Demarai Gray

[BlackFox]

1 minute ago, Ric Flair said:

Would get the same amount of goals and assists that Perez does? The answer seems to be a resounding NO. 

 

Perez is a frustrating player but at Newcastle his return was decent and for us last season it wasn't too bad (8 goals and 4 assists). He definitely needs to improve here and hopefully he will.

He's 27 yo, little too late for improvement especially for a winger. 8 goals and 4 assists is double than Demarai end product, but he did it in almost twice the matches Gray played. Don't forget he is in starting XI every match he plays and Demarai isn't. Again he is a good player not a winger.

[Ric Flair]

15 minutes ago, BlackFox said:

He's 27 yo, little too late for improvement especially for a winger. 8 goals and 4 assists is double than Demarai end product, but he did it in almost twice the matches Gray played. Don't forget he is in starting XI every match he plays and Demarai isn't. Again he is a good player not a winger.

He can still improve, Rodgers thinks and often talks about being able to improve any player. If Perez makes 15+ goal contributions a season which is a touch more than what he did at Newcastle then that wouldn't be bad from him, even if he seems to be being played out of position he's played the majority of his career as a wide forward.

[Foxxed]

17 minutes ago, BlackFox said:

He's 27 yo, little too late for improvement especially for a winger. 8 goals and 4 assists is double than Demarai end product, but he did it in almost twice the matches Gray played. Don't forget he is in starting XI every match he plays and Demarai isn't. Again he is a good player not a winger.

To be fair, the reason Perez started more games is because, although not as occasionally spectacular as Gray, he’s better over 90 minutes. Gray’s got youth on his side but he’d need to spend that youth on the pitch for 90 minutes, rather than an electric 15 minutes.

[roblcfc84]

46 minutes ago, BlackFox said:

IMO he is much better player then Perez. Don't get me wrong , Perez is a hard worker and all, but he's does a horrible job on the wing, there is a reason why he is our most substituted player. Most of his goals and assists came from a CF or CAM position which suits him better. I think Perez gets more first team action because we're obligated by contract and nothing more. If Demarai will get that much amount of playtime he'll be much more effective than Perez. Off course signing Ünder will make both go down the pecking order, but it will surely show how bad we had it with Perez. 

There is no doubt Gray is technically and athletically a very good player. His issue appears to be attitude, application and decision-making. BR values team players and hard-workers. Gray has shown on many occasions that he can be a selfish player. Don’t get me wrong I’d like him to stay, he’s a good option but I think the issue here is that club are not willing to hand out another contract to a player that will want a decent wage and they don’t see as a starter. 

[roblcfc84]

2 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

To be fair, the reason Perez started more games is because, although not as occasionally spectacular as Gray, he’s better over 90 minutes. Gray’s got youth on his side but he’d need to spend that youth on the pitch for 90 minutes, rather than an electric 15 minutes.

Plus he was signed during BRs time here for decent money so his is obligated to a degree. 

[RowlattsFox]

If Gray does go somewhere else in the premier League and has a decent career then fair play to him. But he can't argue he wasn't given a fair chance here. Lots of substitute appearances yes, but plenty of opportunities to nail it down, lots of managers yes but all have given him game time. I don't how many consecutive games he's had in his time here but I can't imagine it's many, but you've got to show something to keep your place in a, in the main, decent side. 

 

I don't dislike him and he will definitely score against us but time is right to move on. 

[frany104]

4 hours ago, Jakemoore said:

Offer him to Bournemouth plus £20m for Brooks. They made a bid to sign him a few years back. Gray is a championship quality player. 

What a load of rubbish. He was one of our best players after lockdown. He gets some unwarranted stick on here. He’s a far better player than Perez and offers a lot more. If he had the chances Perez has had he would have much better goals and assist stats.

Edited 21 September 2020 by frany104

[HankMarvin]

16 minutes ago, frany104 said:

What a load of rubbish. He was one of our best players after lockdown. He gets some unwarranted stick on here. He’s a far better player than Perez and offers a lot more. If he had the chances Perez has had he would have much better goals and assist stats.

Bobbledy boop

[Jakemoore]

24 minutes ago, frany104 said:

What a load of rubbish. He was one of our best players after lockdown. He gets some unwarranted stick on here. He’s a far better player than Perez and offers a lot more. If he had the chances Perez has had he would have much better goals and assist stats.

Well I disagree. I think he’s bang average! Good thing this is a forum and I’m allowed my opinion I suppose.

[matty98]

Gray has the attributes to be a decent winger but just doesn't use them.

He's fast and skillful but never seems to take players on 1v1 and beat them and never makes runs in behind.

He's a decent finisher in the box but constantly stands outside the box hoping to score a screamer despite his long range shooting Being woeful.

It's a shame because we can all see there's a talented player in there, just doesn't seem to understand his strengths.

[Kevin Russell]

2 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

He can still improve, Rodgers thinks and often talks about being able to improve any player. If Perez makes 15+ goal contributions a season which is a touch more than what he did at Newcastle then that wouldn't be bad from him, even if he seems to be being played out of position he's played the majority of his career as a wide forward.

I think Gray (like Barnes) has the raw ingredients of pace and skill, but he struggles to put it together consistently. 
 

I just don’t see the necessary raw ingredients with Perez - for me he lacks skill and pace and I don’t really see where he fits in. He’s not a 9, he’s not a winger, and I don’t really see him being creative enough as a 10. He’s a utility forward and a good squad player, but I would like to see players with more pace and skill get a shot - Kel and Gray being the examples.

 

I’d love to be wrong about him as he works hard, but I’m struggling to see it.

[leftsideoverhere]

10 hours ago, Gerard said:

 

I remember Martin O'Neill once saying that ultimately he doesn't pick the side but the players do.

 

Gray has no one to blame but himself, since Mahrez left it has been one of the weakest positions in the first XI and he still hasn't made that place his own. If Under now performs then Gray is 5th choice winger again and that's his doing not the club's.

 

Compare him to Soyuncu who came here and was never breaking into that Evans/Maguire partnership. Even Benkovic was considered the next cab off the rank after his fantastic performances at Celtic. Soyuncu against all the odds got ahead of Benkovic and when Maguire left BR decided to go with him as very much an unknown quantity rather than spend the Maguire money on a replacement. Soyuncu fought like an alley cat to get his place. Bottom line is if you're not in the team that's your fault and not the club's. Gray never had to overtake a Vardy, Schmeichel, etc to make that place his own. 

I regret that I have but one "like" to give to this post.

[leftsideoverhere]

On 18/09/2020 at 17:50, Markyblue said:

Vardy's secret juice. 😉

Pre-match Skittles vodka?

[FLAN]

4 hours ago, BlackFox said:

IMO he is much better player then Perez. Don't get me wrong , Perez is a hard worker and all, but he's does a horrible job on the wing, there is a reason why he is our most substituted player. Most of his goals and assists came from a CF or CAM position which suits him better. I think Perez gets more first team action because we're obligated by contract and nothing more. If Demarai will get that much amount of playtime he'll be much more effective than Perez. Off course signing Ünder will make both go down the pecking order, but it will surely show how bad we had it with Perez. 

You really think Ayoze Perez is able to demand appearances in his contract?  He isn’t Messi 

[Aus Fox]

2 hours ago, frany104 said:

What a load of rubbish. He was one of our best players after lockdown. He gets some unwarranted stick on here. He’s a far better player than Perez and offers a lot more. If he had the chances Perez has had he would have much better goals and assist stats.

You do realise he’s played 130 odd games for us for for 10 goals and 9 assists? 
He has had chance after chance, after chance and can never back up a good performance, there has been a few games when it looks like it’s going to click for him, he starts the following week and he does nothing.

 

[Aus Fox]

4 hours ago, BlackFox said:

IMO he is much better player then Perez. Don't get me wrong , Perez is a hard worker and all, but he's does a horrible job on the wing, there is a reason why he is our most substituted player. Most of his goals and assists came from a CF or CAM position which suits him better. I think Perez gets more first team action because we're obligated by contract and nothing more. If Demarai will get that much amount of playtime he'll be much more effective than Perez. Off course signing Ünder will make both go down the pecking order, but it will surely show how bad we had it with Perez. 

There is no player in the PL that will he contracted to play! It’s laughable that people believe something like this is even possible.

Imagine Top telling BR or any other manager that we’ve signed a player and they have to play every week, regardless of form because their contract demands they play.

[st albans fox]

Are there actually any links about dimi and a move  ?

[5waller5]

6 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

Gray is definitely a Premier League quality player IMO. It just hasn't really worked out for him here. You could very well make the argument that he's had rather inconsistent coaching over the years, as well as restricted game time due to being players in front of him being undroppable. And then having massive boots to fill after Mahrez left. Personally I think he'd thrive at Burnley.

 

It would be a bit unfair to call him a failure here - he only cost us £3.5m, will make us a small profit and will leave us a champion. His goal at Cardiff will never be forgotten.

 

I don't know the guy, I'm just guessing from the stands like most of us .... But Burnley is the last place I'd see him thriving - He seems way to fragile in character to respond well to a straight talker like Dyche

[frany104]

4 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

You do realise he’s played 130 odd games for us for for 10 goals and 9 assists? 
He has had chance after chance, after chance and can never back up a good performance, there has been a few games when it looks like it’s going to click for him, he starts the following week and he does nothing.

 

That’s a real run of game starting isn’t it. He’s never been given the same luxury as Perez. If Gray started 15 games in a row his confidence would soar and his stats would be far better than Perez’s. He always under pressure to perform well every game or he knows he’s dropped. The same can’t be said with others. I feel for him. He’s not the best winger in the league but he shouldn’t be getting slated on here.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, frany104 said:

That’s a real run of game starting isn’t it. He’s never been given the same luxury as Perez. If Gray started 15 games in a row his confidence would soar and his stats would be far better than Perez’s. He always under pressure to perform well every game or he knows he’s dropped. The same can’t be said with others. I feel for him. He’s not the best winger in the league but he shouldn’t be getting slated on here.

Do you reckon there might be a reason why he's never been given that run of starts under four different managers?

[Aus Fox]

4 minutes ago, frany104 said:

That’s a real run of game starting isn’t it. He’s never been given the same luxury as Perez. If Gray started 15 games in a row his confidence would soar and his stats would be far better than Perez’s. He always under pressure to perform well every game or he knows he’s dropped. The same can’t be said with others. I feel for him. He’s not the best winger in the league but he shouldn’t be getting slated on here.

He’s been here for 4 years and played under 4 completely different managers, by this stage do you think there is a reason none of them have given him the same run that Perez has had?

When Gray is on he clearly has the ability, but he can never back it up and when he’s off he offers nothing. 
Perez is a far better player and works far harder off the ball.

Perez has the same number of assists as gray in about 75% less games played.

[honeybradger]

8 minutes ago, Aus Fox said:

You do realise he’s played 130 odd games for us for for 10 goals and 9 assists? 
He has had chance after chance, after chance and can never back up a good performance, there has been a few games when it looks like it’s going to click for him, he starts the following week and he does nothing.

 

Perez has played 2300 minutes for us and scored 8 goals 4 assists. 2 assists from being a 10 against west ham, 1 goal 1 assist as a second striker against newcastle, 1 goal in the 10 position against sheffield united. So he's played 1800 minutes on the wing for us and score 6 assisted 1 from that position. Gray's played 5400 minuted on the wing for us and scored 10 assisted 9, some of which was as a second striker or a main striker. So perez actually isnt any more productive on the wing than Gray in terms of goals/assists per minute, the difference for me is that Gray's biggest weakness is his decision making which can be improved, whereas perez's biggest weakness is rw not being his natural position which cant be improved upon, as shown by his output of 2 goals 3 assists in 500 minutes in the second striker position being way higher than his output on the wing.

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, 5waller5 said:

 

I don't know the guy, I'm just guessing from the stands like most of us .... But Burnley is the last place I'd see him thriving - He seems way to fragile in character to respond well to a straight talker like Dyche

..perhaps that is what he needs!!!

Somehow he needs to understand his career is on a knife-edge, he really doesn't. He has picked up recently, more aware of what is around him, it has taken a long time to get here, how much more longer will it take for him to become the player we all want him to be.

  He is such an enigma, I would like to just be in his presence for a while to see what makes him tick.

[NasPb]

1 hour ago, frany104 said:

That’s a real run of game starting isn’t it. He’s never been given the same luxury as Perez. If Gray started 15 games in a row his confidence would soar and his stats would be far better than Perez’s. He always under pressure to perform well every game or he knows he’s dropped. The same can’t be said with others. I feel for him. He’s not the best winger in the league but he shouldn’t be getting slated on here.

Mate he's had his time and hasn't done jack shite time to bin and move on

[LCFC hub]

Those of you that rate him. Look at the 2018/19 season, where he had game time under Puel.

 

REALLY THRIVED DIDN'T HE? 😂

 

Edited 21 September 2020 by 80's fox
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