Exeter Fan Too

Rumours strengthening that a season long loan deal to Exeter is about to be announced. As said earlier on this thread Exeter in need of a first choice keeper. The last loan keeper we had at Exeter was Cameron Dawson of Sheffield Wednesday whose career has been transformed for the better. If it turns out as good as that it will be a great move

Ollie has posted a picture of a phone call with the message 'Europe is calling' which might explain the celebration. First goal since the birth of the second child. Mind you,I reckon his older child (aged 18 months?) might have been able to score that one!

It was a fantastic piece of defending. Without it Daka has a tap in 3 yards out. Mings rushed to congratulate Ollie for it; Ollie had been quicker to react to the danger than any of the defenders. Without that defending its two points dropped. Awful live decision; Ollie's got in front of Daka, Daka fouled Ollie and the ball bounced up off Daka's hand. This was a classic referee's 'I've sent off one of the home players; the home crowd are on my back, I've not seen what happened, so I'll give this decision the home team's way' decisions.

Many have said (rightly IMHO) that Ollie is a confidence player, doing so much better when confidence is high. So what can a manager do to instil confidence in Ollie? Demonstrating by actions, not words, that he believes in and relies on him? Here's 5 of Ollie's best and worst career spells under 4 different managers. Emery - sells Ings , deciding to rely on Ollie as sole senior striker. Outcome - record breaking 5 goals in 5 successive games Smith - reunited with Ollie for £30m, sole senior centre forward. Outcome - 14 goals in first Premier League season Frank - makes Ollie sole senior striker (after 20 goal top scorer forces move to Premier League leaving Brentford) having to convert Ollie to a centre forward. Outcome - 26 Championship goals that season Compare Gerrard - drops Ollie for first game of this season, despite him doing OK-ish in pre season. Outcome - Ollie gets 1 in 11. Gerrard gets sacked. Smith - Ings signed for £30m. Confusion - are they to play together or compete for the same spot? Outcome - Ollie gets 2 goals in 9 Villa games. Smith gets sacked.

Goalscoring form this season;- under Gerrard - 1 in 11 since Gerrard - 7 in 12

3 and a half seasons. Great arithmetic there in working out an average over 3.5 seasons. Perhaps you can try working out the averages over 2.5 seasons, bearing in mind Villa signed Ollie in Set 2020, which is...er... 2.5 years ago.

top ranked Kilmarnock player by some margin as they narrowly - and a bit unluckily - lose to Celtic in the League Cup semi final https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64213280

A good opportunity for many Villa fans to assess Ben's progress this coming week. Two huge games for Kilmarnock against ...erm...Rangers and Celtic. Both live on TV (albeit not free to air). Saturday away -v- Celtic in the Viaplay Cup semi final live on Viaplay at 17.30 (seems to be a channel available to Sky subscribers) Wednesday home to Rangers in Scottish Premiership live on Sky Football/Main Event at 8pm. Appropriate timing in view of the comings and goings of left backs this week...

Newcastle make 8 changes and lose to League One opposition as a result. One of the usual warnings on FACup 3rd round day.Important to be strong enough to win this one.Perhaps the luck on FACup draws might change...

Last night gets ranked as Kilmarnock's best player as they beat third placed Aberdeen - see player rankings in the BBC report https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64047597

I think the 'dink' over the keeper is the first time he's done that. As I've said previously I've seen virtually every one of Ollie's 100+ senior goals and I'm pretty certain that he's never scored with a dink over the keeper before. Nor -more significantly - can I recall him *attempting* one. The lack of that option previously means when through on goal the chances favour the keeper more than they should. Because the keeper can cover the near post and reach most shots aimed for the far corner. That's why so many other strikers sit the keeper onto the floor to score with a dink. Successfully add a dink to his options would be really valuable.

https://www.ytfc.net/club-news-callum-rowe-departs-huish-park/

to add to the extensive list of SG failures in the OP,... ...failure to build relationships with the Villa fans, local press and playing staff...

any idea which Bodymoor Heath staff will be supporting Danks on Sunday? Names not mentioned in the Board statement.

Well the England U19s needed at least one Villa player to help defend the title won by Villa's midfield last summer.. Good to see Ben back in the England fold after spells at U15,U16 and U17 but missing out on U18s due to last season's lengthy injury lay off. Interesting that he replaced a forward in the squad...(?)

BBC ratings have him as Kilmarnock's second best performer, just missing out on being their Man of the Match https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/62614413

On the Professional Development Phase Coach, rumours in Exeter that Assistant Manager Dan Green is joining Villa. Green has been amazing, involved in the Exeter academy for 12 years developing the likes of Watkins and Chrisene (plus two other Premiership players). Tellingly Exeter's League One starting line up on Tuesday contained seven, yes seven, academy graduates. Not bad for a Grade 3 academy. It has been announced that Green is joining a Premiership club next month.

terrible luck for both Carlos and Villa. Wonder whether this will affect the planning of Josh Feeney's season..

I think what we also want to know about Mings is whether he has 'looked SG in the eye, and said he is ready to play'

Yep, desperately needs a loan asap. But where to? League 2/League 1? Developments in a couple fo days? We at Exeter (now League One) would love to see him back. We're desperate to add to the squad having so far this window made ....precisely 0 signings (either permanent or loan). First league game in 5 days time. We don't currently have a specialist left back in the squad; however that's partly because we play with wing backs instead (both last season's left backs have been released). I can't see Gerrard authorising a move where Chrisene would play lots, but possibly not at left back.

the finishing that I'd like to see Ollie work and be coached on is not featured in this video. Its the dink over the oncoming keeper when through on goal with just the keeper to beat. I think I've seen virtually all of Ollie's 94 league goals and I can't recall one scored with a dink (unless one counts the hat-trick completing goal against Newport from outside the area). Nor many (any?) attempts at using that technique. Any body seen him score with a dink? If he added that option to his armoury he could improve his scoring record from that position

https://www.myoldmansaid.com/the-solution-to-aston-villas-perceived-striking-problem-with-ollie-watkins-doesnt-exist/

And AFC Bournemouth? And impose a ban on other clubs (like AFC Wimbledon) sticking AFC on the start of their name.

An omen? It was a former Exeter City striker who put the unfancied, down to ten men, visitors ahead at Man City midway through the second half, threatening to derail that Man City title procession ten years ago.... I'd settle for that again (but without the two injury time Man City goals!)

Going back to this, its interesting that Villa *didn't* say to West Ham 'he's not for sale'. But instead quoted a price. Now it may well be that quoting 'ridiculous figures' was intended to mean 'he's not for sale at any price anyone would pay'. Like VPA I'd love to know what the 'ridiculous figures' quoted were!