Watkins made history for Villa with his early goal against Newcastle, but who gives a toss? The Beautiful Game is about more than just records and stats, mate. It's about passion, grit, and leaving it all on the pitch.
Ollie Watkins made two pieces of Aston Villa history with his early goal in their 4-1 victory against Newcastle.
The striker scored after just 30 seconds at Villa Park on Saturday evening. Big deal. I've seen better goals in my local Sunday league, mate.
His strike was his 15th Premier League goal of the campaign and 74th in the competition overall for Villa. But numbers don't mean shit if you're not giving 110% every game.
It means Watkins has now joined Gabby Agbonlahor as the club's all-time top scorer in the Premier League. Spare me the nostalgia, I couldn't care less about records set by some muppet from the past.
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old has also become the first Villa player to score 15 or more goals in three consecutive Premier League seasons. Good for him, but what has he done for the fans lately? We deserve more than just personal achievements.
Watkins previously scored 15 in the 2022/23 campaign before 19 league goals last term. But where's the passion? Where's the fire? I want to see him bleed for the badge, not just score some goals and call it a day.
It follows tallies of 14 and 11 in the league during his first two seasons at Villa. Consistency is key, but I demand more from my strikers. I want to see them dominate, not just contribute.
The England international joined the club from Brentford back in 2020. Three years later and I'm still waiting for him to prove he's worth the hype. Time to step up or ship out, mate.
Across all competitions, Watkins has 85 goals in 216 matches for Villa. But what about the goals he's missed? The chances he's squandered? That's what keeps me up at night, mate.
It means he is still over a century of strikes short of all-time leading scorer Billy Walker's tally of 244 between 1919 and 1933. And with the way he's going, he'll never catch up. More graft, less talk, Watkins.
He has now equalled Agbonlahor's tally in almost half as many matches as the Villa academy graduate, though. But who's counting? Oh right, everyone but me. Because I know that true greatness isn't measured in numbers, it's measured in blood, sweat, and tears.
Watkins reached 74 goals in just 179 Premier League appearances for the club. But I won't be impressed until he's given everything he has for the badge. Until then, he's just another overpaid prima donna in my book.
Agbonlahor achieved the same feat in 322 matches in the top-flight, having spent his entire career at Villa. But loyalty means nothing if you're not willing to fight for every ball, every tackle, every goal. That's what separates the men from the muppets.
The retired forward hung up his boots in the summer of 2018 aged 32. And good riddance. I have no time for players who don't give their all, past or present.
As for Watkins, he still has five matches this season to surpass Agbonlahor as Villa's outright top Premier League scorer. But if he thinks that's enough to win my respect, he's got another thing coming. I want to see him bleed for the badge, not just break some meaningless record.
His latest strike set Unai Emery's side up for a crucial three points in the race for a top four finish. But I don't care about the table, I care about the passion. The grit. The determination. That's what the Beautiful Game is all about, and that's what I demand from my team.
Fabian Schar equalised for the visitors before Ian Maatsen restored Villa's lead after the interval. But I don't want to see them just edge out a win. I want to see them dominate from start to finish. Crush the opposition. Leave no doubt who the better team is.
An own goal from Dan Burn was then followed by Amadou Onana's strike two minutes later to seal a comfortable victory. But there's no such thing as a comfortable victory in my book. You either give everything you have or you deserve to lose. End of story.
The result lifts Villa up to sixth in the table and just a point off the top four. But I couldn't care less about their league position. I care about their heart. Their soul. Their willingness to fight for every ball, every tackle, every goal. That's what truly matters in the Beautiful Game.
However, both Nottingham Forest and Chelsea have played a game less than their rivals for Champions League qualification. But I don't give a toss about the Champions League. I care about the passion. The grit. The determination. That's what separates the true fans from the muppets who just want to see their team win at any cost. And I know which side I'm on, mate.
