Ollie Watkins

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Ollie scored 50 top flight league goals in the previous 3 seasons. No other Villa player in the last 50 years has done that in a 3 season spell. Withe, Shaw, Gray, Platt, Yorke, Little, Benteke etc.

None of those played as the lone striker. Apples and oranges.

More importantly, yes Watkins should have scored yesterday or the least get his head to the cross but looking at the bigger picture, if we accept Watkins is a limited talent BUT if we play to his strengths he'll score goals. Right now we've gone out our way to play to his weaknesses. He must feel extremely frustrated, he's hardly seen the ball and when he does it's not where he wants it. Then you have to factor in he's not the most clinical of strikers and generally requires a few opportunities to score.

The other problem is how Unai has set us up with three 10s and no real width. It's very congested and we end up passing the ball outside the 18 yard box from left to right and back again. You can count the number of crosses into the 6 yard box, Watkins' hotspot, on your thumbs. It's relatively simple stuff, just go and see Watkins' showreel of his goals and how and where they were scored. None from outside the box. Cutting in from the left into the box as a couple of defenders hold off him is probably the most typical goal he scores.  That's never going to happen right now.

[john e]

Personally I think both Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers have a lot to thank Unai Emery for, without him I don’t think either of their careers would be as high as they’ve been so far

They both seem in a huff about something I’ve seen it reported that Ollie is still upset He was dropped from a important champions league game, and who knows about Morgan either way I think they both think they’re better than they actually are at the moment
Best thing that happened to Watkins is he never left because he would’ve been killed at Liverpool Arsenal Man United absolutely annihilated

Rogers on the other hand could probably play for anyone when in his top form which is not now, maybe he’s smarting over a move that never happened. I don’t know.
But I do know the pair of them should go out and buy Unai Emery a fucking house They owe him everything.

[RamboandBruno]

Personally I think both Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers have a lot to thank Unai Emery for, without him I don’t think either of their careers would be as high as they’ve been so far

They both seem in a huff about something I’ve seen it reported that Ollie is still upset He was dropped from a important champions league game, and who knows about Morgan either way I think they both think they’re better than they actually are at the moment
Best thing that happened to Watkins is he never left because he would’ve been killed at Liverpool Arsenal Man United absolutely annihilated

Rogers on the other hand could probably play for anyone when in his top form which is not now, maybe he’s smarting over a move that never happened. I don’t know.
But I do know the pair of them should go out and buy Unai Emery a fucking house They owe him everything.

Yep well said

[VinnieChase84]

I’ve had enough of Watkins. Should have taken the money and sold him already. Only one way he’s going and it’s massive decline

To strop about when he has any competition for his shirt was pathetic previously. Now he’s stinking out the place when unchallenged

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Be that may, Vinnie, he's all we have right now so we need to make it work. Watkins can have no complaints about being dropped for the PSG games, Rashford scared the shit out of them and they were delighted to see him go off. Previously Duran was a monster and scoring for fun plus Watkins had only managed one goal in the CL, Celtic at home. I'd have fancied my own chances against them.

[Drummond]

I’ve had enough of Watkins. Should have taken the money and sold him already. Only one way he’s going and it’s massive decline

To strop about when he has any competition for his shirt was pathetic previously. Now he’s stinking out the place when unchallenged

What 'stropping about'?

And how's he stinking the place out? Does the same apply to pretty much all of the players?

[PaulWinch again]

It does, people keep rounding on Watkins and Rogers, but it’s virtually every player doing badly. It’s not about individuals - at least primarily.

[Smirker]

If he is still stropping about because he didn't start those games, then that brings his professionalism into question, one of his only positive attributes.

If that's true he really needs to fucking grow up because its a fucking team game and he's had a guaranteed starting place for the majority of his time here - we sold Ings and Duran because he couldn't handle a bit of competition ffs.

Honestly I'm not sure it is true, I just think he's playing at his level. But if it is he's a disgrace.

[cdbearsfan]

If he is still stropping about because he didn't start those games, then that brings his professionalism into question, one of his only positive attributes.

If that's true he really needs to fucking grow up because its a fucking team game and he's had a guaranteed starting place for the majority of his time here - we sold Ings and Duran because he couldn't handle a bit of competition ffs.

Honestly I'm not sure it is true, I just think he's playing at his level. But if it is he's a disgrace.

Just the three paragraphs then, to be on the safe side.

[Smirker]

If he is still stropping about because he didn't start those games, then that brings his professionalism into question, one of his only positive attributes.

If that's true he really needs to fucking grow up because its a fucking team game and he's had a guaranteed starting place for the majority of his time here - we sold Ings and Duran because he couldn't handle a bit of competition ffs.

Honestly I'm not sure it is true, I just think he's playing at his level. But if it is he's a disgrace.

Just the three paragraphs then, to be on the safe side.

Everyone else seems to think it is true, so I thought I'd address it as if it was.

Maybe next game he'll make it 1 goal in 7 apps 

[olaftab]

It does, people keep rounding on Watkins and Rogers, but it’s virtually every player doing badly. It’s not about individuals - at least primarily.

Watkins and Rogers are out star performers, England internationals so it's their job to stand up and make this team click.

[Smirker]

It does, people keep rounding on Watkins and Rogers, but it’s virtually every player doing badly. It’s not about individuals - at least primarily.

Watkins and Rogers are out star performers, England internationals so it's their job to stand up and make this team click.

They're also our two main attackers, defensively we've been sound. Liverpool have conceded the same amount of goals as us and they're top.

It's going forward we're really struggling. We can't score goals and are relying almost entirely on someone who has scored 17 in the last 65 games.

[Monty]

I think we should just boycott this thread.

[Nunkin1965]

It does, people keep rounding on Watkins and Rogers, but it’s virtually every player doing badly. It’s not about individuals - at least primarily.

Watkins and Rogers are out star performers, England internationals so it's their job to stand up and make this team click.

Have they forgotten its the World Cup next year?
Think they should be driven by that and get back to how good we know they are.

[Ian.]

I think every 17th post in 65 is someone else posting but the other 48 are Smirker running Ollie down!