Credit where credit is due - Williamson

The bloke seems to look like more and more of a goal threat from set plays. He wins headers, knocks the ball down quite well, and he almost scored yesterday. Sometimes height can really come in handy. We all know Saylor is a better header of the ball, and strong, but Williamson is more intelligent IMO and a bit more creative. His flick ons have lead to goals, one example would have been the goal vs Sunderland last season. He's gotten a decent number of assists, and he looks our best bet from set plays IMO. Balls where he doesn't have to jump to get it, he'll win a fair amount due to his height, and he's not as weak as some people make out.

He also dealt with Carroll very well yesterday, despite Carroll being far more mobile than him. Williamson has stepped up to the plate. His positioning is sometimes a bit of a let down for him, but he's had to step in due to suspensions, injuries and players losing form.

I think the bloke deserves a lot of credit. He's definitely not good in enough in the long run, and we need better, but you cannot really criticise him too much. He's an average CB, but one that's done quite a solid job, and improved a lot under Pardew.

I take my hat off to Williamson. He's not a quality player, but he does a job. Sometimes his lack of quality is very noticeable, but I think 85% of the shifts he's put in have been good and very helpful to us.

 

Sorry bud but I'm horrified by this thread. He's far from a threat at set pieces because he always gives away free kicks for shirt pulling/pushing. If he's such a threat surely he'd have scored a goal for us by now given the fact that he goes up for every set piece we have

He's a trier, can't knock him for that. Our pool of centre half's is poor, and his place amongst them is a big reason for this. He's also massively to blame for our long ball game, if you watch us play whenever Colo or Taylor have it at the back teams pressurise them, however they've sussed that Williamson has zero confidence on it, so they let him have more time on the ball knowing he'll more than likely end up launching an aimless punt down field.

 

Sorry Tash I can't agree. I appreciate he's probably a 3rd/4th choice CB for us but as for being a danger in the penalty area, I think not. Constantly being blown up for fouling, not a goal scoring threat , probably scored more own goals than anything.( not a facts man so can't swear to it ) Yesterday he played Nolan on for the goal and nearly presented WH due to a howler of a pass. Positional sense defending is woeful.
I think he's an honest player but his level is of decent Championship material.

 

I agree with the shirt pulling ****, but over the last year or so, which center back has posed the biggest threat from set plays? Saylor has been out for most of it, and when he does play, he doesn't really do much in our set plays. Colo rarely gets involved.

Willo at least makes some decent knock downs, and has flicked on a good amount of headers during attacks. His flick ons have lead to goals during attacks, and he's gotten a fair few assists.

 

He's the best of a bad bunch when it comes to attacking corners/set pieces to be fair.

 

He would probably be more effective if it was less predictable that a set piece would be lumped up to him for the kncok down

 

He's seems a very pleasant lad, however he's simply not good enough, never will be good enough and I will be pleased when we get someone who is.

 

Tash, this could not be more wrong. I don't even think Pards is happy still having to pick him - he's supposed to be a threat, and just isn't. We look for him on set plays and he's woeful. Just look at the stats on corners, he's almost a liability. Trier, heart in the right place, but he's just average at best. Real weak link in the side. Of our squad, he's one of those that is an adequate 4th choice, but we should have shored up the defence with a better 3rd choice CB, especially with regular (Europa) football on offer.

 

Surely some of that has to be because of the fact that every set piece gets aimed at him, giving him more of a chance.

I like the guy and I don't think he's *that* bad. In our first season up he was very good, since then his quality has dropped a little and he does have the odd mistake in his game now and then. As back up he's good enough.

 

He might not be everybody's cup of tea, but when he's wearing the B&W shirt we should get behind him and not on his back.

 

Couldn't agree less with this one Tash and can only echo others comments. I can't really understand how you've got to this conclusion to be honest but each to their own opinion.

Williamson should not be allowed in the other box when we are attacking. He is absolutely useless in this regard. It invariably ends with a free kick to the opposition or a featherweight header on target or featherwieght knock down that comes to jack ****. He is just so poor at this aspect of the game.

I also agree its time for Pardew to wise up regarding set pieces. We knock the same diagonal ball at every set piece and the exact same corner every time. The quality on the ball is also poor and we need to find a different option to Cabaye who is just not doing it. I'm not quite sure what they are doing on the training ground to be honest. Variety is the minimum requirement with regard to dead balls. In the modern game with all the technology available, it is simply no use being predictable. Teams must analyse us and think "really, is this all they have?"

Williamson is a trier and he'll always have my support once he pulls on the shirt. But he is a 4th or 5th choice centre half at this level and is no good on dead balls. I'm surprised Steven Taylor is not utilised more but he seems to have backwards in this regard also.

Its definitely an area requiring work and for all I've been a staunch defender of Pardew against some recent criticism, I'd struggle to defend him here.

 

I'd actually rather start Tav than him.

 

Then you're an idiot.

 

I don't normally agree with MrT, and this occasion is no different.

Tav is too inexperienced to be thrown in at the deep end. Ideally, he needs loaning to a Championship club where he will play week in week out, either that or he needs 15-20min cameos when we've got a game comfortably won.

 

I don't think Tavernier will ever be able to play CB successfully in the Premiership. He's only 5'9 and he's just going to get destroyed by bigger strikers.

 

As WP Williamson is a trier but nothing else.
One thing he has improved on he is trying to take the ball down rather than heading it straight back to an opponent.

 

Get rid as soon as possible, awful player. Cost us against West Ham (almost 2 goals). Should have replaced him with someone better 2-3 transfer windows ago.
Getting a header in the direction of the goal is progress for him at set pieces, he is nothing but awful at them, virtually no threat. He gives more free kicks away than he does heading the ball towards someone/ the goal.
Would rather see how Streete/ Good would do, I have no confidence with Williamson, has the good game every 5 or 6.

 

Think he needs to start games more regularly, so can see your point there but would rather he played at right back instead of Simpson.

 

I like Williamson, purely because he is a model professional, never complains, never has negative press, and he gives 100%. In recent games, I'd have to say he was pretty decent as well. Deployed correctly, he's alright. Premier League class, not really. Not good enough with ball at feet or movement wise, but he does a job.

What I do not like, is these ludicrously crap free-kicks aimed at him. If we score from one of these set-pieces, I'll gladly surrender my appendage for experimentation by any sadistic Not606er into that kind of thing. They're obvious, ****, and obviously ****! They are only just pipped to being first into my "matchday-hatred box of doom" by the bloody short-corner. NEVER EVER will there be a need for this fruitless waste of a chance to cross the ball in. Our players are sooooo crap at crossing in a match, yet they give up the one guaranteed delivery into the box! On a scale of 1 to Stupidity, I'd rate it at 37, or Petr Cech's hat for a more obvious reference.

 

No point in us taking corners normally, we have had more success with short corners. A good reason to not take the chance of a guaranteed delivery from a corner.....NUFC Stats ‏@NUFC_Stats

Since the start of last season, NUFC have scored from just 1 corner in 229 attempts in the Premier League (Wolves away)