Summer 2015 - Transfer Rumours, Speculation & Suggestions

[pauliewalnuts]

I can understand why some people are unconvinced by Westwood, but to me he looks like one of those players whose contribution you don't really notice fully until you take him out of the side.

We've had some really underwhelming players the last few years, and not that many of them have looked like they have more to offer. Tarnishing Westwood with that brush seems harsh.

Yes, maybe he needs to add more assists and goals to his game, but then again, isn't that what we used to say about Delph?

[Damo70]

I totally agree with your first paragraph. I always thought the same about Kevin Richardson.

[curiousorange]

I think when you consider where we signed Westwood from and how he's progressed, there's a very good player there.

[cdbearsfan]

I totally agree with your first paragraph. I always thought the same about Kevin Richardson.

Richardson was light-years ahead of the thoroughly average Westwood.

He's been just sort of "meh" for his entire Villa career. If he was every going to improve, even to the level of quite good, he'd have done it by now.

Like Agbonlahor, it'll be a sign that Villa have progressed when he finally becomes obsolete.

[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.

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

As have beneteke and delph. That alone proves nothing. Poor management, poor coaching, too many fillers that added or contributed little, too mnay injuries seeing young players being thrown in at the deep end, too few experienced heads bringing the kids through...the list can go on and on.

[richard moore]

Has the transfer thread moved somewhere else?

[peter w]

Got anything?

[cdbearsfan]

I think when discussing transfers it's legitimate to consider current players to work out which positions need improving (by, say, a transfer) and which players are not good enough and might be got rid of (by, for instance, a transfer).

[silhillvilla]

I think when you consider where we signed Westwood from and how he's progressed, there's a very good player there.

That's the thing for me, I can't see any real progress . He's doing what he did when he first arrived. Nothing more nothing less .

[exigo]

Has the transfer thread moved somewhere else?

Sunderland met its release clause of a pack of cheesy Wotsits and a tin of custard creams.

[mr underhill]

hugely overvalued

[Chris Jameson]

Foxestalk have made a daring swoop for our transfer thread, it couldn't resist the lure of a truly big club and footyskillz is drawing up a list of targets for them.

[SoccerHQ]

Foxestalk have made a daring swoop for our transfer thread, it couldn't resist the lure of a truly big club and footyskillz is drawing up a list of targets for them.

Ian Marshall
Steve Guppy
Andrew Impey
Matt Elliott

[tomd2103]

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 .

Although I like Ashley Westwood, I would have to agree with that.

[aj2k77]

I think we will see Westwood in a fresh light this season. He remains very underrated in my opinion

Haven't we said that every year since he's been signed? He's in the last chance saloon...

Why?  He's a good player, best first touch and passing on the team.

He gets caught badly tracking his man when we're defending, he's got no physical presence and for all his tidy passing he rarely assists or scores.

I'll give you the defensive side of things needs to improve but the assists/goals thing annoys me, that's not the role he plays in the team, he's the tempo setter who directs play and he does the role well enough to deserve a chance to do it in a better midfield.  If Sherwood has done his job properly the squad should've been split into 3, players who were good enough, players who'd shown enough to deserve a chance and players who needed to move on, it looks like that's been the approach and Westwood fell into the 2nd group, which is exactly where he belongs.

And our tempo has been absolutely shit for the time he's been in the team. He has very little effect on games. Take a look at the bottom 6 or 7 teams and he'd struggle to get in any of them. To get better we need an upgrade on players like Westwood.