nick76 Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 2 hours ago, MNVillan said: This might not be a popular opinion, but I think Watkins has been a passenger most of the season. Hasn’t provided much It’s not a popular opinion because we all want the Ollie from last season back but I think it’s a commonly held opinion because he has been a passenger most of the season. Whether that’s because Grealish has gone or it’s because second season syndrome or whether he’s been figured out by opposition teams or whether he’s a one season wonder or he’s just having a bad half a season….whatever it is, it’s time he sat on the bench for a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Adman Posted January 15, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 15, 2022 I'd rather play steer on the wing than either ings or Watkins. If we're playing a formation with one striker, let's play one striker. Ffs Start Coutinho ings Buendia against teams we are likely to dominate, and swap ings for Watkins if we're more counter attacking. Swap them out after 70 mins if they're not working for the other one. It's baffling that we keep persevering with it if we've got other options 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSmirch Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 Drop them both, play archer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLegendOfLeonBailey31 Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 (edited) 15 hours ago, MrSmirch said: Drop them both, play archer. When we're healthy I'd totally consider doing a false 9 every now and then, or at least give it a try. Watkins/Ings do not work as a partnership and I thought both were quite poor today. Probably Watkins worst game this year IMO, which may be unfair, but I did not like eithers game. Edited January 16, 2022 by TheLegendOfLeonBailey31 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 On 11/01/2022 at 10:24, Tomaszk said: Why on earth he won't play Watkins up front, as the far more athletic of the two...and Ings as the 10, as the far better footballer of the two....blows my mind. It's incredibly obvious, we'd be better off immediately. If Gerrard is going to be married to any formation, like Smith was to 433, he's got to be willing to switch personnel around. This isn't hard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdulaziz1 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 I’ve said it we’re losing a lot of time to accommodate Watkins and Ings. For me I think we need to try Ings while having the creativity behind him. Phil, Chuck and Buendia. Something like that would be a real fun to watch. Ings is intelligent and can link up play very good with our creative players. We have to use Chuck quickly. As we’ll be having Traore and Bailey coming back. I think there are two things that Gerrard should realize soon (as much as he’s doing a great job). Ings and Watkins shouldn’t play together, Chuck needs to start games soon. Another thing that Watkins isn’t irreplaceable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abdulaziz1 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 2 hours ago, Stevo985 said: Also I don't think Gerrard can take any blame for the early goal we conceded today. You can't account for your (usually reliable) goalkeeper dropping an absolute clanger The only blame is playing Ings/Watkins partnership which will never work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HKP90 Posted January 16, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted January 16, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, Pissflaps said: If he starts Ings and Watkins together against Everton he is mad. It's one or the other. He shouldn't feel forced into shoehorning Ings in. The summer panic transfers of purslow etc are not his mistake to deal have to work with really. You can’t ignore an aspect of management that your predecessor put in place though. That’s not how management works. It wasn’t his problem. It is now. nb I agree about Ings and Ollie. One or t’other for me now. Especially as we have Phillipe, and young can do a job Edited January 16, 2022 by HKP90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 12 hours ago, MrSmirch said: Drop them both, play archer. Yep. How to get two 30m strikers backs up. As for calls to sell Ings or have Archer as back up. Again ridiculous. Archer isn't going to push Watkins and Ings to play out their skin every week when we go to 1 up top. It's like people want us to challenge at the top but want us to be run like a corner shop at the time. We have two 30m strikers who both when played in a system that suits them will score goals. Now whoever starts and when they start they have to play out of their skin to stay in. Great. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick76 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 I watched them a lot yesterday from my Holte End position especially second half and when the team wasn’t moving and were set ready for either the action to restart from the Arsenal back third, you could see a 4312 formation with Buendia sitting behind the front two. I think Gerrard moves them around a lot during the game from 433 to 4312, so this idea that Watkins is flung out wide doesn’t hold any water. I think it’s a bit of a myth of where Watkins is put when Ings plays as if he’s playing where Jack used to whereas he’s actually playing more where Mane type position, probably even more centrally than that. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rightdm00 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Wanted it to work but the United game has to be the last time we see this partnership. Watkins movement for the 2nd goal was great dragging United's CBs out of position and opening up the box for our midfield to run into. He looked much better with 2 creators on either side of him. Has to be the way we play going forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Its a disaster playing both. One haa to be dropped and for it is watkins. His forms bewn ao poor and hw does even the basics wrong. Hia diniahing haa been awful too. At least with ings you know you fwwd he will score . The problem for me is that tend to run in the same areas and its causing problems. Drop ollie for Everton to show hw needs to be better if he wishes to play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post icouldtelltheworld Posted January 16, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted January 16, 2022 The conclusion I've come to is that Watkins is a PL level centre forward, but a Championship level wide player. For me the main reason that it isn't working is that he just doesn't have the technique required to play out wide in the top division. I think you can make a case for either of them to be our first choice striker, but it just doesn't work having them both of the pitch together. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted January 16, 2022 Share Posted January 16, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomaszk Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Ollie's confidence is fragile at the best of times. Playing him in this position is knocking it continuously throughout games as he tries to fill this unfamiliar role, ill-suited to him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomC Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 17 hours ago, icouldtelltheworld said: The conclusion I've come to is that Watkins is a PL level centre forward, but a Championship level wide player. For me the main reason that it isn't working is that he just doesn't have the technique required to play out wide in the top division. I think you can make a case for either of them to be our first choice striker, but it just doesn't work having them both of the pitch together. I would have agreed before yesterday. However, I finally got a chance to watch the whole match tonight, and I thought Watkins looked more comfortable playing wide on Saturday than he has all season. He was a little less selfish with the passes. Maybe he's starting to grow into it. That said, I don't see keeping him out there once Coutinho is up to full fitness. Midfield will be some combo of McGinn/Dougie/JJ/Sanson/Naka (when fit)/new DM. Forward line will be Coutinho - one striker - Buendia. Which striker? Tough decision because they bring different things to the table, but like I said in the Ings thread...I think that I would take last year's Watkins over Ings, but I will take Ings over this year's Watkins. The good thing is, if one is out of sorts, we have the other. As for Ings...I think people have been harsh on him. He was in dangerous positions many times on Saturday. A couple crosses went over his head a little too high, one cross got cut out because it was too low, once a defender got his foot there just in time. A little better luck, a little better service, and he could have been on the scoresheet once or twice. It's not like he's been missing sitters. Don't look at his touches (or lack thereof), look at his movement off the ball. He's still got his striker's instincts. Watkins has been much more involved in the buildup, probably because he has been asked to be. He holds the ball up so well with his back to goal. My problem with him this year has been that he often has (1) failed to pass when he should and (2) hesitated when he shoots instead of trusting his instincts. But, admittedly, those are problems that could be caused by being in unfamiliar positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demitri_C Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Drop ollie for next game. His forms been awful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted January 17, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted January 17, 2022 Drop Ings for the next game, hes not involved enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bose Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 Watkins was much more involved after Ings went off. For me he starts and Ings on the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Willard Posted January 17, 2022 Share Posted January 17, 2022 I think Ings has to start he is a better footballer. His link up play and always looking to receive that through ball. Watkins has more work ethic but that's cause he is the hardest working footballer in the league. Ings will feed off Buendia and Coutinho better. Plus imagine playing 70mins and then seeing Watkins coming on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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