Exeter Fan Too

On 12/07/2023 at 15:50, YLN said:

I've seen very little of him, but I think he's rubbish based on one match i saw him in. He is not within a million miles of Villa's first team. He was 4th keeper. Steer second and injured, Olsen 3rd and terrible, then Sinisalo. On the bench with Olsen just so he could be there as a third keeper in the pre match warm up to get the strikers' confidence up. Never going to play. 

I've staked my entire reputation on him not making it. Do Exeter need a new keeper? 

Exeter needed another keeper. Currently  there's an experienced keeper who fans think is a decent reserve but doubtful about as first choice. There's also a very promising 18 year old who has gone out on loan to Weston super Mare. So a season long loan of VS is ideal. 

Whether he plays most games will depend (I guess) on performances. One snag is international breaks. Exeter games continue during them so even if VS is first choice he'll be replaced a total of five times during the international breaks and will then have to fight for his league place again.

It's a bit odd. You know when a player signs or is touted there's a highlights reel that makes virtually every new signing look world class.? In this lad's case somebody (a Burton fan?) went to the trouble of making a lowlights reel showing his mistakes/goals conceded  last season , of which there were quite a few , including some howlers.

But on Villa's website he's listed as the third keeper behind Martinez and Olsen, following Steer's departure. And of course was on the bench in the Premiership a lot late last season. If that lowlights reel had been a fair representation he'd not be within a million miles of Villa's first team.

I've not seen anything other than the lowlights reel. So I'm hoping he's a class keeper who went through a spell of poor form. And that form is temporary but class is permanent....

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!

5 hours ago, TheMightyVillans said:

Looked like he was celebrating after he made the challenge which was given a penalty. He must have been confident that he got fouled.

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. 

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

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...

11 hours ago, messi11 said:

90 mins in the bag! Anyone actually know how he's performing?

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

On 03/12/2022 at 10:55, Delphinho123 said:

Question is, can that be taught?

His finish against United in the cup gives me hope that he’s working on his finishing. It’s the first time I can remember in however long that he’s been put through and rather than just hitting and hoping, he’s thought about it and lifted it over the keeper. 

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 12/08/2022 at 19:36, useless said:

Hasn't been any further news on this as far as I'm aware, but seems to be a rumour that two West Brom coaches are leaving them, with at least one of them coming to us, Peter Gilbert is a name  being mentioned, he was their U18 manger when we played them in the FA Youth Cup semi-final, I think he's since worked with their U23s.

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/