Other Games 2025-26

[Olneythelonely]

I don’t know who Smirker thinks is our best player, but whoever it is, we’ll be able to improve on them too. The easiest thing to do in the world is to say “not good enough, we should be aiming for better.” Especially if, when asked to name the better player, you can just say “I don’t know, I’m not a scout.”

[Sexual Ealing]

Mateta is better and gettable (for the non-members of the Impecunious Billionaire's Club).

[Olneythelonely]

Mateta is better and gettable (for the non-members of the Impecunious Billionaire's Club).

Unlikely Smirker will agree, given it’s purely about scoring goals.

[danno]

Mateta is better and gettable (for the non-members of the Impecunious Billionaire's Club).

Is he gettable? I was under the impression we could not spend money. Considering Wolves turned down £50 million for their striker I do wonder what Mateta would cost.

[Sexual Ealing]

Please refer to the words in parentheses.

[Smirker]

so you’re saying that in the last 61 league games Watkins has played He’s only scored 17 times
naa that can’t be right

I promise you it is pal.

17 in 54 last season, ended the season before without scoring for five games and he's got no goals in two games this season.

The fact you don't believe it says it all. Everyone knows it's not good enough.

John said league games.
(26 in his last 61 premier league appearances).

I didn't say league games though. I said games. As in, all comps. John has changed it to league only. Sidestepping the fact that's just as selective if not more so than I'm being accused of being, it's not a particularly good record either.

Also it’s cutting stats to best suit your argument, which is why it’s better to look at his record in his time at the club. He scores his goals at better (and quite a bit better) than a goal every three games. That’s really good, and when you add his assists (and general play) - which really matter - his record is exceptional.

It's a period of 18 months. A perfectly reasonable sample size.

If his goal record was really good you wouldn't need to keep adding assists to it. Every time you do it you hammer another nail into your own argument.

and if you argument didn't rely on ignoring everything but goals you wouldn't keep refusing to acknowledge that Watkins brings more to the team than just goals. Also cherry picking a date date/subset of games to fit your view is also a sure sign of a very weak argument.

I have never once said that.

All I have said is he doesn't score enough and his goal record isn't good enough.

It's other people who bring assists and running a lot into it as a defence for his poor return, not me. I'm not ignoring anything. It's a discussion about goalscoring, not his all round game.

[Smirker]

but of course, assists don't count for smirker.

They don't count when the topic is his goalscoring, no.

[Smirker]

Mateta is better and gettable (for the non-members of the Impecunious Billionaire's Club).

Unlikely Smirker will agree, given it’s purely about scoring goals.

Scoring goals is purely about scoring goals yes.

Whether he's an improvement on Watkins is a separate discussion.

[PeterWithesShin]

Mateta would be great if we want someone that doesn't score or assist as often as Ollie.

[villadelph]

Don’t feed the troll.

[Olneythelonely]

Don’t feed the troll.

I don’t think Smirker is a troll, tbf. Just someone entrenched in a position that they’ve convinced themselves is absolute truth.

[Olneythelonely]

Mateta is better and gettable (for the non-members of the Impecunious Billionaire's Club).

Unlikely Smirker will agree, given it’s purely about scoring goals.

Scoring goals is purely about scoring goals yes.

Whether he's an improvement on Watkins is a separate discussion.

Well he isn’t as good at scoring goals or creating goals for others. He’s very good at lots of things though, which is why I think there’s an argument he COULD be as good/better for the team. But presumably you think he’s much worse than Watkins.

[PeterWithesShin]

League games is always the barometer. Cup games are of course important but a player can do a Stainrod and score 20 in a season, but 14 were against Exeter in the League Cup second round.

[villadelph]

Don’t feed the troll.

I don’t think Smirker is a troll, tbf. Just someone entrenched in a position that they’ve convinced themselves is absolute truth.

Ollie is England’s #2. Anyone trying to convince his club team’s fan forum that he’s inadequate is a troll. He’s our club record goal scorer and we’re arguing if he could’ve gotten there quicker.

Use the ignore function, it’s fantastic.

[Ian.]

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league-called-investigate-unacceptable-32350849?utm_source=reach_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=special_analytic5_newsletter&utm_content=&utm_term=&ruid=d87c9bfe-164e-4d49-90a8-0cf88fc68c21&hx=8503f669516879f641cca205fc9d5d6feceb0a32583ff788513201cad91c4512

I must admit I didn't notice this, although as with most games on TV not involving Villa, I was only half-watching. But it didn't seem a problem. And the notion that the game didn't represent decent spectator value as a football match I find utterly bizarre

I thought the referee handled Newcastle better than anyone I’ve seen ref them before. It’s as if he’s done some homework and knew that they like to foul consistently throughout the the team.

Bruno G although excellent and bossed the midfield, was a little lucky to remain on the pitch, quite often when I’ve seen them he’s been getting away with so much and he’d have not even got a booking.