Ollie Watkins

[cdbearsfan]

Haaland didn't score or assist today, he's shit.

Shall we compare their goal records then?

Not really relevant, is it, unless we are allowed to spend at least £200 million and he fancies the move. The pertinent comparison is whether Ollie would contribute more (which includes assists, no matter how much you pretend otherwise) than someone we would be able to bring in for his asking price. Of course, we could unearth a gem, so you never know. But I'd say the odds would be against it.

[cdbearsfan]

When you get assists as well as goals, it literally is "doing more than scoring". If you have arbitrarily decided not to count them because they make your argument look silly, it renders anything else you have to say on the subject meaningless.

And today he got neither. No assists no goals. No service received no service provided.

Always an excuse for Ollie.

I don't know who you're arguing with. I never made an excuse for today. I said assists count. Because, you know, they do.

They get brought up when his bang average goal record is brought up as a way to deflect from the fact he doesn't score enough.

Then when he doesn't contribute either, suddenly its the fault of others for not giving him any service.

He's beyond criticism.

Assists are worth mentioning, so no idea why you refuse to count them. If we won the FA Cup Final three-nil and Ollie set up all the goals, would you still be moaning at him for not scoring?

I don't know what the second part of your argument is, you seem to have invented something I haven't said.

[London Villan]

Watkins is the least of our issues.

[Smirker]

Assists aren't relevant to his goal record. It's an excuse. There is always an excuse made for him.

He isn't good enough. A top striker gets us at least a win or draw from last week and today.

[Stinkin_Thinkin]

watkins will get his usual 15 goals come may. Thats without pens too.

[Olneythelonely]

Assists aren't relevant to his goal record. It's an excuse. There is always an excuse made for him.

He isn't good enough. A top striker gets us at least a win or draw from last week and today.

It’s either an irrational dislike of Watkins or you’re incapable of admitting that you can be wrong. Saying a football player adds more than one thing isn’t an excuse. The best striker in the world didn’t manage to get Man City and win or a draw today.

Which of his chances did you expect him to score today?

[Smirker]

Assists aren't relevant to his goal record. It's an excuse. There is always an excuse made for him.

He isn't good enough. A top striker gets us at least a win or draw from last week and today.

It’s either an irrational dislike of Watkins or you’re incapable of admitting that you can be wrong. Saying a football player adds more than one thing isn’t an excuse. The best striker in the world didn’t manage to get Man City and win or a draw today.

Which of his chances did you expect him to score today?

Watkins has now scored just 16 goals in his last 61 games.

When I say he doesn't score enough, and someone inevitably replies with the "but his assists means his goal contributions are x", that is an excuse to mask over his poor goalscoring.

[PeterWithesShin]

35 in his last 77 league games. Hardly a poor return.

16 in 61 is factually incorrect as even counting cup games he scored 17 in 54 last season.

[cdbearsfan]

Factually incorrect, Smirker? I can't believe that.

[Beard82]

I love Watkins - I think hes great - not the most amazing finisher in the world but he's done us - and England - well.

Its also pointless talking about whether or not hes good enough - because were not getting anyone any better

[London Villan]

He’s a top 6 striker. An step up would cost us £100m…

[LeonW]

I’m not his biggest fan and he seems to be losing his pace but he had zero service today.

[pauliewalnuts]

I can understand why people might think it makes sense to move Watkins on if we had a stupid offer, given his age etc etc.

However, our current major problem around pace and mobility is nothing to do with Watkins. That's the problem we need to solve.

[PaulWinch again]

Yep exactly - the whole attacking structure has been wrong in the first two games. We need additional quality, but we could have done better with what we have available to us now. No attacking player is going to thrive on that.

[brontebilly]

I can understand why people might think it makes sense to move Watkins on if we had a stupid offer, given his age etc etc.

However, our current major problem around pace and mobility is nothing to do with Watkins. That's the problem we need to solve.

It's not an easy fix. We are incredibly static as a team now. We bring on somebody quick like Malen and he was as bad as any of them. Maybe the 4411 has had its day, especially with likes of Ramsey gone there's a glaring hole on the left now. Distribution from the back is appalling so can't even go more direct.

Maybe more of a 4231 would be worth trying for a few games. McGinn in next to Tielemans. Malen, Rogers and Guessand all rotating positions behind Watkins. As much as he hardly deserves it, Id give Maatsen a chance now too. We simply have to get more legs into the team.