Ollie Watkins

[paul_e]

I think it's worth remembering what Watkins in form and in a team that has a working attack looks, in the premier league: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=147130090783454


Yes some players can get found out or perform on a confidence high for their first season but a lot of criticism on here doesn't really match with what we've seen him do for us in the past and things like him blasting it straight at the keeper when one-on-one is quite clearly something that has changed in his game. If you ignore this season and just judge the player in that video there's no way you'd say he can't finish. As a club we need to help him and get him back to that player, anything else is wasting him.

It isn't just this season Paul, it was last season as well.  Look, not trying to crucify the lad, as I do like him and as said above, I don't think he always gets the best service. 

It might also be that him and Ings, with Archer coming through is the best we can hope for at the level we are currently at.  There aren't a lot of prolific strikers out there that we could realistically attract and you only have to look at the centre forwards the likes of West Ham have spent big money on over the past few seasons to see just what a minefield it is.

he still got into double figures thoughbut was clearly affected by not having much of a pre-season.

I'm not saying he's perfect by any means, but seeing people call him championship level (and I'm pretty sure someone said he wasn't even that) is just stupid, he's a mid-table premier league striker who should be getting 10-15 goals a season for us, which is fine if we can sprad the goals around. If the 3 strikers we have got 25 between them for this season and the rest of the team combined got the same I'd be okay with that, 50 goals a season is the lower end of what you normally need to finish in the top half.

[PeterWithesShin]

Fun fact. Watkins scored more league goals in his first 2 seasons with us than Dean Saunders did in his first 2 with us.

[LeeB]

Fun fact. Watkins scored more league goals in his first 2 seasons with us than Dean Saunders did in his first 2 with us.

You still, hate Deano don't you? I loved him personally, I had a great picture of him from 90 minutes on my wall of him standing arms up in front of the Holte End after scoring against Liverpool on his home debut

[PeterWithesShin]

I don't hate him at all, I just think he's overrated as a Villa player.

The point though was that maybe Ollie isn't deserving of all the stick he gets considering how highly a lot of people hold Saunders, and yet he didn't score as many despite playing in a much better Villa side over their respective first 2 seasons.

On the slim chance anyone is interested, during their first 2 seasons Saunders scored 23 in 73 league games, Ollie 25 in 72 league games.

[Toronto Villa]

I think had Deano had a Jack Grealish putting the ball on a plate for him he’d have scored a lot more than Ollie Watkins. He was far more an instinctive striker in the penalty area than Watkins is or ever will be. Ollie’s best work is outside the box but we need someone who is great inside it. Until we fix that and also create more legitimate chances however that happens we will always hope for a nil for the opponent because the best we will do is score 1.

[ozzjim]

We need a 9 that has a bit of pace and physicality about them. Prime Benteke style. Got to scout better and be more brave with forwards.

[N'ZMAV]

I don't hate him at all, I just think he's overrated as a Villa player.

The point though was that maybe Ollie isn't deserving of all the stick he gets considering how highly a lot of people hold Saunders, and yet he didn't score as many despite playing in a much better Villa side over their respective first 2 seasons.

On the slim chance anyone is interested, during their first 2 seasons Saunders scored 23 in 73 league games, Ollie 25 in 72 league games.

2 in a cup final too

[cdbearsfan]

Deano was great. I don't care about your poxy evidence. I loved him. Plus, you know, we won an actual trophy.

Anyway, it's fair to say that Watkins was pretty good in his first season. The decline set in before Gerrard came along, pretty much since the day Ings turned up, but he has never looked like reversing it since his appointment.

It's still entirely possible that he looks a much better player if we obtain a much better manager.

[Neil Hawkes]

We need a 9 that has a bit of pace and physicality about them. Prime Benteke style. Got to scout better and be more brave with forwards.

Play Cam - he's raw and untested only at this level, but has delivered in spades at every other challenge, including the same level that Ollie was considered and recruited from to be our first choice striker; we're not going to be worse if he's playing and may just become a more successful team.

[SamTheMouse]

The decline set in before Gerrard came along, pretty much since the day Ings turned up...

Yep. Weird, that.

[Allan C]

The decline set in before Gerrard came along, pretty much since the day Ings turned up...

Yep. Weird, that.

I think the decline matches exactly from the day Grealish left. Nothing to do with Ings or indeed Gerrard

[cdbearsfan]

Watkins was still pretty good for the roughly half a season we played with Grealish out injured and, in any case, the lack of Grealish shouldn't affect his ability to win a header, chase down a defender or kick the ball in the vague direction of the net when through on goal. He's been in a strop since Ings turned up, and it has now affected his confidence in front of goal.

[RamboandBruno]

I think had Deano had a Jack Grealish putting the ball on a plate for him he’d have scored a lot more than Ollie Watkins. He was far more an instinctive striker in the penalty area than Watkins is or ever will be. Ollie’s best work is outside the box but we need someone who is great inside it. Until we fix that and also create more legitimate chances however that happens we will always hope for a nil for the opponent because the best we will do is score 1.

Different players, but Staunton, Atkinson, Parker, and Daley werent too bad at creating chances.
Im surprised at the figures though. I guess perceptions of individual are aligned with memories of the team. We finished 2nd in the league, won a cup and played in Europe in Deano’s time and scored some really memorable goals.
I actually think we are a worse team without Ollies work rate, he really does need a goal, cliche i know

[Risso]

Watkins was still pretty good for the roughly half a season we played with Grealish out injured and, in any case, the lack of Grealish shouldn't affect his ability to win a header, chase down a defender or kick the ball in the vague direction of the net when through on goal. He's been in a strop since Ings turned up, and it has now affected his confidence in front of goal.

Of his 14 goals that season, 11 came came with Grealish in the team, and 3 when he wasn't.

[cdbearsfan]

Out of how many matches? Anyway, his general play was better, even when he wasn't scoring he was winning headers and bullying defenders. Abilities he seems to have lost in the last couple of seasons.