Ollie Watkins

[andyh]

I hate how external factors (fucking Sky) can manufacture and manipulate a situation that then then grows and grows until it becomes an actual thing.

That initial interview with Ollie talked about his frustration at not starting. A normal conversation for a player to have.
It goes back to the studio, who jump on it…..enhance and manipulate it, until it’s THE story that has now become what it is.
The next phase will be how he’s unhappy and demanding a move.

The media are manipulative ******.

[eamonn]

They're doing their job. Ollie is one of the minority of players, like Grealish, who is good value in interviews as he shows more of his true opinions than the media-trained, boring 80% of players. The problem is that when you're too honest, it can be used against you.

[Tayls_7]

I hate how external factors (fucking Sky) can manufacture and manipulate a situation that then then grows and grows until it becomes an actual thing.

I thought you were describing the rise of The Brexit/Reform party then.

[rob_bridge]

According the ever more condescending and depreciating Graun he would slot in nicely to Liverpool Arsenal Chelsea and ManU first 11.

[aj2k77]

Do you know how much they've sold him for? About £30m?

[Sexual Ealing]

The Guardian hasn't printed an editorial stating its position is that Watkins ought to sign for Man Utd. The bloke who did the match report had to knock out a hundred words as a follow up and pointed out that Watkins was pissed off at being dropped and that other clubs need a striker, and perhaps they might be interested in him. The kind of thing that gets mentioned on here several times per day.

[aj2k77]

Perhaps we are interested in Fernandes.

[Sexual Ealing]

Perhaps we are. And look, now we've both written it down I'm sure the strange folk of Man Utd forums can get worked up because all Villa fans firmly believe that Fernandes is about to go on strike to force through his dream move to Villa. Can you believe the arrogance of those Brummie twats?

[Deano's Mullet]

Ollie only needs another 15 or so for 100 goals in all competitions. Who was the last Villa player to hit 100? Withe? It certainly wasn't Yorke.

[Meanwood Villa]

Ollie only needs another 15 or so for 100 goals in all competitions. Who was the last Villa player to hit 100? Withe? It certainly wasn't Yorke.

Peter Mac and Johnny Dixon both got over 100 in all comps, 120 and 144 respectively according to Wiki.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

A rest...ahead of the club' s biggest game in 42 years? Please...look, Emery is close to being a God but he screwed the pooch on this.

Pissing Ollie off, potentially losing him now in the summer and bringing him on for 20 minutes just as his replacement, Rashford, was murdering the Parisians leading to both strikers pissed-off at the end of the game. While Unai falls to the ground in agony at another missed chance and the hood on his jacket flaps over his head like a Basque Mr Bean.

Yeah, a rest. I didn't want him to start in Paris, either. He was massively out of form and could understand Rashford's pace/record there was a big plus. I'd start Watkins if the game was tomorrow, but that's the nature of form and absolutely how we should be doing things.

What he did last season counts for nothing when you're not doing it this season, just ask Leon Bailey. If he's going to be pissed off with Unai, it should be his tactics that up until Saturday haven't played to Watkins' strengths. I'm still convinced he was knackered after a long season with us followed by, apart from a class goal, a wasted summer with England. See also Foden, Philip; Bellingham, Jude etc.

Unai's no fool and taking Watkins out the side allowed the player to have a rest and recharge his batteries. It was either that or have him put down. In Unai we trust.

[Ian.]

I love Ollie, he’s ace and being a Newton Abbot Devonshire Bey, I’m always going to be biased after living here since 83, however the boss got it right with Ollie I think, he’s played a blinder since, but something wasn’t right with him prior to be being rested.

[Dave]

A rest...ahead of the club' s biggest game in 42 years? Please...look, Emery is close to being a God but he screwed the pooch on this.

Pissing Ollie off, potentially losing him now in the summer and bringing him on for 20 minutes just as his replacement, Rashford, was murdering the Parisians leading to both strikers pissed-off at the end of the game. While Unai falls to the ground in agony at another missed chance and the hood on his jacket flaps over his head like a Basque Mr Bean.

Yeah, a rest. I didn't want him to start in Paris, either. He was massively out of form and could understand Rashford's pace/record there was a big plus.

I don't think that "massively out of form" is really fair.

He scored the winner against Brentford, then was injured against Brugge so came off at half time. Coming back from his injury he had the last ten minutes of an already-won match against Preston, half an hour against Brighton in which he was fine, then the first hour against Forest, in which their three centre-backs stupidly all trying to mark him at once created the space for the rest of the team to run through them.

Then it was the PSG game.

I don't think not scoring in a hundred minutes of football across three games, all of which we won counts as being "massively out of form"

[FatSam]

If he were to stay and score another 15 goals in all competitions, he’d be our tenth highest scorer of all time.

[Somniloquism]

A rest...ahead of the club' s biggest game in 42 years? Please...look, Emery is close to being a God but he screwed the pooch on this.

Pissing Ollie off, potentially losing him now in the summer and bringing him on for 20 minutes just as his replacement, Rashford, was murdering the Parisians leading to both strikers pissed-off at the end of the game. While Unai falls to the ground in agony at another missed chance and the hood on his jacket flaps over his head like a Basque Mr Bean.

Yeah, a rest. I didn't want him to start in Paris, either. He was massively out of form and could understand Rashford's pace/record there was a big plus.

I don't think that "massively out of form" is really fair.

He scored the winner against Brentford, then was injured against Brugge so came off at half time. Coming back from his injury he had the last ten minutes of an already-won match against Preston, half an hour against Brighton in which he was fine, then the first hour against Forest, in which their three centre-backs stupidly all trying to mark him at once created the space for the rest of the team to run through them.

Then it was the PSG game.

I don't think not scoring in a hundred minutes of football across three games, all of which we won counts as being "massively out of form"

Scored against Southampton between the PSG games after coming on as sub as well. TBH I did expect him to start being as he was sub against Southampton and he probably thought the same, but obviously Emi thought Rashford brought more then Ollie did, and tbh he barely did anything against them in his 15 min cameo either.