Ollie Watkins

[PeterWithesShin]

Ollie has missed 6 league games in 5 seasons, and from memory 1 was a suspension. 174 starts, 10 sub appearances. You can't really say that he's ever been dropped in his time at the club.

[Dante Lavelli]

I like Malen and think he’ll be very useful, but he’s scored 15+ goals in a season once. I’m not sure he’s nailed on to be a prolific finisher.

I think the modern day striker role is different. They’re expected to bring more to the table than just goals.
They’re not as prolific as the Greaves, Müller, Shearer, Bent type of striker. Their job was to score and not a lot else. They would score 25-30 a season with a couple of assists.

Ollie is around 15-20 plus 15, or so, assists, so goal involvement wise, he’s up there with them.

I agree with that, which makes Ronaldo and Messi even bigger outliers.  They did both, especially Messi.  Ronaldo became a goal hanger as he got older.

As paul e says, nowadays you probably need your main three attacking positions scoring about 40 between them (spread across 4 or 5 players).

[Meanwood Villa]

Ollie has missed 6 league games in 5 seasons, and from memory 1 was a suspension. 174 starts, 10 sub appearances. You can't really say that he's ever been dropped in his time at the club.

That's interesting. I could have sworn he was in and out of the team more under Gerrard.

[Dave]

Ollie has missed 6 league games in 5 seasons, and from memory 1 was a suspension. 174 starts, 10 sub appearances. You can't really say that he's ever been dropped in his time at the club.

That's interesting. I could have sworn he was in and out of the team more under Gerrard.

I imagine that narrative of around that time of "can't cope with the competition from Ings" makes one's memory think that Ings was playing ahead of him for a bigger chunk of that era.

[paul_e]

Watkins got rested rather than dropped for Rashford. Duran earned his starts by being fantastic whenever he got a chance. Neither is evidence that Emery will be trying to replace Watkins.

Do we know that Watkins was just rested as opposed to being dropped for Rashford? I’m aware he had a knock but i thought Rashford was preferred at centre forward, especially seems as though initially Rashford played very well on the left.

obviously without being Emery we can't know for sure but we were happily playing Rashford and Watkins together and doing well then Watkins hurt his back and we had 5-6 weeks where he seemed to be having his minutes managed, if it was him being dropped for any other reason then the timing was convenient.

[LeeB]

That makes sense Paul but then ge came out whingeing after the Newcastle game which suggests he didn't agree with said management or was dropped.

[john e]

Arguably the two most important games in the champions league last year against PSG he didn’t start. He was definitely dropped because he came out afterwards and told everyone how pissed off he was

[Percy McCarthy]

I think it’s evident that Emery preferred first Duran (til his sending off), then Rashford (til his injury) to Ollie.

[kippaxvilla2]

Emery loves Ollie of that there is little doubt.  However, we no longer say x player is not for sale.  Everyone has their price.  I just think I don't want to sell him to anyone but to that lot, dear God no.

[paul_e]

That makes sense Paul but then ge came out whingeing after the Newcastle game which suggests he didn't agree with said management or was dropped.

Indeed, but this is a guy who wants to play every game and who has an injury record that suggests he's not used to having to rest, of course he was annoyed, doesn't mean he was dropped though, or that Emery doesn't see him as a key member of the squad or that Rashford was preferred to him, it just means we're playing the modern version of the game where using the whole squad is part of being a good manager.

[Rigadon]

Not sneery at all. Come on, no Villa fan, skimming the thread or not would really ask if we would sell Ollie and replace him with an injury prone striker who hardly scores.

You watch, it'll happen now.

'No Villa fan'? 

[LeeS]

For me, his numbers and all round consistency make him a £60m striker every day of the week. But we aren’t a selling club. So anyone who wants him needs to pay a premium to prise him away. That means north of £60m or no deal.

And if it’s Man Utd then add another £10m on because that’s what they always overpay for everyone.

[Drummond]

For me, his numbers and all round consistency make him a £60m striker every day of the week. But we aren’t a selling club. So anyone who wants him needs to pay a premium to prise him away. That means north of £60m or no deal.

And if it’s Man Utd then add another £10m on because that’s what they always overpay for everyone.

Unless Emery wants rid of course. And if that's the case, Watkins will know and that will help push the price down and his signing on bonus/wages  up...

[ozzjim]

The issue selling Ollie this summer is the lack of an obvious replacement out there that we could get our hands on at a decent price. Delap was probably the most suitable, but he had 6-7 good options. Unless we get £60m which is mad money for his age, there's just no gain in selling at the moment.

[nigel]

For me, his numbers and all round consistency make him a £60m striker every day of the week. But we aren’t a selling club. So anyone who wants him needs to pay a premium to prise him away. That means north of £60m or no deal.

And if it’s Man Utd then add another £10m on because that’s what they always overpay for everyone.

Unless Emery wants rid of course. And if that's the case, Watkins will know and that will help push the price down and his signing on bonus/wages  up...

I doubt Emery wants rid.
Ollie always comes across as a hard working team player. A managers dream player