Fulham 1-2 Aston Villa post match pint

[rob_bridge]

Watkins offers more to the team as a whole.

I reckon prime Benteke in this team would piss off the manager for not following instructions but would still be loved by the fans.

Yorke would be bloody amazing in this team though.

Prime Yorke as an option for the Diaby/Bailey position in the current team would guarantee us top four, and probably a decent title challenge.

Yorke is head and shoulders the best striker we had in my supporting time.

Benteke saved us from relegation clearly as soon as he went so did we. Ollie is a better all round player in my opinion but a fit and firing Benteke at his best was a central defender's nightmare.

I don't remember much about Little or Gray (at Villa) mind.

[AV82EC]

[Gary Penrice enters the chat]

[brontebilly]

Yorke was absolute quality, first touch, impossible to knock off the ball, two feet, everything really. Granted he has said some idiotic things about the club since but think supporters should remember the good times more, there was plenty of those with Yorkey up front.
Watkins has nothing like that skill set but he's incredibly resilient and a leader. We have some great characters at the club these days...Watkins, McGinn, Mings, Martinez...none of these were star younger players. Grafters who improved each season with us.

[London Villan]

Watkins makes the very most of his talent - but is not particularly brilliant at anything except working bloody hard.

There is a very long list of players who if they had his work ethic could have had brilliant careers - Collymore, Carew, Gabby and Carbone are four that come to mind.

[RamboandBruno]

[Gary Penrice enters the chat]

Followed closely by Guy Whittingham.

I wouldn’t get into a huge debate about all these forwards as they were/are all brilliant for Villa in different ways.

I think my opinions are sometimes influenced by the team as a whole, my age, heroes at a certain time etc. My soon to be 14 year old son loves Benteke as he was his first Villa hero. Obviously a much inferior player, but i loved Garry Thompson as a 13/14 year old, gave his all with socks rolled down.

But also my favourite forwards often played in my favourite Villa sides. Thompson in Taylors promotion team, Yorke in Littles mid 90s team and now Watkins.

Benteke was a great Villa forward, but I don’t feel the same affection to that side as the current one and I think it influences my comparison between him and Watkins.

Im also one day away from 50 and incredibly hungover, so excuse my ramblings.

[AV82EC]

Very true thoughts those. Yorke for me was my first Villa hero, he really did have it all. I loved Benteke for his sheer presence and ability to dominate a centre back. Watkins is the prime example of Jack Nicklaus (?) expression of “the harder I train the luckier I get”, his all round game has massively improved under Unai.

Shout out for the most naturally talented forward we’ve had in my Villa supporting life though, Dalian Atkinson. What a player he could have been.

[Villan82]

Yorke, Watkins, Benteke for me of the PL era strikers. Honourable mentions for JPA and Dion who really were unfortunate with injuries and managers chopping and changing..

Yorke was quite unique and could operate in a number of different roles. He really was an all-round excellent player. Brilliant finisher, skillful,  good running with the ball, clever. Sometimes he would just come alive and turn a game on its head. Even though I don't like how he left, until August 1998 he always gave his all.

Watkins, if he keeps going as he is for another year or two will be nailed on to become our best striker of the premier league era. Has consistently delivered the goods for three seasons and having a great fourth season. If he consistently does it for a fifth season then he will knock Yorke off his pedestal.

Benteke was unbelievable in a very poor team. For me, he was a bit too sulky. I didn't like the way he was agitating for a move after one season. Those three years it felt like he was waiting to get the hell out and for me that sort of affects how I remember him.

[Brend'Watkins]

Watkins makes the very most of his talent - but is not particularly brilliant at anything except working bloody hard.

There is a very long list of players who if they had his work ethic could have had brilliant careers - Collymore, Carew, Gabby and Carbone are four that come to mind.

I agree with most of your post but highlighted the bit I don't.  I'd say he's brilliant at keeping his concentration and remembering his coaching instruction.  His 2nd goal was an example. He uses that to leave his defender for dead and to get away so he can get in his shot unheeded.  That's a skill very few have in the Prem' and the reason pundits are lauding him as an essential back up at the Euros.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Watkins makes the very most of his talent - but is not particularly brilliant at anything except working bloody hard.

There is a very long list of players who if they had his work ethic could have had brilliant careers - Collymore, Carew, Gabby and Carbone are four that come to mind.

I agree with most of your post but highlighted the bit I don't.  I'd say he's brilliant at keeping his concentration and remembering his coaching instruction.  His 2nd goal was an example. He uses that to leave his defender for dead and to get away so he can get in his shot unheeded.  That's a skill very few have in the Prem' and the reason pundits are lauding him as an essential back up at the Euros.

He's also brilliant in getting into goalscoring positions. It may sound basic for a striker but few can match his knack of being in the right place at the right time.

[London Villan]

Fair point Maybe "footballing brain" ie knowing where he should be is brilliant - just the execution lets him down a little too many times to be world-class.

Don't get me wrong, I love his attitude and he is as vital to our team as Torres or Emi. If we are going to get better than him it's an £80-£90m gamble too.

Dalian is a good shout and would be on my list of skill vs attitude and work ethic.

[Somniloquism]

Watkins makes the very most of his talent - but is not particularly brilliant at anything except working bloody hard.

There is a very long list of players who if they had his work ethic could have had brilliant careers - Collymore, Carew, Gabby and Carbone are four that come to mind.

I agree with most of your post but highlighted the bit I don't.  I'd say he's brilliant at keeping his concentration and remembering his coaching instruction.  His 2nd goal was an example. He uses that to leave his defender for dead and to get away so he can get in his shot unheeded.  That's a skill very few have in the Prem' and the reason pundits are lauding him as an essential back up at the Euros.

He came short and dragged Diop with him, then spun back into the space which he knew was there and also knew he would still be onside as their defence is not as coached as ours for keeping a line. I haven't seen the offside another person was moaning at him for getting, but I wonder if they did get their line right in a similar situation.

[Risso]

I was just about to mention Dalian, LV. A good 1 in 3 record, for us, but a special mention for scoring the best Villa goal ever, and winning the 1994 League Cup almost single handed.

[Mister E]

Little, Gray and Deehan in 1976-77 was the best Villa strikeforce I've seen; 76 goals scored in the league.
Withe, Shaw and Morley was the most effective, of course, having taken us to the top.
Dalian was the most outrageously skilled ... or, was that Yorke? Maybe both!
As someone above said, Saunders was such a clever footballer (for someone who sounds so dense!).
Benteke was just: right guy at the right time for us.

[Somniloquism]

I felt sorry for Saunders when he scored against Ipswich with the outrageous lob, only to then be pipped for GOTM by Yorke finishing off an 18 pass (or so) move in the same match

[DB]

I felt sorry for Saunders when he scored against Ipswich with the outrageous lob, only to then be pipped for GOTM by Yorke finishing off an 18 pass (or so) move in the same match

What a performance that was.