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The Cardiff City loanee has hit form after scoring his fifth goal of the League One season.
Max Watters has certainly become the player MK Dons had hoped he would turn out to be when signed on loan for the 2021/22 campaign back in the summer.
Prior to joining the Buckinghamshire outfit, the 22-year-old began his career in non-league football before having his first professional spell at Doncaster Rovers. He went out on several loans turning out for Grantham Town, Gainsborough Trinity, Mickleover and Maidstone United before being released by the Yorkshire outfit following five appearances for the club.
In 2020, the forward broke onto the scene after he signed for Crawley Town and managed 13 goals in 15 appearances for the Red Devils.
This excellent first half of the 2020/21 season saw the striker earn himself a January move to Cardiff City for a reported £1 million. For the remainder of last season’s campaign, he was used sparingly but the potential was still there for all to see.
Having been scouted throughout the summer window by the then Dons manager Russell Martin, when Watters eventually put pen-to-paper on a season-long loan, it was hoped and openly spoken of all parties’ desire that he could turn his League Two form at Crawley into a similar return this time one division higher.
Following a less-than-perfect start at his new side, which saw the striker sidelined for the first six weeks of the season thanks to an innocuous calf injury sustained in pre-season, he has only started three league games alongside seven substitute displays.
Under the new manager Liam Manning, despite all of this, he has still managed a very respectable return of five league goals.
Known for his aerial ability to go alongside his pace and power, Watters has begun to show signs of a flourishing partnership at his new club alongside Scott Twine. So far this season from just the three starts together, they have combined for eight goals, assisting each other for four of those.
One thing you cannot say about Watters’ style of play is that he plays with a lack of heart or desire. So far in his brief spell at the club, he has shown a willingness to make the “ugly running”, pressing the goalkeeper even when the chances of winning the ball are minuscule.
What a trio ? pic.twitter.com/VYm4v03goa
— Milton Keynes Dons (@MKDonsFC) November 20, 2021
In certain situations, these selfless pieces of play can nullify and remove himself from any attack that is blossoming. However, as was the case with his first goal against Cambridge United in recent weeks, his running into the wide flank opened space for Scott Twine to control the ball and read the situation.
After assessing his options, Twine whipped a vicious pass cross-field towards Watters who was hugging the touchline 50 yards from goal.
After controlling the ball, the young forward powered his way past his marker and carried the ball into the penalty area before bludgeoning a right-footed strike into the back of the net. It was a goal to remember for all who were watching and demonstrated how you can remain effective and an asset to your side even when the impossible seems unlikely.
It is worth remembering also that the powerful forward is no giant despite his aerial ability. At only 5’10, he is by no means the stereotypical footballing target man. Watters possesses a superb vertical leap which despite the obvious physical obstacles, he still can tower over defenders and offer a different threat up top.
This may go against the MK Dons methodology of passing and moving the ball around the pitch looking to carve open the defending backline, but it is a handy option to utilise in terms of defending set pieces and at restarts towards the end of each half.
In his most recent game against Burton Albion, it was Watters who scored the winner to earn Manning’s side all three points.
Having failed to convert early in the first half after a sublime chip was cleared off the line by a trailing defender, he duly got the deciding goal midway through the second half after sitting down Burton Albion goalkeeper Ben Garratt before coolly slotting the ball into the back of the net.
Receiving a pass on the half turn from Dons midfielder David Kasumu, the forward breezed through the Albion backline and won a battle of patience between himself and Garratt, selling the goalkeeper the dummy and finishing comfortably to take his career record to 23 goals from 21 career starts.
If Watters can continue to keep his rich vein of form flowing, he may be able to emulate another rags-to-riches hero in Jamie Vardy, someone who he openly admits to taking a lot of inspiration from, seeing his work-rate as one of the key assets to his rise up the football pyramid.
The loanee’s exceptional statistics will certainly not have slipped under Cardiff City’s radar as the Welsh side’s comparative troubles continue.
With the option available to pull the plug on the frontman’s loan in January, it would not be a surprise if Cardiff look inwards and recall their fit and firing loanee over trying their luck in the transfer window.
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