The Ollie Watkins Thread | Page 81 | Vital Football

The Ollie Watkins Thread

Will he ever achieve 20 goals a season ? Possibly but he needs to improve. He wasn't fit going into the season, then the baby came along. Hoping for a better season in 22/23

More than capable based on what we've seen but he needs to be drilled on just shooting and he gets in the habit of just hitting the target without taking the extra touch to try and make a chance perfect as he thinks it should be.
 
I noticed first half he was often chesting the ball down but there was no-one anywhere near him to collect it. It looked meant to be for someone else rather than to himself.
 
In fairness one thing that stood out to me in the Man City game was referenced by others.

When Ollie did take control (and I'd say he should've done above a 50% chance), he had no one to lay off to other than going really deep and whilst he waited for an option, he then lost the ball.

We had forward runners and support mostly on total 50/50's or times where I'd be amazed if he got control or got the flick on.

It's still something he needs to improve on yes, but he's also taking a fair bit of stick when he's given no support.

I hear you and it's fair comment but if 90% of your game is going to be running around a lot and not much else then you need to expect to be somewhat isolated - his lay offs to other players are woeful at times too, even just five yard passes.

No doubt we could play differently to try and play to his strengths a bit more but having said that, I don't know what his strengths are.

Lard arse Ings has made better runs all season than Watkins with the tiny amount of time he's had on the pitch and when he's had a player behind him who can slot him in, like Buendia, he's generally got a shot away - Watkins, if he ever made those runs, often needs five touches more than he's ever going to get at this level before getting a strike in but he does score some goals no doubt about it.

I just think if you're genuinely going to compete at top 8 level then you've just gotta have a proper striker who can bury the chances they're given and he's just not it for me - he's not piss-poor by any means given his work rate but you've gotta deliver in the PL, there's so many other talented guys around and the money to buy them is always there - I can't see Watkins getting 20 PL goals in any team.
 
I never actually thought he was that fast - he was just powerful when he wanted to be with a very short distance sprint advantage.

Dalian was deceptively quick because he was quite a unit too :)

Daley was little and nippy but not blindingly quick but I remember rubbing my eyes on occasion when Dalian (who was a lazy fooker lets be honest lol) actually sprinted with real powerful purpose - I'd love to have known his 100m time, I bet he was/could have been close to 10 seconds in his pomp.

Be nice to get another genuine Daley/Atkinson/Morley sprinter at Villa Park - those guys always gave you something to cheer, even if it was just Bobby Charlton race-you-to-my-own-pass-to-myself stylee :)
 
I wonder if this is 4D Chess by Gerrard, act like you're desperate to keep him in your plans and gouge someone for a ridiculous fee. I am firmly in the camp of keep unless the fee is laughably good, i.e. 45M+. My only concern about selling to West Ham is I think that would suit him and he'd actually work out well for them.

“I asked yesterday morning and the answer I received was that Steven Gerrard is now fighting to keep Ollie Watkins at the club, there are many clubs interested like West Ham, but Gerrard is desperate to keep him, that is the mission for now, and then we will see for new signings, but it will be a nice summer and Kamara is a top signing,” Romano said.

https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/05/...rrards-number-1-mission-after-signing-kamara/
 
Obviously I'm not a fan so I'm hoping it is just that - we need a proper/dominant spine in the team and it would be embarrassing/costly to head that spine with Watkins up front, he's just not good enough for a top 8 team IMO.

I would take almost any decent offer for him if we think we've got someone obviously better lined up - if it pays for Suarez to come in for a year or two then that's the very definition of uninspiring > inspiring.

We need a catalyst - Kamara isn't it and neither is Coutinho - Suarez in front of Buendia would have my eyes on stalks and would likely be the biggest statement of intent the club has ever made.
 
Last edited:
Obviously I'm not a fan so I'm hoping it is just that - we need a proper/dominant spine in the team and it would be embarrassing/costly to head that spine with Watkins up front, he's just not good enough for a top 8 team IMO.

I would take almost any decent offer for him if we think we've got someone obviously better lined up - if it pays for Suarez to come in for a year or two then that's the very definition of uninspiring > inspiring.

We need a catalyst - Kamara isn't it and neither is Coutinho - Suarez in front of Buendia would have my eyes on stalks and would likely be the biggest statement of intent the club has ever made.

That Jonathan David lad looks pretty decent at Lille as well, fierce competition and only a moderate goal return in France. However he is a unit and he is quick with very good ball control. If we sold Ollie and got him and Suarez that would be sensational.
 
This is Ollie's highlights , I don't think if we were buying him now this would impress many of us, remembering these are the best bits people have put together
 
25 goals over 2 seasons, when the 2nd of those seasons was pants by everyone and some Villa fans want to get rid?
Another striker would be good, but at the expense of Ings not Watkins.
As for the aging Suarez do me a favour. I thought we were building for the future and not providing a retirement home and a last big payday for the likes of Suarez to go alongside Young.
 
Ollie has been asked to plough a particularly lonely farrow for us since the last few months of last season - continually isolated with nobody within passing range for far too long. He's not a natural finisher but he's carved out more than a fair few chances from absolutely nothing, it looks like CBs don't like playing against him, his team mates seem to appreciate him and two managers in a row seem to as well.

Unless spunking £70m or more on a striker is our priority (and looking at our lack of cover in defence suggests that it's not), I only see us bringing in a striker to challenge Ollie, rather than walk straight into the first eleven.

Here's the PL top scorers. I think he's doing alright, even in a season where we, and he, would say he's underperformed.
download.png
 
25 goals over 2 seasons, when the 2nd of those seasons was pants by everyone and some Villa fans want to get rid?
Another striker would be good, but at the expense of Ings not Watkins.
As for the aging Suarez do me a favour. I thought we were building for the future and not providing a retirement home and a last big payday for the likes of Suarez to go alongside Young.
The problem with Watkins is his scoring ratio to chances created. With the opportunities Watkins has had this year he should be on 20+ goals per season.

Play regularly breaks down with him too due to poor control and inaccurate passing.

Collectively we should have had a further 15 to 20 goals.
 
I know we have loads of stats fans on here but Watkins has pretty much scored what he's been expected to according to the beloved xG (as has Pukki fwiw).
The team as a whole are ahead of what we 'should' have scored for the chances created.
#numberwang
tbh his youtube vid above, dubbed into French with a different kit on and they'd be shouts we should be paying whatever it takes to get him - £50 mill would be an 'insult' etc.

til we replace him (or he moves) he's the best option we have.
an old gobshite who might still be decent in the prem I'm not sure helps a great deal