Sylla out of the Villa

[tomd2103]

Sylla was from the French League 2. If you buy that standard of players, that is the level you will end up.

Don't say that!

Our glorious leadership might read it and finally, finally realise the great flaw in their cunning plan of buying cheap dross - i.e. the fact that, nine times out of ten, you get cheap dross.

Or that such signings need to be balanced with the purchase of players who have a proven track record in the top flight. 

[Rudy65]

I have no problem spending 500K and about 10K a week on unknown punts. I've wanted us to try that more often for years. I do mind them keep being played when it's not working while our own kids are denied a chance though.

that's exactly my attitude as well

Agreed, apart from when its the likes of Bowery who had no goal scoring pedigree in the league 2

[saunders_heroes]

I have no problem spending 500K and about 10K a week on unknown punts. I've wanted us to try that more often for years. I do mind them keep being played when it's not working while our own kids are denied a chance though.

that's exactly my attitude as well

Agreed, apart from when its the likes of Bowery who had no goal scoring pedigree in the league 2

It's one thing taking the odd punt on a lower league player, but it's another packing your whole team out with them. It's a recipe for disaster but sadly that's what we've gone and done.

[Rudy65]

I have no problem spending 500K and about 10K a week on unknown punts. I've wanted us to try that more often for years. I do mind them keep being played when it's not working while our own kids are denied a chance though.

that's exactly my attitude as well

Agreed, apart from when its the likes of Bowery who had no goal scoring pedigree in the league 2

It's one thing taking the odd punt on a lower league player, but it's another packing your whole team out with them. It's a recipe for disaster but sadly that's what we've gone and done.

When apart from Westwood they are all rubbish now and from day one

[saunders_heroes]

I have no problem spending 500K and about 10K a week on unknown punts. I've wanted us to try that more often for years. I do mind them keep being played when it's not working while our own kids are denied a chance though.

that's exactly my attitude as well

Agreed, apart from when its the likes of Bowery who had no goal scoring pedigree in the league 2

It's one thing taking the odd punt on a lower league player, but it's another packing your whole team out with them. It's a recipe for disaster but sadly that's what we've gone and done.

When apart from Westwood they are all rubbish now and from day one

Westwood is shit.

[Bully2345]

I have no problem spending 500K and about 10K a week on unknown punts. I've wanted us to try that more often for years. I do mind them keep being played when it's not working while our own kids are denied a chance though.

that's exactly my attitude as well

Agreed, apart from when its the likes of Bowery who had no goal scoring pedigree in the league 2

It's one thing taking the odd punt on a lower league player, but it's another packing your whole team out with them. It's a recipe for disaster but sadly that's what we've gone and done.

When apart from Westwood they are all rubbish now and from day one

Westwood is shit.

Put the beer down

[Clampy]

We were chatting about Westwood on the way back. I reckon he could be a decent player in a few years time but he's not ready just yet, definitely not good enough to be starting nearly every premiership game for us.

[saunders_heroes]

I have no problem spending 500K and about 10K a week on unknown punts. I've wanted us to try that more often for years. I do mind them keep being played when it's not working while our own kids are denied a chance though.

that's exactly my attitude as well

Agreed, apart from when its the likes of Bowery who had no goal scoring pedigree in the league 2

It's one thing taking the odd punt on a lower league player, but it's another packing your whole team out with them. It's a recipe for disaster but sadly that's what we've gone and done.

When apart from Westwood they are all rubbish now and from day one

Westwood is shit.

Put the beer down

I have, and he's still shit. He specialises in sideways passing and is as weak as water. I'm sick of seeing him pushed off the ball and losing possession.
Not good enough for Aston Villa.

[tomd2103]

We were chatting about Westwood on the way back. I reckon he could be a decent player in a few years time but he's not ready just yet, definitely not good enough to be starting nearly every premiership game for us.

Agree Clampy.  Has had to be a central figure over the past two seasons when he needed to be brought on gradually. 

[aj2k77]

Westwood is Ok at keeping the game ticking over when given a lot of time and space. If we are on the back foot, he doesn't track runners, doesn't put tackles in, gets shrugged off the ball too easily and is beaten for pace.

He sums it all up that he's considered one of Lamberts better buys. Anyway a third division midfielder shouldn't be walking into our team unless he's an exceptional talent, he isn't.

[Lee]

I have no problem spending 500K and about 10K a week on unknown punts. I've wanted us to try that more often for years. I do mind them keep being played when it's not working while our own kids are denied a chance though.

that's exactly my attitude as well

Agreed, apart from when its the likes of Bowery who had no goal scoring pedigree in the league 2

It's one thing taking the odd punt on a lower league player, but it's another packing your whole team out with them. It's a recipe for disaster but sadly that's what we've gone and done.

When apart from Westwood they are all rubbish now and from day one

Westwood is shit.

I wouldn't say he was shit, but I see where you're coming from.

[supertom]

Westwood has had his moments. He's threatened to look like a Premier League player on occasion. Ultimately he doesn't have anywhere near enough in his locker to be a Premiership player. He's kind of one of the better of a very bad bunch in midfield right now, but like most of Lamberts signings we have to be brutally honest. Is he ready for the Premier League? No. Will he ever be good enough? Probably not. Can we afford to wait to find out? No.

Delph is our best mid. He's an okay player. Nothing more. If we want to get ourselves as a solid mid-table side we need to get players at least as a good as Delphy in. The likes of Westwood, KEA etc, if we get a new board, new manager, will need to be sold on or gradually fazed out.

It's time to wield the axe and build around our better players and bring through our youth players. Historically we've raised kids who are better players than Westwood, who you'd say was the best of the young punts. Hendrie, Whitts, Davis, Gardner, to some extent Barry (we didn't raise him in our academy, but we did develop him from 17 in our first team). We've had a lot of players come through our ranks who played/play in the top two divisions. Why pluck someone from the 3rd tier (who'd played mostly in the 4th)? I don't get it. If he was exceptionally talented maybe, but aside from a tidy pass he's not got much in his locker. Nothing physically. No pace, no defence capability. Doesn't score many, doesn't make many. Can't deliver a good set piece. Barry Bannan had more natural ability but we got rid of him. Granted he never stood out for us much, but does Westwood offer much more?

[sirlordbaltimore]

Westwood's completely wasted playing that deep for me. He's got a far better eye for a pass than all the other midfielders we have, yet he's the one sat almost on top of our defence most of the time

[supertom]

Westwood's completely wasted playing that deep for me. He's got a far better eye for a pass than all the other midfielders we have, yet he's the one sat almost on top of our defence most of the time

It's partly the fashion though I guess. He doesn't have the agility or dribbling ability to play the number 10 role. He's supposed to be the deep lying playmaker like Pirlo say. The defensive part isn't his main responsibility (or seemingly even a consideration). Sadly we don't have the quality, or tactical organisation to play a more continental way. Our defence is also not good enough to look after themselves because the fullbacks are poor and Vlaar is persistently nursing a poor partner.

I don't think Westy could play further up either. He'd need too much time on the ball. He's just out of his depth at the end of the day.

[KevinGage]

Sylla was from the French League 2. If you buy that standard of players, that is the level you will end up.

Disagree, to an extent.

Obviously if you pack your starting XI with players from that level you might have issues.

But Olbiyun signed Mulumbu from Amiens, I believe.  Wigan signed Diame from Rayo Vallecano when Vallecano were in the second tier in Spain.

Under the current ownership, that is the challenge for us:  find those players at smaller clubs on smaller wages who can make the step up.  By the time you are looking at players who have made any kind of established reputation in the PL, you're talking £40k a week - and a strong chance that they aren't as hungry to make a name for themselves. 

Players can't really help where they start out, geography dictates that as much as anything. So Sylla at 22 coming from the second tier of the French league wouldn't have put me off.