DJBOB Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Just now, lexicon said: Continues to concern me. You compare the positions taken up by Watkins to Archer and you can see a massive gap there. Got a lot to learn. But how's his first touch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KMitch Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Just now, lexicon said: Continues to concern me. You compare the positions taken up by Watkins to Archer and you can see a massive gap there. Got a lot to learn. Needs to get minutes on film for Emery's coaches to analyze and coach him on better decision making. In the Championship, he could just use his pace to run at people and most of the time things would work out for him. That strategy hasn't been effective against the Premier League & Italian sides so far this preseason, but it just means he needs to make changes to his positioning and timing. Writing him off at this stage of the season is the wrong thing to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Made In Aston Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 If they have to make a decision on whether to keep Archer or loan him, based on the pre-season, I dont think he has done enough to warrant staying as he still needs to develop his game. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 5 minutes ago, DJBOB said: But how's his first touch? Irrelevant if he's not in the right place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Just now, KMitch said: Needs to get minutes on film for Emery's coaches to analyze and coach him on better decision making. In the Championship, he could just use his pace to run at people and most of the time things would work out for him. That strategy hasn't been effective against the Premier League & Italian sides so far this preseason, but it just means he needs to make changes to his positioning and timing. Writing him off at this stage of the season is the wrong thing to do. He's too young to write off but there was this clamor that he could start over Ollie because of his finishing when he's been anonymous for most of the pre-season because of his lack of presentation in the build up play. The Lazio game was very interesting to watch as the camera was positioned higher and wider than most other views so you could really see the positioning and you can see him comfortable on the last shoulder but not as effective dropping back to link up play. It just reminds me so much of Danny Ings. He can play in a two up top but Unai's system will rarely have that except out of possession on the counter. The majority of the time, he will be playing as a CF that has to link up play and finish when the ball is coming in from out wide but he's only got the latter half of that so far and not the former. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 4 minutes ago, KMitch said: Needs to get minutes on film for Emery's coaches to analyze and coach him on better decision making. In the Championship, he could just use his pace to run at people and most of the time things would work out for him. That strategy hasn't been effective against the Premier League & Italian sides so far this preseason, but it just means he needs to make changes to his positioning and timing. Writing him off at this stage of the season is the wrong thing to do. It's not about the time of season, it's about his career to date. We need good options and the drop off between Waktins and him is too large, as things stand. It's not about writing him off tbh he just doesn't look ready. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Never seen anything special from him tbh. Very good finisher but all round game just isn’t there. He might make it one day, but we’re not in a great place if Watkins gets injured this season. I don’t rate Duran either. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villan95 Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 (edited) I'm certainly not writing him off just yet but he's looked a little bit lost in pre season to me and the ball doesn't stick as much in the final third when he's on. I think he might be an option to play up front with Watkins but not instead of. Edited August 3, 2023 by villan95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 That was a very underwhelming 45 mons for him against a lazio side we dominated. Id be suprised if he isnt loaned out again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaVilla Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Just now, Demitri_C said: That was a very underwhelming 45 mons for him against a lazio side we dominated. Id be suprised if he isnt loaned out again. tbf he's been underwhelming all pre-season so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Could be one of those strikers that are too good for the Championship but cannot hack it in the premier league. He deserves more chances to prove himself but ultimately I can see him going back out on loan again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero7 Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 1 minute ago, Demitri_C said: That was a very underwhelming 45 mons for him against a lazio side we dominated. Id be suprised if he isnt loaned out again. Another season at Boro looms, shame as I thought he would kick on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Made In Aston Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 7 minutes ago, Delphinho123 said: Never seen anything special from him tbh. Very good finisher but all round game just isn’t there. He might make it one day, but we’re not in a great place if Watkins gets injured this season. I don’t rate Duran either. Unless he improves significantly I can see him being one that we sell on for 10-15m next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevonIsAPlaceOnEarth Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 I think if Duran shows some nice touches and glimpses against Valencia we will see Archer back to the championship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callum Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 I'll be the first to admit, I was eager for him to stay this season, but I've been disappointed based on the last handful of appearances. Plenty of promise, needs to develop at this level. I fear another season in the championship isn't going to help mind! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thabucks Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 (edited) Sell sell sell whilst he is at his peak value. Can see him at Leeds or back at Boro but he’s simply not good enough for where we are now and where we wanna be. More concerned about him being back up striker than Olsen as back up GK Edited August 3, 2023 by thabucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david-avfc Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 (edited) I think people need to understand that Archer is a totally different type of forward to Watkins, he's not an all-action striker, he's a fox in the box type who thrives off players around him feeding opportunities in good areas, to which he's proven he can convert at an excellent rate. He's not the sort of player who's going to be heavily involved in the build up so yeah there's going to be times when he's quiet - it doesn't mean he's a bad player or not good enough for villa. There will be times when he plays the same as he did tonight but gets a goal or two and everyone thinks he's brilliant. He has good movement already and a great eye for positioning himself to get those chances but we've seen Emery elevate Watkins to a completely different level and if he gets Archer on the same trajectory then he has a really high ceiling. Edited August 3, 2023 by david-avfc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
useless Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Once again people reading too much into a friendly game, the club won't have decided he deserves a chance based on how well he did last season and in training and then change their mind just becauae he's had a few quiet pre-season games. Also he's not a lone striker, anyone expecting him to do what Watkins does is going to be disappointed, he didn't play through the middle as the main striker at any of his loan clubs, at Solihull he was pretty much playing as an out and out winger after they signed Kyle Hudlin shortly after the season started, at Preston Jakobsen was the main striker with Archer playing wide of him, and at MIddlesbrough Akpom dropped deep but he was still the striker playing thorugh the middle with Archer again more as a wide forward. Also it's funny people saying he's a Championship striker because he hasn't looked good in pre-season, Championship games are much tougher than pre-season friendlies so not sure that adds up. Whether he's going to be good enough for us in Premier League I don't know but unfair to judge him on these games. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 (edited) 8 minutes ago, david-avfc said: I think people need to understand that Archer is a totally different type of forward to Watkins, he's not an all-action striker, he's a fox in the box type who thrives off players around him feeding opportunities in good areas, to which he's proven he can convert at an excellent rate. He's not the sort of player who's going to be heavily involved in the build up so yeah there's going to be times when he's quiet - it doesn't mean he's a bad player or not good enough for villa. There will be times when he plays the same as he did tonight but gets a goal or two and everyone thinks he's brilliant. He has good movement already and a great eye for positioning himself to get those chances but we've seen Emery elevate Watkins to a completely different level and if he gets Archer on the same trajectory then he has a really high ceiling. The concern is that we play in a way where he needs to be part of the build up play. Yes - preseason is not the intensity as the championship or even the prem, but I don't read that as a good thing that he hasn't even been able to make an impression in the pre-season either. I don't doubt he can succeed in the right scheme/team - but is Villa under Unai the correct one? I remain skeptical not just on his pre-season but his overall profile as a player. Not his game to link up play but not really his game to sit in the half spaces as well. I think the good thing is that he's under the best coach possible to develop that part of his game. I also didn't think Konsa and McGinn could develop into possession players but look at them now. Edited August 3, 2023 by DJBOB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted August 3, 2023 Share Posted August 3, 2023 Im hoping ita a confidence issue after the pen miss. That really looka like its taken stuffing out of him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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