Summer 2015 - Transfer Rumours, Speculation & Suggestions

[PaulWinch again]

I think Westwood is a good player when he is pressed to play at a good tempo by our team. Sometimes he drifts when he's not asked for quick ball.

[villan from luton]

So do you rate him Paulwinch?

[*shellac*]

Westwood is just like The Charlatans in music equivalent, nothing spectacular nothing fanciful as compared to those flavour of the month bands or more established ones. You would have thought they were there to make up the numbers until they are gone.

Yes, I do rate Westwood. He's doing a unglamorous job in an above average way. Except the corners.

[Caiphus]

In my eyes intercepts are as valuable as tackles and Westwood reads the game well enough to intercept at a very high level. He also puts his foot in when he needs to he doesn't shirk on that front and does enough to disrupt forward momentum. The problem for Westwood is he has mostly had static options around him and when he had midfield movement the other mids would get the plaudits.

[VancouverLion]

He's a tidy player doesn't do a lot wrong but doesn't do much great either. If we're attempting to become a top ten team which we finally look like we are, we need better imo.
Useful squad player for sure.

[PaulWinch again]

So do you rate him Paulwinch?

I do.

[Dante Lavelli]

He's a tidy player doesn't do a lot wrong but doesn't do much great either. 

When your main job is to collect the ball from the defence and quickly pass the ball on, it is hard to do anything which stands out or would be considered great.  Similarly, on the defensive side he does not need to be a big bruiser, his job is to be located in the way so that the play is shepherded out wide or to less dangerous areas (the all action Delph's should be the ones doing the tackling).

Therefore him failing would be when the ball is aimlessly punted from defence to forwards, sailing over the midfield - which often happens.  He also does fail to track runners.  So there is plenty of room for improvement, however I think he is good enough to be involved regularly.

A combination of some extra coaching from Butch and an injection of confidence from TS could turn him into very good player.

[passitsideways]

I think the most ideal situation for Westwood on the defensive side of things is to have two physically-imposing, athletic midfield runners beside him, so that he can focus on intercepting the ball rather than trying to out-muscle. An extra midfielder there also takes the pressure off him having to track runners as well (and I think the fact that he's perceived as being prone to losing a runner is more reflective of his lack of athleticism, rather than awareness, in the sense that he doesn't have the burst over short distances to shut down a sudden surging run). So far, it looks like Gueye at least fits half of the bill - hopefully Veretout can fit on the other side, or otherwise it could be Sanchez or even Gardner.

Nobody's ever had a problem with his short passing game, but the passing range has tended to come and go with him - hopefully, now that we're playing a more expansive brand of football, he'll be able to build some consistency with that. I think the ultimate key is that we're sensible about when to play him, and when to bring Sanchez in for him instead.

[silhillvilla]

If we aspire to be more than just relegation fodder then we will need an upgrade on Westwood . Whilst he's not terrible, he has some significant limitations to his game .

[spangley1812]

Sunderland are in talks to sign Rubin Kazan midfielder Yann M'Vila, 25, as manager Dick Advocaat looks to add to his four summer signings

I would look @ Yann M'Vila as he was very highly rated in France

[Chris Smith]

If we aspire to be more than just relegation fodder then we will need an upgrade on Westwood . Whilst he's not terrible, he has some significant limitations to his game .

Yet on another thread you are praising Nathan Baker who has far more significant limitations to his game.

Westwood, to me, is one of those understated players who while rarely spectacular gets about the pitch doing the boring stuff that allows others to shine.

[PaulWinch again]

If we aspire to be more than just relegation fodder then we will need an upgrade on Westwood . Whilst he's not terrible, he has some significant limitations to his game .

Yet on another thread you are praising Nathan Baker who has far more significant limitations to his game.

Westwood, to me, is one of those understated players who while rarely spectacular gets about the pitch doing the boring stuff that allows others to shine.

Agreed of all the players left who have been here over the last few years I think Westwood has the class to be a top half player.

[passitsideways]

If we aspire to be more than just relegation fodder then we will need an upgrade on Westwood . Whilst he's not terrible, he has some significant limitations to his game .

Yet on another thread you are praising Nathan Baker who has far more significant limitations to his game.

Westwood, to me, is one of those understated players who while rarely spectacular gets about the pitch doing the boring stuff that allows others to shine.

Agreed of all the players left who have been here over the last few years I think Westwood has the class to be a top half player.

Hopefully he's the type of player whose ability to progress is directly linked to the quality of team he's in. I feel like it's quite possible that had he gone to Swansea where they were already playing good football (instead of going through the stop-start-grinding to a complete halt Lambert era), who he was being strongly linked to prior to signing for us, people would be talking him up as a solid top-half player. Although I suppose you could argue that if he was actually that good, he would've made that step up regardless of the circumstances, instead of levelling out into mediocrity after his first season.

[peter w]

If we aspire to be more than just relegation fodder then we will need an upgrade on Westwood . Whilst he's not terrible, he has some significant limitations to his game .

Yet on another thread you are praising Nathan Baker who has far more significant limitations to his game.

Westwood, to me, is one of those understated players who while rarely spectacular gets about the pitch doing the boring stuff that allows others to shine.

What's opinions of one player got to do with opinions of another? As it is I like Baker and Westwood. The latter does his job and whilst he has been exposed more than once as with Baker I think with a more solid unit around them they wouldn't be so open, caught trying to do more than is needed, and over exposed.

[Chris Smith]

If we aspire to be more than just relegation fodder then we will need an upgrade on Westwood . Whilst he's not terrible, he has some significant limitations to his game .

Yet on another thread you are praising Nathan Baker who has far more significant limitations to his game.

Westwood, to me, is one of those understated players who while rarely spectacular gets about the pitch doing the boring stuff that allows others to shine.

What's opinions of one player got to do with opinions of another? As it is I like Baker and Westwood. The latter does his job and whilst he has been exposed more than once as with Baker I think with a more solid unit around them they wouldn't be so open, caught trying to do more than is needed, and over exposed.

Because, both players have been regular players in the same side that he describes as "relegation fodder.