Which Players are Good Enough for 'The Next Level'?

[neo_Villan]

I don't think you just judge a midfielder on the amount of successful passes they make. Westwood has been a bit of a 'meh' player most of the time. I think he needs to contribute more really. Doesn't protect the defence at all and never looks like scoring. He has shown some promise at times though (Arsenal at home his best performance IMO), so he will most likely improve next season and playing in a better midfield. But I don't think he has warranted some of the exaggerated praise that he gets.

[saunders_heroes]

I don't think you just judge a midfielder on the amount of successful passes they make. Westwood has been a bit of a 'meh' player most of the time. I think he needs to contribute more really. Doesn't protect the defence at all and never looks like scoring. He has shown some promise at times though (Arsenal at home his best performance IMO), so he will most likely improve next season and playing in a better midfield. But I don't think he has warranted some of the exaggerated praise that he gets.

Agreed. Most overrated Villa player in years.

[paul_e]

Westwood should be the guy who sets the tempo in our midfield, and he'd do a good job of it.  But he needs someone with a spark of genius in front of him and a workhorse alongside him.  Delph has shown he can fill the 2nd requirement, now we need someone to join them and make things happen (out of interest Sylla covered for Delph really well and Bannan fitted nicely as well as the one more willing to look forward and try to make things happen).

On top of that the trio in there needs to provide 10-15 goals, if they all come form 1 player then so be it but our midfield and defence need to contribute in the for column.

Westwood's role, in a 3, is always going to be the one that divides opinion, some see it as a crab who slows play down, others see it as the guy who directs where we attack from.

For me he's been ok and is certainly good enough to be a premier league midfielder but the balance of the side (in an attacking sense, I've already explained my opinion on the defence) hasn't been quite right all season, we don't have anyone who has played in the attacking role of the 3 and has really made it their own.

I think a few people on here are a bit deluded in expecting more from a guy who is in his first season in the premier league, the same can be said of a fair few players who have been called shit on here this year.  The setup of the premier league has made everything about instant success which leads to snap judgements of shit or good being made far too early.

Our matchday squad this season has been massively inexperienced and has contained a lot of players who didn't know each other.  Any club with the level of personnel and tactical 'churn' that we've had in the last couple of years would've struggled, add to that the big money players just not turning up often enough, for a number of reasons, and we've had a rough time of it.

As Paulie said as a team we've not had the experience to cope which makes it very difficult to judge a lot of the players.  Guzan, Benteke and, to an extent, Weimann have prospered despite the problems, but it doesn't mean everyone else who's played is shit and should be sold if we want to achieve anything.  It means we need to get through this year and take stock and then what we can add to give the players we have a fairer chance to show if they can make it.  If they're still not good enough by christmas then you can look at getting replacements for a few but for me stability is the key to this summer.

[neo_Villan]

I think a few people on here are a bit deluded in expecting more from a guy who is in his first season in the premier league

Not sure that it is deluded to expect him to at least look like scoring once in a while or do more to protect the defence.

[supertom]

For me Westy is our Carrick. He's a connective player. I don't think he'll protect the defence too much nor score 5-10 a season.
However what he will be, is an ideal 1 of a midfield 3. Again, this has been a system problem for us. We've not got enough in the centre of our midfield.

A good deeper midfielder to aid the defence, and a good attacking mid with Westy is what's needed. I think he's done remarkebly well this season for us. He's stepped up to this level very well and not looked out of place. He's very composed on the ball and clever with his use of it. For me his job is to connect our defensive players with our attacking ones.

It's been our creative midfielders who've not done enough IMO. Tekkers is joint top for assists this season and top scorer by a long way. Holman is an attacking mid and hasn't offered much. Zoggy is too inconsistent. Gabby and Wiemann have scored from wide positions effectively, but they're not killer pass type of players. Bannan should be able to provide killer balls but doesn't do so consistently enough.

Westwood is good enough in the role he provides. He's there to keep things ticking along, keep the ball moving and he does that. Our creative failures are ahead of him.

That said, his set pieces need to improve. And yes, even Carrick has the capability of spanking in the odd 20 yarder. So Westwood will need to add at least the odd goal to his game.

As well as Delph has played, I'm not sure he's a long term starter. We need a more creative force in his place or someone more efficient in the defensive side, a bit less reckless. We'll see, but ideally I'd like to see a midfield 3 next season, and 2 of them, new signings.

[MoetVillan]

Overrated?  Westwood?  Do me a favour.  Absolutely our most consistently good player.  Best value for money signing I have seen in six years.  Good number of assists.  Doesnt lose the ball.  Doesnt pass to people under pressure.  Maybe he doesnt come in with many goals, but is that why carrick is Uniteds best player this year?  He has some of the best bits that Petrov showed for us three-five years ago, but doesnt fade at 70 mins.

[eastie]

Overrated?  Westwood?  Do me a favour.  Absolutely our most consistently good player.  Best value for money signing I have seen in six years.  Good number of assists.  Doesnt lose the ball.  Doesnt pass to people under pressure.  Maybe he doesnt come in with many goals, but is that why carrick is Uniteds best player this year?  He has some of the best bits that Petrov showed for us three-five years ago, but doesnt fade at 70 mins.

Agreed, a very good signing indeed!

[Kevin Dawson]

Westwood will be at ManUre within 3 years.....mark my words...

[JUAN PABLO]

Overrated?  Westwood?  Do me a favour.  Absolutely our most consistently good player.  Best value for money signing I have seen in six years.  Good number of assists.  Doesnt lose the ball.  Doesnt pass to people under pressure.  Maybe he doesnt come in with many goals, but is that why carrick is Uniteds best player this year?  He has some of the best bits that Petrov showed for us three-five years ago, but doesnt fade at 70 mins.

the goals will come with experience

[eastie]

Westwood will be at ManUre within 3 years.....mark my words...

Or man city

[neo_Villan]

He has some of the best bits that Petrov showed for us three-five years ago, but doesnt fade at 70 mins.

I only thought Petrov started looking decent towards the end of the Houllier season. Never rated him before then.

[eastie]

He has some of the best bits that Petrov showed for us three-five years ago, but doesnt fade at 70 mins.

I only thought Petrov started looking decent towards the end of the Houllier season. Never rated him before then.

Fair comment , during mons reign he never really produced his best  on a regular basis and probably his best performance under mon was his debut down at west ham.

[PaulWinch again]

Westwood is playing his first season at this level and has done very well and he'll be a very good player.

[LeeB]

Westwood is playing his first season at this level and has done very well and he'll be a very good player.

It's that simple.

[OCD]

We've seen in recent weeks that the first choice XI isn't too bad. The squad's our problem - take 1 or 2 players out and there's shit coming in to replace them. It's no surprise that the time we were awful coincided with the time where there was a game every 2 or 3 days. Get rid of the hangers on and bring in quality to replace them. Make sure we have 18 capable players.