Ollie Watkins

[Percy McCarthy]

Watkins goals this season...

https://twitter.com/AVFCOfficial/status/1741464474484130044?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

This year.

[pablo_picasso]

👍

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Nice. I'd love to see a showreel of his assists as two really stand out; yesterday for Diaby - superb awareness and a sliderule pass, he knew exactly what he was doing. The other, my favourite, was the header to keep the ball in play, heading it back for Ramsey(?) to score.

[Ian.]

That’s brilliant. He’s had fantastic 12 months. Long may it continue.

I love how Emery has come in, not fallen out with anyone and all our squad have taken on what he has installed and all have improved so that they are quite unrecognisable from how they were under Gerrard.

How many times has a new manager come in and we talk about transition, or players not fitting it, or he needs to build his own squad?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Ian, one additional point and a massive one; Unai risked/bet the farm on Watkins. It was a massive gamble to bet on a striker that was such a poor finisher whilst at the same time selling Ings, your top goalscorer. Unai obviously saw something he could work with other than Watkins' pressing and chasing, developing him into a better player. That takes balls of steel. If Watkins had failed so would have Unai. That said I really hope we bring in serious competition for Watkins this window. My guess is we'll either find a better finisher or a player that provides more assists. I'm pretty damn certain we won't find both.

Happy New Year to you and all the H&V family. To sum up 2023, Big Chris from Lock, Stock.. said it best, "it's been emotional". 2024? Bring it on!

[LeeB]

Nice. I'd love to see a showreel of his assists as two really stand out; yesterday for Diaby - superb awareness and a sliderule pass, he knew exactly what he was doing. The other, my favourite, was the header to keep the ball in play, heading it back for Ramsey(?) to score.

Against Newcastle, made better by the violence and conviction of Ramsey’s strike.

Christ we scored some brilliant goals last year.

[AV84]

Christ we scored some brilliant goals last year.

There's a video up of all our goals in 2023, and there's 99 of them. I blame Ollie for one of his missed sitters for it not being a lovely round 100.

[LeeB]

[KevinGage]

I love how Emery has come in, not fallen out with anyone and all our squad have taken on what he has installed and all have improved so that they are quite unrecognisable from how they were under Gerrard.

How many times has a new manager come in and we talk about transition, or players not fitting it, or he needs to build his own squad?

That's true. He certainly doesn't bleat to the media about players not being good enough and all the rest of it.

But both SJM and Cash at the weekend said he has told the group to do things exactly how he wants it or they won't be here. There's a ruthlessness to him as well.

[LeeB]

It's an under valued aspect of his management, creating a culture without excuses, managing people and resources effectively and getting a consistent buy in from those on the fringes as a result.

[Ian.]

Ian, one additional point and a massive one; Unai risked/bet the farm on Watkins. It was a massive gamble to bet on a striker that was such a poor finisher whilst at the same time selling Ings, your top goalscorer. Unai obviously saw something he could work with other than Watkins' pressing and chasing, developing him into a better player. That takes balls of steel. If Watkins had failed so would have Unai. That said I really hope we bring in serious competition for Watkins this window. My guess is we'll either find a better finisher or a player that provides more assists. I'm pretty damn certain we won't find both.

Happy New Year to you and all the H&V family. To sum up 2023, Big Chris from Lock, Stock.. said it best, "it's been emotional". 2024? Bring it on!

I missed this reply. Yes, you’re right and so is Kevin Gage, our manager is pretty ruthless and has balls of steel. It was a huge gamble. Quite and few, or actually all of us presumed selling Ings meant a replacement was incoming.

What a year and happy new year to you and all too.

Let’s hope 2024 is as successful as the last as that was outstanding. Can I wish for a trophy though? That would be nice!

[ChicagoLion]

It's an under valued aspect of his management, creating a culture without excuses, managing people and resources effectively and getting a consistent buy in from those on the fringes as a result.

want the first thing he said to the players” I am not here to waste my time”

[Dave]

The strangest thing about that is realising that Danny Ings scored a goal for us in 2023.

As much a jolt from another era as if Tommy Johnson had popped up on there.

[Toronto Villa]

Goals 83 and 84 are in the wrong order

🙄

[Bad English]