be wrong as I'm no championship/premiership manager but he has never performed or progressed and for too long we have been carrying players like him and Clark ( now departed), Hutton and Agbonlahor
jedinak has two assists. Not a huge stats buff but if your midfielders aren't setting up goals...

Online ROBBO

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #910 on: December 15, 2016, 03:28:34 AM »
I'm Westwoods biggest critic but the main culprits are the succession of managers who fail to see the bleeding obvious. Forget Westwood forget Gabby they should never be in the first team again.

Offline peter w

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #911 on: December 15, 2016, 04:57:12 AM »
I agree that he shouldn't be in the team but not that he is this Godawful player. Where the piece is spot on is that he is playing scared and isn't hunting the ball down and playing on the front foot. he does however, make himself an option but not deep on the pitch, that's not his role, his role is to get it and give it. We've spectacularly failed over the last 3 games but managed to come out with 3 points. If we drew 3 we'd be criticising the Wigan performance but thankful for a point a piece at Leeds and Norwich.

he looks shot to me. It can't be much fun for him (or us I hear you say) going onto a football pitch playing with players without confidence and an unforgiving home crowd. Westwood did use to get around the pitch more and then, as now to be fair, he did break into the box. He is good enough for this level the problem is he and Jedinak play the same rolehaving them both in the team means that Westwood stands out like a sore thumb - even when he has played no worse than Jedinak. The problem for him is that those who were present last season have zero brownie points and it'll stay like that until the team starts winning regularly.

We need to fundamentally change the shape of the team in January and acquire the correct players for the correct positions. We need a centre half, we need two midfielders, we need a striker. We need to shift out 1 or 2 of Grealish, McCormack, Ayew, Gestede, Kodjia, Kozak, Adomah, Agbonlahor to get the forward unit working together and not chopping and changing and just hoping things come good.

As for Westwood? I think his time has come and gone. but I also don't think that a player that has been vilified as much as he has is as half as bad as is made, often by him with some of his performance sit has to be said.

Offline pbavfckuwait

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #912 on: December 15, 2016, 04:59:10 AM »
It is not a hatchet job on Westwood, it is facts, a main stay off our midfield for what seems like the last decade has a 18 pass completion, only 5 of those going forward, one tackle and one interception, so 20 involvements in a game that lasted 93 minutes, that is him being involved every 4 minutes, my god know wonder we say he is invisible and does nothing, it is because he is invisible and does nothing.

Offline peter w

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #913 on: December 15, 2016, 05:16:39 AM »
Yes, he had a very poor game. As did the 10 others.

Offline oswald funkletrumpet

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Re: Ashley Westwood
« Reply #914 on: December 15, 2016, 07:13:31 AM »
Im sure point is a lovely bloke and a model pro but he is simply not a very good footballer

having him as a regular starter leads to us being where we are  now

 


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