Gradel - should we sell or keep ?

[Babylon]

lol.

So a couple of months back, when he wasn't playing, you thought he was brilliant but now he's gone off and proved himself at a table-topping side you think he's overrated?

Some people are too ilogical to be allowed to have opinions.

He's proved himself a useful sub nothing more. The one start he made the Leeds fans weren't too impressed, they seem to have the same opinion as us. Great sub, but too inconsistent for anything else yet.

[davieG]

Leeds boss Simon Grayson admits he has not entered talks to turn Max Gradel's loan spell into a permanent transfer from Leicester in January.

Substitute Gradel's 89th-minute strike secured a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient on Tuesday after the League One leaders had struggled for much of the night.

Grayson said: "We haven't discussed turning the loan deal into a permanent transfer as yet. It will be up to ourselves and Leicester to sort out whether that happens."

He added: "A moment of brilliance from Max won the game for us. He has certainly made an impact while on loan to us. We have already extended his loan until January, though Leicester can recall him at any time."

Leeds United manager Simon Grayson could make a move to sign Leicester City's Max Gradel on a permanent basis.

The 21-year-old Ivory Coast winger is due to return to City from Elland Road on January 2, but has made a big impact during his loan stay with the League One leaders.

Gradel has scored twice in seven appearances, including the only goal of the game when he came off the bench against Leyton Orient on Tuesday night, a winner which maintained Leeds' six-point lead at the top of the table.

Grayson, a former City skipper, told the BBC: "We'll look at Max for a few more weeks.

"Leicester have loaned him out to get some match practice and we'll see where it takes us in January. They might not want to sell him but while we've got him we'll enjoy him being here.

[davieG]

[Captain...]

We should bring him back and play him, give him his chance to prove that he can cut it in this division, playing in the way NP wants to play. If at the end of the season he hasn't made it and looks like he never will, then sell him. He shouldn't be judged on a handful of sub appearances this season. We can all see he has something, but if it is enough I don't know, but ask yourself this who would you rather have seen come on against Plymouth in the last 20 minutes when we were desperate for a goal?

He won't walk into the first team but as an option on the bench he is fantastic, if we are away from home and losing/drawing he can give us that pace on the counter attack that we often lack. At home if teams come and park the proverbial bus in front of the goal he has the ability to do something special to win the game, we don't have any one else like that.

[Babylon]

Quality goal... is it me or does he never look like the ball is under control though?!?!?

[Edmund]

Quality goal... is it me or does he never look like the ball is under control though?!?!?

Either way that's straight out the top draw

[leicesterfox86]

Dont think Leeds will offer anything decent for him so Id rather keep him

Me too. They are going to be in this league next year so we don't want to sell him only for him to perform really well for them. Might as well give him a go next year, if he doesn't make it - loan to league one again!

[hackneyfox]

Let's be honest, he looks a great player with bags of potential SOMETIMES.

And I'm basing that on last season.

A season later and we are playing, and looking comfortable, in a division higher, and who knows may get promotion.

I think we've outgrown him.

He can't get into the side in front of the four wide players we currently have, some weeks we don't play any of them.

I'd hope that in January we'll sign at least one more wide player.

He can't hold down a place at Leeds in the third division so I think it is time for him to move on.

Probably time to let him go.

[dandannieldanok]

Pearson seems to have completely given up on playing wingers, in favour of an unbalanced agglomeration of strikers and central midfielders, so would there be any point in keeping him?

[hackneyfox]

Pearson seems to have completely given up on playing wingers, in favour of an unbalanced agglomeration of strikers and central midfielders, so would there be any point in keeping him?

Will you be happy on Christmas day?

[dandannieldanok]

Will you be happy on Christmas day?

I know it's all negative from me but it just frustrates me why Pearson has abandoned the proper 4-4-2 for this current formation. If you want positivity from me then we need to see a return of the formation used in the 2nd half against Swansea back in sunny August. That 45 minute display was fabulous, we completely battered them yet still looked so solid at the back, best performance for years. I don't see why we don't go back to basics and use that formation, I reckon we'd have crushed Plymouth and certainly Derby playing like that. It just annoys me that while we've got that kind of performance in our lockers, Pearson just doesn't give it a chance. We need two wingers played regularly, get back to basics, pace, power and direct football.

[hackneyfox]

And at times when we've played 2 wingers we've been outnumbered through the middle.

So many non-Leicester fans who are surprised at our current position say 'You'll struggle once you get sussed'.

Well how do you suss a team that keep changing the players and formations and yet still get the results?

Every manager makes mistakes, look at Benitez and his subs the other night (I think he wants to be sacked), NFP is still learning, perhaps you should give him a break.

When we lose four on the trot then we can perhaps start to question his selections.

[dandannieldanok]

1) And at times when we've played 2 wingers we've been outnumbered through the middle.

2) So many non-Leicester fans who are surprised at our current position say 'You'll struggle once you get sussed'.

Well how do you suss a team that keep changing the players and formations and yet still get the results?

3) Every manager makes mistakes, look at Benitez and his subs the other night (I think he wants to be sacked), NFP is still learning, perhaps you should give him a break.

When we lose four on the trot then we can perhaps start to question his selections.

1) Have we? I can't remember any occasion off the top of my head. And that view is negative, your basically pandering to the opposition by changing your formation to suit them.

2) Just because a team would be able to predict our formation it doesn't mean they'll be able to combat it. Once again it's a viewpoint to pander to the opposition. You don't see the other top teams across the leagues constantly changing formation. We didn't last year and we won the league. It just seems a weak point to me.

3) I should give him a break, I'll admit that. We're 3rd in the league and doing great, so I'm wrong to keep getting at him. But I just think he could be getting so much more out of this team. The league looks strong when you read through the clubs in it, but from what I've seen no team really stands out to be unbeatable, there are countless average teams and a few very poor teams that are very very beatable.

I just cast my mind back to that Swansea 2nd half performance and wonder why we can't replicate that for every home game. It was the perfect performance; battering them in attack, completely unflappable in defence. And let's not get away from the fact that Swansea are one of the better teams in this league. Away from home we seemed to have nearly cracked it with how we play so I praise Pearson for that, but at home we look confused, unbalanced and not a massive threat. Our home record does read very well but we've played some of the poorest teams so far at home.

[scinnell]

Anyone seen Max Gradels goal against swindon? If not go onto the leeds page on BBC site, Casting a eye over it i thought swindons Andy Townsend looked useful, Have a look and tell me what you think?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/t...ted/default.stm

[Guest nathan.]

Top finish

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Think he has scored the same if not more goals for them than he has for us!

Top quality goal though.

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

if he can learn to actually cross a ball consistently after making fullbacks look like berks then keep....if not could you see him as a potential Prem player? Certainly a talented lad though.

Keep

[davieG]

From the Merc

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson has slapped a "not for sale" sign on winger Max Gradel.

Winger Gradel, who is 22 on Monday, has made a big impact at League One leaders Leeds United, with two goals in seven appearances.

Leeds boss Simon Grayson has hinted that he would like to make Gradel a permanent signing when his Elland Road loan spell ends in January.

Grayson said Gradel had made an "impact" at Leeds, which makes a decision to try to keep him an easier one.

But Pearson said: "He's not for sale – it's as simple as that. Max is a player who has had limited opportunities here this season and that's why he is on loan.

"It gives him an opportunity to be playing games, which is important to us while it's difficult for him to get in our side."

Pearson, preparing for tomorrow's clash at S****horpe, said it is a similar scenario with 28-year-old Campbell, who made his peace with City fans after apologising for comments made during a loan spell at Blackpool last season.

He made a shock return to the City bench at Coventry in October but has been limited to just over an hour's playing time.

Pearson said: "It gives him the opportunity to get some games as we have a lot of competition in forward positions – but it is only for a month."

Derby boss Nigel Clough is looking to Campbell to revive the Rams' struggling fortunes in the Championship and City fans believe a returning Campbell, hopefully bang in form, could boost City's cause.

Pearson said: "I'm not really interested in what it does for Derby, only in what it does for us, and he comes back at the end of the month's loan."

There were no incoming players to City before yesterday's 5pm deadline for loan moves and Pearson said: "There was no business from me as I'm happy with the squad and the most important thing is to keep it together."

[bald reynard]

1) Have we? I can't remember any occasion off the top of my head. And that view is negative, your basically pandering to the opposition by changing your formation to suit them.

2) Just because a team would be able to predict our formation it doesn't mean they'll be able to combat it. Once again it's a viewpoint to pander to the opposition. You don't see the other top teams across the leagues constantly changing formation. We didn't last year and we won the league. It just seems a weak point to me.

3) I should give him a break, I'll admit that. We're 3rd in the league and doing great, so I'm wrong to keep getting at him. But I just think he could be getting so much more out of this team. The league looks strong when you read through the clubs in it, but from what I've seen no team really stands out to be unbeatable, there are countless average teams and a few very poor teams that are very very beatable.

I just cast my mind back to that Swansea 2nd half performance and wonder why we can't replicate that for every home game. It was the perfect performance; battering them in attack, completely unflappable in defence. And let's not get away from the fact that Swansea are one of the better teams in this league. Away from home we seemed to have nearly cracked it with how we play so I praise Pearson for that, but at home we look confused, unbalanced and not a massive threat. Our home record does read very well but we've played some of the poorest teams so far at home.

Completely agree with you 'Dan'. I think Pearson hasn't got it (the formation) right yet - especially at home. I know I / we will get criticised by others, 'cause we're 3rd in the table, but we could be / do so much better. The line up against Plymouth was bizarre - it didn't REALLY work - we made hard weather of beating a pretty duff team. I think we need (certainly) one, perhaps two, wingers (proper wingers, not Gallagher or Oakley - both wide midfield players) - and Gradel should be one of them. If one winger and it's not Gradel, it should be Dyer (who can be pretty frustrating, but CAN turn it on) and if not Dyer, then N' Guessen.

[Edmund]

From the Merc

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson has slapped a "not for sale" sign on winger Max Gradel.

But Pearson said: "He's not for sale – it's as simple as that. Max is a player who has had limited opportunities here this season and that's why he is on loan.

That's good news but he has to get some game time when he returns or he will surely favour a move to Leeds.

Hopefully it means he's still in Pearsons plans.

[davieG]

Max reiterates Leeds extension wish

Leeds United's on-loan star Max Gradel has stated for a second time that he would like to extend his loan stay at Elland Road.

The Leicester City playmaker initially joined Leeds on a month's loan in October, a deal that was then extended until the New Year.

Gradel has continued to impress for Leeds recently, including netting a late winner against Leyton Orient last week and setting up both goals in their 2-0 win at Oldham on Tuesday.

Leeds fans continued to sing Gradel's praises at Boundary Park, singing 'sign him up' a chant that started within minutes of his impressive debut against Norwich City.

Leicester boss Nigel Pearson recently ruled out selling Gradel to Leeds permanently, however, manager Simon Grayson could still move to secure his services on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

"I'm very happy here," Gradel told the Yorkshire Evening Post. "The season didn't start well for me but I'm playing first-team football and I want that to carry on.

"When January comes we'll see what comes up but everything's going well and as long as I'm playing, I'm happy.

"I hear (what the fans are chanting) and it's very nice but this isn't up to me.

"I'm a Leicester City player and I've seen the Leicester manager saying that I'm part of his plans. But I want to play first-team football and I'd go anywhere to do that."

[breadandcheese]

For all those who decry the ineffectiveness of Max Gradel, questioning his end product, am I now right in thinking that Max has 2 goals and 4 assists in 9 appearances (including substitute appearances)?

[breadandcheesebrother]

For all those who decry the ineffectiveness of Max Gradel, questioning his end product, am I now right in thinking that Max has 2 goals and 4 assists in 9 appearances (including substitute appearances)?

Yeah, probly. Let's sell him and buy a hard as f()ck central midfielder, y'know, like neil lennon. That'd sort us.

[Simi]

Gradel seems to be doing well at Leeds. Obviously it's good for us, but as discussed in another thread, surely there becomes a point when this is move becomes too comfortable for Max?

Assuming we want to keep him, I think the longer Pearson lets him stay at Leeds the more harm it does for us in our efforts to keep him.

[Ultra]

Gradel seems to be doing well at Leeds. Obviously it's good for us, but as discussed in another thread, surely there becomes a point when this is move becomes too comfortable for Max?

Assuming we want to keep him, I think the longer Pearson lets him stay at Leeds the more harm it does for us in our efforts to keep him.

This.