Ty Bracey: I want Ollie Watkins to do well, but Aston Villa need to do something about goals
We’re delighted to welcome Villa View host Ty Bracey as our exclusive Aston Villa columnist each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the club…
Ty Bracey wants to see Ollie Watkins do well for Aston Villa as much as anyone in the team but accepts a change may be needed if he doesn’t start scoring.
The England international only has one in nine appearances so far this season, with that goal coming in the 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace back on 20 August, and Troy Deeney suggested on Match of the Day 2 after the goalless draw at Leeds United that his confidence has gone.
Bracey agrees and feels that it is a situation that can’t just be left to play out on its own with the team struggling for goals so badly.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News he said: “I think it’s very much down to himself. I think he’s probably over-critical of himself.
“There’s nobody I want to see do well more in that team than Ollie Watkins. He’s been unfortunate but you’ve got to finish your chances. The Premier League is punishable [if you don’t].
“We’ve got options who are more than capable of finishing, we just need to do something with that situation.
“I think it is definitely a confidence thing but how you overcome that is by scoring goals, so it’s a really tough one.
“I want to see him do well. I want to see him score goals. But if it’s not happening we’ve got to do something about it.”
Watkins is the number one striker under Steven Gerrard, but he isn’t finding the net sufficiently to justify that status currently.
Danny Ings only has two strikes, with one coming in the Carabao Cup, but from far fewer minutes, and the odd thing is that his game time has actually been decreasing the longer Watkins’ barren spell goes on.
Added to that, youngster Cameron Archer has virtually been ignored all season by the manager, with just 18 minutes across all competitions.
But while the team is struggling to score it is going to make finding the results to lift the club out of its slump all the more difficult, so surely Gerrard has to try something different sooner rather than later.
In other Aston Villa news, Arsenal still want Douglas Luiz says Fabrizio Romano.