mikeyjavfc Posted June 6, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted June 6, 2022 He scored goals that kept us up. Without the Ben Mee assault he would have been a lot more productive in the second half of the season than Samatta ever was. He was tracking towards 10-12 goals before his injury which I think the club would have been happy with all things considered in the first season back in the prem. The mistake with Wesley was probably offering him a long contract and big wages when realistically we were going to outgrow him in a season or two. The Injury has just exacerbated that. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 16 minutes ago, mikeyjavfc said: The mistake with Wesley was probably offering him a long contract and big wages when realistically we were going to outgrow him in a season or two. The Injury has just exacerbated that. I think the mistake was not signing a semior striker to take the pressure off him. I thought Kodjia would have got a few goals to help him 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 2 hours ago, mikeyjavfc said: He scored goals that kept us up. Without the Ben Mee assault he would have been a lot more productive in the second half of the season than Samatta ever was. He was tracking towards 10-12 goals before his injury which I think the club would have been happy with all things considered in the first season back in the prem. The mistake with Wesley was probably offering him a long contract and big wages when realistically we were going to outgrow him in a season or two. The Injury has just exacerbated that. I don’t disagree with that, but if he had been a hit, in a season or two we would have had a saleable asset. If his contract was running out by then his value would be less. I guess we could have offered him a better contract once he’d proved himself. It’s a tricky balance I suppose, some you get wrong and some right. Always easier with hindsight though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Its really sad the way it has gone for him. I am not sure he will be able to carry on as a full time pro long term. Thanks a lot Mee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post YLN Posted June 7, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted June 7, 2022 15 hours ago, The Fun Factory said: Its really sad the way it has gone for him. I am not sure he will be able to carry on as a full time pro long term. Thanks a lot Mee. Blaming yourself isn't the answer 2 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 (edited) For me Wes was hated on because he couldn't do what people expected of him, given his physique. He was a calm finisher (I'll say it, a much better finisher than Watkins), and was a good passer of the ball as well. I remember quite a few clever passes from him, zipped into feet. However, Everton at home aside, he lacked physicality, and we were desperate for some of that that season. He also didn't have a natural striker's instinct to go for crosses/cutbacks etc. Smith commented on how desperate he was to make it with us, so I'm gutted how things turned out for him. Not saying he would have become great or anything, but he did have some good attributes and surely would have kept growing in confidence. Even Smith said when he loaned him out that he remained firmly in his long term plans. I really hope he eventually gets back to a decent standard. Edited June 7, 2022 by Tom13 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Isn't it amazing how the Douglas thread only has 15 pages more than this one. Given they signed the same summer, and Wesley only played just over half a season for us 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villatillidie95 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Honestly, i see him being like Joelinton at Newcastle, i think we all wanted him to be that reincarnation of Benteke but he was more of a player who operated behind or in support of a striker, rather than the main man. His physique made coaches and us fans believe he was the main man, which probably was not the best for him in hindsight. as mentioned he was capable of making some good passes and i remember a few calm, placed, low finished from him aswell, which a lot of players would have messed up under pressure. we will probably never know now, but i think a change in position to operating off the main striker would have suited him and us much better. trouble is we didn't have anyone to play upfront so he had to do it i guess 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 3 minutes ago, Villatillidie95 said: Honestly, i see him being like Joelinton at Newcastle, i think we all wanted him to be that reincarnation of Benteke but he was more of a player who operated behind or in support of a striker, rather than the main man. His physique made coaches and us fans believe he was the main man, which probably was not the best for him in hindsight. as mentioned he was capable of making some good passes and i remember a few calm, placed, low finished from him aswell, which a lot of players would have messed up under pressure. we will probably never know now, but i think a change in position to operating off the main striker would have suited him and us much better. trouble is we didn't have anyone to play upfront so he had to do it i guess Spot on. I think he even played a supporting role at his previous club? Struggling to remember if this was Genk or Club Brugge now....Genk wasn't it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Nvm...Brugge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villatillidie95 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Just now, Tom13 said: Spot on. I think he even played a supporting role at his previous club? Struggling to remember if this was Genk or Club Brugge now....Genk wasn't it? he was at brugge, genk was benteke i think. yeah he played behind the striker and did well there. could see him scoring some curled finishes from long range if playing in that position, old coutinho style. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ender4 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 So where is he now? Back at Villa for his final season with us unless we can find a loan for him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 2 hours ago, Tom13 said: For me Wes was hated on because he couldn't do what people expected of him, given his physique. He was a calm finisher (I'll say it, a much better finisher than Watkins), and was a good passer of the ball as well. I remember quite a few clever passes from him, zipped into feet. However, Everton at home aside, he lacked physicality, and we were desperate for some of that that season. He also didn't have a natural striker's instinct to go for crosses/cutbacks etc. Smith commented on how desperate he was to make it with us, so I'm gutted how things turned out for him. Not saying he would have become great or anything, but he did have some good attributes and surely would have kept growing in confidence. Even Smith said when he loaned him out that he remained firmly in his long term plans. I really hope he eventually gets back to a decent standard. I think Watkins is a poor finisher but the idea Wesley was better than him is crazy. His touch, passing and finishing were abysmal in all but 2 or 3 games. People really are thinking back with fond memories. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 26 minutes ago, ender4 said: So where is he now? Back at Villa for his final season with us unless we can find a loan for him? Loan at Internacional runs until 31/12 but apparently they want to end it as he's not fit enough to contribute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 15 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I think Watkins is a poor finisher but the idea Wesley was better than him is crazy. His touch, passing and finishing were abysmal in all but 2 or 3 games. People really are thinking back with fond memories. There is nothing Wes did better than Samatta let alone Watkins. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laughable Chimp Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Not having the "he was actually pretty good at passing" argument. He was shit at it. He was mostly a pretty safe backward passer. In his 21 games for us, he managed a grand total of just 2 completed passes into the penalty box. He was averaging a bit more than 1 progressive pass every 2 games. Needless to say, both stats are way below the average. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Wes was very rarely actually in position to try to finish, poor or not. Most of the short time he was with us he seemed to play as a very deep lying forward or almost an attacking midfielder. That was one of problems as we hardly played two up top when he was at Villa. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 His shooting was genuinely embarrassing as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 15 minutes ago, sne said: Loan at Internacional runs until 31/12 but apparently they want to end it as he's not fit enough to contribute. I find it hard to believe that this is all down to one bad injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom13 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 26 minutes ago, DCJonah said: I think Watkins is a poor finisher but the idea Wesley was better than him is crazy. His touch, passing and finishing were abysmal in all but 2 or 3 games. People really are thinking back with fond memories. That's simply incorrect. He definitely had passing and finishing ability. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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