14 Aug 2022 11:20:57
It's interesting how different people see/like different things in players. So Alan Shearer thinks we are a better side with Watkins in it and highlights the fact that as a striker he should spend more time in and around the 18 yard box. However he conveniently seems to have forgotten he started life as a winger and therefore is more likely to drift wide than centrally. Don't get me wrong Watkins has a lot of really good qualities, he works hard, runs the channels well never gives the centre backs a moments peace, but is he going to get us 15 to 20 premiership goals? Personally I don't think so and therefore Gerrard has a really tricky decision to make, does he stick with what he has in the hope the goals will come or splash big money on a proven goalscorer and if he does will he sell Watkins or keep a potentially unhappy player.

1.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 12:36:33
I don't see us getting a striker in, and if I'm honest I don't see us getting a Midfielder in either now, I've been a big advocate of trusting the process (and still am) but I'll be disappointed if we finish the window short in midfield yet again. It's Watkins, Ings, Archer for the 22/23 season, 100% convinced, we won't spend big on that area this summer.

2.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 14:15:44
BK the minute we buy a quality midfielder, Coutinho will definitely be benched,he shouldn't start ahead of Buendia at the moment anyway, however ad far ad Gerrard is concerned Coutinho will continue to start, so i don't think we buy in this position. With regard to a striker, i would spend big money on a proven goalscorer and use Ollies pace and assists, which worked well yesterday, Ings could then be involved from the bench if required.

3.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 15:56:14
Caffu, the way I look at the Coutinho / Buendia situation is. Coutinho is definitely the more talented and ultimately better player but you need to get him the ball, our current team selection doesn't lend itself to that unless we get a "passer" in the middle. With that in mind, if we are unable to find that player Buendia should absolutely play, he adds way more in terms of energy and tenacity and doesn't need to be "fed" like Coutinho - He has to play unless we can address the midfield, and he proved it again yesterday.

4.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 16:25:06
Bet you Coutinho starts next week

5.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 17:01:29
The conversion rate for Ollie isn’t good enough in my opinion, Ings conversion rate is better but even when Watkins is on the pitch he is often so wide that even though we are playing on paper with two up top, in reality its only one that’s in the 18 yard box. We need someone whose conversion rate is ideally one in three not one in six or seven, at the top level you don’t get that many chances.

6.) 14 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 22:13:02
Last season only 4 players who played CF scored 15 or more Premier League goals. Only 8 players in total managed it. Most people wouldn't really say Jota is a CF even though he played there.
I've said it before but number 9s who score all of the goals aren't really a thing anymore.
The defensive side of the game means more often than not their job is to either occupy the defenders or help bring others into play as they get crowded out more often than not.
If he gets 20+ goal contributions between goals and assists then that's actually a fairly top level return when it comes to the Premier League.

7.) 15 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 23:14:48
This ? Watkins had 19 goal contributions the season before last, if he replicates that this season it would be huge for Villa. We need to focus on getting more goals from Ings, Coutinho, Buendia, Bailey as the reality is an improved on Watkins will cost us 50M+ and 50M+ strikers aren't interested in joining Villa yet.

8.) 15 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 23:18:20
Does everyone forget, Ings was a consistent goal scorer wherever he has played, Watkins is an England international forward, Archer is an U21 England international. Why does anyone think the answer is to buy another forward? Give these guys the proper service and they will score goals. It’s the system that’s failing not the players.

9.) 15 Aug 2022
14 Aug 2022 23:30:43
Well said rk, I think it's a bit too simple and generic to just say we need a 20 goal striker. Personally I actually think we're missing a genuine dynamic threat. A Grealish/Zaha type player that can take people out of the game, cause defenders to double up etc. Was hoping Bailey would be that man but not sure we can rely on him for that, at least yet.
With clubs like Utd struggling to attract talent like that it shows how competitive the market is and I have faith that the Villa team are working every angle, fingers crossed we get a couple more in before the end of the month. We should all know by now how Villa operate, if it happens we'll probably not know until it's practically a done deal.

10.) 15 Aug 2022
15 Aug 2022 07:53:19
The reason I think we need a genuine goalscorer is if you look at the teams who we will be competing with the likes of Leicester, West Ham, and Palace
all had players who scored more than Watkins and Ings, in fact in Leicesters case they had 2 in Vardy and Maddison. In Coutinho and Buendia we arguably have more creative options than we have had for a while and yet our conversion rate is no better. I agree that Ings has scored goals wherever he has been but I think given Watkins appears more comfortable out wide Ings is often isolated in the 18 yard box which makes his job more difficult and that’s why I think we need an out and out goalscorer

11.) 15 Aug 2022
15 Aug 2022 10:07:19
Ollie ends up there most of the time because he's chasing the ball behind. That's where you need the 10 busting to get in the box which is what Buendia did for his goal and Coutinho doesn't do anywhere near often enough.
The split strikers works better for us than the 2 10s behind a lone striker and both are capable of good returns in my opinion. That's where I think Buendia makes the difference over Coutinho as he occupies the space they've left more consistently.

12.) 15 Aug 2022
15 Aug 2022 12:10:10
Can’t think of a 10 who is available who will give us the type of goal return that you would get from an out and out goalscorer. Goals win games, chances created don’t

13.) 15 Aug 2022
15 Aug 2022 13:51:01
Please re-read my post and you'll see nowhere did I mention a new number 10.
25 from Ings and Watkins and an average of 8 each from Buendia, Bailey and Coutinho gives you about 50 goals.
Add in another 10-15 spread between the rest and the odd own goal on top and that is the 7-10th position we're looking at assuming we don't ship goals for fun.
Coutinho will have more joy against tired defences so starting Buendia and subbing Coutinho would likely give us that sort of return in my opinion.

14.) 15 Aug 2022
15 Aug 2022 16:14:14
If you use last season as a benchmark then I think 25 goals for Ings and Watkins should be achievable but isn’t that a poor return from two England forwards? With regards to your other expectations Buendia scored 4 in 35 last season, Bailey 1 in 18 and Coutinho who you want to use from the bench was the best of the bunch with 5 out of 19 so I can’t see 20 plus goals coming from those three. If Bailey was going to be a regular starter then you would be closer to it but Gerrard doesn’t seem to rate him and I think will only use him off the bench as an impact player. 10 to 15 is a reasonable expectation from the rest of the team. At best I think these numbers will get us mid table. If we really want to kick on we need more goals hence my call for the signing of a quality striker.

15.) 15 Aug 2022
15 Aug 2022 17:13:28
Buendia played a lot as a sub and only had 10-15 minutes most of the time in a team that was massively struggling.
As a regular starter I think he gets 10-12. Bailey and Coutinho getting half hour regularly with a few starts against tired legs can get 6 or 7 each.
25 should be the low end for those 2 if the team as a whole perform. Calling them England forwards is a bit much if you look at their competitive caps. Watkins should be the first choice back up to Kane but hasn't had enough chances yet to really be referred to as a fully fledged international.

16.) 15 Aug 2022
15 Aug 2022 18:59:05
Let’s see how the numbers compare come the end of the season