Westwood

[Grimsdale]

Nearly everyone bar a few half wits are of the same opinion, that Westwood was crap yesterday

According to the Player Ratings thread, most people gave Westwood a 6 or a 7 for yesterday, a few gave 5 and there were a couple of 8s.

Yours was one of only two who gave him a 4.

[Stayingup]

Compared to who?

About 18 other teams midfield players in the Premier league.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

According to the Player Ratings thread, most people gave Westwood a 6 or a 7 for yesterday, a few gave 5 and there were a couple of 8s.

Yours was one of only two who gave him a 4.

And I was 'tother

[MDWat]

And I was 'tother

Can't be true as I gave him 4 too!

[Iloveyoubrady]

I’m sorry but Westwood is not bad - just average. Cork is another - just average. Both centre mids who don’t contribute great amounts forwards but keep the game ticking. However, we have defour who is genuinely quality who keeps the game ticking. Defour is far superior to cork and Westwood imo. However, we can’t play two of these three very similar centre midfielders in one team imo without sacrificing attacking threat. With Hendrick and one of the 3 I believe we are a better team as Despite making mistakes, he has a greater goal threat and is better carrying the ball forward and is much better physically/athletically.

[Vegas Claret]

we need 1 QUALITY midfielder minimum in January, absolute minimum

[THEWELLERNUT70]

Can't be true as I gave him 4 too!

Yep grimsdale wrongly called him out. He actually gave Westwood a 5

[Spike]

But not a sicknote.

Doesn't like Belgium Christmas Markets

[NottsClaret]

Ffs I have it all now. Westwood is never ever a Premier league player and is consistently shite.

A Premier League player is pretty much all he's been since he was 22. He's played in 163 Premier League games for two different clubs over 7 years.

[aggi]

If Westwood is the first name on the team sheet, then I'm afraid we're in real trouble. It's very easy to take his 84% passing ratio and to state he had a good game. Does it breakdown how many of them are particularly easy passes backwards to the defence in comparison to forward passes? I'd be very interested to read those stats. He gave the ball away an awful lot when going forwards. He does the same job as Cork but Cork does it more effectively, regardless of these passing stats. Cork breaks up play better and tries to pass forward.

He's extremely limited, offers next to nothing going forward and if we want to really solidify ourselves as a Premier League club, then I'm afraid we need better than him.

And yes I attended, yes I watched the game closely and yes I had a great view.

48 passes in total (84% completion).
32 passes forward, 16 backwards.
5 long, 43 short.
6 into the defensive third, 27 into the middle third, 15 into the final third.

Also made the most tackles (5) and blocks (4) and had the most touches (62).

For comparison, Cork:

27 passes in total (55% completion).
18 passes forward, 9 backwards.
4 long, 23 short.
3 into the defensive third, 18 into the middle third, 6 into the final third.

Tackles (1) and blocks (0) and touches (35)

[KateR]

I like Westwood, not a world beater or show boater, think he is a very good squad player and get's in the first team as a starter, so he is certainly a player that has SD's confidence.

Personally am not a big fan of Defour or Lennon, but that's a different story and one I know the majority would disagree with, it's just opinions and in the long run there really is only one opinion that dictates who will play/start and who will make the bench/squad if all are fit and available to play.

However would have to say that it is a fact that he is a Premiere League player, has been before and is for us, therefore it is a fact not an opinion that he is a Premiere League player.

[claretspice]

48 passes in total (84% completion).
32 passes forward, 16 backwards.
5 long, 43 short.
6 into the defensive third, 27 into the middle third, 15 into the final third.

Also made the most tackles (5) and blocks (4) and had the most touches (62).

For comparison, Cork:

27 passes in total (55% completion).
18 passes forward, 9 backwards.
4 long, 23 short.
3 into the defensive third, 18 into the middle third, 6 into the final third.

Tackles (1) and blocks (0) and touches (35)

If I've got that right, what that means is that he gave the ball away 8 times in total. I don't know if that includes crosses - if it does, his terrific cross for the goal would be one of those 8, because a defender half-cleared it to Mee in the first place - but either way, it's a pretty small total.

[ChorltonCharlie]

Westwood won as many headers as Cork on Saturday. He also won more tackles, 3 to 1. Westwood occupied a position higher up the pitch than Cork. It's actually a fair point that Westwood didn't make a pass in the last 10 minutes, but did win the ball once in that time, which was as many as Cork did all game. Jack Cork didn't make a pass in the last 20 minutes, and the only time he touched the ball for the last 20 minutes was when he won a header in the 80th minute. Of course, I'm sure all these people who disregard facts and stats had made a mental note of all this information just from watching the game. Fair play, much cleverer than me.

I like them both, but Westwood clearly wasn't the issue on Saturday. It's the usual thing from some though, who seem to think you you have to pass the ball forward to be a good player. Probably the same people who whinge that we're so bad at keeping the ball without a hint of irony.

[aggi]

If I've got that right, what that means is that he gave the ball away 8 times in total. I don't know if that includes crosses - if it does, his terrific cross for the goal would be one of those 8, because a defender half-cleared it to Mee in the first place - but either way, it's a pretty small total.

It does include crosses. He made 3 crosses (one of which was a corner) and 2 were successful, it doesn't say which wasn't but I guess it was probably the one for the goal.

[ClaretLoup]

I like Westwood, not a world beater or show boater, think he is a very good squad player and get's in the first team as a starter, so he is certainly a player that has SD's confidence.

Personally am not a big fan of Defour or Lennon, but that's a different story and one I know the majority would disagree with,

Spot on Kate, Since Lennon and Defour were left out, first the performance level picked up and then the team got a result. Defour may be the most amazing footballer etc. but the facts are that the team lost every game that he has played in this season, including at Burton Albion, except at Leicester where he was only able to complete 55 minutes & in the first half Leicester were well on top.

He needs to play for his place, sit on the bench for a few games and work his way back into the side.

[NL Claret]

Watched the Clarets player highlights and Westwood was involved making decent forward passes (the one for Taylor to put a cross in for a goal kick) and crosses. Cork had a shot and did a tackle.

The difference between Westwood and Cork is that Jack is a fans favourite. Some wouldn't want to be critical of a fans favourite. A thread on Jack Cork would not get 2 pages of replies, bomb proof is Jack.

[claretspice]

It does include crosses. He made 3 crosses (one of which was a corner) and 2 were successful, it doesn't say which wasn't but I guess it was probably the one for the goal.

It would be the one for the goal - the other 2 crosses which we successful would be the one he whipped in during the first half, which Barnes chested down to give Wood that chance from a tight angle, and the second half corner that Tarks flicked just wide of the far post. All 3 were terrific balls in. Even leaving aside other arguments about his forward passing (and your stats do I think debunk that a bit), he does have the ability to deliver a good cross and the willingness to get into crossing positions on the right, which is a big plus given the style of play we're adopting right now.

Our goal on Wednesday night came from a corner Barnes won after a clever round-the-corner pass into the channel from Westwood, too.

[Colburn_Claret]

Westwood and Cork aren't at their best, but Westwood is way ahead of Jack, and although not brilliant he wasn't that bad on Saturday.
Like a lot if others I'm at a loss to understand why Hendrick isn't starting, but should he get the chance it has to be for Cork.

[aggi]

These were the stats on Cork that someone mentioned, missing a few games now.

Cork.PNG (12.81 KiB) Viewed 1109 times