Keiren Westwood G Crewe Alexandra b.1984

[nigel-harps1954]

Personally, speaking as a goalkeeper, albeit at an altogether different level, 4 or 5 games missed can make a huge difference to match sharpness. I'd argue that a goalkeeper needs regular games more than anyone else on the pitch. In theory, anyone else on the pitch can make a mistake and recover, but a goalkeeper makes a mistake and it's a goal. Match practice is the only thing that aids that aspect of the game.

[Stuttgart88]

I agree with Nigel. I think match sharpness is more important in a keeper. It's hard to explain unless you've been there!

[Charlie Darwin]

I have been there! And everywhere else. I think as a goalkeeper you have to train to a higher standard of readiness than others. As you said, a goalkeeper can't afford to make a mistake. Everybody else can take a few games to hit match sharpness, goalkeepers don't have that luxury.

[Charlie Darwin]

Sunderland have signed Pantillimon after his release from Man City: http://t.co/yd44TLgv5r

Would be an interesting switch if Westwood was to go the other way.

[tetsujin1979]

Westwood actually started out at Man City, left before every playing a first team game

[GypsyBlackCat]

No truth in the stories about Westwood to Man City but several Championship clubs are interested.

[OwlsFan]

I don't understand the mindset of a GK that would accept an offer like that. Surely a player's main objective is to play regularly and be a No.1...

This isn't specifically related to Westwood but I think that a footballer's main aim, like most working people, is to (a) earn the most money and (b) get job satisfaction in that order. Very few people in all walks of life take a job on a reduced wage where they don't like their existing job or am I generalising too much? Obviously some people go for job satisfaction over money but I'd say they are in a definite minority.

[tetsujin1979]

This isn't specifically related to Westwood but I think that a footballer's main aim, like most working people, is to (a) earn the most money and (b) get job satisfaction in that order. Very few people in all walks of life take a job on a reduced wage where they don't like their existing job or am I generalising too much? Obviously some people go for job satisfaction over money but I'd say they are in a definite minority.
in my experience, people who go for job satisfaction are already financially secure

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Do keepers need games? I'd argue it's the one position where it's not necessary.


Look at how lack of match practice has affected Casillas - and Spain - and Real Madrid.

[gastric]

Being linked with Brighton which would be great if it means regular football.

http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/brighton-move-sunderland-keeper-westwood-4028727

[SolitudeRed]

Signs for Sheffield Wednesday in the championship not a bad move if it means he gets first team football, they are a big enough club a proverbial sleeping giant!


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11703/9375016/transfer-news-sheffield-wednesday-close-to-signing-keiren-westwood-on-free-transfer

[gastric]

Signs for Sheffield Wednesday in the championship not a bad move if it means he gets first team football, they are a big enough club a proverbial sleeping giant!


http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11703/9375016/transfer-news-sheffield-wednesday-close-to-signing-keiren-westwood-on-free-transfer


Hopefully owlsfan will approve! Is Kirkland still there and if so will Westwood be first choice?

[OwlsFan]

Sleeping giant - how often have I heard that! A long nap for the past 79 years.

Westwood will be first choice in the beginning I suspect as Kirkland was dropped once or twice last season.

[OwlsFan]

Westwood played in the recent 1-3 victory over mighty Bury. Goal conceded was apparently a tap in on the line so hopefully no blame was attached to the keeper http://www.buryfc.co.uk/news/article/bury-1-sheffield-wednesday-3-1769090.aspx

[gastric]

Westwood hungry for a recall to the national side. Good to read!

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/sheff-weds/sheffield-wednesday-westwood-gunning-for-republic-of-ireland-recall-1-6739972

[OwlsFan]

Didn't play in last nights 0-1 defeat by Newcastle. Don't know whether he is injured.

[tetsujin1979]

Didn't play in last nights 0-1 defeat by Newcastle. Don't know whether he is injured.
tweaked cartilage according to this: https://twitter.com/domhowson/status/494589444771831809

Roy Contout will feature again against #BarnsleyFC (https://twitter.com/hashtag/BarnsleyFC?src=hash). He flew in on Sunday. Keiren Westwood has tweaked a cartilage. May train tomorrow. #SWFC (https://twitter.com/hashtag/SWFC?src=hash)

[Kingdom]

I've relocated to the south coast and went to the Am Ex today to see Brighton v Weds. Missed the first 30mins, but Westwood was impressive for the little he had to do. He made an absolutely incredible save which effectively won the game for Weds, who were excellent with the ball in the second half.
What impressed me about KW was that you could hear him at the opposite end of the ground, effectively up in the attic. His distribution was superb, not once did the ball not reach it's target and not once did they lose possession either. Commanded his box very well, when he had to. He's still Ireland's number 1 for me if he can get games under his belt.
Hard to say if Weds will push for promotion. I've a feeling they will, purely on how well they played football today; however, they'll not have a nicer away game this season. Brighton were atrocious and the crowd were too nice.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

Keiren Westwood (Sheffield Wednesday)

Speaking of goalkeepers, Westwood was primed after Euro 2012 to take over from Shay Given but he never really warmed to the task. Injuries were undoubtedly a factor, although former Irish goalkeeping coach Alan Kelly seemed to have other reservations. His final year at Sunderland was completely ruined and relocation to Sheffield Wednesday marks a new departure. In theory, dropping down a level should ensure regular football, but Chris Kirkland still has to be dislodged.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/7-irish-stars-with-point-to-prove-in-the-second-tier-30495017.html

[OwlsFan]

Just back from Sheff Wed vs Derby. Westwood was excellent. Any cross he went for, he collected. Kick outs and distribution very good and made a few crucial saves, including one where the Derby forward was one on one with him in the last 10 minutes and he touched it round the corner. A 9/10 performance especially for a home competitive debut.

Jeff Hendrick also excelled (in parts) but did fade and didn't dominate as I expected him to. Always showed for the ball and some of his passing was top drawer stuff but perhaps 7/10.

Richard Keogh also played and did little wrong but wasn't put under much pressure but did all that could be asked of him. Looks reasonably comfortable on the ball in a Derby team which tries to play out from the back 7/10. Booked for one rash tackle when caught out of position.

Leon Best - not on long enough for Derby but I liked the little cameo where Wednesday were awarded a free and the ball was in no mans land and Best brought it over to Westwood who gave him the thumbs up - not sure if they have ever played together in an Irish team but I enjoyed it.

[DannyInvincible]

Westwood and Best played together at Coventry. They've also played for Ireland together. Westwood played the second half of Best's international debut (http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/best_and_westwood_in_ireland_draw_448981/index.shtml), for example, and I'm sure they've been in quite a few squads since.

Edit: I should have added that it's great to see Westwood back in what will hopefully be regular first-team action and doing so well from the outset for Wednesday. Will you be providing weekly reviews? :p

I see Wednesday have another Irish keeper called Brad McDonagh in the youth ranks. He's played with NI at under-17 level.

Is Caolan Lavery up to much? He's still eligible to play for us, and I know he's a fan, although Canada-born.

[OwlsFan]

Unfortunately, Lavery is out with a cruciate knee ligament injury. Didn't know he's a fan of us. Haven't seen much of him to be honest - only played 10 or so games.

[DannyInvincible]

Unfortunately, Lavery is out with a cruciate knee ligament injury. Didn't know he's a fan of us. Haven't seen much of him to be honest - only played 10 or so games.

He was openly supporting us during the Euros with family members: https://twitter.com/clavery13/status/211993926134009857


Celebrating in Canada #COYBIG @mcrossey13 @glavery13

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/AvEnWkZCEAAwcal.jpg

[Charlie Darwin]

Beaten for the first time this season in the sixth minute of injury time, having earlier saved a Shaun Williams penalty.

[DeLorean]

Don't think he saved the penalty, it just hit the post. He actually gave away the penalty himself but I didn't see the incident. I did see the equaliser, for which he hadn't a hope...lashed into the roof of the net from fairly close range.

[tetsujin1979]

highlights from the game:
RZ-SfZjC_E8
Penalty incident is at 0:38, equalising goal is immediately afterwards

[DeLorean]

Would like to see the penalty incident from another angle. Looks dubious enough but if Martin got something on the ball before the collision I suppose it was fair enough, but may have just been a 'coming together'.

[Stuttgart88]

Westwood was a long way off his line when the penalty was taken. He was lucky not to have had it retaken.

[Charlie Darwin]

Westwood was a long way off his line when the penalty was taken. He was lucky not to have had it retaken.
When do you see it taken back though? Seems to be a particular skill of Irish keepers - Ciarán Kelly is the master.

[OwlsFan]

highlights from the game:
RZ-SfZjC_E8
Penalty incident is at 0:38, equalising goal is immediately afterwards

Fifth minute of injury time!! Why do we put ourselves through this? But what would life be like without football? It must be one of the few things in life that people do voluntarily and get more pain than joy.

[gastric]

Westwood shows he is hungry for international action in this interview. Good attitude!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/european-championships/westwood-why-i-turned-down-a-move-to-manchester-city-30548266.html

[Stuttgart88]

Not a single quote from him mentioning Ireland! The article does imply that he said it though.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/westwood-switch-to-owls-will-ensure-im-in-ireland-frame-30548248.html

He talks about Ireland here.

[OwlsFan]

Saved a penalty today against Reading and kept yet another clean sheet.

[DeLorean]

Nice to see he sat out the 7-0 defeat to Manchester City. Kirkland started instead.

[Stuttgart88]

I was wondering if he was playing. I just saw the score on Sky.

[DeLorean]

It was 0-0 at half time!

[DeLorean]

Made a pretty spectacular save from Leeds' only shot on target in the first half. Peter Beagrie commented at half time that he's one of the reasons Sheffield Wednesday have conceded so few goals this season, joint lowest in the division with Nottingham Forest.

[DeLorean]

Has made a couple of crucial saves in second half, he really looks confident and on top of his game. His kicking is excellent also. Wednesday have taken the lead against the run of play so I expect he'll have plenty more to do in this game.

[DannyInvincible]

He "is having a fine afternoon in the Sheffield Wednesday goal", according to the BBC's live updates. He's been very impressive this season, if I'm not mistaken.

[DeLorean]

1-1. No chance really as it went between the defender's legs and into the bottom corner.

[Kingdom]

Very well taken goal by Belluchi. Westwood could do nothing about it. I've said it since I saw him on the opening day: he deserves his chance at number 1.

[Stuttgart88]

He does. Regular first team football is doing him the world of good.

[Stuttgart88]

Was awarded MOTM.

[TheOneWhoKnocks]

There really is a groundswell of support for Westwood here? Is he really that much better than Forde? I agree he should be back up rather than Given at the least.

[Charlie Darwin]

Westwood has a higher ceiling than Forde I think, but Westwood has had so many injury problems that he's only now getting a chance to show how good he is.

[Stuttgart88]

I think he is sharper than Forde, and better with the ball. Guys like OF who watch the Owls live say it's apparent how good his distribution is and how vocal he is.

The collage they just showed on SKY showed him very quick off his line and good in one on ones.

Westwood gets the nod as number one for me. Not just because I saw 5 mins on Sky but because he is having a super season and is back to his best.

Given is there for his presence / character. O'Neill says the gap left by Dunne needs filling.

[Kingdom]

For me, TOWK, he's our top keeper, but (and I'd say this for most positions, but most definitely GK) he must be first choice at his club. Forde would be an acceptable back up to Westwood, but overall, for reflexes, crossing and certainly distribution, KW is far ahead of Forde.

To be very honest, he'd be one of maybe 6 or 7 depending on formation that I'd have as automatics in the team:

------------------Westwood-----------------

Coleman ---- O'Shea ---- Delaney ----- ?

---------McCarthy -- ? --- Whelan ---------

--------------McGeady ----- ? ----------------

-------------------- ? ------------------

[DannyInvincible]

There really is a groundswell of support for Westwood here? Is he really that much better than Forde? I agree he should be back up rather than Given at the least.

I've always favoured him to Forde. Forde often gave me the jitters when he played for Derry and he still does to this day. Forde can do a job, sure, but Westwood is more agile/balanced and has a physique better suited to goalkeeping. It's just a pity about the injuries but hopefully he can get a good run of first-team football now.

[SwanVsDalton]

I don't think Westwood was assertive enough in his appearances for Ireland. Too passive and didn't take his chance. That's the area where Forde showed him up. Maybe it was a men-tal-i-tee issue.

He undoubtedly has more ability though and if his confidence is high, I'd pick him.