Ollie Watkins

[Olneythelonely]

Is it a joke every time you’re weird about Watkins?

Weird? I think I've made myself clear on Watkins but I'll simplify it for you; he's world class at getting himself into goalscoring positions. It's an art very few strikers have. His problem is he's not the most technically gifted of players, especially for this level which is why he misses so many chances. If he was he'd be playing for Real Madrid.

You’ve also called him a donkey.

[Smirker]

He missed five sitters.

That's utter bollocks and shows exactly why it's so fucking tiresome having to argue about this so much. He missed a penalty because he slipped and scored 1. Over the entire game he had 4 other chances. No striker in history has ever had a 100% conversion rate, in fact 1 in 5 is considered pretty good. If you look at xG (which remember compares chances to a huge dataset of similar ones and gives a value based on how often they result in a goal) he had 1.83 tonight, .79 of which was the penalty. All of his other chances combined add up to an expected return of 1 goal.

Across his time with us all of these same figures apply, he scores something like 18% of the chances he gets. Which makes him an average finisher, not shit, not brilliant, just bang in the middle.

but instead of focusing on that some of us prefer to look at the fact that he also has a significantly higher than average number of assists and works his fucking tits off making space for other people. He's a huge net positive for us and the fact that we've improved so much as a team since he arrived should show that.

The context of the chances matters. They were all easy to score and he missed five of them.

xG is the context of the chances, that's it's entire fucking purpose. Why are you so determined to moan about him tonight of all fucking nights? It's just fucking weird at this point.

No, use your eyes. He had seven good chances and scored one. They were not 7 half chances or difficult positions.

Could easily just make the same argument about you, why do you ferociously defend him so much and not acknowledge a major flaw in his game? I mention it tonight because his finishing was particularly bad.

[PeterWithesShin]

Every striker misses loads, i've said before that the conversion rate of a top player even in form isn't that high overall. In the PL this season Salah is 22%, Haaland 20%, Palmer 18%. Ollie 17%.

And yet some think Ollie isn't good enough because he doesn't put away 40% plus.

You'll have a player like Wood have a freak half season (34% this season) but year after year by the end of the season it's rare the top scorers are above 25%.

[Somniloquism]

Having watched the full highlights, I wouldn't call them all sitters missed. Yes he could have put more power on the dink through the defense but then I think it only got through because the right amount of power was played. Just a shame the defender went around the back. As for the others, Schmeical pulled off some decent saves. If Emi makes them, we state "what a good save", not "good job the attacker missed a sitter".

[AV84]

I wonder if the Arsenal links have come about from the player himself? If Duran was staying, maybe Ollie was looking for a move and his agent put the feelers out. As it turns out, Duran is suddenly off to Saudi, so Watkins is back to being the only striker, which suits him, and the Arsenal thing disappears.

[Sexual Ealing]

Very selfless all round performance, plenty for the Watkins fans to enjoy, but provided loads for Sexual Ealing, too. What a guy. 😊

I don't actually like it when he misses sitters. I'd rather he scored them.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Is it a joke every time you’re weird about Watkins?

Weird? I think I've made myself clear on Watkins but I'll simplify it for you; he's world class at getting himself into goalscoring positions. It's an art very few strikers have. His problem is he's not the most technically gifted of players, especially for this level which is why he misses so many chances. If he was he'd be playing for Real Madrid.

You’ve also called him a donkey.

You missed the penalty?

[PeterWithesShin]

You missed the penalty?

No. Ollie did.

[Olneythelonely]

Is it a joke every time you’re weird about Watkins?

Weird? I think I've made myself clear on Watkins but I'll simplify it for you; he's world class at getting himself into goalscoring positions. It's an art very few strikers have. His problem is he's not the most technically gifted of players, especially for this level which is why he misses so many chances. If he was he'd be playing for Real Madrid.

You’ve also called him a donkey.

You missed the penalty?

The turf went from under his foot. The fact that you blame him, says it all.

[Monty]

Is it a joke every time you’re weird about Watkins?

Weird? I think I've made myself clear on Watkins but I'll simplify it for you; he's world class at getting himself into goalscoring positions. It's an art very few strikers have. His problem is he's not the most technically gifted of players, especially for this level which is why he misses so many chances. If he was he'd be playing for Real Madrid.

You’ve also called him a donkey.

You missed the penalty?

Pretty sure that was Ollie.

Edit:  GOD DAMNIT PWS

[Chip Butty 111]

Chatting about Duran/Watkins on BBC earlier. Clearly Duran is off and discussing Arsenal's £60M bid for Ollie. The question was asked if Arsenal go to £70M ....for a 29yr old. It won't happen again, so what do we do from a business not football perspective. Mad this is happening tonight of all nights.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Is it a joke every time you’re weird about Watkins?

Weird? I think I've made myself clear on Watkins but I'll simplify it for you; he's world class at getting himself into goalscoring positions. It's an art very few strikers have. His problem is he's not the most technically gifted of players, especially for this level which is why he misses so many chances. If he was he'd be playing for Real Madrid.

You’ve also called him a donkey.

You missed the penalty?

The turf went from under his foot. The fact that you blame him, says it all.

No worries, I'll live with it.

[ozzjim]

To be fair the previous post you made about him Rudy is pretty much as spot on as it gets. His all round game and ability to get into positions to get chances so regularly is outstanding but you're right, his technical ability just isn't there to be more clinical so he's often snatching at chances and misses way too many.

[Olneythelonely]

And I completely agree with that. As long as you also recognise that the amount he creates for the team, clearly negates his lack of killer instinct in front of goal.

Without him we’d be half the team.

[PeterWithesShin]

He doesn't miss loads more than other players though, that's what some seem to miss. And that's even comparing him to the 'elite' players.