Ollie Watkins

[Brend'Watkins]

I was trawling a few websites yesterday - mostly legal ones - and i was quite surprised at the mixed reaction to their supposed interest in him.

Some of them will have seen our games.

I've said this many a time now.  If Ollie had converted 50% of those missed chances since he's been here he wouldn't have been around to miss any chances in his 2nd year with us.

[Sexual Ealing]

I was trawling a few websites yesterday - mostly legal ones - and i was quite surprised at the mixed reaction to their supposed interest in him.

Some of them will have seen our games.

I've said this many a time now.  If Ollie had converted 50% of those missed chances since he's been here he wouldn't have been around to miss any chances in his 2nd year with us.

That would've been fine.

[AV84]

Clubs don't tend to make bids, doug Ellis aside, without some encouragement from the player/agent. Very late in the window from Arsenal though, we simply can't let Watkins go.

If they made the bid at the start of January, we might have been happy enough to keep Duran and let Watkins go.

I think this is quite likely. We wanted to keep both but between it not working with both on the pitch, and us needing to sell to buy, we'd probably have been open to offers for Ollie at the start of January. I'm glad they didn't come in then, because I wouldn't have trusted Duran to stay if Ollie went. Whereas I'd be fairly confident Ollie will be quite happy to see out the season, at the very least.

[Smithy]

I was trawling a few websites yesterday - mostly legal ones - and i was quite surprised at the mixed reaction to their supposed interest in him.

Some of them will have seen our games.

I've said this many a time now.  If Ollie had converted 50% of those missed chances since he's been here he wouldn't have been around to miss any chances in his 2nd year with us.

I think people do miss this (almost as often as Ollie misses a chance).  If Ollie converted chances at the rate of a truly elite striker, he'd probably have gone the same summer as Jack, maybe even after his first year with us. 

The fact that he is who he is, and plays the way he does, is the very reason we've been able to have him for five years - five years in which he's been (on the whole) excellent for us.

If he was a better finisher, he probably wouldn't have joined a newly promoted side, or stayed with a side that had just been through a relegation battle.  He'd have been bought years ago.

If he was a worse finisher, he wouldn't have retained his place with us across three different managers as we've improved as a club and become European contenders.

He's been precisely as good as we've needed, when we've needed it.  Will we outgrow him? Of course, that happens to all players, whether it be through age, or ability.  But I'm not sure we are there yet. 

I think he's one of those players who you won't properly miss until he's no longer here.  We've been a bit spoiled by how hard working he is, and have - over the last five years - become used to all the work he does as being the 'norm' for centre forwards.  It most definitely is not.  WE might be able to find someone who finishes a higher percentage of chances, but will we find someone who works hard enough to get those chances, for themselves and others? I don't know, maybe.

[cdbearsfan]

He's a boyhood Arsenal fan isn't he. I'm not sure how much that means these days.

With the odd exception, Ian Taylor for example, I don't think footballers care in the same way we do. If he goes to Arsenal it'll be because he thinks they've a better chance of winning trophies, not because he had a picture of Perry Groves on his bedroom wall.

[kippaxvilla2]

Surely there has to be a deadline where we just say no - Duran is off, we cannot possibly go deep into the CL without our main striker.

[kippaxvilla2]

He's a boyhood Arsenal fan isn't he. I'm not sure how much that means these days.

With the odd exception, Ian Taylor for example, I don't think footballers care in the same way we do. If he goes to Arsenal it'll be because he thinks they've a better chance of winning trophies, not because he had a picture of Perry Groves on his bedroom wall.

Yes but the photo he has is the still of Groves scoring the third against us in 1986-87 during their 4-0 romp at Villa Park.

[LeeB]

He's a boyhood Arsenal fan isn't he. I'm not sure how much that means these days.

With the odd exception, Ian Taylor for example, I don't think footballers care in the same way we do. If he goes to Arsenal it'll be because he thinks they've a better chance of winning trophies, not because he had a picture of Perry Groves on his bedroom wall.

Yes but the photo he has is the still of Groves scoring the third against us in 1986-87 during their 4-0 romp at Villa Park.

He had a signed picture of Martin Hayes.

[kippaxvilla2]

Good God they were grim times.

[martin o`who??]

He's a boyhood Arsenal fan isn't he. I'm not sure how much that means these days.

Fuck all.

[RamboandBruno]

He's a boyhood Arsenal fan isn't he. I'm not sure how much that means these days.

With the odd exception, Ian Taylor for example, I don't think footballers care in the same way we do. If he goes to Arsenal it'll be because he thinks they've a better chance of winning trophies, not because he had a picture of Perry Groves on his bedroom wall.

Yes but the photo he has is the still of Groves scoring the third against us in 1986-87 during their 4-0 romp at Villa Park.

There seemed to be a number of drubbings from Arsenal at home in those days. Ive got a vague memory of a 6-2 possibly, maybe around new years day 85,86 or so?? Not inclined to look it up

[kippaxvilla2]

Allow me.

https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/match/3775

[LeeB]

He's a boyhood Arsenal fan isn't he. I'm not sure how much that means these days.

With the odd exception, Ian Taylor for example, I don't think footballers care in the same way we do. If he goes to Arsenal it'll be because he thinks they've a better chance of winning trophies, not because he had a picture of Perry Groves on his bedroom wall.

Yes but the photo he has is the still of Groves scoring the third against us in 1986-87 during their 4-0 romp at Villa Park.

There seemed to be a number of drubbings from Arsenal at home in those days. Ive got a vague memory of a 6-2 possibly, maybe around new years day 85,86 or so?? Not inclined to look it up

They battered us by 4 at home the year we came back up under Taylor, and also an Easter Bank Holiday under Little off the top of my head.

[kippaxvilla2]

The 0-4 in November 1986 was close to the nadir of that season.  I remember thinking there is no hope left.  It was also Groves' first league goal and the birth of Keowngoal.

[LeeB]

The 0-4 in November 1986 was close to the nadir of that season.  I remember thinking there is no hope left.  It was also Groves' first league goal and the birth of Keowngoal.

I have what is still a very vivid memory of being excited and talking about the potential crowd size before that game in our old kitchen, I'd have been 9 at the time, too young to know better.