Popular Post OntarioFox Posted 17 September 2019 Popular Post Share Posted 17 September 2019 I've defended Gray over the summer and considered this new season his "last chance saloon" to kick on. I hold my hands up. I was too lenient. His return for someone in his position is terrible and against Man Utd. he was back to his absolute worst. Doing too much with the ball expecting a worldie to open up for him, running into cul-de-sacs, crossing poorly and generally being powderpuff on the ball against one of the physically weakest Man U sides I've ever seen. Knowing how his career to date has panned out, he'll play against weaker opposition in Luton, put in something half approaching a shift, probably score a decent long-range goal and then we'll be back to square one of him clinging to an EPL spot and coasting, costing us in the process. I don't think there's ever been a player in our squad, at least not in the 12 years I've been a regular, that has coasted and dined out on a handful of good moments as much as Demarai. I can count on one hand the genuinely memorable contributions he has made as a fox: Worldie against Man Utd Cup goal against Derby Run to feed Vardy for the first goal under Puel That goal at Cardiff (admittedly a beautiful thing to witness and one i'll remember fondly) Four positive moments, one of which was a consolation goal in a lost game, is all I can attribute to him in three seasons and, as a supposed creative influence on our team, that's appalling whichever way you slice it. He'll have my support when he's on the pitch, but I think my mind is made up - move him on. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapperleyfox Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 He's only got a role as an impact sub here really. He's got some raw talent but ultimately not quite good enough for the level we're at or aspiring to. No significant improvement since the day he joined us and for that reason i'd cash in. I suspect his stock is higher outside of LCFC as others seem to rate him, and I think we'd get upwards of £25-30M which we could reinvest more wisely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLAN Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 Based on his stats why would anyone pay anything like that money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerbyshireFox Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tottenham-hotspur-keeping-close-tabs-3327065 Spurs keeping tabs on Gray, Barnes and Maddison. We could all chip in and get Demarai a taxi to London! Although of the three I imagine he’d be bottom of their list - they can’t afford the other two though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OntarioFox Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 16 minutes ago, DerbyshireFox said: https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/tottenham-hotspur-keeping-close-tabs-3327065 Spurs keeping tabs on Gray, Barnes and Maddison. We could all chip in and get Demarai a taxi to London! Although of the three I imagine he’d be bottom of their list - they can’t afford the other two though Good of the Mercury to regurgitate paper-thin rumours from a site that thought we owned Ashley Barnes in an effort to move Gray on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacreblueits442 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 51 minutes ago, OntarioFox said: I've defended Gray over the summer and considered this new season his "last chance saloon" to kick on. I hold my hands up. I was too lenient. His return for someone in his position is terrible and against Man Utd. he was back to his absolute worst. Doing too much with the ball expecting a worldie to open up for him, running into cul-de-sacs, crossing poorly and generally being powderpuff on the ball against one of the physically weakest Man U sides I've ever seen. Knowing how his career to date has panned out, he'll play against weaker opposition in Luton, put in something half approaching a shift, probably score a decent long-range goal and then we'll be back to square one of him clinging to an EPL spot and coasting, costing us in the process. I don't think there's ever been a player in our squad, at least not in the 12 years I've been a regular, that has coasted and dined out on a handful of good moments as much as Demarai. I can count on one hand the genuinely memorable contributions he has made as a fox: Worldie against Man Utd Cup goal against Derby Run to feed Vardy for the first goal under Puel That goal at Cardiff (admittedly a beautiful thing to witness and one i'll remember fondly) Four positive moments, one of which was a consolation goal in a lost game, is all I can attribute to him in three seasons and, as a supposed creative influence on our team, that's appalling whichever way you slice it. He'll have my support when he's on the pitch, but I think my mind is made up - move him on. .. what was it about him that made you believe he would come good in time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue ROI Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 There's a game once every season where he does something quite good and its looks as if hes matured but then he doesn't back it up. Understandably he could point to Mahrez being there as a reason for being out of the team but after a year or so he is still stuck in a rut. I could imagine that patience will run out by the end of the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerbyshireFox Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 1 hour ago, OntarioFox said: Good of the Mercury to regurgitate paper-thin rumours from a site that thought we owned Ashley Barnes in an effort to move Gray on. At least everyone is on the same wavelength 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxin_Mad Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 (edited) Gray just doesn't seem to have the confidence to use the things he processes. He could use his pace to run at defences, his end product is often poor but if he ran at defences a bit more he would at least cause a distraction. He too often just seems not bothered. Edited 17 September 2019 by Foxin_Mad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacreblueits442 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 1 hour ago, Blue ROI said: There's a game once every season where he does something quite good and its looks as if hes matured but then he doesn't back it up. Understandably he could point to Mahrez being there as a reason for being out of the team but after a year or so he is still stuck in a rut. I could imagine that patience will run out by the end of the season. ... if Rodgers claims he is performing in training, what could be the reason why he fails to bring any of those qualities in games. Could it be :- (a).. lack of confidence (b).. arrogance.. team to be built around him? (c)... lack of football knowledge. (d)... need a run of games in order to gel with the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OntarioFox Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, sacreblueits442 said: .. what was it about him that made you believe he would come good in time? Honestly, blind hope mostly. I guess the torrid first season a certain Jamie Vardy had for us, during which I myself was clamouring for Martyn Waghorn to take his place alongside Nugent, has warped my belief in players being able to "come good". The reality is, I don't think we've had a single example since Vardy of a player recovering from a poor start to their foxes career to become the proverbial dog's doo-dahs for us, but I live in (usually false) hope that those players just need a run in the team or a chance to play to their strengths to become a valuable asset. It's probably a bit of a siege mentality to be honest. In the back of my head I still think the likes of Iheanacho or Ghezzal just "need a proper chance", even though all facts and logic point to them simply not being good enough. It generally takes a player having a terrible attitude to back up their poor performances (see - Slimani) for me to want them out of the club. Maybe I'm just contrary. Edited 17 September 2019 by OntarioFox 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sol thewall Bamba Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 5 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said: (d)... need a run of games in order to gel with the team. How about 140 appearances, is that enough? Actually crazy looking at his list of appearances over the last few seasons: 15/16: 14 16/17: 41 17/18: 44 18/19: 39 19/20: 2 From that time I can remember probably 3 stand out moment from him, and one of those was only really memorable as it was the game after the helicopter crash. We'd be hideously disappointed if in 130 ish appearances time, Barnes was still returning such pitiful numbers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sly1 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 Time for him to move on👏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom12345 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 2 hours ago, OntarioFox said: Good of the Mercury to regurgitate paper-thin rumours from a site that thought we owned Ashley Barnes in an effort to move Gray on. Can the papers please stop putting out articles like this just to generate clicks for ad revenue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom12345 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 I guess Puel was right to say that he saw Gray as a forward. He can’t be a winger or midfielder because of his poor decisions. Maybe all he can be good at is to be a backup forward who can dance around and shoot. Give him just a single task of shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshall Cockney Fox Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 Out of interest how did he get picked on Saturday ahead of all our other wing options? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan LCFC Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 This run of games thing is an absolute myth. It's fair enough with Barnes as it's legitimately and for him, still relatively early days. Gray's had every excuse in the book made on here for him and it's the same every time. The most infuriating thing about him is he DOES have some ability, he's just got no idea at all how to apply it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demon_dog Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 I said early last season that he was failing to improve and it’s time we moved him on. I still feel the same. Brendan get rid of him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norwichfox Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 reading through this, I get the impression that some of you don't like him or want him anywhere near the team. Is there a reason for this, or is it just because he's absolute sh1te? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacreblueits442 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 (edited) 58 minutes ago, OntarioFox said: Honestly, blind hope mostly. I guess the torrid first season a certain Jamie Vardy had for us, during which I myself was clamouring for Martyn Waghorn to take his place alongside Nugent, has warped my belief in players being able to "come good". The reality is, I don't think we've had a single example since Vardy of a player recovering from a poor start to their foxes career to become the proverbial dog's doo-dahs for us, but I live in (usually false) hope that our. It's probably a bit of a siege mentality to be honest. In the back of my head I still think the likes of Iheanacho or Ghezzal just "need a proper chance", even though all facts and logic point to them simply not being good enough. It generally takes a player having a terrible attitude to back up their poor performances (see - Slimani) for me to want them out of the club. Maybe I'm just contrary. .. I can understand that!! You make a decision and then find it difficult to recant until something else turns up for you to safe face. Funny enough, I did not think that Vardys' first season was bad, always thought he was looking to do the right thing but his team mates could not read him or did not have the sense to put themselves in a position to be on the end of the crosses and balls played into the box. Even now Vardy puts in a better ball in the box than any of our wide players do. The change in his second year was him having worked at his craft and playing in the position which suited him. I really think that there is a need to look at the mental aspects of what a player is going through, when it is obvious that there is a distinct contradiction between performances, over time. Vardy said he considered giving up as he didn't believe he could make the grade, the fact that he sat down and talked to someone about it, and the reassurances he must have received has led to him becoming one of the biggest, most influencial, player at this club. I really think that a professional psychiatric department should be something that all clubs should have. We can't just pay lip service to the science it needs to be a fundamental part of our club. How much more productive with a sense of loyalty, could a business be, if you know that someone cares, what you are going through. Edited 17 September 2019 by sacreblueits442 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cameron Davidson Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 The best game he had I think was Puels first. That run to set up Vardy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AYLESBURY FOX 1961 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 ok - i went to man u on saturday and it was apparent early doors thta gray was having a stinker - it happens. Its down to brendan to take action - after 25 mins he should have been hooked off - staying on for another 35 mins did him no favours and if anything has dented whatever little bit of confidence he had. Back to the subs bench for tottenham and on for the last 25 to make a positive impact.(fingers crossed|) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacreblueits442 Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 33 minutes ago, Cameron Davidson said: The best game he had I think was Puels first. That run to set up Vardy.... ...absolutely no reason that type of play could not have been replicated twenty times a season. The fact that he actually released the ball to Mahrez was a surprise but it was the right decision...Mahrez to Vardy and the rest is history. Why did he release the ball that time and then forever fail to see the options available to him time after time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue ROI Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 2 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said: ... if Rodgers claims he is performing in training, what could be the reason why he fails to bring any of those qualities in games. Could it be :- (a).. lack of confidence (b).. arrogance.. team to be built around him? (c)... lack of football knowledge. (d)... need a run of games in order to gel with the team. B-Rod isn't going to run down the players in public. Privately I say he ain't all that impressed with him. Same with Nachoman. He defended him too but its telling that when push comes to shove he doesn't feature. Albrighton is far more dependale. Barnes outdid him on his return and now Perez is here you could imagine that he is running out of road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The People's Hero Posted 17 September 2019 Share Posted 17 September 2019 It's the hope that gets you. Or in Demarai's hope, the wide chasm between his ability (medium), his brainpower (would it be harsh to say zero?) and his own perception of his ability (what is a few higher than infinity?) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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