Xchurch Villa
Vital 1st Team Regular
In five games I've seen enough to know that Ollie will be just fine
The Ollie Watkins Thread
- Thread starter mike_field
- Start date
Villan57
Alert Team
In one game I did, the other 4 the jury was out
Melon Donkey
I am a little bit perplexed
Sums up perfectly my current thinking.
Silhillvilla
Vital Football Legend
I think it's going to take time for him to adapt.
Pangloss
Vital Football Legend
I'm fairly impressed overall. My biggest hang up is not him but our inability to consistently create chances for him. He's a predator in the box but we're not putting enough crosses in and not playing enough through balls to exploit his pace off the shoulder, we're too ponderous.
I think we've seen enough of him to see what he's about. He drops deep and moves out wide to good effect to help build the play. He makes good runs off the shoulder and finds space in the box. He's a bit of an all rounder, decent hold up play, can poach and link the play etc.
He doesn't have the physicality to occupy a couple of centre halves by himself, lumping it forward like we often do isn't going to work. We definitely need to get into a better rhythm with him.
I think we've seen enough of him to see what he's about. He drops deep and moves out wide to good effect to help build the play. He makes good runs off the shoulder and finds space in the box. He's a bit of an all rounder, decent hold up play, can poach and link the play etc.
He doesn't have the physicality to occupy a couple of centre halves by himself, lumping it forward like we often do isn't going to work. We definitely need to get into a better rhythm with him.
A striker will only be successful if he gets the support he needs, We always have a go at the striker if he don't score goals, but we should be looking at why he's not scoriing, rather than thinking he's not good enough. Watkins is a good striker, but don't leave him up top on his own ffs. or he will end up like the others we have had a go at.
McParlandTheGreat
Vital Champions League
Ollie is a poacher. He's not a target. We have players who can deliver the right balls for him to run onto. They just need to do it.
Pangloss
Vital Football Legend
Through ball through the middle aren't though, i.e. where he's running off the shoulder. We need more of that and more balls into the box.
Gillette
Vital Squad Member
I think we are all saying the same thing.
I would argue that Wes and Samagoal were better than we got to see because we don't seem to understand that the whole team should be focussed on stopping goals and/or creating chances for the CF.
Why Smith buys ever more expensive forwards and doesn't instil this into the team is worrying.
I would argue that Wes and Samagoal were better than we got to see because we don't seem to understand that the whole team should be focussed on stopping goals and/or creating chances for the CF.
Why Smith buys ever more expensive forwards and doesn't instil this into the team is worrying.
The Fear
A Wise Man (once sat next to him)
Agree with your point, but this pre-dates Smith. We have, mystifyingly, done this for years. Bought strikers, left them without supply, written them off as shit, sold them cheap and bought the next expensive striker.
Villan57
Alert Team
on the other hand, we had Benteke who was brilliant for us and went for 32m and has been shite for Liverpool and now Palace
Villan57
Alert Team
The thing I've noticed with ollie is he likes to drift out to the left and really isn't a CF but Jack is out there and all our play comes down that side> was hoping for an interchanging front 3 with Jack Bert and Ollie swapping places during the game or better still interchanging places
Gillette
Vital Squad Member
This is still the future - adding in Jack starting deeper and inter-changing with Roscoe and even McGinn.
God if we can get that working it would be like watching Villa at their greatest.
We have the players - that is what is so exciting/frustrating.
gmvillan
The Shackles Are Off!
That was supposedly Hogan's biggest strength. Hope Watkins isn't in that bracket....
gmvillan
The Shackles Are Off!
I remember seeing an interview with Dion Dublin when he basically said that scoring a few early is what can make or break you at a club like Villa. He said he gained massive confidence from being an instant favorite at Villa because he scored loads in his first half-season. Hopefully Ollie will be the same.
danvilla2
I’m not an expert
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
One thing to add for me, we relentlessly try to make 4-3-3 work even in games where it’s obvious after 10 mins that isn’t going to work, and we waste the rest of the half or even the game trying.
In games where Ollie is exposed, I’d like to see a central midfielder properly support him through the middle, even if it means one or both of the wingers have to keep a bit more shape rather than push up and leave us exposed.
Someone put it in the Leeds match thread, we only seem to have a Plan A, but a plan B with Barkley feeding off him or getting second balls from his initial hard word is a plan B.
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CDX_EIRE
Vital Football Legend
I disagree, a poacher typically does nothing except score and usually can't do anything with the ball outside the penalty area. Darren Bent was a poacher we saw what happened when you turn a poacher into a target man under Eck.
Ollie has a bit of everything, he can clearly play ball give he was a wide player. He is a strong little bollocks too and he is quick with decent aerial prowess. I think the lad has proven with time and space and good supply he will score.
Dean has to get his arm around both Barkley and Grealish, they're both being a little too selfish which I think is driven by wanting to go to the Euro's. He also is going to have to start finding a way to not go through Grealish and start getting Traore up to speed.
JuanPabloAngel
Alert Team
