Ollie Watkins

[Houso]

Precisely. Which makes me think we're nailed on to sign Watkins. Why else would the messiah have let Greaves leave?

Nailed it.

 

[Groucho Blade]

Is it true we’re trying to sign Imre Varadi’s son Ollie?
Well, we don’t want to be resting on our laurels

 

[Balham]

The difference being that at aged 24, Sharp was being shipped off to Doncaster after struggling to score at Championship level. It took Sharp till he was 33 and at the very top of his game to score over 20 at that level. “Like Billy Sharp” seems to be a bit of a bad label for some, but I’d have thought buying someone that can do the Sharp role already aged 24 (and scoring more than him in the process) with years to improve further is a hugely attractive prospect.

His flexibility as you highlight would be a real asset, and the fact he’s played a number of possible roles would suggest he may adjust a bit quicker than others.

Sharp's record at Doncaster is comparable to Watkin's this season though. He may have struggled for goals at United but had a pretty much 1-in-2 record for a deeply average Doncaster side.

 

[Jan Aage Fjrotoft]

I think McBurnie is pretty good on the physical side of things but granted he could improve on it. The physical side of it is one of the reasons I think Brewster would be a great addition. See video

Not one to get excited by youtube compilations, they can make average players look like worldbeaters.
However, watching that, there's so many attributes this lad has. To name a few:

• Strength (for his size)
• Pace
• Can see a pass (something our strikers seem to struggle to do (with the exception of Didz)
• Does not 'nesh' a challenge, gets stuck in

That's just from this season with a rather average Swansea squad, I think he's ready for the step-up to the Prem.
His goal in the playoff semi-final was also extremely well taken.

I'd much rather bring this lad in on loan, give us another option (especially if a loan is freed up with Hendo not returning).
Leaves us to divert the majority of our funds elsewhere.

 

[SouthportBlade]

Think Watkins is obviously a very good player, but that doesn't mean he'll take the step up. Signing any player from the Championship is going to be a gamble, for every player who takes the step up there'll be one's who don't.

I'd be inclined to say Watkins is more likely to be the former and do well.

However would he have bagged more than McB or Mousset for us this year? I'm not sure he would, we simply don't create enough chances. Whether it's realistic or not, if we are looking at spending 20m on a player I'd sooner put that on an attacking RCM. It's quite a simplisticly put, but, create more chances and you score more goals. With more service I'm certain either McB or Mousset could bag 10-15 goals.

For clarity I still think our frontline can and needs to be improved, but chance creation is much more important.

 

[Swannyblade]

Yes we did in the early part of the season when Moose was flying. After that we didn’t have a pacey striker to pass it too

What is the obsession with tracking back all the time you don't buy an attacking midfielder or a striker so that they can spend their time defending.

The obsession of tracking back all the time from some of our fans is ridiculous.

Have you not been paying attention?...we need centrebacks who attack and attackers who defend...overlaps and overloads baby!

 

[Swannyblade]

F.A. rules dictate that a premier league squad can't consist of more than 3 Oliver's. All i'm saying is if we sign him and he turns out to be gash, then we can't sign any more players called Oliver until one of them has been shipped off.

It's a risk.

No Bierhoff

 

[TONY_TONY_AGANA]

No Bierhoff

I'm afraid not. Although i hear there's a loophole regarding similar sounding foreign names, such as Olivier, so don't rule out a move for Giroud.

God, I should start an 'ex-journo' Twitter account.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Sharp's record at Doncaster is comparable to Watkin's this season though. He may have struggled for goals at United but had a pretty much 1-in-2 record for a deeply average Doncaster side.

View attachment 87723

You don’t need to sell me on the decent record Sharp has – he’s great. I’m just saying he wasn’t doing what Watkins is doing now at the same age, this season’s return for Watkins is a better GPG over a much larger amount of games than what Sharp did then. In what I would argue is now a tougher division too.

 

[Balham]

You don’t need to sell me on the decent record Sharp has – he’s great. I’m just saying he wasn’t doing what Watkins is doing now at the same age, this season’s return for Watkins is a better GPG over a much larger amount of games than what Sharp did then. In what I would argue is now a tougher division too.

I'd temper that with the fact that Sharp was playing for a far worse side in Doncaster so to hit 1 in 2 - as he did at the same age as Watkins - is just as good as Watkins' 25 goal haul this season. Doncaster lost 16 games, finished 12th and scored 59 goals in 2009/10 when Sharp was 24.

 

[Guesty]

Are we talking about the same Watkins? His strength on the ball is one of the things that I think is very good. Even against Fulham where he’d seen little of the ball you saw that, there was a 50/50 in that second half where he showed great strength to shield the ball from Hector, who in the end had to haul him down and concede a foul.

I’d offer in response: don’t let the goal highlight reel fool you, he has much more to his all round game too that makes him an attractive signing.

To be fair, he grabbed a huge chunk of Hector's shirt, then threw himself to the ground.

 

[LondonBlade89]

The Times is reporting this morning that there's no supposed £18 million buyout for Watkins, and that the club wants £25m (£25m for Benrahma too). So I think that's what we'd have to look at shelling out for him.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I'd temper that with the fact that Sharp was playing for a far worse side in Doncaster so to hit 1 in 2 - as he did at the same age as Watkins - is just as good as Watkins' 25 goal haul this season. Doncaster lost 16 games, finished 12th and scored 59 goals in 2009/10 when Sharp was 24.

If you want to average it to 1 in 2 for the sake of saying it’s the same fair enough, but it really isn’t – in a season of 49 games Sharp scores 4 fewer to Watkins’s 26 (based on your stats). I would guess that 1 or 2 of Sharp’s haul in 09/10 will also have been penalties (Watkins didn’t score any this season). You could equally argue the pressure to score in a mid table side is far less than for one fighting promotion – but I don’t need to make the case for that, as the stats themselves highlight Watkins’s superiority without that in seasons they both turned 24.

 

[8lade]

Certainly wouldn't want to pay the asking price for Watkins but wouldn't be averse to upsetting the apple cart by showing 'Premiership interest' in him, fuck it it happened to United enough. However if Brewster was for sale I'd be comfortable shelling out £25m on him, he shows that much quality in those clips.

 

[BanderSerge]

If you want to average it to 1 in 2 for the sake of saying it’s the same fair enough, but it really isn’t – in a season of 49 games Sharp scores 4 fewer to Watkins’s 26 (based on your stats). I would guess that 1 or 2 of Sharp’s haul in 09/10 will also have been penalties (Watkins didn’t score any this season). You could equally argue the pressure to score in a mid table side is far less than for one fighting promotion – but I don’t need to make the case for that, as the stats themselves highlight Watkins’s superiority without that in seasons they both turned 24.

Replace Watkins for Billy and billy scores between 30/35 with the style and chances they create

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

Not one to get excited by youtube compilations, they can make average players look like worldbeaters.
However, watching that, there's so many attributes this lad has. To name a few:

• Strength (for his size)
• Pace
• Can see a pass (something our strikers seem to struggle to do (with the exception of Didz)
• Does not 'nesh' a challenge, gets stuck in

That's just from this season with a rather average Swansea squad, I think he's ready for the step-up to the Prem.
His goal in the playoff semi-final was also extremely well taken.

I'd much rather bring this lad in on loan, give us another option (especially if a loan is freed up with Hendo not returning).
Leaves us to divert the majority of our funds elsewhere.

Agree. Looks like a hard worker. Not scared of a tackle. Eye for a pass and knows where the back of the net is. Seemed to be playing a couple of different positions and can play with both feet. I hope the Woodburn situation hasn’t put Klopp off from loaning players to us.

 

[BanderSerge]

What is the obsession with tracking back all the time you don't buy an attacking midfielder or a striker so that they can spend their time defending.

The obsession of tracking back all the time from some of our fans is ridiculous.

I’ve no idea what kind of world you live in but it most definitely isn’t a Sheffield United world! Rewatch any match you want and look at all our forwards pressing. All among the highest work rate in the league. We can’t afford passengers hence Freeman always behind Fleck and now Osborn. Not because he isn’t more skilled but because his work rate is miles behind them.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I hope the Woodburn situation hasn’t put Klopp off from loaning players to us.

I think if this had been last summer that might have been fresh in the mind. But it’s another year on, Klopp will have seen that Henderson has benefited greatly from his time here, and that Woodburn has continued to have a difficult time in his development. I don’t think this will be an issue.

 

[CopenhagenBlade]

Probably true. Klopp rates this kid highly and Brewster himself can see how Greenwood has kicked in at Man U and probably wants games in the Premier league now

 

[Yoonited]

Hes prone to mistakes, seen him drop a couple of bollocks we should stay well clear

Isn't every footballer prone to mistakes?I think it's unrealistic to expect any human to not make mistakes. I have seen all our players make them this season. That's life and perfectly normal isn't it?

 

[Yoonited]

I mean you could make that comparison about every single player we’re looking at. That John Swift looks good playing good in his position/role, but he might not make the step up because Callum Robinson.

What you can do is look at a player’s attributes and try and apply them to the role they might play for us. Robinson was a bit of a gamble because we were expecting him not just to move centrally, but also develop parts of his game as learning that role. Watkins has strength, positional sense, intelligence, and a more natural finishing instinct in my opinion – I don’t feel Robinson really has any of these yet.

Watkins also appears more mature than Robinson imho. Robinson is a bit,look at me look at me,judging by his celebrations at WBA.
Needs to grow up a bit for me.

 

[Yoonited]

Think Wilder will definitely be interested, but it will depend on Robinson going and who else wants him.

Personally think he's likelier to sign for us than Leeds or Villa, but if the likes of Everton come flashing their knickers, we're knackered.

Wouldn't he have to dislodge DCL at Everton?Ancelotti unsurprisingly, rates him but I get your drift.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Watkins also appears more mature than Robinson imho. Robinson is a bit,look at me look at me,judging by his celebrations at WBA.
Needs to grow up a bit for me.

Don’t get this attitude. Why shouldn’t he enjoy himself after just being promoted.

Our players were hammered for about a month last season when we went up - we weren’t calling them immature.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

Don’t get this attitude. Why shouldn’t he enjoy himself after just being promoted.

Our players were hammered for about a month last season when we went up - we weren’t calling them immature.

Exactly. Haven’t seen anything to suggest Robinson has a bad attitude – in fact he’s always looked extremely positive and happy regardless of any set-backs.

 

[Yoonited]

Don’t get this attitude. Why shouldn’t he enjoy himself after just being promoted.

Our players were hammered for about a month last season when we went up - we weren’t calling them immature.

Attitude? It's an opinion based on what I saw.

He was giving it billy big bollox at Barnsley pre season too, until our Billy had a word.

I personally thought Cranie for example seemed to me a bit childish celebrating but then he was very pissed.
Perspective mate, not attitude.
Perhaps you might like to point out where I said anything about his attitude?

 

[Yoonited]

Exactly. Haven’t seen anything to suggest Robinson has a bad attitude – in fact he’s always looked extremely positive and happy regardless of any set-backs.

Where did I say bad attitude ?

 

[chuffer]

Dropped from 5/1 to 6/4 on SkyBet... might be something in this.

 

[Bladeinleeds]

Attitude? It's an opinion based on what I saw.

He was giving it billy big bollox at Barnsley pre season too, until our Billy had a word.

I personally thought Cranie for example seemed to me a bit childish celebrating but then he was very pissed.
Perspective mate, not attitude.
Perhaps you might like to point out where I said anything about his attitude?

I meant I don’t get this opinion.

That’s fair enough - I just don’t think there is any harm in having a laugh and celebrating with his team mates. He seemed like a decent character from the little snippets they put on social media last season.

 

[Yoonited]

I meant I don’t get this opinion.

That’s fair enough - I just don’t think there is any harm in having a laugh and celebrating with his team mates. He seemed like a decent character from the little snippets they put on social media last season.

Of course not and I did not say or suggest it mate.I don't think he is a bad lad, just not mature enough yet.
And he was celebrating on his own from what I saw.
I predicted him to be our top scorer after the Barnsley friendly so what the fuck do I know.
I do think he's nesh mind,approaches players as if he's going to make a tackle but never tries to.Unlike anyone else in the team.

 

[robbiez666]

He's a winger by trade who has flourished as a striker this season. Are you getting him mixed up with someone else?

In terms of my view on Palace getting him (same with West Ham or Southampton), is that location will play a big part.

When I've watched Brentford play they seem to use him for a direct ball and then those around work off him. I didn't know he used to be a winger. We doesn't exactly seem quick.

I just hadn't pictures him and playing off a big man. Maybe in a 3 but not a 2, if that makes sense?