Ollie Watkins

[MrBlack]

27 minutes ago, Cizzler said:

Not being rude, but that midfield 3 would get destroyed. Has Ashley Young ever played CM? Buendia CM and McGinn holding seems very lightweight.

It seems like we’re just shoe-horning our best players/new signings in.

I don’t think we should change shape and I think it should be Ings or Watkins. Buendia has always played his best football on the right for Norwich too.

RM is Buendia/ Traore 
CAM is McGinn/ Sanson/ Chuk
LM is Bailey/ El Ghazi/ JPB

Agree with the sentiment, but Bailey is a right winger. He has played left wing before, and can play there, but his best position, his preferred position, and the position he operated in last season is right wing.

Means one of him or Buendia is going to have to learn to love a new role. I think Buendia in the 10 role is where we'll be heading.

On topic edit: I think this leaves us playing a front 3 of Watkins, Ings, and Bailey with Buendia the 10 behind them all. They all have the ability to score, run behind, and do the craft of a winger when needed (Ollie especially) and them having interchanging roles up front would be lethal if it works.

I'd hen play McGinn and Nakamba in the holding mid roles. Sanson or Luiz can swap for McGinn when fit/rested depending on form. And when we expect to have more of the ball Nakamba can be dropped to play any combo of 2 from the other 3

 

Edited August 8, 2021 by MrBlack

[TRO]

18 minutes ago, Phil Silvers said:

You're probably right and in all honesty I think it's sensible to blood the newbies carefully. I'd be surprised if Bailey gets straight in having never trained with us yet.

Ings will start, I'm sure of it, emi2 too if fit.

Maybe I'm being over sentimental about Ash but he has looked great pre season and he looks fir enough for it. Hope he gets minutes.

I have a hunch we will see him more than some think.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, Phil Silvers said:

100% both are starting and Ollie is a pro, it won't take him long to click with Danny. I'd imagine Deano wants them all on, the formation is going to have to accommodate Ollie, Ings, Buendia, Bailey and somewhere somehow Ash(maybe).

 

If they have the will to work together, and I hope they do.......I see a formidable threat.

[Big Salad]

1 hour ago, Phil Silvers said:

100% both are starting and Ollie is a pro, it won't take him long to click with Danny. I'd imagine Deano wants them all on, the formation is going to have to accommodate Ollie, Ings, Buendia, Bailey and somewhere somehow Ash(maybe).

 

I agree.Ollie is a very mature player and that is evident when he plays.

Dean would not want Ings at the cost if you will of Ollie sacrificing a lot of game time.Same thing Danny wouldn't sign if knows minutes will be hard to come by.

We have great coaches and they will get the best out of everyone.Of that I have no doubt.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, nick76 said:

Why would he get the hump? Fairly standard to have more than one player per position.  Not sure we can do anything if Ollie does get the hump, we have to protect ourselves, have to have options and any top clubs he’d have the same issue.  I doubt it’s an issue for him, he’ll love the competition and also they can work together and learn from each other.

fingers crossed, I hope you are right, because I rate both of them highly.

because folk keep talking about playing out wide, gives me the Hump.....they can both play centrally....Like Shaw and Withe or Gray and Little.

[TRO]

On 05/08/2021 at 12:06, MaVilla said:

a proper DM would round it off for me.

Then the second part of the pivot can be a competition between Sanson, McGinn & Luiz.

After that we just need a LW or CAM, depending on how we plan to set up.

Thats much how I see it.....get one in and I can sit back and see us challenge for Europe....all things being equal.

Edited August 8, 2021 by TRO

[DaveAV1]

To be successful they all need to work together and also accept that the coaching team may make decisions that will on occasion see some of them not start, even if fit. This is what happens when squads grow in quality as ours must to ensure we remain competitive throughout the long season. Players either accept this or they will be moved on. The days of pandering to certain players individual desires are over, we have to make decisions that are right for Aston Villa. That doesn’t mean we won’t at times have to manage players individual situations and needs, but that is a skill that the club needs, as do all the other clubs. The very good spirit at the club at the moment leans towards indicating that we’re pretty good at it. Long may this continue. 

I often hear people say that we can’t expect to have a squad of a certain quality as we aren’t in Europe. I personally believe we have to have a squad good enough to compete in Europe in order to climb high enough in the league to get in to Europe. I understand that it’s a bit of a chicken and egg thing, but I reckon the plan is to get into Europe, stay there and win trophies at home and abroad. So once we’re good enough to get in we need to stay in every season and be competitive. We can’t expect to get in and then rebuild with a better quality squad. Higher, higher Villa, as they say in Ghana. 

[TRO]

6 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

To be successful they all need to work together and also accept that the coaching team may make decisions that will on occasion see some of them not start, even if fit. This is what happens when squads grow in quality as ours must to ensure we remain competitive throughout the long season. Players either accept this or they will be moved on. The days of pandering to certain players individual desires are over, we have to make decisions that are right for Aston Villa. That doesn’t mean we won’t at times have to manage players individual situations and needs, but that is a skill that the club needs, as do all the other clubs. The very good spirit at the club at the moment leans towards indicating that we’re pretty good at it. Long may this continue. 

I often hear people say that we can’t expect to have a squad of a certain quality as we aren’t in Europe. I personally believe we have to have a squad good enough to compete in Europe in order to climb high enough in the league to get in to Europe. I understand that it’s a bit of a chicken and egg thing, but I reckon the plan is to get into Europe, stay there and win trophies at home and abroad. So once we’re good enough to get in we need to stay in every season and be competitive. We can’t expect to get in and then rebuild with a better quality squad. Higher, higher Villa, as they say in Ghana. 

Bravo.

Its a difficult club to break in to....so you have to be good enough in advance to do so.

I think that is the clubs Plan, Dave.

[TRO]

I love this player....I just hope Jack's going doesn't upset him too much.

I would really hate to lose Ollie....he did need help, I hope he see's it that way.

Edited August 8, 2021 by TRO

[Jareth]

Only saw clips of today but just love his body shape, looks the business, bit like the way jack looked the last year or two, sob. 

[nick76]

7 minutes ago, TRO said:

I love this player....I just hope Jack's going doesn't upset him too much.

I would really hate to lose Ollie....he did need help, I hope he see's it that way.

You had a drink tonight mate? Sound like an obsessed girlfriend

[nick76]

7 minutes ago, Jareth said:

Only saw clips of today but just love his body shape, looks the business, bit like the way jack looked the last year or two, sob. 

What is going on tonight in this thread…there’s a lot of love going on! Did I miss a hippy convention or something?

[Jareth]

1 minute ago, nick76 said:

What is going on tonight in this thread…there’s a lot of love going on! Did I miss a hippy convention or something?

Probably Grealish emotional bounce back - we need a new messiah

[nick76]

5 minutes ago, Jareth said:

Probably Grealish emotional bounce back - we need a new messiah

I haven’t got to that stage of grief yet, I’m still in the angry stage.  Just a couple more decades in this stage before I move to the next stage.

[dubbs]

16 minutes ago, nick76 said:

I haven’t got to that stage of grief yet, I’m still in the angry stage.  Just a couple more decades in this stage before I move to the next stage.

Over it already.  He's moved on,  he thought we weren't good enough for him.  His loss.  Let's see how ollie and ings perform together this season,  think some may be surprised. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by dubbs

[Dave-R]

3 hours ago, TRO said:

Will Ollie be ok with the Ings signing or get the hump?

I see Ings playing a bit deeper behind Ollie, not necessarily Ollie out wide.

so I see the 2 being ok.

I don't think Main striker comes into it anymore, think that is a dead phraze now. No reason why both can't be utilised in many a way, same reasons it was explained alot in the Tammy thread for 100 pages

It's upto both Ings and Ollie to keep up with each other, provide a competitive edge and even keep out doing one and other now. If one of them can't do that and falls off the radar then there career will be short lived at Villa for where the club wants to be and wants to venture.

Goodluck to both of them, I'm sure they will both kick ass.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

3 hours ago, Delphinho123 said:

He needs to be fighting it out with Ings for the number 9 spot. This idea that he is going to replace Grealish on the left is a symptom of the last 10 years of bad management. 

Just because we finally have two competent strikers and a bit of squad depth, it doesn’t mean Watkins has to be shoehorned out to the left. We should sign a left sided attacker and Watkins/Ings will fight it out for that no. 9 spot. If we decide to change formation or we’re chasing a game then great, we have options. 

Would it not be a different system? Watkins would play as a left sided forward rather than whatever Grealish was, which was basically left to Grealish to decide. 

In any case, he started in a 2 today, so you're flapping across multiple threads for no apparent reason that I can see. 

[Delphinho123]

4 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

Would it not be a different system? Watkins would play as a left sided forward rather than whatever Grealish was, which was basically left to Grealish to decide. 

In any case, he started in a 2 today, so you're flapping across multiple threads for no apparent reason that I can see. 

If we play 2 up top with our central midfield, we’ll get slaughtered in matches. 

[Kiwivillan]

1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said:

If we play 2 up top with our central midfield, we’ll get slaughtered in matches. 

We played 3 up top in friendly Watkins Ings AEG

[Tommo_b]

1 minute ago, Delphinho123 said:

If we play 2 up top with our central midfield, we’ll get slaughtered in matches. 

Aww but I’d love a tradition 4-4-2, hate this one striker up top crap. I’m old school