Ollie Watkins

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

6 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

He is pushed at the same time he gets the shot off and it’s pretty clear and obvious the push has made him shoot wide.  I don’t get it. 

It is 100% a penalty to anyone half-competent making the decision. Its blatant, and denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. MOTD2 unanimously agreed it should have been a spot kick. They said VAR officials claimed there wasnt sufficient evidence to give it  

[Brumstopdogs]

 

[Brumstopdogs]

 

[The_Steve]

It’s a penalty. Doherty makes no effort to play the ball and does enough to keep inhibit Ollie’s shot. United or Liverpool get this penalty. 

[DJBOB]

15 hours ago, Don_Simon said:

This is so reductive. Has anyone said he's shit? @Tom13 and I are critical of elements of his game, perhaps the most vocal about it, but I don't know of anyone saying he's "a shit striker".

 

It's not reductive. For some odd reason, people rush to this thread and lament about all of his shortcomings whenever the result doesn't slightly go our way.

He leads the team in goals, assists, key passes, shot creating actions, and goal creating actions. All while pressing and holding up the ball as the sole CF plenty of time.

And some people were clamoring for Duran or Archer to replace him. It's laughable.

Edited October 9, 2023 by DJBOB

[Tomaszk]

5 hours ago, Brumstopdogs said:

 

So the ref thinks it's a dive?

Can't stand the PL refs. Sack all of them. Get some capable officials in.

[villa4europe]

8 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

So the ref thinks it's a dive?

Can't stand the PL refs. Sack all of them. Get some capable officials in.

never played football or at least don't understand it

a push like that if he was standing still then fair enough, if he was running then its bit more dubious but as he's setting his balance to take on the shot? it has a huge impact

its a penalty

[nick76]

13 hours ago, DJBOB said:

He leads the team in goals, assists, key passes, shot creating actions, and goal creating actions.

As the sole striker in the XI and having played almost all the minutes isn’t that the minimum he should be on most of those categories!

13 hours ago, DJBOB said:

All while pressing and holding up the ball as the sole CF plenty of time.

Yeah this is where he’s been a bit iffy and a debate on here about how well or often he’s been doing that never mind his first touch.

 

13 hours ago, DJBOB said:

For some odd reason, people rush to this thread and lament about all of his shortcomings whenever the result doesn't slightly go our way.

And similarly when he scores people rush on here and have a go at the ‘haters’ yet they aren’t hating just discussing some of Ollie’s shortcomings which seems to be a taboo subject to discuss to some.

[turvontour]

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

never played football or at least don't understand it

a push like that if he was standing still then fair enough, if he was running then its bit more dubious but as he's setting his balance to take on the shot? it has a huge impact

its a penalty

It doesn't help that Bailey puts his hands to his head, as if to say, how's he missed that, and Zaniolo at the back post shouting at Watkins for not squaring it. Watkins too kind of semi appeals, but we need more animation and to play dirtily.

Mcginn screams straight at the ref but is the only Villa player in the refs vicinity to do so. 

If all 4 players sprint to the ref then it might not have made the slightest bit of difference. But it could have. It might have been reviewed.

How many Man U attackers would have appealed for that in the same situation. Easy answer, all of them. 

[DJBOB]

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

As the sole striker in the XI and having played almost all the minutes isn’t that the minimum he should be on most of those categories!

Yeah this is where he’s been a bit iffy and a debate on here about how well or often he’s been doing that never mind his first touch.

 

And similarly when he scores people rush on here and have a go at the ‘haters’ yet they aren’t hating just discussing some of Ollie’s shortcomings which seems to be a taboo subject to discuss to some.

No, he shouldn’t be leading every category. Diaby, McGinn, Zaniolo, Bailey, Luiz need to be topping one of the others besides goals. That he’s played every minute is a testament to his fitness.

Yes, his hold up play can be hit or miss (as is almost every striker) and is largely determinate on how the rest of the team is playing. 
 
Yes, his first touch isn’t world class. Yes, his finishing is average. 
 
But the verve people come into the Watkins thread after every game is nothing compared to the other players (except maybe Tielemans), who should be contributing more! 

[nick76]

50 minutes ago, DJBOB said:

No, he shouldn’t be leading every category. Diaby, McGinn, Zaniolo, Bailey, Luiz need to be topping one of the others besides goals. That he’s played every minute is a testament to his fitness.

Yes, his hold up play can be hit or miss (as is almost every striker) and is largely determinate on how the rest of the team is playing. 
 
Yes, his first touch isn’t world class. Yes, his finishing is average. 
 
But the verve people come into the Watkins thread after every game is nothing compared to the other players (except maybe Tielemans), who should be contributing more! 

Are you kidding? McGinn used to get bashed for ages when he was playing bad, Mings had his time…even now people are talking about replacing Cash.  Kamara is getting stick, Bailey is hit most games on here.  Most players get critiqued to the same level it’s just some fans have favourites and overdefend that player to criticism and feel that player is picked on more than other players.  I feel defensive when one or two regulars hit Dougie, I’ll defend him, maybe Ollie is yours.

[PaulC]

Yes but I think the criticism Watkins get is a bit ott. Theres  a number that wanted for Danny Ings to be in the team before him yet Ings doesnt even get a look in at West Ham. 

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 hour ago, PaulC said:

Yes but I think the criticism Watkins get is a bit ott. Theres  a number that wanted for Danny Ings to be in the team before him yet Ings doesnt even get a look in at West Ham. 

One of our most important players yet the debate seems to always be about his weaknesses. Seems odd. 
 

Anyway I love the guy.

[nick76]

2 hours ago, PaulC said:

Yes but I think the criticism Watkins get is a bit ott.

As was the criticism of Mings, McGinn, Buendia etc…I can’t see the difference

45 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

One of our most important players yet the debate seems to always be about his weaknesses. Seems odd. 

Again I point to Mings flack and he’s one of our most important players, Dougie gets flack from one or two posters regularly, and him and Martinez imo are our most important players above even Ollie.  

[foreveryoung]

20 hours ago, Brumstopdogs said:

 

Dermot Gallager is waste of time every week, not sure why he is still at Sky. If that is not a push, then it's a dive, an Ollie should have had a yellow card. They should have asked Dermot where the card was?

Anybody knows, if your sprinting, with or without a ball, if someone even gives you a little nudge in the back, your falling forward no doubt, proof yet again, refs don't know the game, because they haven't played it.

[Vive_La_Villa]

26 minutes ago, nick76 said:

As was the criticism of Mings, McGinn, Buendia etc…I can’t see the difference

Again I point to Mings flack and he’s one of our most important players, Dougie gets flack from one or two posters regularly, and him and Martinez imo are our most important players above even Ollie.  

Not when they were playing well.

[nick76]

7 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Not when they were playing well.

Yes they do, plus sometimes the debate is whether the player is playing well, some think a player is playing well, whereas others don’t and that’s where the page after page debate happens after a game.  Ollie’s thread is not unique in that.

[Keyblade]

He's playing well. Very well in fact. I can't believe there's even a debate on this. He's one of the top performing players in the league. "B-but sometimes he miscontrols the ball". Yes, that tends to happen from time to time when playing alone against 4-6 brutes for 90 minutes. This season, Watkins is just about the last player that needs any criticism. He's performing above and beyond any reasonable expectations of him this season and has been since Unai Emery came in to be frank.

[Vive_La_Villa]

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

Yes they do, plus sometimes the debate is whether the player is playing well, some think a player is playing well, whereas others don’t and that’s where the page after page debate happens after a game.  Ollie’s thread is not unique in that.

Fair enough. I personally think he is both underrated and unappreciated by some but each to their own. All about opinions. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Vive_La_Villa

[Rightdm00]

13 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

He's playing well. Very well in fact. I can't believe there's even a debate on this. He's one of the top performing players in the league. "B-but sometimes he miscontrols the ball". Yes, that tends to happen from time to time when playing alone against 4-6 brutes for 90 minutes. This season, Watkins is just about the last player that needs any criticism. He's performing above and beyond any reasonable expectations of him this season and has been since Unai Emery came in to be frank.

With Haaland's disappearing act for the last 3 appearances, Watkins is probably the #1 performing CF in the PL.