Ollie Watkins

[PaulWinch again]

Agreed, he did really well to put it “into an area”.

[The Edge]

They'll watch the match back as a group and stop to analyse bits. It must be quite embarrassing when they get to the bit where Watkins has a tap-in if Zaniolo lays it off. Hopefully he learns for the next time they're in that situation.

I can picture them all in this meeting, with Emery pausing the video at the point he could have slipped it though and just looking at Zaniolo with an eyebrow raised. Everyone will know he should have and everyone will also understand the context of why he didn’t - he’ll get a free pass this time, but if it happens again you can imagine Emery having none of it.

Yes I thought that. Ollie seems like a top lad. If he could just find a little composure when the inevitable chances come his way he could be awesome.

[paul_e]

For the first goal Ollie's touch was a bit heavy, but his speed enabled him to recover, and chip it towards goal. Whether it was an attempt himself or for somebody else to follow up, doesn't really matter. He was under a huge amount of pressure from the goalkeeper.

Exactly this, whether he was shooting or crossing doesn't really make a difference, by going across the goal he gave the chance to score or for someone to get on the end of it. Scoring in the amount we've seen in the last 3 games is mostly about 'loading the dice', if you keep putting the ball into the right areas and you keep having players commit to finding space in the box it will create goals. In general we're just making good decisions in the opposition box this season and we could easily have 4-5 more goals than our already very impressive haul of 13 in 4.

[Brend'Watkins]

The 2nd half effort he really should have put away to the far side of the goal but instead he hit it pretty much straight at the keeper. it has to be a confidence thing. I've said it before, if he starts showing more poise in front of goal and converting just half those sort of chances his demand will be far greater.  He's lost the penalty job and as we progress further is in danger of not being an automatic starter in future transfer windows. I can't see Emery being happy with his level of finishing when chances are few and far between in bigger games. 

I still like him though as he leads the line well and puts in great effort.

[chrisw1]

I've been very critical of Watkins in the past and he's still missing chances he should really be putting away.  But all strikers do, we just don't watch every minute they play with a critical eye.  It's a bit like Mings, it's getting to the stage where every miss / error is getting blown up and over analysed. 

The reality is he is very important to the way we play and whilst I still find him frustrating at times he's a really important cog in the machine.  More to the point, I think it would be incredibly difficult (and expensive) to get someone better at the moment.  Look how many chances Darwin has missed at Liverpool - and he was £65m rising to £85m with add-ons. How many central strikers in the PL would be guaranteed to be better?  I start to struggle after Haaland, Isak & Toney. Possibly Alverez but he's in such a dominant team it's hard to say.  Maybe Jesus if fit, maybe Nico Jackson once he's more settled?

If Ollie doesn't sign a contract we'll probably have to sell next summer.  I think there will be plenty of takers and we'll miss him.

[Drummond]

Which other Premier League strikers would you have ahead of Watkins? Haaland and Salah perhaps but then when you consider all that he offers, and the role he has in this team, I wouldn't swap him.

[Olneythelonely]

Isaac maybe. I don’t think I would swap them, but there’s an argument for him.

[LeeB]

Isak is a good player but there's no way he's getting through the bulk of 38 league games and champions league as well, he looks like he's made from pipe cleaners.

[Martyn Smith]

Jimmy Greaves always used to say that his 25 goals a season were the result of about 100 shots

[Martyn Smith]

It was a great run off the ball, took a bit of a bounce off his knee, he recovered and got to the ball again before the goalkeeper did and played it across. Looked like an assist all round to me.

I always feel that great sides deal with the second best options well, and anticipating how a misplaced shot might travel. So many of the strikes of perhaps the most deadly duo of the modern era, Van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer, were converted by the latter picking up the spillage of where the former had not quite found the right finish first off. Under Gerrard Watkins effort would probably have dribbled out for a goal kick with no-one near it. Under Emery the right wing back sees what could be on the cards and busts a gut to put the stray ball away

[VillaTim]

Which other Premier League strikers would you have ahead of Watkins? Haaland and Salah perhaps but then when you consider all that he offers, and the role he has in this team, I wouldn't swap him.

Toney maybe if we could drag him out of William Hill's

[PeterWithesShin]

To be a notable upgrade on Watkins we'd need a striker that plays 35+ league games a season, scores 15+ league goals, gets 6+ assists, works his balls off every game no matter how well or poorly it's going as it's key to how we play and is very much a team player. That narrows down the list of potential options a hell of a lot.

[Monty]

To be a notable upgrade on Watkins we'd need a striker that plays 35+ league games a season, scores 15+ league games, gets 6+ assists, works his balls off every game no matter how well or poorly as it's going as it's key to how we play and is very much a team player. That narrows down the list of potential options a hell of a lot.

Yep, an upgrade on Ollie Watkins looks like Victor Osimhen. That's the reality.

[Risso]

To be a notable upgrade on Watkins we'd need a striker that plays 35+ league games a season, scores 15+ league games, gets 6+ assists, works his balls off every game no matter how well or poorly as it's going as it's key to how we play and is very much a team player. That narrows down the list of potential options a hell of a lot.

Yep, an upgrade on Ollie Watkins looks like Victor Osimhen. That's the reality.

There's nobody between Ollie Watkins and Osimhen? I fine that a bit unlikely to be honest.

[Monty]

I kind of feel like if Watkins seriously upped his finishing rate in such a manner as would make a difference, he'd be considered world class, in the £80-100m bracket. Granted, Osimhen is more £120-150m, but it's rareified territory.