Undercooked Ollie Watkins yet to deliver for Dream Team bosses but Aston Villa’s fixtures strongly appeal

EVEN the most partisan Aston Villa fan would admit Ollie Watkins (£5.8m) has looked undercooked during the opening exchanges this season.

And there’s a good reason for that.

The England international didn’t feature at all for the Villains in pre-season after being granted an extended summer break to compensate for the Three Lions’ lengthy Euro 2024 campaign.

Watkins has started both Premier League games so far but Unai Emery has replaced him just after the hour-mark on both occasions – another indication he’s not yet up to speed.

As a result, the 28-year-old has mustered just five points in Dream Team to date – a bitterly disappointing return for one of the most-selected strikers in the game.

Watkins was among the most transferred-out players prior to Gameweek 2 but even now his ownership remains a very healthy 18.2%.

Erling Haaland (£8.5m), Alexander Isak (£5m) and Mohamed Salah (£7.2m) are the only forwards who appear in more teams at the time of writing.

Gaffers who stuck by Watkins after Gameweek 1 would have been frustrated by his showing against Arsenal on Saturday.

He fluffed a golden chance in the first half and was denied by a superb David Raya (£4.7m) save in the second when it looked for all the world he would head the hosts’ into the lead.

Watkins’ wasteful finishing ultimately proved costly as the Gunners won 2-0 at Villa Park to exorcise some demons from last season.

Almost a fifth of Dream Team bosses now have a big decision to make ahead of Gameweek 3.

On the one hand, Watkins is yet to rediscover his best form while having his minutes managed but on the other hand, Villa’s fixtures appear to be massively favourable for the foreseeable future.

Emery’s side travel to newly-promoted Leicester this Saturday and resume after the international break with a home game against Everton, who are bottom of the table after two fixtures.

Gameweek 4 also brings the return of the Champions League and while that may pit Watkins and company against a difficult opponent (the draw is schedule for this week) it’s generally a wise idea for gaffers to target double Gameweeks in all guises.

Gameweek 5 sees Wolves visit Villa Park while Gameweek 6 features a trip to Ipswich and the club’s second European fixture of 2024/25.

In simple terms, Villa’s schedule from now until October appears ripe with potential.

The question is: can Watkins take advantage?

If he’s able to get up to speed either this week or after the international break then he should provide plenty of points – he’s been one of Dream Team’s top performers since Emery took charge.

But there’s no doubt his backers are having their patience tested at the start of this season.

Stick or twist?