It has been an interesting August and September for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins. While the side as a whole has struggled, the service to the England international has been infrequent compared to what is typical for a Premier League striker.
Especially when considering how Unai Emery's men closed the season and looked in spurts during the preseason, it is a little baffling as to why Watkins has appeared more disconnected in the attack than what would have been expected before the campaign began.
Speaking of England, Thomas Tuchel, for whatever reason, left Watkins on the bench during the largely underwhelming 2-0 win at Villa Park against Andorra. Especially when considering the compact nature and formation of the opposition, it could have been a realistic possibility to have Watkins up top and Harry Kane in the number ten role.
In any event, the focus will be on his play at Villa following the international break and England match against Serbia.
Villa simply have to find a way to get Watkins involved early and more often. Being a striker is often about being in a rhythm, both in the moment on the pitch and in general in terms of aspects outside of the match itself.
Other positions allow a player to feel out the game more, giving a chance for someone to grow into having an impact during a match. This same luxury, however, is not often afforded to strikers.
Potential solution for Aston Villa striker
It remains to be seen how Villa seek to rectify this for Watkins. This could come in the form of forcing more long balls to the attacker or by having him check into a deeper space on the pitch.
In either event, Watkins is a proven scorer in the Premier League. Sooner or later, he will find his form. Villa need to ensure that they facilitate this sooner rather than later.