Ollie Watkins

[ChicagoLion]

Ollie’s been great, but I’d have Foden slightly ahead of him. I’d have Rodri in front of all of the nominees.

Palmer would be ahead of Foden, agree about Rodri.

[Rigadon]

The thing with Ollie is that propelled a side expected by many to finish in the top 8 at best into the CL. With Foden, as outstanding as he is, he is surrounded by some of the world’s top players. That helps when you are always dominating possession and playing a lot of football in the opponents third of the pitch. What Ollie has done is far more valuable to where we finished versus where Man City could finish. This isn’t me saying Foden doesn’t deserve it. It’s me saying Ollie deserved it more.

That's true of all Messi's, Ronaldo's, Zidne's Ballon D'Ors. Who should have got them instead of those players?

Let’s no get carried away here. Statistically Ollie has better goals, assists in about the same number of PL games. Foden isn’t remotely any of those players you’ve referenced. Again, I’m not saying he shouldn’t be awarded it. I’m saying Ollie, in my opinion, had a better season compared to Foden and had greater influence on how we ended relative to expectations.

I'm not suggesting he's as good as them, but the situation you described (that I bolded), that he's in the best team so he's always attacking, getting to show what he can do, applies to them too. Were there not players in those eras who had big impacts on lesser teams? I'd imagine there were, but nobody pays attention to those players because they're not doing spectacular things in enormous games with global attention being paid.

What would your reaction be if Ross Barkley had won it? He's had a significant impact on a terrible team - does he deserve it more?

I'd have said fair enough, personally.

[Olneythelonely]

Man City win the league with or without Foden. He’s brilliant, but his impact wasn’t anything like Watkins’ was for us. We wouldn’t have been close to 4th without him. Just imagine an injury to rather, who sees the biggest impact.

From a goal contribution point of view, Watkins is evidently better. From a general impact on their club’s season, it’s difficult to argue against Watkins’ being better.

Foden is definitely one of the best players in the league and overall better than Watkins. That’s not what the award is for though.

There’s no conspiracy, it’s just that people who vote for this sort of thing generally lack any kind of imagination.

[Sexual Ealing]

He’s brilliant, but his impact wasn’t anything like Watkins’ was for us.

Yeah, but why would the people who vote for the award give a shit about that? They're trying to find the best player of the season, not the one who had a great influence on the team we support. Barkley, Palmer, Muniz have all impacted their teams, but those teams have done fuck all. Yes, we finished fourth, which is great for us, but why should a neutral care about it when the fella who's won has won the league for his team (whether they would've won it or not without him), who's a better player, exists?

[Richard]

Foden was a better player than Watkins this season as much as I love Ollie.

[Ads]

Rodri is the best player in the league.

[Rigadon]

Rodri is the best player in the league.

I agree.  He’s amazing. 

[dr.chekov]

Me too. He makes City tick.

[PeterWithesShin]

Man City with and without Rodri this season in all comps

W37 D11 L0
W5 D0 L4

[Somniloquism]

Just lucky he plays for them so gets away with the rotational fouling and plays more matches. But if you wanted to see what a player would be like who was Kamara and Dougie rolled into one, there it is.

[RamboandBruno]

Man City with and without Rodri this season in all comps

W37 D11 L0
W5 D0 L4

That is a stat worth knowing.
For all their hundreds of millions spent, that one player makes a huge difference

[Olneythelonely]

He’s brilliant, but his impact wasn’t anything like Watkins’ was for us.

Yeah, but why would the people who vote for the award give a shit about that? They're trying to find the best player of the season, not the one who had a great influence on the team we support. Barkley, Palmer, Muniz have all impacted their teams, but those teams have done fuck all. Yes, we finished fourth, which is great for us, but why should a neutral care about it when the fella who's won has won the league for his team (whether they would've won it or not without him), who's a better player, exists?

I don't expect them to give a shit about us. I also know what they’re trying to find. I’m just trying to say that it should be about which player’s performance over the season is the bigger achievement. And that influence HAS to be one of the things considered.

I agree that those players’ teams have done fuck all. I wouldn’t give any of them player of the season. We have achieved beyond what people expected, largely due to the stats of Watkins (which are better than Foden’s - if we don’t want to consider impact), City won the league less comfortably than they probably should.

I don’t think it’s because of a ridiculous conspiracy, I think it’s because the people voting will have been taking much less notice of our games - I mean, a lot of them were discussing why they’d take fucking Toney to Germany ahead of Watkins.

[Sexual Ealing]

This will be my last post on the subject because I'm boring myself. I agree it's not a conspiracy, I just don't understand why the people who decide who wins the award should value the outstanding player from the team in 4th above the outstanding player from the team in 1st. Watkins hasn't got 20 league goals, unlike three of his peers (I know Foden hasn't either, but he's not a striker).

Anyway, Watkins is great, Foden is better, Rodri is better still.

[SoccerHQ]

Whoever wins the league will almost certainly be manager of the year. Emery has by far achieved more than them this season though. And i'd think that if I supported another club.

Occasionally you get curve-balls though. Pardew got it for finishing fifth with Newcastle, Pulis won it at Palace and George Burley won it at Ipswich.

Hang on a minute. Tiny Penis won manager of the year? Really?

Bloody hell.

He kept Palace up one season when they had a similar points haul to us in 15/16 after half a season.

Was also Palace manager when they came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 with Liverpool and stop them winning the league so probably deserved the award for that alone!

[mrfuse]

He’s brilliant, but his impact wasn’t anything like Watkins’ was for us.

Yeah, but why would the people who vote for the award give a shit about that? They're trying to find the best player of the season, not the one who had a great influence on the team we support. Barkley, Palmer, Muniz have all impacted their teams, but those teams have done fuck all. Yes, we finished fourth, which is great for us, but why should a neutral care about it when the fella who's won has won the league for his team (whether they would've won it or not without him), who's a better player, exists?

I don't expect them to give a shit about us. I also know what they’re trying to find. I’m just trying to say that it should be about which player’s performance over the season is the bigger achievement. And that influence HAS to be one of the things considered.

I agree that those players’ teams have done fuck all. I wouldn’t give any of them player of the season. We have achieved beyond what people expected, largely due to the stats of Watkins (which are better than Foden’s - if we don’t want to consider impact), City won the league less comfortably than they probably should.

I don’t think it’s because of a ridiculous conspiracy, I think it’s because the people voting will have been taking much less notice of our games - I mean, a lot of them were discussing why they’d take fucking Toney to Germany ahead of Watkins.

I agree with your comments and when I think of the best players in the league influence is high up on where I personally place the best players. Foden for me often goes missing when on the rare occurrences Man City are struggling. I've yet to be convinced about him in England tournaments and I hope he proves me wrong.
Foden is a nice player to have in your team Ollie and Rodri are must haves in your team.

Foden is 16th in the Player Stats for assists and Ollie is No.1, Foden is on 17 goals and Ollie is on 19. Even when Ollie isint scoring he never gives up constantly makes runs and pulling defenders all over the place.