ChesterDad

13 hours ago, DJBOB said:

Plus how much would VT like Toney with the way he’s twerking for one of the Sky 6 to take him?

Ollie may not be Mr Aston Villa, but he’s an honest player with not a bad word to say about the club. So unless some elite striker comes along, he holds his place. 

You are absolutley correct and I doubt there are many who would argue with you, it’s only right however that on a forum people are allowed to voice their concerns, and Ollie’s first touch I’m afraid will come under scrutiny from time to time.

Ollie is very highly thought of by most Villa fans - but this does not excuse him from fans voicing their opinions I don’t think 

39 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

along with the whole away end to be fair

And rightly so at the time. My own is not really caring how we did under McLeish - I wanted him gone so badly. Even the Bolton game didn’t bother me ( sorry my bad ) 

33 minutes ago, DJBOB said:

Case in point, we won’t be getting them any time soon. 
 
Ollie is who he is. A gifted striker who is an 8 or so all around in his game but not a 10 in any category besides his freakish fitness. 
 
If there is a better striker out there that we can buy, and that’s the crucial part because we aren’t getting Salah or Haaland, then I’m all for it. 
 
But until then, lots of other pieces of the squad need help first. 

I don’t think anyone has suggested we will be.

I think that the point some are making here is that Ollie is a very good footballer, but not elite.

His weakness in my humble opinion is a lacking in technical  ability - quite evident last night, again imo - but that does not mean that - we are not happy he is in our team.

I would like to see a striker with a different skill set to come and support Ollie and play a different role as and when needed.

This I feel could help us even further in our transition.

I like Ollie - but i would love to see some help for him. Duran might do this in time.

1 minute ago, useless said:

Only Haaland and Salah have more goals and assists combined than him

And both would be classed as elite imo.

5 hours ago, TRO said:

Ollie on form is a very good front man....but he relies on the team playing well....He lacks aggression for me, and I mean aggression with himself......Cyril Regis was a bit like that, really nice guys....John Sillet his manager at Coventry, used to hose him down before a game to fire him up....strikers like Andy Gray, Peter withe, Ivan Toney, were intrinsically aggressive, on the pitch.....they made things happen.

I am just guessing....but it just looks ok from him,  if he fails to score, something needs to change.....He has to find some aggression, from somewhere.....on top of 2 more without it, Diaby and Bailey, the front 3 are looking toothless.

I have no issue with Ollies, technical abilities....its his mental approach to games, that concerns me.

 

You surprise TRO - you are clearly a very knowledgable person - but you are not concerned by Ollie’s technical abilities ? 
Surely this is the main talking point when discussing all things Ollie?

In my humble opinion - his lack of technical  ability is the reason, why he will never quite bridge the gap to being an elite striker - very good, but not elite.?

5 hours ago, thabucks said:

Fickle fans is a deserved monikor for us Villa fans ( well some ) best striker we’ve had since Yorke and 3rd only to Salah & Haaland yet that’s still not enough for some it’s **** nuts 

is the criticism coming from posters who think Solanke  would be a good purchase cause if so go and look at his figures, then come back with some rationality. 

Think you are correct in some points you make, but I don’t think you can blame fans for highlighting certain things - which are there for all to see, and neither can you blame fans for wishing for improvement either. Totally agree about Solanke mind.

Personally I would go for Hee Chan - not that I think he would outscore Ollie, just that he offers an alternative style, when under the cosh or when things are not sticking in the final third.

6 hours ago, villa4europe said:

The difficult thing for me is two fold with villa fans 

Firstly this guaranteed goalscorer doesn't exist, the number 9 is dying a death, the striker market is shit, said this many times I see Liverpool paying £80m for nunez, he ain't better than Ollie, it's salah and their multiple goalscorers that cover for him, I simply don't believe that we are buying anyone better

Secondly the expectation of ollie is seemingly that he does something that no has done for 40 years, score the 20 goals, you look at who hasn't done it for us Atkinson, Yorke, Saunders, carew, benteke, angel, gabby... Ollie is up there with the best players who preceded him but there's an unfair expectation for him to be something that we've never really had

I personally don't see an ex villa striker that I could genuinely say if we had him we'd be better, I'm not looking at this team and our set up saying if we had prime benteke rather than Ollie we'd be winning tonight 

You make some good points ( I do challenge having Gobby in that line up mind) .

I am not really having a dig at Ollie’s goal returns to be honest - My question is more about his ability to make the ball stick in the heat of the moment. I felt the service into him last night was pretty poor really - but this just further highlights the need for good technique and hold up play in those rare moments.

This is what probably makes the difference between a goal scoring opportunity being manufactured or a team mate being brought into the mix.

Ollie offers so much however in other areas that it feels harsh to single him out - but I do feel that we do need a striker who can improve our attacking threat and compliment and/or replace Ollie in certain situations, such as last night .

It’s a difficult one imo - Ollie is a good player, of this there is little doubt - but is he the striker to propel us into the next level?  Look none of us want to be that guy who says no - but I do have questions in my own mind as to his technique and hold up ability.

He seems like a genuine guy and his contribution cannot be underplayed.

I would love to see Hee - Chan from Wolves bought in to support Ollie, I think this combination covers all aspects of the game.

27 minutes ago, MapleVilla said:

Good luck to him. Was a bit of strange buy at the time, but he turned out to be a very useful player when called upon. I think we've progressed quicker than his contract was originally signed for. Hope he smashes it in Italy.

Well said - I don’t think we needed him tbh, but that was not his fault.

He has always seemed the model pro to me 

20 hours ago, Jas10 said:

Duran’s temporary unavailability, whether it’s because of injury or something else, could be kind of a “blessing in disguise” for Nicolo and a chance to really impress in a preferred and more suitable position for him… I see him as the better option anyway…

he needs to be given the opportunity, first of all, but then he needs to grasp it and make the most of if it now…

I would thoroughly enjoy it if he does… time to shine…

Totally agree - I believe there is a good player in there, just waiting to burst out.

I would be happy to see him in a starting role tonight 

11 hours ago, grantholtgolazo said:

he may or may not have had the ability to play in the league, he certainly doesn't have the mentality. 

The ability is not in question imo - you may well be right about attitude

23 hours ago, It's Your Round said:

How about a swap for Jackson? He’s played under Emery before and would make a good understudy to Watkins. 

Not for me.

54 minutes ago, MWARLEY2 said:

Well Matt Law who is a Villa fan and is well connected at Chelsea says its a possibility.  They are crazy. The thing they dont need is potential. They need experience. But this is Boehly. So Broja and 20 mill in return please 

No thank you - Broja is miles off it imo.

When the dust settles on their respective careers I expect Duran will have achieved significantly more imo 

47 minutes ago, MakemineVanilla said:

I keep forgetting that he's only 20 because he's a big lad and actually looks older.

He's obviously got a lot to learn, and I keep having to remind myself that at the same age Watkins was playing for Weston-super-Mare.

At that age club legend Peter Withe was playing for Southport and Barrow.

Didier Drogba was 28 before he hit his stride.

 

 

I get where you are going and do not disagree either. The only question is whether or not it’s with us?

16 hours ago, Pongo Waring said:

We have one of the best young strikers in Europe and Villa fans cant see it! But I can.

I wouldn’t even say that - potentially absolutely

3 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

His form? He's barely had a start, but has still shown plenty for me.

I wouldn’t say plenty tbh - I would say enough to suggest he has a good future ahead of him. The ball is firmly in his court, pardon the pun.

I recall a while back ( maybe on here? ) that he is highly rated across Europe, so maybe we signed him purely on potential, beating others to his signature ? Maybe this is what Chelsea and West Ham are still thinking about, because let’s be honest, has his form warranted a move to another prem league club? I don’t think it has tbh, and who knows - maybe we beat both clubs to his signature, and because they see he is not getting games, they feel it’s worth testing the water

And for the record - I like him and want him to stay with us. I would just add wind your neck in and learn from an elite coach and maybe you’ll reach your destination that much sooner 

On 16/01/2024 at 20:28, nepal_villan said:

It's ridiculous. He's taken this club for a ride.  That very inflated transfer fee we paid for him still really irks me. 

I’d love to know how you arrived at this conclusion ?

58 minutes ago, TRO said:

Ali Brown, did it, in the centre circle, arguably an unnecessary part of the pitch....I could hear the crack, from the upper trinity.

I liked John, sure the spectacle was not great.....but I liked the resillience and durabilty of the team....as you say, its opinions.

I think my first thought is do not lose.....based on the notion, that there is something to build on.

I always feel gungho football, usually ends in tears, the goals dry up, and the defence opens up.

I would respectfully say this.....any top team you think, is playing attactive football, take time out to study their defensive structure, you might be surprised to learn, how central it is to their success.

Thanks TRO - I’m pretty sure Cantello did one of our players - possibly Ray Graydon at the Hawthorns?

But back on thread - I am very much into entertainment along with results naturally - hence my attachment to Bertie.

Like you - I have pretty much seen us win everything bar the FA Cup, and my favourite Villa team of all time is Big Rons, which some might think is surprising given I saw us win the title & European cup.

I know that JG loved the club, I just couldn’t enjoy his football, which seemed to me was not to lose first and foremost  and this soured my view of his overall tenure at the club. Things might well have been very different had he been allowed to sign Robbie Keane 

I don’t disagree with those who say that Doug was holding us back, the Robbie Keane saga being a case in point - however rightfully  or wrongly my overall memory of Gregory is sitting in the Witton lane feeling totally underwhelmed 

2 hours ago, Captain_Townsend said:

Under Little we finished 4th, then 5th but were in a real slump in 97-98. Collymore didn't work out and we were aboit 14th or 15th come February 1998 when Little resigned.

Gregory was doing well after going out on his own in November 1996. 

Gregory was great when he first came in taking us to 7th in 1997-98 and he was great in 1998-99 with us top at Christmasbeforefalling back to 6th. He got more defensive in 99-00 and that culminated in a very poor performance in the FA Cup final in May 2000 Chelsea were there for the taking that day. In hindsight that may have been the time for him to move on as things really went stale for the following season when we seemed to become a very rigid side.

This is a very good assessment of his tenure although I do believe you are being very kind to him. I have nothing against JG and believe he is a villan - just didn’t like his playing style

10 minutes ago, Don_Simon said:

You must have hated the season where we went seven billion games undefeated.

I was just bored by his football tbh - which given his character is somewhat surprising.

I believe Doug bought him back simply based upon the fact, that after he left for Wycombe - our fortunes dipped ?

1 hour ago, TRO said:

The Nilis Injury, alongside the Cropley injury......still rankles with me.

back to John....Good manager.

 

I thought he was awful TRO - completely bored me to tears, his first thought was do not lose. I guess footie is all about opinions 

Alex’s injury was dreadful - truly great player, never shirked a challenge and could see a pass. I can’t recall which Sandwell towner did this, was it Cantello or that carthorse Brown?

6 hours ago, duke313 said:

This is the way.  Replace older high salary deadwood players like Olsen, Chambers, Donck, Traore etc. with young, low salary, high potential players. Save on wages with minimal drop in ability, and players will have much higher ceiling to grow into the team or be sold for profit.  Create more room in wages to have a big marquee signing in summer as well to improve 1st team. 

The last thing you can call Bertie is this.

He is a footballing magician and the most naturally gifted footballer in our squad imo.

Yes he is inconsistent ( par for the course with wingers) but a joy to watch on his day.

I would like him to stay - but equally a talent like Bertie, should be in someone’s starting 11.

12 hours ago, Jas10 said:

It might have taken a while, but he has improved and had a couple of goals… I expect much more during this second half of the season… he needs to be given opportunities too though… 

Totally agree with you - Look how Tielemans was written off, now we are thinking this guy needs to start.