Dan Bardell exclusive: Aston Villa play has left Ollie Watkins in no-win situation too often
We’re delighted to welcome The Athletic’s Dan Bardell as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
The struggles that Aston Villa have had early in the season heavily effected Ollie Watkins without him really being to blame believes Dan Bardell.
Despite playing the vast majority of the minutes available so far this campaign the striker has only notched one goal and two assists in seven appearances across all competitions.
But Bardell feels that even if his numbers don’t look great on paper his attitude has been good and he has been doing everything he can without the proper service for the most part, with Danny Ings often in a similar situation.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News he said: “I’ve felt very sorry for Ollie Watkins lately. I think as a lone forward he’s been pressing and working the channels, and having to chase down some absolute lost causes.
“I think he’s been doing everything he can do when he’s playing on his own or when he’s with Danny Ings, but there’s been no service.
“It’s not like Watkins and Ings have been missing chances in games really. They’ve not been getting chances.
“They’re not the types of players who are going to run the whole length of the pitch and create a goal from nothing themselves, they want to get on the end of stuff.
“Watkins wants through-balls that he can get on the end of. I’ve just felt sorry for him, Watkins in particular, because he’s been in a no-win situation.
“There’s been a number of things the team’s suffered with. Other than scoring goals direct from corners, Villa weren’t particularly doing anything very well [before the Manchester City draw].
“I don’t think you can point the finger at Ollie Watkins though. I think you could have had anyone up there and they’d have struggled. We just haven’t been a coherent side too much of the time.
“I probably know what side Steven Gerrard wants us to be but what I’ve generally seen on the pitch hasn’t married up with it.
“We’ve only scored five goals, and after three of those goals in under two minutes we’ve conceded again.
“And at the start of the season I felt reasonably optimistic. I liked the look of Villa, I felt they’d done good business.”
Fans will be hoping that the draw with City can be a watershed moment for this team where they can settle and find some much-needed form.
Getting the all-round build up play working properly, to give Watkins and Ings more chances to finish off will be of huge benefit to the whole club.
A couple more results and the difficulties the forwards have been faced with in a team that was struggling to function properly will gradually be forgotten, and there is surely no better opportunity to build some confidence than against the league’s most out of form side next up.
In other Aston Villa news, Gerrard has raved about Ashley Young.