Demarai Gray

[Jaspa]

He's physically all there; tall, lean, quick. Technical talents we don't see enough of but his Man U goal coming up three years ago now, the Puel break against Everton nearly two years ago showed he had something. 23 years old, highly regarded in a very competitive international group and by other competitive Clubs as we noticed with Bournemouth, rarely injured. He's alot going for him, psychologically & consistency are the issues. I watch players like Neres at Ajax and think Gray has so much more in way of physical attributes and even isn't far off technically in fleeting moments but it's everything else Neres has which Demarai hasn't which makes him a super talent.

 

At this Club and the way we have seen Chilwell, Maddison, now Choudhury & Barnes crack on it really puts the onus on our expectations for him. As you can see in this thread a considerable chunk of the fanbase has given up and some are probably readily sharpening their jeering techniques for the next time he gets subbed on when chasing a game, so he can get the same ugly treatment Kelechi did last season. Of course this really falls onto BR's plate to either get the best out of him or the best resolution when moving, what is still an asset, on.

 

This is probably the toughest point in the lads career, he made his name in the first 5 months of coming in - his whole life changed quickly. 3 years later he has nothing more to show for it and everything still to prove. This is his last chance with us because we've proven to have the means and now a solid record of buying in and playing players who produce more than Dimmy.

 

If his time is done at Leicester I hope he finds that next few gears in himself at another Club because he'd proved it couldn't happen here. Oh, and that we still get some decent money out of it, prioritively sell on fees ect. Either way so I can enjoy it.

 

[shailen]

I think demarai gray is not too far away from what Sterling was a couple of years ago. He is very rash at finishing, but he makes all the right runs and gets into so many goal scoring opportunities. 

 

A little more care and thought in the final third is needed from him.

[ozvaldo]

I want him to do well but I’m tired of saying “Gray is just a few games away from going on a run”.  It’s never happened. 

 

We should sell him whilst there’s still some time left on his contract and get the most we can for him. 

[Collymore]

Maybe becoming a fringe player for a top 6 premier team is his ceiling and we need to accept that. 

 

That doesn't mean we sell him. Some posters have this idea that players must be sold if they don't turn into a world beater with in a certain time frame. Let him play his role and if he develops further, great, if he doesn't then at least we have a useful squad player on our books. 

Edited 28 July 2019 by Collymore

[Foxxed]

2 minutes ago, Collymore said:

Maybe becoming a fringe player for a top 6 premier team is his ceiling and we need to accept that. 

Aye. People want him to rock up one day and do a Mahrez and then rant and rave he's not developed into a world class winger. Let's just buy better wingers.

[foxinsocks]

Some aspects of his game have improved.  Yet his decision making is still his weakness.

This can be improved by working with videos where the action is halted when he received the ball...  he assesses his options....( pass...hold... run... cross. ..shoot) ... he makes a choice and then looks to see what he did do.  This way he learns his biases. 

This does take time.... i wonder if he has a scheme of such personal training rather than just group squad stuff.  All i can say is i have seen no improvement over the last 3 yrs.

[eblair]

gray has played 132 games and scored 8 goals for us, musa got 33 games and scored 5 times

 

he's had his crack, honestly think we should not have sold the muse

[ARM1968]

7 hours ago, turtmcfly said:

 

You not to shabby yourself when it comes to being bitter and self satisfied. 

 

The level of vile cod psychology in this thread... 

Not bitter or self satisfied at all mate. If you’ve never come across the type then happy days for you, most people have. 

 

I dont actually think it’s vile to have an opinion or point out the truth as I see it. Gray’s failure to kick on is obvious to most people and appears to be a result of his own attitude and approach. 

 

Anyway, that is just my opinion. What’s yours by the way, regarding him?

[Lesterlad]

7 hours ago, Stadt said:

You probably said that at the start of last season and the one before that too

Well actually start of every game 

[sdb]

I wince reading this thread a little, so much criticism. Sadly, I agree with it all. He's made no progress since joining with regards to game intelligence. He can kick and run and that's it. He can't do intricate one touch, he cant see a move unfold more than one step ahead, he can't pick a pass to unlock defences... he can't do much bar knock a ball past a player and run after it. His work rate has improved, but I sense he has off the pitch battles that have massively limited his progress. 

 

I always dreaded him moving on as I thought we'd regret it, but I'm less sure now. I'd like to see him succeed but I don't think he'll ever pull up trees at a top half prem club. Genuinely feel a bit sad for him for some reason! 

[Blue ROI]

Gray always seems to me like one of those 'next big thing/one to watch' players but it just looks like he won't make the grade with us.

 

Might be harsh to say it before the season starts but he's been disappointing given the hype surrounding him in 2016.

[FLAN]

When he came on to see games out in the league winning season he seemed to have all the right decisions. Can only assume he was being clearly instructed to get the ball and run it  into the corners to wind the clock down. Since then he’s been way below average and we wouldn’t miss him or his goals/assists at all 

[weller54]

Straight swap for Bowen? .. 

Gray might be OK playing for Hull in The Championship. 

[Guest SO1]

3 hours ago, shailen said:

I think demarai gray is not too far away from what Sterling was a couple of years ago. He is very rash at finishing, but he makes all the right runs and gets into so many goal scoring opportunities. 

 

A little more care and thought in the final third is needed from him.

At this elite level there's no time for thought and care. Only instinct. It's why finishing is such a gift. If you have to think about it you're a step behind.

I'm hoping Rodgers can help him like Pep helped Sterling. Would love to know how Pep rewired Sterling's brain because I don't know how you would teach instinct.

[Stadt]

In 101 PL apps Maguire has 7 goals and 6 assists.

 

In 111 PL apps Gray has 8 goals and 6 assists. 

[Guest ttfn]

15 minutes ago, Stadt said:

In 101 PL apps Maguire has 7 goals and 6 assists.

 

In 111 PL apps Gray has 8 goals and 6 assists. 

 

[shailen]

1 hour ago, SO1 said:

At this elite level there's no time for thought and care. Only instinct. It's why finishing is such a gift. If you have to think about it you're a step behind.

I'm hoping Rodgers can help him like Pep helped Sterling. Would love to know how Pep rewired Sterling's brain because I don't know how you would teach instinct.

Agree completely. He's not yet at the level where his quality suggested he would be. Its frustrating given the promise he showed early on.

 

However, I think it's a confidence thing with him. He seems to overplay situations when there is an easy option all the time.

 

If you watch sterling now, he has electric pace but other than that his game is simple. Easy passes, crossing early and running into the box all the time. Most of sterling's goals are easy tap ins which he wasn't getting 3/4 seasons ago. Gray needs to be more simple in his game and not look for that 1 in 100 flash of brilliance. I think that is what Pep did with Sterling as well as giving him the confidence and I hope Rodgers does the same with Gray.

[Babylon]

40 minutes ago, Stadt said:

In 101 PL apps Maguire has 7 goals and 6 assists.

 

In 111 PL apps Gray has 8 goals and 6 assists. 

Ouch

[FoxFossil]

40 minutes ago, Stadt said:

In 101 PL apps Maguire has 7 goals and 6 assists.

 

In 111 PL apps Gray has 8 goals and 6 assists. 

Why is he still here?

Sell.

[turtmcfly]

On 28/07/2019 at 08:48, ARM1968 said:

Not bitter or self satisfied at all mate. If you’ve never come across the type then happy days for you, most people have. 

 

I dont actually think it’s vile to have an opinion or point out the truth as I see it. Gray’s failure to kick on is obvious to most people and appears to be a result of his own attitude and approach. 

 

Anyway, that is just my opinion. What’s yours by the way, regarding him?

 

Why is it 'true' that he's that 'type' (self-satisfied, bitter, entitled)? What is the basis for this? My guess is you have simply extrapolated from the way you perceive he plays and what snippets you've seen in the media, and multiplied those by your inability to deal with the frustration you have with him.

've 

As for my opinion - I have nothng to add to the general description of 'frustrating' other than saying I believe that the accusations of him being 'greedy' are based on a short period after he scrored 'that' goal against Man U. It's an unnecessarily perjorative way of saying his final ball/shot is usually lacking. I also see the scapegoat effect in play - the Cambridge game was a recent example of this. He was no worse than anyone else on the pitch, but in the match thread it seems like every other post was a dig at him, a lot of them pretty caustic.

 

In short, I wish people would confine their criticism to his failings on the pitch, and not let it spill over into character assassinations of a 23 year old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 29 July 2019 by turtmcfly
typos mate

[Beechey]

1 hour ago, Stadt said:

In 101 PL apps Maguire has 7 goals and 6 assists.

 

In 111 PL apps Gray has 8 goals and 6 assists. 

Appears very damning on first sight, but Maguire also has about 3,500 minutes more than Gray (roughly a full season) over the last few years.

Still not pretty reading.

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, turtmcfly said:

In short, I wish people would confine their criticism to his failings on the pitch, and not let it spill over into character assassinations a 23 year old.

Yep, this is a wider problem sadly. When Maddison went through a sticky patch last season he was an overrated, arrogant Beckham wannabe, Iheanacho is lazy and thick rather than just being rusty and short of form and confidence etc. Does usually seem to be targeted at our younger players, presumably through some deep-seated jealousy or resentment of "young people these days" - Chilwell and Gray have had plenty of it too and I'm sure Barnes won't be far behind if he goes on a bad run. Odd how people can reach these conclusions based on watching them from afar for 90 minutes once a week, obsessing over their social media output or leafing through their preferred tabloid.

[Guest SO1]

1 hour ago, shailen said:

Agree completely. He's not yet at the level where his quality suggested he would be. Its frustrating given the promise he showed early on.

 

However, I think it's a confidence thing with him. He seems to overplay situations when there is an easy option all the time.

 

If you watch sterling now, he has electric pace but other than that his game is simple. Easy passes, crossing early and running into the box all the time. Most of sterling's goals are easy tap ins which he wasn't getting 3/4 seasons ago. Gray needs to be more simple in his game and not look for that 1 in 100 flash of brilliance. I think that is what Pep did with Sterling as well as giving him the confidence and I hope Rodgers does the same with Gray.

Your description of Sterling matches exactly with my memories at Liverpool 13/14. 10 goals that year. Rodgers had been working with him for a year before that.

I don't remember Sterling ever getting bogged down like Gray.

For Grey its his rhythm that seems labored.  The fact that Rodgers is such a great attacking coach is going to help simplify the game. Help him to get out of his head.

A different tune

[LC/FC]

We can debate armchair psychology as much as we want and there could be lots of facets of the argument we're having about him that are valid, and plenty that could be way off base. 

But Brendan has had him for a few months now and the point I initially made was that he doesn't want arm throwers or players with ego's that aren't willing to press and run for the system. 

If you're at a job and management changes some things about work to make it better and more efficient and months down the line you're still having problems adjusting to the new ways, then where does the problem lie?

It's with the employee. 

[ARM1968]

54 minutes ago, turtmcfly said:

 

Why is it 'true' that he's that 'type' (self-satisfied, bitter, entitled)? What is the basis for this? My guess is you have simply extrapolated from the way you perceive he plays  and what snippets you seen in the media, and multiplied those by your inability to deal with the frustration you have with him.

 

As for my opinion - I have nothng to add to the general description of 'frustrating' other than saying I believe that the accusations of him being 'greedy' are based on a short period after he scrored 'that' goal against Man U. It's an unnecessarily perjorative way of saying his final ball/shot is usually lacking. I also see the scapegoat effect in play - the Cambridge game was a recent example of this. He was no worse than anyone else on the pitch, but in the match thread it seems like every other post was a dig at him, at lot of them pretty caustic.

 

In short, I wish people would confine their criticism to his failings on the pitch, and not let it spill over into character assassinations a 23 year old.

 

23 year olds don’t have a character then?