Ollie Watkins

[PhilVill]

This won't be hugely popular but I think the club should sell Watkins over summer if we are keeping Duran. I just don't rate him the way others do. All good strikers miss good chances but he seems to miss quite a lot and his first touch is pretty poor most of the time.

[PaulWinch again]

I am not saying Watkins is perfect, but he is very effective for us. I think if/when he does leave it will become apparent to any that don’t rate him how good of a player he’s been for us. That’s not to say he doesn’t have flaws, he’s clearly not perfect but he has been absolutely integral in elevating us and I think he deserves more respect.

[ozzjim]

I agree Paul, but I also think this is a shades of grey discussion. All great strikers miss chances for certain, but Watkins misses more clear cut chances than any other forward in the league. His finishing ability is compensated by his all round game, but there has to be a version of the future where a more clinical finisher turns draws to wins and puts games beyond the opposition. At 29 he's heading towards a significant drop in value, and if we had to sell a couple this summer due to not making CL, he's got to be a consideration.

[Chris Smith]

I am not saying Watkins is perfect, but he is very effective for us. I think if/when he does leave it will become apparent to any that don’t rate him how good of a player he’s been for us. That’s not to say he doesn’t have flaws, he’s clearly not perfect but he has been absolutely integral in elevating us and I think he deserves more respect.

Agreed, Duran is the better finisher but at the moment Watkins has the better all round game.

[andyh]

Is a club not allowed to have two top notch strikers ?
I’m confused.

[LeeB]

Buendia was 18 yards out Watkins 2. Yes the same technique of leaning back when striking the ball though. The Watkins miss had everybody near me holding their head in bewilderment.

Buendia was 8 yards out maximum, and was facing the goal. It was so bad an attempt I almost forgive Ollie as he must have been startled to find the ball still in play.

[N'ZMAV]

If Watkins was brilliant or terrible then there would be no debate. The point there is a lot of debate proves to me that he’s somewhere in the middle. His numbers are good enough. His work rate is good enough. But he misses too many chances. That’s not my opinion. That’s a fact. 40 big chances since the start of last season. More than anyone else.

[brontebilly]

Buendia was 18 yards out Watkins 2. Yes the same technique of leaning back when striking the ball though. The Watkins miss had everybody near me holding their head in bewilderment.

Buendia was 8 yards out maximum, and was facing the goal. It was so bad an attempt I almost forgive Ollie as he must have been startled to find the ball still in play.

There's a lot of excuses being made for Ollie here. That was an absolute sitter he missed. Never got his foot over the ball to strike it down. Looked like he shinned it.
He should never have been blocked for that shot in the first half either. He got there first so has to hit the target like Vardy did later in the game

[LeeB]

'Almost forgive' isn't excuse making, and the point was about how bad Buendia's attempt was.

[Percy McCarthy]

Set up their goal and missed an absolute sitter from 2 feet today.

He's had a mare today , but in fairness the miss was from 5 feet , not sure how he managed to balloon it so high when the goal was begging .

I think if you’re going to come on and correct people, you have to get your corrections correct.

Anyway, unless the six-yard box has suddenly turned into the six-foot box, he was about five yards out.

[Percy McCarthy]

Buendia was 18 yards out Watkins 2. Yes the same technique of leaning back when striking the ball though. The Watkins miss had everybody near me holding their head in bewilderment.

Have you not watched it again since your two foot estimate?

[brontebilly]

'Almost forgive' isn't excuse making, and the point was about how bad Buendia's attempt was.

Fair enough, Buendia never got hold of his shot at all. Put on a plate for him too. He had three good chances (Buendia). Game had opened up at that point but he did get into good positions. I'm not sure Tielemans has a proper effort at goal in the same position.

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

If Watkins was brilliant or terrible then there would be no debate. The point there is a lot of debate proves to me that he’s somewhere in the middle. His numbers are good enough. His work rate is good enough. But he misses too many chances. That’s not my opinion. That’s a fact. 40 big chances since the start of last season. More than anyone else.

Where did you get that figure from, is it something to do with XG? You’d think yesterdays one was a nailed on ‘big chance’ but some of the others he’s missed are not so easily defined.

[The Edge]

Set up their goal and missed an absolute sitter from 2 feet today.

He's had a mare today , but in fairness the miss was from 5 feet , not sure how he managed to balloon it so high when the goal was begging .

I think if you’re going to come on and correct people, you have to get your corrections correct.

Anyway, unless the six-yard box has suddenly turned into the six-foot box, he was about five yards out.

Whatever the exact distance the fact is Ollie missed a gilt edged chance to put the game to bed in an almost identical time and place to the one against Brighton where he could of won the game for us. His technique was the same too. Awful. Leaning back and getting a horrible connection. Duran nets both of those chances imo and our season would be looking a bit more rosy.

[VillaTim]

Set up their goal and missed an absolute sitter from 2 feet today.

He's had a mare today , but in fairness the miss was from 5 feet , not sure how he managed to balloon it so high when the goal was begging .

I think if you’re going to come on and correct people, you have to get your corrections correct.

Anyway, unless the six-yard box has suddenly turned into the six-foot box, he was about five yards out.

Whatever the exact distance the fact is Ollie missed a gilt edged chance to put the game to bed in an almost identical time and place to the one against Brighton where he could of won the game for us. His technique was the same too. Awful. Leaning back and getting a horrible connection. Duran nets both of those chances imo and our season would be looking a bit more rosy.

Add in the sitters he missed vs Arsenal , that should be another 3 points .
NB. I've rewatched the glaring Miss and he's about 13 feet out where he strikes the ball