Aston Villa fans in agreement as Ian Wright’s comments on Ollie Watkins revisited
Aston Villa fans believe Ian Wright is still spot on with his earlier criticism of Ollie Watkins.
The England international has come under heavy criticism from the Villa Park faithful after the Lions’ 2-0 loss to Wolves at Molineux on 27 February.
Speaking on The Overlap back in September, Wright said, “As a player, I think that he should be doing more for what he’s capable of doing. He’s a channel runner, gets in the box, he gets on the end of things. I think he could be a lot sharper with his finishing, and I thought that’s what he’d be working on.
“Just like the one-touch finish or the touch finish on both sides, those are the things that when you get to the level where you score goals in like semi-final of the Euros and that, those are the things you work on now, for getting the chance to stay in the width of the 18-yard box and taking your chance. He just doesn’t do that, he doesn’t do it enough.”
The Arsenal icon’s comments have been revisited, and fans in B71 seem to agree with the sentiment around the 30-year-old striker.
Ian Wright spot on with previous Ollie Watkins criticism at Aston Villa
One Villa fan on X revisited Wright’s assessment of Watkins after the Wolves loss, with other supporters agreeing with him.
One fan feels the ex-Gunner is “bang on” about the English striker, who hasn’t improved since joining the Villans and is now only getting slower, giving defenders a chance to close him down.
Others admitted Wright was spot on with what he said about the centre-forward, with one even calling him a second division number nine.
Watkins has been criticised for his touch and use of the ball in the final third, and the attacker clearly hasn’t been his best, scoring eight goals in 27 Premier League appearances this season.
Unai Emery has heavily relied on the Englishman this season, but the Spanish manager may be better off turning to Tammy Abraham for the upcoming matches.
The lack of a lethal goalscorer is undoubtedly hurting the Lions, and the Villa Park faithful will hope it doesn’t jeopardise their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
Ollie Watkins game by numbers vs Wolves
Watkins is rightly coming under heavy criticism from supporters after an underwhelming display at Molineux Stadium, registering an xG of 0.08, as per Sofascore.
The striker had just one shot in the 86 minutes he was on the pitch, which was subsequently blocked.
It was also frustrating to see the centre-forward lose possession nine times as he completed just 73 per cent of his passes.
Watkins didn’t do much at the back either, with just one defensive contribution and lost two of his attempted ground duels.
Chelsea travel to Villa Park next in the Premier League on 4 March, and the English number nine doesn’t deserve to start.
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