Mike Williamson (now unemployed)

[Guest]

I thought he did okay, won pretty much every header and the goal was more about RVP being very good than Williamson being poor.

 

He shouldn't be first choice mind, but obviously injuries and lack of cover have dictated that.

 

 

Agree with that really, was decent for most the match although I still think he could have done better with the goal. If it was Colo in that position I don't think RVP would have managed to get his shot off, Colo would have been tighter to him.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

RvP also nearly scored another goal by getting across Williamson and shooting straight at Krul. Not that that's necessarily bad, RvP is a razor-sharp mover.

[JCONA]

Thought he got better in the 2nd half. Poor (us usual unfortunately) in the first half and was for blame for first goal, RVP did nothing special

[Darth Crooks]

He's crap at this this level. Sure he tries his best every game but he's a good championship defender and not much else

[STM]

I had him on par with Taylor last year, how wrong I was. I'm not quite sure how I ever didn't see his major flaws. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a decent back up centre half but he's just not cut out for being in our first team.

 

What Pardew does in the summer regarding who plays alongside Colo will be key. Williamson should not get a look in.

[SteveMc]

Its the weak as piss defensive headers that mystify me

[Dokko]

He needs to be 4th choice for where we want to be aiming for. He's limited and isn't coping well with the pressure, he knows he's a weak link, if not the weakest and it doesn't look like he's going to pick his head up anytime soon. We've a tendency to berate our CBs, hopefully sjp can get behind him, give him ott support and see him through this sticky period...then buy another cb in the summer.

 

 

[Dave]

He needs to be 4th choice for where we want to be aiming for. He's limited and isn't coping well with the pressure, he knows he's a weak link, if not the weakest and it doesn't look like he's going to pick his head up anytime soon. We've a tendency to berate our CBs, hopefully sjp can get behind him, give him ott support and see him through this sticky period...then buy another cb in the summer.

 

Totally agree.

[Jagten]

How terrible would tiote be?

[Ronaldo]

Now I remember why I stopped coming on this board. 'Opinions' based around arguing and seemingly strengthening perpetual, persistent stances at the slightest opportunity to do so. Quick, Williamson's hair is a bit askew this week, I better run to N-O and vindicate myself. Really is a board spoilt by people ramming home their own self satisfaction like.

 

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but nor is there a lot of dignity in saying he's done 'nothing wrong' in reference to a player who's incompetence has cost us goals in each of our last 4 games.

[Ronaldo]

Its the weak as p*ss defensive headers that mystify me

 

Careful, anymore strengthening of your stance and people will talk.

[ponsaelius]

I had him on par with Taylor last year, how wrong I was. I'm not quite sure how I ever didn't see his major flaws. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a decent back up centre half but he's just not cut out for being in our first team.

 

I wouldn't beat yourself up about that assumption. At the half way point of last season we'd never seen Taylor have a spell where he looked consistently up to top flight level whereas Williamson was looking generally solid if not outstanding in the Prem.

 

Taylor's clearly got better natural attributes, but up until that point both had proven to be of a similar standard for us. I still think the start of this season was the best football Taylor has played in his career by a distance.

[Tachikoma]

Its the weak as p*ss defensive headers that mystify me

 

Careful, anymore strengthening of your stance and people will talk.

 

Would it kill you not to take an extreme position for once in your NO life?

[Ronaldo]

I don't think it's an extreme position to point out that Williamson has been a total liability recently.

[Foluwashola]

I had him on par with Taylor last year, how wrong I was. I'm not quite sure how I ever didn't see his major flaws. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a decent back up centre half but he's just not cut out for being in our first team.

 

I wouldn't beat yourself up about that assumption. At the half way point of last season we'd never seen Taylor have a spell where he looked consistently up to top flight level whereas Williamson was looking generally solid if not outstanding in the Prem.

 

Taylor's clearly got better natural attributes, but up until that point both had proven to be of a similar standard for us. I still think the start of this season was the best football Taylor has played in his career by a distance.

 

Taylor had been showing 4 years previously that he was capable of playing well in the Premier League, he was just one of the players who people decided was shit following relegation.

[Newcastle Fan]

I've always rated Taylor, had no idea why people on here had a phase when they made him  like another Boumsong, can't wait to have him back.

[Tachikoma]

I've always rated Taylor, had no idea why people on here had a phase when they made him  like another Boumsong, can't wait to have him back.

 

No one looked particularly good in that period to be fair.

[ponsaelius]

I had him on par with Taylor last year, how wrong I was. I'm not quite sure how I ever didn't see his major flaws. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a decent back up centre half but he's just not cut out for being in our first team.

 

I wouldn't beat yourself up about that assumption. At the half way point of last season we'd never seen Taylor have a spell where he looked consistently up to top flight level whereas Williamson was looking generally solid if not outstanding in the Prem.

 

Taylor's clearly got better natural attributes, but up until that point both had proven to be of a similar standard for us. I still think the start of this season was the best football Taylor has played in his career by a distance.

 

Taylor had been showing 4 years previously that he was capable of playing well in the Premier League, he was just one of the players who people decided was shit following relegation.

 

Not really, he took plenty of criticism before relegation too.

 

I don't think he'd ever played at a level above the lower echelons of the league, whereas at the start of the season he was playing like a top 6 defender.

[Conjo]

Did his defensive headers hit a team mate even once? Even worse then that they don´t travel that far.

[Mick]

I don't think it's an extreme position to point out that Williamson has been a total liability recently.

 

 

It's also fair to point out that he came back after a long lay off and had only been back in training a few weeks before he had to be thrown into the team.  My guess is that he didn't come back into the team with a full fitness level and is now running on his reserve tank.

[Ronaldo]

Fitness doesn't explain his mistakes. His fitness should've been maintained during his injury layoff, anyway.

 

Unless you mean match fitness? Which should increase game-by-game, as opposed to what you're suggesting.

[Mick]

Fitness doesn't explain his mistakes. His fitness should've been maintained during his injury layoff, anyway.

 

Unless you mean match fitness? Which should increase game-by-game, as opposed to what you're suggesting.

 

He'd been injured for months and has 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 weeks training, that's nowhere near enough for a premiership footballer and it's showing the more he plays because he's been much much better than he currently is.  The only difference is his lack of training before he was thrown into the team and he's playing with players who are mainly the same as or better than he's played with before.

[Astroblack]

This guy has no ball control whatsoever. Whenever he goes on a run, the ball's bouncing all over the place. A real liability. He needs to be replaced in the summer.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Now I remember why I stopped coming on this board. 'Opinions' based around arguing and seemingly strengthening perpetual, persistent stances at the slightest opportunity to do so. Quick, Williamson's hair is a bit askew this week, I better run to N-O and vindicate myself. Really is a board spoilt by people ramming home their own self satisfaction like.

 

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but nor is there a lot of dignity in saying he's done 'nothing wrong' in reference to a player who's incompetence has cost us goals in each of our last 4 games.

 

He can only work to the maximum of his own ability. That ability is limited. I don't think he has any moments where he does anything particularly idiotic, he just gets beaten in areas where he's physically limited. I certainly wouldn't count getting done by Van Persie as being a coffin nail. If it was then you'd have to hand them out to pretty much every defender RVP has played against this season.

 

[Sifu]

Fitness doesn't explain his mistakes. His fitness should've been maintained during his injury layoff, anyway.

 

Unless you mean match fitness? Which should increase game-by-game, as opposed to what you're suggesting.

 

He'd been injured for months and has 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 weeks training, that's nowhere near enough for a premiership footballer and it's showing the more he plays because he's been much much better than he currently is.  The only difference is his lack of training before he was thrown into the team and he's playing with players who are mainly the same as or better than he's played with before.

 

There is some substance to what you're saying imo. I'm starting to think that maybe he hasn't really got over his injury yet (he was out for some time after all) and I reckon that has somewhat affected him mentally. He was essentially rushed back and had next to no recovery time. Having said that though, it has been three months since he's been back so he should be back at full match fitness.

 

Got to be said, his performances have been declining ever since the Fulham game. Guess his confidence is pretty much shot (Pardew pretty much hinted this after the derby) and as a result, it's really looking like he's prone to a (costly) mistake in each game he plays. A little support from the fans is what he needs (pretty much what TT said on the last page). Like it or not, Williamson is our best option for CB alongside Colo.