Let him go for his own sake, can't imagine being this incompetent at this level is any good for him. He's so woefully out his depth that his teammates must almost feel sorry for him. I bet the £50,000+ a week softens the blow a little though ey.
If we want to have any chance of winning that game, we shouldn't play Gray. He was completely pocketed by their centre backs in the first leg
He is not being made a scapegoat. That has been made clear many times. He is just occupying a squad place where he contributes nothing and is being paid a small fortune which could be better invested elsewhere. Perhaps a wage for Bowen, Grant, Watkins, Benrahma etc etc. He is a negative commodity. We always aim to improve our squad. He is a deficiency in it. There is no threat coming off the bench anymore upfront. He cannot control the ball and made several other errors too. He can run fast too and with desire. So can I. Shall I place myself on the bench ? Shame we don't have a youthful Heidar still occupying the 18 shirt.
Anyone who knows the trends in football can see things are turning against us now. 70th minute and a chance to beat Spurs from the penalty spot. Chance spurned. We just manage to hold out for a draw in the end by 10mm!!. Tonight winning and relatively comfortable. We miss a great chance to make it 2-0 and kill the game on more than one occasion. The Referee inexplicably decides to keep Mings on the pitch when we're winning 1-0, even though we all know these things have constantly gone against us in recent matches. Mings ends up scoring the winner. The football gods are having a right laugh at our expense. It's just so predictable how it goes. Why can't we be the one who scores the last minute winner in this type of match? Probably because when push comes to shove, we're just not good enough. 18 points from 14 games should not be beyond us, but there are far too many "unlucky" moments that have gone against us this season. We'll probably get to the final day, and be on the right of relegation then f*** it up in the last minute to go down. This is very Watford.
So he’s to blame for being on the bench? He’s to blame for Pearson turning to him? He’s to blame for how much we paid for him? That’s not a defence of him. But if he’s not good enough, he’s not good enough. But you expect him to turn around and say to his teammates and coach ‘leave me out?’ Surely the criticism should be aimed at those who pick him? So no, he’s not a ‘scapegoat’. But he’s clearly the boo-boy. And the reasoning is fair but wearing thin. I remember when Capoue was turned on a couple of years ago for being lazy. Masina and Chalobah were written off THIS SEASON. Not nearly good enough and finished etc. Dawson is tripe. But Gray comes on for 5 mins and he’s public enemy number one every week. He clearly needs a move - but some folk need to take a breather on the criticism.
Course hes a scapegoat. If he had started today and had a poor game I wouldn't defend it, but he was on for all of 10 mins didn't play Delefeo in due to a heavy pass after 3 mins on the pitch and then didn't receive the ball from GD a few mins later when he had space in the box to have a crack at goal for a 2-1 lead. So in the space of about 7 mins on the pitch he created space for himself in the box. Its all very well saying each week an upgrade is needed but who'd want to play 10 or 12 mins every game as a backup to Deeney? Before the game many (not me) said Villa were poor and a win shouldn't be a problem. So why didn't the players on the pitch for the bulk of that game get the result? Why have a go at a fringe player, and the same one every week?
If Leeds want him they can have him. Even if we have to pay some of the wages. I'd be asking for a new striker to replace him certainly in the summer. He is being booed as such because he is inept as a player. Even if he could not score twenty a season but actually showed he could control and pass the ball and be useful in the late crucial stages of matches then fans would be behind him. Fact is when he comes on we may as be a player down. Everything he touches turns to dust attacking wise. Any business needs it assets to work for them. When they don't they get discarded, sold on even at a loss.
In the summer an upgrade in many positions including striker is fine by me. Assuming we stay up. If not then Gray may well stay to tear up the Championship.
Who brought Gray for 18million ( including performance related add ons) and gave him a 70k a week contract? The Pozzos A total of four managers continue to pick Gray ahead of youth team players or other back up strikers such as Okaka, Success and Pedro. I think some of the blame has to go to them. Sure Gray is a poor footballer but if you want to get angry with him you need to get angry with Pearson for continuing to pick him ahead of Pedro. Pereyra has been far worse than Gray for the last year because its his attitude rather than innate ability that seems to limit his impact.
Regardless of who sanctioned his transfer, regardless of who keeps putting him on a Premier League pitch that he has no place being on, it doesn't detract from what an utterly useless pile of incompetent s**t he is when he attempts to play football for us. People still leaping to his defence are just complete weirdos. Play Pedro, play Success, recall Penaranda, whack Welbeck on half fit, I really don't care, just stop allowing this absolute embarrassment of a footballer to continue being associated with Watford.
I think these coaches that come in are told to get something out of gray. Our head shed don’t want to admit defeat and say they made a massive mistake. As for tonight yes he only had 15 mins but the team has obviously lost confidence in him, let him play at tranmere then allow him to get his own train to Leeds Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ssshhh Leeds are watching. He is the best striker we have ever had! I can’t believe we are looking to let him go. The Pozzo’s are terrible owners. Leeds are getting a massive upgrade.
We all know what is going to happen. Gray goes to Leeds, fires them to promotion, becomes a cult hero with fans and scores to goals to keep them up while we struggle to adjust to life back in the champ.....
Fingers Crossed. From Skysports: LEEDS' THIRD ADAMS BID REJECTED Leeds United have had a third loan-to-buy bid rejected for Southampton striker Che Adams. The initial loan deal included a £20m permanent transfer in the summer if Leeds are promoted.
Vega was not that bad. We overpaid him and it cost us when the golden goose stopped laying, but he was a decent enough player for us for a season. He was allegedly on 20k compared to Gray on 70k. I don't really hate Gray, tbh. He's a poor, poor player but the hate for him at the moment is a bit out of hand. I mean, he's useless and I'm one of his biggest critics, but there seems to be a bit of a movement against him right now, which will be damaging if we don't manage to get rid of him.
I think Gray needs to move for his own sake and ours. I have no idea why Pearson keeps using him because he really offers nothing and actually seems to have regressed. I don't blame him at all for last nights result as he was not on the pitch for long enough and there were plenty of others who were not great either. The difference is that a lot of those that were not great last night have been making a difference in the good run we've had where as Gray really doesn't. I'm not interested in how much we paid for him or how much he earns as it makes no difference to the fact that he is simply not good enough. Forget last season or seasons before, this season he has been no where near good enough. His control and passing ability is at a non league level. He works hard and apparently is great to have around but surely we have better options.
I thought Vega was dreadful but I completely agree with the second paragraph. Femenia went through it a bit earlier in the season with people saying I don't want this idiot (stronger words than that) to ever play for us again
See also Pereyra, though I have more sympathy with the idea that his time with us has come to a natural end point now.
I dont think anyone hates gray do they? He seems like a nice chap and always works hard. He's just really really bad at kicking and controlling a football.
