Ollie Watkins

[bose]

7 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Did you know he currently has a better goals to games ratio in the Premier league than Jermaine Defoe and Dwight Yorke?

Should shut up a few.

[nick76]

14 minutes ago, bose said:

Should shut up a few.

Not really, Yorkie was a midfielder for ages, played over 100 games there and then moved to a striker where he had a great ratio for Villa and Man U.  Then in his thirties he tailed off at Blackburn.  

It’s not comparing apples with apples!

Edited July 18, 2022 by nick76

[cheltenham_villa]

52 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Not really, Yorkie was a midfielder for ages, played over 100 games there and then moved to a striker where he had a great ratio for Villa and Man U.  Then in his thirties he tailed off at Blackburn.  

It’s not comparing apples with apples!

What about Defoe?

[nick76]

9 minutes ago, cheltenham_villa said:

What about Defoe?

I honestly don’t know enough about Defoe’s playing time to give an answer.

A quick look given it was comparing Defoe from breaking into the team as a 17 year old youth in the PL at West Ham until he was 37 ish years old at Bournemouth compared to two peak years for Ollie at Villa seems an odd comparison because Defoe would just be learning the trade as a kid and then tailing off at the end.  Plus wasn’t Defoe in and out of the team so goals per game is probably not right, maybe goals per 90.  

Anyway I’m not sure why Defoe was picked anyway, I don’t remember him being a prolific striker anyway.  

He was just a fox in the box that would nick a goal occasionally.  

Still scored 305 goals in 763 games which is tidy even if 78 goals were outside the PL…better than I thought.

Again doesn’t surprise me that 2 years at peak level is better than whole careers of other strikers.

[By the arse of McGinn]

3 hours ago, andyjsg said:

Fewer games or not he was statistically less clinical.

Maybe so, I’d still rather have him in the team. 

[TRO]

3 hours ago, nick76 said:

I honestly don’t know enough about Defoe’s playing time to give an answer.

A quick look given it was comparing Defoe from breaking into the team as a 17 year old youth in the PL at West Ham until he was 37 ish years old at Bournemouth compared to two peak years for Ollie at Villa seems an odd comparison because Defoe would just be learning the trade as a kid and then tailing off at the end.  Plus wasn’t Defoe in and out of the team so goals per game is probably not right, maybe goals per 90.  

Anyway I’m not sure why Defoe was picked anyway, I don’t remember him being a prolific striker anyway.  

He was just a fox in the box that would nick a goal occasionally.  

Still scored 305 goals in 763 games which is tidy even if 78 goals were outside the PL…better than I thought.

Again doesn’t surprise me that 2 years at peak level is better than whole careers of other strikers.

I remember him as a slick operator, prolific scorer.....those stats suggest so too.

Ollie would be proud of those stats

Edited July 19, 2022 by TRO

[Sulberto21]

14 hours ago, WakefieldVillan said:

Yep, I agree - this is the most telling angle of why IMO it was a bad miss.  So much room to slot it to the keepers right (left as we look). 

Open your body up, give the keeper the eye that you are going to his left then slot it low into the bottom corner. Easy. .

 

 

I remember Robbie Fowler in a similar situation but on the other side so leading with his left, he put the ball onto what seemed his right but he actually hit it with the outside of the boot , bottom corner to the near side (keepers left). He did this type of finish quite a few times. 

Shearer and Batistuta would have put the keeper in the net with the ball. 

In fact the finish you mention Grealish did it against Southampton in the 4-3 defeat. Coutinho’s finish against City was like you describe too. 

Watkins needs to add this to his game he’ll then be the perfect striker. He has to add the run across the defence too. 

[It's Your Round]

I’m always shocked when I wander in to this thread, I really don’t understand why so many are so down on Watkins. Some of the comments are ridiculous. 

[bobzy]

37 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

I’m always shocked when I wander in to this thread, I really don’t understand why so many are so down on Watkins. Some of the comments are ridiculous. 

Completely agree.  He adds so much to the side.  Sure, he could work on his finishing (and I imagine he does this!) but he's still developing as a striker... whilst scoring double figures each season.

[villa4europe]

Because too many think we can just go out and get a 20 goal a season striker for whatever money we want, that we can do better and it's easy to do better 

Said before that player at the moment doesn't exist, there's a real shortage of proper number 9s out there and bigger clubs than us also need that player (man utd, even Arsenal and Chelsea didn't buy a proper number 9 they got goalscoring wide men) 

And then put it in the context that villa haven't had a 20 goal a season striker in 40 years 

Don't me wrong Ollie needs to be better this year, he needs to sort his head out and Gerrard needs to help him but the willingness to give up on him is crazy, almost like we're spoilt by these owners 

[Zatman]

54 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

I’m always shocked when I wander in to this thread, I really don’t understand why so many are so down on Watkins. Some of the comments are ridiculous. 

Got to prepare a seasonal scapegoat simce Hourihane left, Luiz is moving position and Bailey picked up his form

[bobzy]

2 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Got to prepare a seasonal scapegoat simce Hourihane left, Luiz is moving position and Bailey picked up his form

McGinn already in place.

 

For some reason, we like to knock our players down.  It's utterly bizarre.

[WakefieldVillan]

53 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

I’m always shocked when I wander in to this thread, I really don’t understand why so many are so down on Watkins. Some of the comments are ridiculous. 

I'm not down on him, I like him, he has some very good traits - he works hard, he harasses defenders, he's quick, athletic, gets into goal scoring positions, at times he finishes really well (Liverpool, Southampton, Everton goals just 3 off the top of my head) - the two things I want to see him improve on though is his hold up play and to be more clinical with his finishing.   

[andyjsg]

13 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

Because too many think we can just go out and get a 20 goal a season striker for whatever money we want, that we can do better and it's easy to do better 

Said before that player at the moment doesn't exist, there's a real shortage of proper number 9s out there and bigger clubs than us also need that player (man utd, even Arsenal and Chelsea didn't buy a proper number 9 they got goalscoring wide men) 

And then put it in the context that villa haven't had a 20 goal a season striker in 40 years 

Don't me wrong Ollie needs to be better this year, he needs to sort his head out and Gerrard needs to help him but the willingness to give up on him is crazy, almost like we're spoilt by these owners 

One of the podcasts did something on this (MOMS I think) and they came to the conclusion (and I agree) the only player who fit the bill of prolific scorer and not at a top 6 side was Ings and we bought him.

I like Ings, but when Ollie doesn't play you really notice the difference, I mean Ings works hard but Ollie's work rate and strength especially are another level.

As for missed chances have we already forgotten the amount of chances Tammy had missed and he is a really good striker.

[Sulberto21]

No one is being down on Watkins some (like myself) critical about one aspect of his play.

“Watkins needs to add this to his game he’ll then be the perfect striker. He has to add the run across the defence too. “

I said the above in my previous post. Is that being down on him or scapegoating him? 

If people want European Football then improvements have to be made - imo and others will agree Ollie can improve and fire us there.

However last season his link up and hold up play dipped below the level he displayed in his first premier league season. Not scapegoating or knocking him down just stating what I saw.

[Vive_La_Villa]

32 minutes ago, bobzy said:

McGinn already in place.

 

For some reason, we like to knock our players down.  It's utterly bizarre.

Unless they hardly play.  They are heros then! 

But on a serious note Ollie’s alright man. Last season he had a bad patch around the middle of the season but overall he was alright.

Edited July 19, 2022 by Vive_La_Villa

[It's Your Round]

3 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

No one is being down on Watkins some (like myself) critical about one aspect of his play.

“Watkins needs to add this to his game he’ll then be the perfect striker. He has to add the run across the defence too. “

I said the above in my previous post. Is that being down on him or scapegoating him? 

If people want European Football then improvements have to be made - imo and others will agree Ollie can improve and fire us there.

However last season his link up and hold up play dipped below the level he displayed in his first premier league season. Not scapegoating or knocking him down just stating what I saw.

My comment wasn’t aimed at yours, Sulberto, it was in reference to other comments further up thread that suggest we’d be lucky to get £20m for him and he’s not a premier league striker. 
 

I agree with what you’re saying, he has got areas to work on, and can be frustrating. I just think that sometimes people can go in too hard (kw.com) on him, when he’s actually a decent player. 

[Zatman]

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

Because too many think we can just go out and get a 20 goal a season striker for whatever money we want, that we can do better and it's easy to do better 

Said before that player at the moment doesn't exist, there's a real shortage of proper number 9s out there and bigger clubs than us also need that player (man utd, even Arsenal and Chelsea didn't buy a proper number 9 they got goalscoring wide men) 

And then put it in the context that villa haven't had a 20 goal a season striker in 40 years 

Don't me wrong Ollie needs to be better this year, he needs to sort his head out and Gerrard needs to help him but the willingness to give up on him is crazy, almost like we're spoilt by these owners 

Only 2 Chelsea strikers have scored 20 league goals in a season in the last 20 years, United last 20 goal striker was Van Persie  consider how much these teams spend on big money strikers and cant get one.

Outside the Sky 6 the last three 20 goal strikers were Ings, Vardy and then have go back to Lukaku in his Everton days

[Sulberto21]

2 hours ago, It's Your Round said:

My comment wasn’t aimed at yours, Sulberto, it was in reference to other comments further up thread that suggest we’d be lucky to get £20m for him and he’s not a premier league striker. 
 

I agree with what you’re saying, he has got areas to work on, and can be frustrating. I just think that sometimes people can go in too hard (kw.com) on him, when he’s actually a decent player. 

To be fair I wasn’t replying to anyone in particular it was just me clarifying that I’m not hating on him if my comments on him seemed harsh. 

But £20million for Watkins - nice deposit when should we expect the rest?

Da fuq are people on!

[By the arse of McGinn]

18 hours ago, Sulberto21 said:

To be fair I wasn’t replying to anyone in particular it was just me clarifying that I’m not hating on him if my comments on him seemed harsh. 

But £20million for Watkins - nice deposit when should we expect the rest?

Da fuq are people on!

Right, let’s get something straight. My comments on £20M were tongue in cheek to emphasise my personal opinions about his talent or lack of. I also stated that by todays market we would get more. 

Personally, I don’t think he can take us any further. 
 

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by By the arse of McGinn
Incorrect spelling