Ollie Watkins

[pablo_picasso]

According to Emery he wants to improve too, & makes the effort to improve, so he is developing under the right manager...

[N'ZMAV]

he is improving, he's doing well.

Hoping he sorts that occasional dodgy touch out soon

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Yep. ignore the 21 in 39 games. Ignore the 4 goals in 8 prem games and three more games assisted in. Ignore the two penalties won, both of which he probably would have scored if not taken out. Just choose the stats that make him look worse.

I have highlighted some of his wonderful play in a previous post.

If you haven't read it then fair enough, but you did reply on the same page after I had posted it.

Was that the one that starts with the downer sentence, offers slight praise then dishes him again? You can see why I didn't see as "praise for his wonderful play". I will admit he isn't a natural finisher, there is a reason he doesn't take penalties for example. However I reckon if he had scored his four goals in four separate matches, people would have been complaining, like they were last season, that he is only scoring one goal a match and he needs to score more in each match.

I think the opposite. We'd all forget the numerous misses as he's scored a goal. Players can have a poor game but if they score everybody is singing their praises, much like when Villa don't turn up for 80 minutes but finish the game well, the first 80 are generally forgotten. What was his last famine run, 1 in 12 or 13?

One thing I don't think anybody has mentioned is how Watkins manages to regularly score against the top clubs. Maybe it's due to us playing on the break which suits more his game. Releasing him down the left, watch him cut inside avoiding the early block from normally two defenders and seeing him shoot is pretty much a typical Watkins goal, he's done so many times. He does it against some of the best defenders in the league so credit where it's due.

He struggles when there is a compact defence and a short ball is played into him as his first touch is so poor. I was encouraged to see him get a tap in against Brighton, he's generally brilliant at reading the game and getting himself in the right position. I say tap in but it was a lovely finish, putting the ball away from the keeper in the corner of the net. Top strikers always put it in the corner.

After signing his contract he claimed he wants to improve. Good attitude and loads of room for improvement. Bring it on.

That's pretty much perfect as a summary of Ollie's play Rudy!
Spot on!

[Somniloquism]

I think the opposite. We'd all forget the numerous misses as he's scored a goal. Players can have a poor game but if they score everybody is singing their praises, much like when Villa don't turn up for 80 minutes but finish the game well, the first 80 are generally forgotten. What was his last famine run, 1 in 12 or 13?

I'm pretty sure if you go back in this thread to his scoring run (probably the West Ham game as he scored but we didn't win) there were people complaining he was only getting one in match and he should get more and if he did we would have won. Now we have the only scored twice in eight games, seemingly ignoring the four assists, and the non-countable assists like penalty awards, shooting and someone following up, or ones classed as OGs. So another four goals directly attributable to Watkins play that I can remember. (Two pens, Luiz last goal after the keeper saved against Brighton and the pass to Diaby which caused the OG in the same match).

The rest of your post I totally agree with though.

[PeterWithesShin]

Since Emery arrived he's top in goals/assists by English players in the PL.

In 2023 he's 3rd in goals/assists in the PL behind Haaland and Salah.

This season he's 3rd in goals/assists in the PL behind Haaland and Salah.

[VillaTim]

Wonder if he's been tapped up yet

[pauliewalnuts]

he is improving, he's doing well.

He is being demanding.

[Duncan Shaw]

Wonder if he's been tapped up yet

He's off to Spuds anyway now Lange is there, isn't he??? 

[john e]

Wonder if he's been tapped up yet

He's off to Spuds anyway now Lange is there, isn't he??? 

I wonder what Levy will be offering this time
He’s a genius negotiator you know

[LeeB]

I mean, I get the thing with tapping up but any interest in a player these days would just surely be know through the agent, plus the player has literally just signed a new long term contract.

[AV84]

he is improving, he's doing well.

He is being demanding.

He is trying all the time to do something.

[ChicagoLion]

I mean, I get the thing with tapping up but any interest in a player these days would just surely be know through the agent, plus the player has literally just signed a new long term contract.

I think there is a release clause to start a bidding war.

[Mister E]

I think there is a release clause to start a bidding war.

Source?

[pablo_picasso]

I think the opposite. We'd all forget the numerous misses as he's scored a goal. Players can have a poor game but if they score everybody is singing their praises, much like when Villa don't turn up for 80 minutes but finish the game well, the first 80 are generally forgotten. What was his last famine run, 1 in 12 or 13?

I'm pretty sure if you go back in this thread to his scoring run (probably the West Ham game as he scored but we didn't win) there were people complaining he was only getting one in match and he should get more and if he did we would have won. Now we have the only scored twice in eight games, seemingly ignoring the four assists, and the non-countable assists like penalty awards, shooting and someone following up, or ones classed as OGs. So another four goals directly attributable to Watkins play that I can remember. (Two pens, Luiz last goal after the keeper saved against Brighton and the pass to Diaby which caused the OG in the same match).

The rest of your post I totally agree with though.

If you are talking about me, then its not "now we have... ...."

Not from my end anyways.

I have always stated that he is a "feast or famine" type striker & despite highlighting some very high praise positives about his game, quoted on the previous page for your viewing pleasure, in case you have missed it again, I have also highlighted what frustrates me about some of the negatives. Using some factual data to back up my personal opinion. And it is just my own subjective personal opinion.

My point being that not everything has to be all candy-floss grass & lollipop trees.

And neither does it have to be all doom & gloom.

Players in form are not immune to some level of criticism for their negatives & players out of form sometimes deserve a little understanding for their positives.

Look, I don't want to get into an argument with you, or anybody else. And I am starting to understand that the way I communicate on this site is not always fully understood. I get the impression that my communication skills often put across a more aggressive tone that I intend in my head. I tend to type a bit how I talk & when I talk, while often quite brutally honest, I can add tone, which usually shows a little more light hearted side to what I say.

And thats on me. All I can do is work on that going forward...

Tbh, the only reason I commented more on this was due to Watkins media interview where he pretty much admitted to shushing putting his fingers in his ears from Villa fans when he scored & all but labelled us as "fickle".

I just wanted to point out that not all of us are actually fickle & the conversation has snowballed a little.


Edited my error.

[Somniloquism]

He didn't shush the fans, he put his fingers in his ears which to me was "he isn't listening" to the criticisms. Might be semantics but I do think there is a difference. The fickle comment was bad form though, especially with the connotations of the previous person who mentioned we are fickle.

All good on the rest though. No need to change your posting style, we are all different and I post in a similar style, which as you state without the body languages and nuances will also be construed as confrontational.