The Ollie Watkins Thread | Page 51 | Vital Football

The Ollie Watkins Thread

JW1985 said:
Maybe we should look at our creative players then. They've not exactly been laying chances on a plate for him.
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Possibly but he doesn't look like a CF to me good one would knock their own granny over to score a goal, he doesn't strike me as that sort of player. Not his main job to hunt down defenders his main job is to get away from the buggers in the box and he doesn't do that
 
Villan57 said:
Possibly but he doesn't look like a CF to me good one would knock their own granny over to score a goal, he doesn't strike me as that sort of player. Not his main job to hunt down defenders his main job is to get away from the buggers in the box and he doesn't do that
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Someone who wasn't a centre forward wouldn't score the goals he did last season. He'll be our top scorer again this season and will score more than last year. And it is very much part of his job to hunt down defenders, a part of his job he does very well.
 
I like him and I'm not prepared to write him off at this stage.

He's clearly not in the same league as the likes of the real elite strikers like Romelu Lukaku or (before this season at least, Harry Kane), and may never reach those levels. But he's done OK for us so far, and as this season unfolds, we'll likely get to see where he's heading.
 
The old style centre forward knocking all and sundry out of the way seems to be dead. Even Lakaku is struggling. It’s about movement off the ball as well and Watkins makes himself available. He’s one of the first on the team sheet for me and Steve and those of you not in agreement with us who do you want to bring in? Or who would you rather have from another PL team? Kane of course then I’m struggling for names. I’m sure plenty of PL managers would give their right arms for Ollie.
 
He is 26 next month so I’m not sure what improvement there will be and I think there needs to be a pretty big improvement to be where I think fans see him being at interms of level. I think the expectations being spoken about last season were well above his actual talent. I wasn’t enamoured with his signing but nevertheless he did fine last season but was streaky in terms of scoring. We need consistency to push on. As does everyone. The top league is littered with one season wonders and at the moment that is all he is for us. Let’s see how this season pans out and possibly next season before passing final judgement.
 
Virtually all strikers are streaky. His goal tally is pretty reasonable considering the team quality and system we've played, and he offers a lot more besides, unlike some. Not saying he's the greatest but he's done well.
 
I think we have another Gabby on our hands.

Now a lot of you will read that and think I'm having a go, because you unfairly hate Gabby, but it's not a criticism, it's actually a compliment.

Gabby made the most of the limited talent god gave him. He was never the complete striker and we all knew it. I think we'd have all taken a replacement if someone better became available, but while he was playing he could be brilliant. Defenders hated playing against him and he scored goals... Lots of them, and lots in important games against rivals and big teams.

I think Ollie is the same. He's fought his way up through the leagues, he can be brilliant and he will score goals, but I'm doubtful he'll ever be the complete package. He's probably good enough for our current level, but if better was available to take us to the next step then he's definitely replaceable.

Some might throw the price tag into the equation but honestly £30 mill isn't much these days. Prime Gabby when Arsenal were sniffing around would have fetched £30 mill in today's market.

So in summary. I like Ollie. I liked Gabby. Ollie will score goals and defenders will hate playing against him when he's on it, but he'll not be the striker to take us into Europe.
 
I think the things Watkins is bad at Gabby was a lot better at and the things Gabby was bad at Watkins is good at. If you could combine the two you'd have one hell of a player.
 
Wicked Messenger said:
The old style centre forward knocking all and sundry out of the way seems to be dead. Even Lakaku is struggling. It’s about movement off the ball as well and Watkins makes himself available. He’s one of the first on the team sheet for me and Steve and those of you not in agreement with us who do you want to bring in? Or who would you rather have from another PL team? Kane of course then I’m struggling for names. I’m sure plenty of PL managers would give their right arms for Ollie.
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The old-style pressing game that English football was all about is back though, obviously, now it's been reinvented by foreign managers it's much more sophisticated that our up and at em stuff we all played as kids and watched until 2000.
Things go in circles.

I think he's a nice lad. I'd sooner have had Jota for 40m that Liverpool paid
 
Villan57 said:
He's better than Gabby, Gabby was finished at 26 and milked us for another 5 years, 3 of those last 5 years people thought he would come good again :shake:
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Well Ollie is only 25 so still time to follow the same trajectory if he chooses.

At 25 when Gabby was in his peak I'd argue there's not much between them.

That's not a knock. I like/liked both players.
 
Can't understand why he's being questioned?? He got very little service last year & had a very good goal tally, less service this season.
May times last season his pressing created something out of nothing, his goal at Goodison was probably the best example. As for comparing him with Gabby, ridiculous, Ollie is a far better player, Gabby fleeced the club for a living that he never deserved or justified for years, as well as being a bad example to those around him.
 
DeanoVilla said:
Well Ollie is only 25 so still time to follow the same trajectory if he chooses.

At 25 when Gabby was in his peak I'd argue there's not much between them.

That's not a knock. I like/liked both players.
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He's brighter than Gabby and far more likeable as a lad, Gabby is was lightning-fast Ollie is just quick, neither is/was much of a finisher or has/had a good touch .

I don't think he will go the same downward spiral as gabby but I don't see this super player some see. I don't think I'm seeing a player that is going to make my all-time Villa 11 or even the top 10 Villa strikers I've seen probably the best since Benteke but that's not hard really. I'd swap him for prime Benteke any day
 
Benteke was a statue by comparison. I’m not hearing many names from other PL teams you think are better. 57 offered one, Jota one hell of a player but Liverpool are destroying teams with attacking possession - we are not. As we improve so will Watkin’s stats, that’s not rocket science. Last Saturday our possession and control slipped and Gerrard knows we have a long way to go yet.
He may of course rest Watkins on Wednesday for Ings, I doubt it but now we have that option.
 
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