Very reliable. I am a massive Defour fan but we have not missed him as much as I first feared. I think Westwood has been one of our best players during the four game winning run. No idea why Villa fans didn't like him.

Because like many similar clubs they over exaggerate their standing in the game and believe they should have 'bigger names' on 'bigger wages'.

We started to attract quite a few similar like minded fans but fortunately our Chairmen isn't one of them.

There's a lot to be said for being a solid, unspectacular footballer. He's been far better for us than I imagined he could be. I thought his free kick for our winner yesterday was a very good delivery too. £5m compared to whatever Hendrick cost is very good business indeed.

Always wants the ball
Good range of passing
Very good in the tackle
Extremely reliable
Looks like he's enjoying his football

jdrobbo wrote:Always wants the ball
Good range of passing
Very good in the tackle
Extremely reliable
Looks like he's enjoying his football

Covers a lot of ground as well

I never admit my mistakes but winging about wasting money on Villa castoff Westwood was one.Hes proved me wrong and was top class yesterday despite the constant thug tactics of Watfords bully boys and won the battle of the cohones as Deeney loves to say.

He made a fantastic block at one point in the second half. Tackles like Brian O'Neil

He and Cork are excellent. Defour has the flair

With 5 years and 147 PL appearances at Villa we shouldn't be surprised he can play but the way he has slotted seamlessly into Steven Defours spot is a bonus. He could be around for years and I'll not be complaining.

kindonesque wrote:He made a fantastic block at one point in the second half. Tackles like Brian O'Neil

If he ends up half as good as Brian O'Neil, he'll be Kevin Ball on steroids !

Could make same comparisons for Lowton. Both Westwood and Lowton probably would not currently get in the Villa team but are now making star performances in a team in the top third of the PL. This is a by product of playing for SD and a team stacked in comaraderie

Man of the match for me yesterday, great player

He got clattered at least four times yesterday but to his credit he kept going, he would have been my man of the match yesterday but Nick Pope just shaded it for me.

Him and Cork were both superb for the last 20 mins yesterday.

I recall several Burnley fans not happy when we signed him.

I happen to think he's a good player and will improve in our system.

Villa were a mess and very toxic so naturally players there weren't going to perform to a decent standard, see WBA for a similar mess.

It's often what players require when in and out of the team and that's game time. Westwood is another who has really come on of late and would currently take some shifting from the team.

Not missed Defour at all, Westwood has been brilliant

Anyone think him and Defour could play together, with Cork sitting?

Or are they too similar, I think it could work.

Villa had a poisonous atmosphere when they went down, and their fans thought almost every single player was the worst that has played for their club. They were emotional.

I’m truth half of their players were probably decent, but were massively underperforming as a team.

kindonesque wrote:He made a fantastic block at one point in the second half. Tackles like Brian O'Neil

Earned a "like" for the comparison with Brian O'Neil.

Hear, hear Paul.
Brian O'Neil just about shades Ralph Coates as my favourite all time Claret.

Too much hype around Defour . Too little hype around Westwood.

Westwood has been brilliant for us

Top player. To my eye he has always looked a class act. Could never understand why people thought he wasn’t good enough.

kindonesque wrote:He made a fantastic block at one point in the second half. Tackles like Brian O'Neil

I really do like Westwood and from the day he signed he's been excellent for us. He only got a regular place last season when Joey Barton was suspended but did really well, particularly at Palace, and this season was really unfortunate not to be in the team but that was down to the form of Defour and Cork.

He'd just had a really good game at Man City when Defour got injured but couldn't replicate that at Newcastle when he came in for Defour and was promptly left out after a poor performance. But since he's got back in he's been terrific to the point that, just as has been the case with Heaton & Pope, we are not missing Defour.

Always a target at Villa, but there again they didn't like Lowton either.


But please - no comparisons with the brilliant Brian O'Neil - that's pushing it.

Looks cultured on the ball and I think he is a confidence player. He did have a poor game and I was trying to temember it and yes it was Newcastle away. A run in the side and support from the stands will do him no end of good.

It seems that everyone who comes in for an injured key player performs just as well.

Good, solid player who keeps the ball moving nice and smartly. If anything, he's got a better range of passing than Defour - as he showed when he put Lennon in space to create the chance from which Barnes missed his kick first half, he's got a zinger of a cross field ball in his locker that Defour doesn't actually have - although he's not got the same vision.

He's a really important member of the squad and it just shows that we've got options now that perhaps we didn't have previously.

Do yoooooooou believe in the Westwood (duh duh der duh)

Proper football player who just oozes a confidence in those around him; also a really nice lad who often takes the time and trouble to say hello and ask after you. Top professional and I hope we see him at the Turf for many, many years.

Westwood waxes lyrical about our “team ethics”, outside the media.

I agree, been our best player for a while.

Westwood is a defensive central midfielder
Defour is an attacking central midfielder

Both are vital and we've missed Defour in certain games and at certain times.

I started a thread months ago suggesting we should give him a run when Cork had a dip in form and I was practically laughed off the board. Glad people are seeing what a good player he is. He's our Michael Carrick.

A bloody snip at £5m.

Really good player, as others have said. Our squad depth kept the machine rolling, this season.