Ollie Watkins

[darren woolley]

That's ten PL goals for the season keep banging them in Ollie.

[Smirker]

Not many have scored double figures in the league in 5 consecutive seasons for us in my time. It's staggering that some still don't appreciate him.

Bit of a weird one though because anyone who was good enough, left. Or we were just shit.

Yorke would have done it. Benteke would have too.

Ollie is decent but it says more about our lack of achievement tbh.

[Rory]

Not many have scored double figures in the league in 5 consecutive seasons for us in my time. It's staggering that some still don't appreciate him.

Bit of a weird one though because anyone who was good enough, left. Or we were just shit.

Yorke would have done it. Benteke would have too.

Ollie is decent but it says more about our lack of achievement tbh.

True, but we're talking about achievements as Villa players.

We're the strongest we've been on the pitch for 30 years partly down to his goals and assists. Seems harsh to judge him on that and conclude 'if we were shitter, he would've left by now'.

We're good enough that he doesn't want to leave, and he himself has contributed to that. He's helped make us good enough that a player of his record doesn't need to leave to match his ambitions.

Yorke and Benteke didn't do that. They were great, scored goals and left.

The likes of Watkins, Mings, Konsa, McGinn, Martinez - *not to mention Unai, of course* - have turned us from strugglers to contenders in the toughest league in the world.

Ollie is not a Gabby: a decent player who was just about good enough to play for us for a long time but not good enough to be plucked because nobody wanted him.

Ollie is one of the players who have raised our ceiling so much in such a short space of time that he has outstripped his own transfer appeal. He has grown as a player more quickly than his valuation has.

The only clubs who expect a player of his quality or better would not want him because he isn't a big enough name; everybody else (who definitely *would* fucking want him), we are in direct competition with.

He has been, and continues to be, the ideal forward for this stage in our growth as a club. And I agree with those who say that people who criticise him will appreciate his worth when we're looking to find his replacement.

[eamonn]

I thought the questions about Durán in his interview post-game made him feel uncomfortable. Especially when he was told that he was about to be subbed just before the goal.

Also interesting that he said he was in two minds whether to take a touch for the equaliser. Maybe speaks to the lack of killer instinct he's accused of? He's good value in his interviews, often more honest/natural than media trained.

[PaulWinch again]

Not many have scored double figures in the league in 5 consecutive seasons for us in my time. It's staggering that some still don't appreciate him.

Bit of a weird one though because anyone who was good enough, left. Or we were just shit.

Yorke would have done it. Benteke would have too.

Ollie is decent but it says more about our lack of achievement tbh.

Not really, the fact you refer to him as “decent” is illustrative of the blind spot that he occupies for many.

[Dave]

Bloody love Ollie. Works his arse off every game, deserved his goal. We have two genuinely world class forwards for the first time since, well early eighties I suppose.

The only world class player we have is Martinez.

Ollie and Duran aren't close. Come on.

Which centre forwards would you swap either of them for?

I reckon there's maybe three or four. At best.

Salah
Kane
Lewandowski
Lautaro Martínez
Gyokeres
Haaland
Isak

Easily.

Salah isn't a centre forward. And while he's obviously still a good player, swapping either for a 36 year old would be utterly daft.

So "three or four" is actually five.

[PaulWinch again]

Lautaro Martinez wouldn’t be an obvious swap for me either. Gyokeres might, possibly, but I’ve barely seen him play.

[PhilVill]

Bloody love Ollie. Works his arse off every game, deserved his goal. We have two genuinely world class forwards for the first time since, well early eighties I suppose.

The only world class player we have is Martinez.

Ollie and Duran aren't close. Come on.

Him and Kamara, who oozes class.

Watkins is good but he is nowhere near world class.  He summed it up himself last night, he is at his best by far when he acts on instinct. When he has time, he can often make the wrong decision.

If we can keep both him and Duran, we have great options as they are very different, both both effective depending on the gameplan. Watkins was 100% the right choice for yesterday's game and gave the centre backs the runaround.

[danno]

I’m fond of Watkins but that interview showed him taking his self deprecation too far. If he doesn’t have time to think about the finish how could he have had the time to be in two minds about taking a touch? 😂

In the premier league it’s 42 goals and 20 assists in his 82 appearances under Emery.

That’s better than decent.

[Olof's Beard]

Not many have scored double figures in the league in 5 consecutive seasons for us in my time. It's staggering that some still don't appreciate him.

It is bizarre. Given the love for the likes of JPA and Dublin who both had good seasons interspersed  with bad seasons and nowhere near the consistency levels of Ollie.

He probably hasn't been at his absolute best this season but has a goal every 156 minutes. If people aren't happy with that then they are hard to please.

[Ian.]

He’s brilliant in the role he plays for us, the havoc he causes and goals he scores and creates. He’s been our best centre forward we’ve had in a very long time.

I’ve said it before, but the way his career has gone from Western League to Champions League is inspiring and proves to any young kid your dreams can come true. So many young players start at the top from a early age and have brushed shoulders with the best, Ollie’s had to to it the hard way.

[PaulWinch again]

I’m fond of Watkins but that interview showed him taking his self deprecation too far. If he doesn’t have time to think about the finish how could he have had the time to be in two minds about taking a touch? 😂

In the premier league it’s 42 goals and 20 assists in his 82 appearances under Emery.

That’s better than decent.

You’re right that’s absolutely top class.

[German James]

The reason people are still unsure or even negative towards Watkins is because he misses more than his fair share of chances a player of his massive talent should put away. Because these chances seem "easy", they stand out. He could bang in 100 between now and June but people will still remember the ones that got away. It's an odd position to be in.
When I compared him to Heskey, the other day, I didn't mean he was at Heskey's level: he's clearly a much better player. I just get the same sinking feeling when he's through on goal as I did when Emile was in his pomp. I realise that's unfair, and I realise how good Watkins is.

[Smithy]

I’m fond of Watkins but that interview showed him taking his self deprecation too far. If he doesn’t have time to think about the finish how could he have had the time to be in two minds about taking a touch? 😂

In the premier league it’s 42 goals and 20 assists in his 82 appearances under Emery.

That’s better than decent.

Wow. Those numbers are actually ridiculously good.  Better than one in two for goals, and one in four for assists is exceptional. For all the faults we sometimes highlight, it's good to take a step back and recognise that his numbers are genuinely close to elite level.

[AV84]

Watkins is good but he is nowhere near world class.  He summed it up himself last night, he is at his best by far when he acts on instinct. When he has time, he can often make the wrong decision.

If we can keep both him and Duran, we have great options as they are very different, both both effective depending on the gameplan. Watkins was 100% the right choice for yesterday's game and gave the centre backs the runaround.
[/quote]

Keeping them both and them working with each other might prove beneficial for all involved. If Duran's unpredictability and shoot on instinct attitude can rub off a little on Ollie, it could help him a lot. And if Duran can pick up some of Ollie's work ethics and all round play, we'd be buzzing with two top class strikers at our disposal.