Ollie Watkins

[Villa Lew]

Welcome Ollie

[Diablo]

Wonderful news! I have a good feeling about this. UTV!!

[hilts_coolerking]

I have complete security in the knowledge of the location of my shit.

I think everyone who reads this forum can see where your shit is.

But, yes let's leave it.  Don't reply to my stuff and I won't reply to yours.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Welcome, Ollie.

[OCD]

Welcome Ollie. Your signing has crashed the Villa website so you're already having an impact!

[hilts_coolerking]

I thought we'd break our transfer record this summer and so we have, which is great.  I hope we maybe do it once more before the window closes.

[maidstonevillain]

Welcome Ollie. Your signing has crashed the Villa website so you're already having an impact!

Wait until we sell Hogan. It will go into meltdown.

[olaftab]

We have the big yellow ticker display on SSN breaking news. Great.

[Sexual Ealing]

We also have him massive-clubbing it on the website.

[paul_e]

In fact, you really shouldn't be buying one without the other and I fully expect us to bring in a couple before the end of the window."

I think if that's your expectation for the club then you're going to be regularly disappointed under the current owners.

Everything they've said and done in the last couple of years screams out that they don't want to be buying players older than about 27-28 and 22-25 is more realistic. They spoken about being sustainable as a business, we've had scouts talking about identifying when a performance boost from a player looks likely, we've signed a DoF from a club that has specialised in signing players on the way up to flip for a profit. On top of that we're throwing resources at the academy and talking about how to create a pipeline from there into the first team and identifying players capable of that step up earlier in their development through loans, etc.

I'd put money on the plan being that the first team squad grow together for a year or 2 and then they become the experienced pros that all our new signings can learn from. Smith talked about the importance of attitude when it comes to signings and that leans into the same concept, we want players who turn up willing to learn and adapt. If we sign older players it will be because they have an attitude that we want our young players to learn from, Heaton is a great example.

[Drummond]

I have complete security in the knowledge of the location of my shit.

I think everyone who reads this forum can see where your shit is.

But, yes let's leave it.  Don't reply to my stuff and I won't reply to yours.

I reckon you could have a thread of your own soon. 

[Dave P]

Welcome Ollie. Your signing has crashed the Villa website so you're already having an impact!

Wait until we sell Hogan. It will go into meltdown.

Nah, we wont be online as we'll be having street parties.

[hilts_coolerking]

In fact, you really shouldn't be buying one without the other and I fully expect us to bring in a couple before the end of the window."

If we sign older players it will be because they have an attitude that we want our young players to learn from, Heaton is a great example.

That's exactly the point I'm making.  In pretty much every end-of-season review I read over the summer, as well as on here, our lack of experience was mentioned as a reason we struggled.  All I'm saying is that I wouldn't want us to make the same mistake this year. 

[LeeB]

Endless tantrums about endless aspects of the club and I'm the one who has to grow up?

Yes, and as quickly as possible please.

If growing up entails having to constantly moan about just about everything I'll give it a miss.

Alright, tell me what is so incorrect, intolerable or outrageous about what I said here that's prompted this outburst.

"Didn't we have this exact argument last year?  I thought at the end of the season just gone there was consensus that we erred too far towards potential + inexperience and badly needed a few experienced heads.  So far we've spent what £43M+ on two lads with no PL experience whatsoever.  Okay, you lose money on older players with no resale value but that's not why you're buying them.  You're buying them because the team - particularly the inexperienced lads - needs them.  In fact, you really shouldn't be buying one without the other and I fully expect us to bring in a couple before the end of the window."

What's so infuriating about that that's made you lose your shit this morning?

I'm not taking sides on this, but the 'fact' you mention is a supposition.

[Ian.]

Is Watkins the first former Weston-Super-Mare player that Villa have signed ?

That's just such an ace fact. I've grown up since moving to Devon in 83 with this being my main source of football.