Ollie Watkins

[Ian.]

Indeed, it’s both the disrespect for what he has done and also the delight when he doesn’t score that is frustrating.

He’s not firing, it’s there to be seen in plain sight. It’s probably a combination of poor form, confidence and lack of service due to how we’re currently set up to play. We’ve not got too many options and we may not even have the resources to change this in January. Obviously Rashford was a huge upgrade last season. What players can move to Barcelona and make a good go of it? We were lucky to have him temporarily.

However Paul’s right, it’s a strange obsession to be acting quite gleeful when a game passes and he hasn’t scored. I’m actually gutted when this happens.

He’s been nothing but a brilliant signing and an inspiration to me. He’s come from the lower leagues and he’s now one of our top strikers in our recent history. That’s a fantastic achievement, especially in these days when players are now at top clubs from a early age.

[German James]

This is an odd thread! No-one's "gleeful" that Watkins is contributing very little at the moment, but he's also... er... contributing very little at the moment and it's natural that he's criticised for that on his own thread. His past glories don't give him a free pass in the present, neither does his present underachievement negate his previous form.

[Smirker]

No, I agree fully with that assessment so you can't give me to SE.

Watkins was good enough for mid table/top 7. He isn't good enough if we want to go further.

I thought he was good enough for top 4 being as we got top 4 with him and just missed out again with him playing a role again.

You think he's good enough for top four and your argument is we've finished top four once in five years? 😂

You’ve had other posters doing the hard yards for you today, you could of given yourself the day off the Watkins debate and sat back and enjoyed.

I appreciate all of my fellow club members ❤️🙏

[Somniloquism]

Criticism that he isn't doing anything at the moment is fine. However certain posters have been known to post smiley faces when he isn't starting, then moan he didn't score in the 10 mins he came on. They have been straight into this thread to post about Ollie not scoring or doing anything even before a final whilstle whether we have beaten Citeh/Spurs or lost to Palace/Liverpool. Of course they have also been posting we need to get rid even when we were getting fourth so do seem to be happy that 13 months later, they are finally justified even if it means Villa are doing poorly because of it.

[Monty]

This is an odd thread! No-one's "gleeful" that Watkins is contributing very little at the moment

Again - one guy really really is.

[SamTheMouse]

I'm a big fan of Watkins. He's been instrumental in Making Villa Great Again.

Very much not an elite striker though. Elite strikers can take penalties, for a start.

[Somniloquism]

I'm a big fan of Watkins. He's been instrumental in Making Villa Great Again.

Very much not an elite striker though. Elite strikers can take penalties, for a start.

Seems none of our players can take penalties.

[Sexual Ealing]

But they're not bottlers.

[Somniloquism]

But they're not bottlers.

Sorry you support a team of bottlers then.

[Sexual Ealing]

Yeah, me fucking too.

[PaulWinch again]

Honestly though, given the efforts and levels the players and management have reached in the last few years, calling them bottlers in any context is just weird. That doesn’t mean they get every decision or every game right, of course not, but they’ve all shown plenty of “bottle” many times.

[Sexual Ealing]

They're cowards. Scum. If my fox brought one of them home from his paper round I'd stamp on his dad.

[Rory]

Of course Smirker enjoys Watkins failing to perform. He's committed. If Villa lose, all the better. It is obvious, and tragic.

As for replacements, Duran is not a viable option. He never wanted to be here, and wanted to leave so much that he went to Saudi then Turkey. We didn't exactly force him out.

[Drummond]

Since Emery came in three years ago we've amassed the 4th highest number of points in the league. Watkins has been out centre forward in all of that time.

[Rigadon]

Since Emery came in three years ago we've amassed the 4th highest number of points in the league. Watkins has been out centre forward in all of that time.

True, and he has loads of goodwill in the bank as a result.  But he’s been below his best for a while now in lost aspects of his game.  We don’t really have another option at the moment.  If we still had Rashford, I don’t Watkins would be playing very much.