Ollie Watkins

[eamonn]

This is Ollie. He's made of titanium.

Thought that was Sia and Guetta.

[olaftab]

Malen would seem the obvious alternative as centre-forward seeing as he has three goals in his last 160 or so minutes.

How effective is he without our Oliver?

He scored for his Country without Oliver

[PaulWinch again]

He did, but not playing as centre-forward. I don’t think that’s his role really, he needs someone to do the hold up play.

[Drummond]

He did, but not playing as centre-forward. I don’t think that’s his role really, he needs someone to do the hold up play.

Emile Heskey is out of contract.

[usav]

Hopefully it’s more the case that Kane is now fit and will play tomorrow anyway, so Ollie is able to rest up.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Kane was always going to play tomorrow. It would have been stupid to have risked him in a friendly. No doubt Bayern wanted him rested too. Watkins is best out of it, resting at home. He did what was asked of him. Now he needs to show week in, week out, he's the second best English centre forward and the best place he can do that is with the Villa.

It's his place to lose.

[Dave]

Kane was always going to play tomorrow. It would have been stupid to have risked him in a friendly. No doubt Bayern wanted him rested too. Watkins is best out of it, resting at home. He did what was asked of him. Now he needs to show week in, week out, he's the second best English centre forward and the best place he can do that is with the Villa.

It's his place to lose.

Yeah, and there aren't exactly many people in the race to overtake him.

After Kane and Watkins, you've got Solanke (injured and possibly third choice striker at Spurs), Delap (injured and probably second choice striker at Chelsea) and Toney (scoring tap-ins in semi-retirement.

After that you're in the Wellbeck / Nketiah / Calvert-Lewin zone.

Unless Watkins gets injured or really screws up, it's hard to see what has to happen for him not to be Kane's back-up next summer.

Beyond Liam Delap there isn't really a young striker coming through either. Unless someone starts showing something soon, "Jay Stansfield for England?" might start to be a real thing in a few years time.

[aldridgeboy]

Theres a real lack of depth with English centre forwards now

In my life we've always had pretty much world class centre forwards. Lineker, Shearer, Owen, Rooney, Kane ( not to mention the likes of Fowler/Ferdinand/Wright who didn't really get much of a look in)

We have very little coming throug. When Kane goes next summer ( likely ) we are weak up front.

[brontebilly]

As good as Kane obviously is as a striker, I think he's a big weakness in terms of how he fits in the England team against the best/better opposition. That's been seen in nearly all the recent tournaments from memory. Someone like Jarrod Bowen can play that false nine role well and could offer something different for England in the world cup.

[Sexual Ealing]

I care about the fluff in my pocket as much as I do about the England football team, but I wouldn't be dropping Harry Kane for Jarrod Bowen.

[Pete3206]

What happened to Toney?

[Villa in Denmark]

What happened to Toney?

He F offed to Saudi.

[DrGonzo]

There's probably some bruising or soreness and as Kane is fit they (England), for once, have put the player's/club's interests before their own. I applaud them.

[eamonn]

Jarrod is class.