Ollie Watkins

[The_Steve]

3 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

I agree he misses too many. Even when he’d score two maybe three you always feel he should have scored another couple. I like him I think he’s an asset to the team/squad and he’s playing well enough for me to think it will come pretty soon . He’s creating chances still and is looking dangerous but yes I know he needs to do his job more and that’s being more consistent scoring goals. 

I do really like Ollie - it just baffles me how sometimes he scores harder goals, but will miss or his touch will let him down on goals that on paper look easier. I think if Ollie is a bit braver and throws himself at chances more, looks up a little more, he’s scoring and assisting more. I do think the likes of Zaniolo and Diaby will create a lot more for him and each other. We just need it to click more regularly. 

[Keyblade]

How would people feel if he had this goal return this season?

[Kiwivillan]

According to FPL only Alvarez has more assists on 5. Salah Neto and Watkins only ones with 4. Salah only 2 goals and 4 assists must be rubbish

[Frodo]

6 hours ago, Amed said:

He’s leaving next summer and ok with it -  feel like he’s already playing with that mentality 

Have I missed something? Is this assumption because he hasn't signed a new contract?

[Villa87]

37 minutes ago, Spoony said:

He isn’t unlucky. He is bad at finishing. It feels like every game we say he should have scored, he’s missed chances, etc. Hitting the woodwork isn’t a good effort either, it’s missing the target. He just isn’t good enough. 

I agree he misses some easy chances. However, I’m not having his delightful deft curler that hit the post as a bad finish. I haven’t seen that side of Ollie much at all and thought he was really unlucky there. 

[turvontour]

32 minutes ago, JPJCB said:

I get the arguments that he works hard and offers more than just goals. The problem with Ollie is that, unlike a player like firmino for example, he clearly judges his own performance by how many goals he scores and the longer he goes without scoring the more it gets in his head and he starts being more and more selfish to try and get that goal, hurting his broader game.

Given we have diaby who works just as hard with an excellent all round game plus end product in the form of goals and assists, I do think that Watkins’ importance is far lower than it has been previously 

Mentally it must be really tough for him as a striker that a defensive midfielder is basically being asked to score our goals from the spot. Penalties should be bread and butter for a striker. 

[IrishVilla10]

47 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

He was unlucky again yesterday. Should have scored at least one with those two chances in first half , the second chance being where if he’d made any attempt to throw himself at the ball it would have went in . He didn’t play bad, I mean he hit the woodwork from a good effort and won us the penalty , but he’s having one of those dry spells again and his missed chances will hurt us. 

That first half chance where he’s one on one is the difference maker really, he has to be finishing those 

[Don_Simon]

31 minutes ago, bobzy said:

I'll wager a bet with you that Watkins scores more than 4 goals in the league this season.

 

You'll take it because you think he'll score fewer.

I don't think he'll score fewer. I said that's what he's on for if current form continues. He'll probably get 10. If you think he'll get 20, I'll absolutely take that bet. Game on?

[bobzy]

9 minutes ago, Don_Simon said:

I don't think he'll score fewer. I said that's what he's on for if current form continues. He'll probably get 10. If you think he'll get 20, I'll absolutely take that bet. Game on?

You’re the one quoting 3.2 goals “are you content with that?”. If you don’t think that will happen, why the hell would you persist with getting someone to answer you?

Edited September 17, 2023 by bobzy

[Enda]

43 minutes ago, Rugeley Villa said:

I agree he misses too many. Even when he’d score two maybe three you always feel he should have scored another couple. I like him I think he’s an asset to the team/squad and he’s playing well enough for me to think it will come pretty soon . He’s creating chances still and is looking dangerous but yes I know he needs to do his job more and that’s being more consistent scoring goals. 

Gary Lineker made a good point on his podcast last week. He said a striker who is missing chances during a dry spell will more likely than not come good. It’s the anonymous ones that will struggle. Ollie always has chances, as you say. He’ll be okay.

The threat of being dropped (we have alternatives now) and the prospect of a new contract will affect him. I reckon he will hit form again.

[bobzy]

14 minutes ago, turvontour said:

Mentally it must be really tough for him as a striker that a defensive midfielder is basically being asked to score our goals from the spot. Penalties should be bread and butter for a striker. 

Possibly, there are plenty of midfielders who take penalties though. Fernandes, Jorginho, Ward Prowse. Think Saka or Odegaard take them for Arsenal (but I guess they don’t really have a striker). 

[Tom13]

2 hours ago, lexicon said:

Well perhaps go and support Man City then, you'd love it

No I don't want to do that. Sorry I'll pretend Ollie's perfect from now on with no weaknesses

[Don_Simon]

1 hour ago, Keyblade said:

Content with what, a hypothetical? I mean sure, I guess I would not be very happy with a 3 goal return for the season.

But to be frank, there's no serious discussion to be had on what a player is "on course for..."  using a 12 game run spanning 2 separate seasons. Statistically, it's quite meaningless.

For example, on match week 12 of last season, funnily enough you could have said he was on course for exactly 3.2 goals for the season. It's even a slightly better barometer because at least all 12 of those games took place during the season in question. He ended up finishing the season with 15 goals. So just the 500% more than that early extrapolation.

Like I already said, it's probably more useful to look at his entire tenure here to have a more accurate gauge on how many goals he might be on course for if you're so inclined. Or even his record during Unai Emery's tenure. His records there are 1 in 3 and 1 in 2 respectively. That's if you want to judge him solely on his goal return, which is already a reductive way of looking at it imo, but at least there is more data to work with.

There's a lot I agree with here, apologies if I came across abrasive.

Not sure if you were at the game yesterday, but he just doesn't seem with it this season and I think you see more of that in the stadium. You can take the exceptionally poor finishing if the rest of his game, the pressing, the hold up play, the close control is strong. It's not though, he's been poor throughout the season bar Hibs away and it will eventually, if not remedied, come back to haunt us.

Had we lost yesterday, the narrative would be that our main striker missed chances that cost us the game. It's not completely true, but there's elements of truth and he must do better. 

UTV.

[Don_Simon]

8 minutes ago, bobzy said:

You’re the one quoting 3.2 goals “are you content with that?”. If you don’t think that will happen, why the hell would you persist with getting someone to answer you?

It's. What. He's. On. Course. For.

It's a barometer of current form. 

It's obvious. Come on Bobzy, you're better than this.

[Philosopher]

He'll score, in fact he'll definitely be in double figures come the end of the season. He has 4 prem assists  from 5 games (which is really good), and a ECL hattrick. It's a good return so far. Prem goal is coming soon I'm sure.

[It's Your Round]

40 minutes ago, Keyblade said:

How would people feel if he had this goal return this season?

Honestly, as long as we’ve had a good season and scored goals from all over the team (like we have been doing), I’d be fine with that return. 
 

Who’s stats are they by the way?

[Enda]

2 minutes ago, Don_Simon said:

It's. What. He's. On. Course. For.

It's a barometer of current form. 

It's obvious. Come on Bobzy, you're better than this.

To be fair, a goal in the first match of the season puts you on course for 38 goals. But nobody claims that, since it’s such a small sample size.

September is too early to be forecasting the rest of the season with any accuracy.

He should have buried a few this season. He’s a bit off the pace.

[bobzy]

3 minutes ago, Don_Simon said:

It's. What. He's. On. Course. For.

It's a barometer of current form. 

It's obvious. Come on Bobzy, you're better than this.

So why are you asking about 3.2 goals and expectations if you’re saying you think he’ll score 10 over the season?

11 hours ago, Don_Simon said:

I think Villa fans expect more than one goal in 12 games. Works out around 3.2 goals for the season. Does that match your expectations?

 

21 minutes ago, Don_Simon said:

I don't think he'll score fewer. I said that's what he's on for if current form continues. He'll probably get 10.

You’re fine with him and it’s just a run of poor form then? I’m failing to see the point you’re making outside of “would you be happy with a striker scoring 3 goals this season?” which is a **** pointless question. 

[Villarocker]

His work rate is unquestionable. His mentality is right. He's just unlucky a lot but, he's just not a natural goalscorer. If he was he would score bucket loads. Crosses flash across the 6 yard box and he's nowhere near them. His first touch is often not good enough. A lot of strikers score plenty of goals because their first touch puts them into the right position to get their shot off. 

For all the above, we need Ollie. Personally, I really think we would benefit from playing a natural striker and having Ollie playing wide left, where Zaniolo was yesterday. 

[CVByrne]

He won the penalty that won us the game, he hit the post with another shot and had one in the first half saved well by the keeper. Ollie will end up as many goals as his xG like he has over his previous 3 seasons at Villa. He'll get double figures and plenty of assists. He also does superb link up play, is a threat with his pace and has a high work rate.