Transfer Speculation / Gossip

[supertom]

Rather have Ki than Cambiasso tbh, Darren Fletcher would'nt be a bad option either.

 The modern midfield is all about athleticism, pace, aggression, mobility, Delph has it, Westwood does'nt.

Cambiasso and Ki. Now that would improve us no end.
Unlikely though.

[Monty]

Rather have Ki than Cambiasso tbh, Darren Fletcher would'nt be a bad option either.

 The modern midfield is all about athleticism, pace, aggression, mobility, Delph has it, Westwood does'nt.

Neither Ki nor Fletcher are 'all about' any of those. These things are important, but midfields have always and will always be about passing the ball above everything else.

[Damo70]

Normally, any link concerning one of our better players moving to a two bob yoyo outfit like West Ham should be laughed out of the place. 

But the way we've carried ourselves in recent years, it's quite possible that players might see a move from Villa to West Ham as a step up.  Weird times.

Ha ha, 'two bob yoyo outfit'.  This is how I shall refer to west ham from now on

Small Heath used to be a two bob yoyo outfit. Now they are a no bob yoyo outfit with a broken string.

[barrysleftfoot]

 Westwood is too slow and fragile though Monty.The WC has highlighted the players like Pogba and Vidal, neither are particularly good passers, but both are very athletic, and powerful, and both are rated at £30m plus.Neither are anywhere near as good as James in football terms, but complement that kind of player very well.

 Delph and Ki, or Fletcher, for me would be a reasonable defensive midfield, with Cole in front as the footballer, just need to replace Gabby then.

[Monty]

Pogba and Vidal are both amazing passers. And all of Delph, Ki and Fletcher are 'footballers' in that sense.

No, what the World Cup has highlighted are, I think, the value of two things: technique and intensity. Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo are athletic and powerful but neither can pass the ball, and they came up against a team who could match them physically but destroyed them with passing and pressing. Brazil's theory of having a team of bastards and a designated 'footballer' has been annihilated, at the top level at least.

Anyway, this is all a bit high-flung for Ashley Westwood. He can pass the ball well when he wants to, and provides that sort of option. Lambert's a ninny who thought that he could form a deep double-stop in midfield with Barry Bannan, so I'm hardly surprised we've rarely seen the best of him. He's more an 8 than a 6, as the Spanish call it, but we don't have a 6 or a 10 really so he looks a bit lost.

[barrysleftfoot]

 To be fair, we are talking about a different level, for me Delph is our standard atm, Ki and Fletcher are an improvement on Westwood, his supposed ability at passing hasn't helped us the last 2 seasons, but his lack of intestity, pace, and positioning, have certainly hindered us, so a more steady player alongside Delph would be an improvement.

 Cole will need some legs alongside him as well.

[Mister E]

Pogba and Vidal are both amazing passers. And all of Delph, Ki and Fletcher are 'footballers' in that sense.

No, what the World Cup has highlighted are, I think, the value of two things: technique and intensity. Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo are athletic and powerful but neither can pass the ball, and they came up against a team who could match them physically but destroyed them with passing and pressing. Brazil's theory of having a team of bastards and a designated 'footballer' has been annihilated, at the top level at least.

Anyway, this is all a bit high-flung for Ashley Westwood. He can pass the ball well when he wants to, and provides that sort of option. Lambert's a ninny who thought that he could form a deep double-stop in midfield with Barry Bannan, so I'm hardly surprised we've rarely seen the best of him. He's more an 8 than a 6, as the Spanish call it, but we don't have a 6 or a 10 really so he looks a bit lost.

I said earlier (I think on this thread) that Westwood lacks dynamism: we've seen this in the number of times he has not quite tracked back with an attacking opposing MF. I don't write him off but I think we need alternatives, and he needs to learn from Keane about the whole scope of midfield-ship. If he does, he may yet become the player Lambert thoujht he'd bought.

[Monty]

Funnily enough I think positioning is one of his better traits, but it's gone all the way downhill recently. The first time I saw him was the home game against Stoke in his first season, and as the game was so devoid of goalmouth incident I concentrated on him instead, and thought his anticipation was almost Petrov-esque. He got a huge ovation going off that day.

Since then, he's come to look like a goldfish on a motorway, somehow slow and flailing at the same time. I'm convinced that this is another example of 'the Bertrand effect', whereby a player comes to Villa with quality and a brain and is then exposed to the coaching staff, whereupon they become shite and stupid. Our amazing lack of tactical coherence does seem to have made certain players, ones who rely on their intelligence, deteriorate alarmingly.

[saunders_heroes]

To be fair, we are talking about a different level, for me Delph is our standard atm, Ki and Fletcher are an improvement on Westwood, his supposed ability at passing hasn't helped us the last 2 seasons, but his lack of intestity, pace, and positioning, have certainly hindered us, so a more steady player alongside Delph would be an improvement.

 Cole will need some legs alongside him as well.

As well as all the above Westwood is also physically very weak and gets pushed off the ball far too easily. He's been ridiculously overrated since he came to Villa by both the club (who have on a number of occasions talked him up for England) and by some of our fans. I think if we're ever taken over and the squad is invested in again he'll be one of the first out the door.

[KevinGage]

In the right overall structure, Westwood could be a Leon Britton for us. 

Britton isn't particularly dynamic, nor a good all-round midfielder. But what he does (awareness, taking up good positions and keeping play ticking over) he does very well.

The way we play, I am not sure that type of player will be much use to us, however.  Barring ridiculous offers coming in, it is Delph plus two others in midfield.  One of them (at least) needs to be able to provide us with a degree of defensive protection.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

A Leon Britton. Just what we need.

[Mister E]

In the right overall structure, Westwood could be a Leon Britton for us. 

Britton isn't particularly dynamic, nor a good all-round midfielder. But what he does (awareness, taking up good positions and keeping play ticking over) he does very well.

The way we play, I am not sure that type of player will be much use to us, however.  Barring ridiculous offers coming in, it is Delph plus two others in midfield.  One of them (at least) needs to be able to provide us with a degree of defensive protection.

Funny, I thought Leon Britton was a particularly pompous Tory S of S and Euro Commissioner recently back in the news over paedophiliac cover-ups at the Home Office. Certainly wouldn't have been a dynamic midfielder at any time in his life, I suspect.

[Matt Collins]

A Leon Britton. Just what we need.

A proven premier league player for a team that's comfortably above relegation standard? Yes please.

[Gareth]

For me what Westwood lacks in defensive situations vastly outweighs what his passing brings.  Part of the reason that I have always defended Baker & co is that the midfield don't provide enough protection in the normal games...against the big clubs they sit and work, against the Fulhams etc they get lazy, don't track runners & tackles invariably equal fouls.

Getting a good, disciplined player to hold would vastly improve our team & hopefully the knock on will see others put up and improve.

[KevinGage]

A big player for one of the most attractive sides in the league?  I wouldn't be turning my nose up at him, put it that way. 

But the way we set up, a player like that (or Westwood) would be exposed.   We don't play a possession game, and you can't suddenly start playing it with the addition of one player.  It needs work on the training ground, an ethos and a determination to stick to that way of playing even if it doesn't immediately result in wins.