Ollie Watkins

[85kota]

The math ain't mathing for Watkins.

[Risso]

Scoring 4 of 9 is an awful stat.

And while friendly ones like last night don't count, they just reinforce the view that he takes a terrible penalty.

So just take them off him. To be fair to him, just like the Liverpool game, he didn't let it get him down, and he scored a cracking goal last night. But take penalties off him, it's for the best.

[AV84]

Last night Buendia had the ball and was standing at the penalty spot before Wartkins went over and took it. I wonder was he just being helpful and getting the ball ready, or had he been planning on taking it?

[Chris Smith]

Last night Buendia had the ball and was standing at the penalty spot before Wartkins went over and took it. I wonder was he just being helpful and getting the ball ready, or had he been planning on taking it?

That seems the standard approach for us now, somebody to be the focus of all the attention from the defenders and keeper while the taker stays out of it.

Watkins is not the best penalty taker but to replace him it needs someone else to want to do it, it’s not something you can force on a player.

[aj2k77]

He's proper shit at pens.

[Drummond]

Last night Buendia had the ball and was standing at the penalty spot before Wartkins went over and took it. I wonder was he just being helpful and getting the ball ready, or had he been planning on taking it?

That seems the standard approach for us now, somebody to be the focus of all the attention from the defenders and keeper while the taker stays out of it.

Watkins is not the best penalty taker but to replace him it needs someone else to want to do it, it’s not something you can force on a player.

Watkins is the only guaranteed outfield starter right now too, and until that changes it's hard to pin someone else down to have the responsibility.

[chrisw1]

I'd try McGinn or Luiz on pens.  Both pretty nailed on starters and good strikers of the ball.  Maybe JJ once he's fit if he's holding down his place.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

You can see why he wants to take them and why they have let him - a striker gains confidence by scoring goals. Maybe Watkins is the type of character that, more than most, needs the confidence/momentum from a scoring run to be at the top of his game.

Though it has to be getting close to the point where they think about a change or at least a back-up option. UTV.

[Brend'Watkins]

Equally, he loses confidence when he misses.  Down the middle is fine if it goes in.  If it doesn't it's a shit pen. Should we get a pen v Newcastle we as fans will think 50/50 chance he'd score, some will think less than that. It should be 80/20 at least.

[Russ aka Big Nose]

Maybe. Though most strikers that are struggling for goals tend to see a penalty as a way to get them going, more than recognising it as a risk that their confidence is dented even more.

You're certainly right that if a pen goes in, then it is rated as 'good', even when they are scuffed or poorly struck.

[LeeB]

His pen at Everton was his template, drill it a bit higher down the middle and your laughing

[eamonn]

Can we loan Danny Ings back just to come on for penos?

[ADVILLAFAN]

Feel like Douglas would be good at pen's. We know he's a great striker of the ball and he seems so calm as to be almost horizontal.

[PeterWithesShin]

I reckon there should be a list of who are considered the best penalty takers, whoever is on the pitch and highest in the list takes it. So for example, Tielemans is #1 and on the pitch, he takes it. If he isn't on the pitch then it's the second name on the list. Ollie should be a few names down the list.

Penalties can be a weird thing, some love taking them some hate them. When I was a lot younger a mate of mine who was a striker and played some decent non league hated them with a passion. He'd have been 11th in a shootout if he had the choice. Me, I loved them, give me a penalty with everything on the line and i'd have been in my element and would expect to score. But he was a much better player and goalscorer than me in open play.

[DB]

Blimey, talk about glass half-empty. He played great last night and scored a cracking goal. OK, he missed a pen, just give it to someone else.