Ollie Watkins

[john2710]

Watkins, like every other player, needs genuine competition. But getting a player who's a step up will be difficult, costly & unlikely.

[Steve67]

Not happening, so it doesn't matter, but Wilson is a very good player.  Not sure who else might be available, out there, but if we want to win things on a consistent basis, we need higher quality up top.

[pauliewalnuts]

I wish we had Callum Wilson.  Ollie's a willing runner and was great last season but if we want to finish higher, Ollie needs to be a back up to someone else. Ollie is a terrific player but we need to upgrade.

Wilson isn’t an upgrade on Ollie in my view. He’s a similar level, has different attributes, and a bad injury past.

His goals to games ratio is miles better than Ollie's.

And he is their second fiddle option.

[AV84]

Debatable whether Watkins did actually score today, and he definitely would have if he hadn't had to lean back to avoid getting decapitated by Pickford.

[RamboandBruno]

Watkins had a poor game today, but he brings a lot to the table. I know he scored but there was no real pressing of their defence once Duran replaced Watkins.
There is also a lot of talk about upgrading Watkins, when we really aren’t at the stage of having adequate competition for him, nevermind a replacement.
When he somehow cleared Torres header today and looked like he had done his hamstring in the process, there was an audible holding off breath on the holte. Durans a wild card and Archer looks no where near at the moment I’m afraid.
If Ollie can get between 15-18 goals this season, Diaby gets into double figures and Bailey, Dougie, McGinn and Zaniolo call add 5-8 goals, we’ll do better than last season, league wise.

[SamTheMouse]

Let's put it this way: his excellent work rate makes up for a multitude of sins.

Still a big fan though. There's a hell of a lot to be said for a hard worker.

[Dante Lavelli]

A West Ham mate said they were offering £40m for Solanke.  I think we all agree Watkins needs genuine competition, maybe replacing, but doing so at the right price will be hard. 

[ozzjim]

This is where Monchi and the scouting team earn their corn. Watkins is great, but he's not a top 4 striker.

[Somniloquism]

As others have pointed out, if Watkins gets similar goal figures as normal, but we get the input from Diaby, Bailey, Ramsey and others, then we could be challenging. Last season Jesus scored less then Watkins as Arsenal's main striker, but they had 44 goals contributed by Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard. Our next top scorer after Watkins was Ings on 6 and he left after half a season. So I don't think replacing Watkins with someone who can score another 5-6 goals a season is as big as getting more goals from elsewhere, and Diaby is the first part of the puzzle for that.

[Axl Rose]

This is where Monchi and the scouting team earn their corn. Watkins is great, but he's not a top 4 striker.

If he's on form, he might me. Certainly during that spell last season, he was red hot.

Ollie is streaky, but I reckon he could definitely play with/off a top 4 striker.

I really like him, so I'm a bit biased, I know. He's so strong, and his hold up play has come on leaps and bounds since Emery joined us.

[AV84]

What is a Top 4 striker? Of last year's Top 4 Arsenal and Man Utd don't have a decent striker. Of the 6 teams that finished above us last season only Kane and Haaland scored more than Watkins. Toney scored more than Watkins, but they finished below us.
The way a lot of teams seem to be playing at the moment the striker position doesn't seem to be as important. Unless you've got a Haaland or a Kane, but even Man City and Spurs without Kane are getting goals from elsewhere.

[paul_e]

As others have pointed out, if Watkins gets similar goal figures as normal, but we get the input from Diaby, Bailey, Ramsey and others, then we could be challenging. Last season Jesus scored less then Watkins as Arsenal's main striker, but they had 44 goals contributed by Saka, Martinelli and Odegaard. Our next top scorer after Watkins was Ings on 6 and he left after half a season. So I don't think replacing Watkins with someone who can score another 5-6 goals a season is as big as getting more goals from elsewhere, and Diaby is the first part of the puzzle for that.

Diaby, Zaniolo and Ramsey can all get in double figures, if Luiz, McGinn, Duran, Bailey and Couts can all get 4-5 as well we're looking at well over 60 with watkins as well. If we manage that we'll be competitive around the top 4.

[chrisw1]

It was but it isn’t always like that, which is more my point. He’s never going to be elite level, but he’s a good striker and when he’s in form he’s better than he was today. He’s comfortably good enough to play at the level we’re at at the moment.

We want to be higher than the level we're at though, surely, and to get there we'll need somebody a bit more consistent. It sounds a bit harsh after a 4-0 win, but he was far and away our worst player today.

“By far and away our worst player”. Really? Do you keep a tally of this dubious accolade? Olly worked his nuts off today, and will score a load this season. I don’t know who this mythical striker is who we can get in to replace him, coz they are not easy to come by.

Well yes he was.  By some distance I'd say.

And it's not easy, but Newcastle have managed it twice.

[LeeB]

Putting the baggage and bans aside, what would folk think of buying Toney? Would cost a pretty penny but he is a genuine goalscorer.

[Dante Lavelli]

Putting the baggage and bans aside, what would folk think of buying Toney? Would cost a pretty penny but he is a genuine goalscorer.

Dead cert for spurs I reckon and he’s not good enough to justify a bidding war.