Newcastle United 0-3 Watford FC - 25/11/2017

Must have been nice for Zeegalaar and Janmaat though.

By climbing up to that lofty peak amongst the clouds where Newcastle perch away fans, they could almost certainly have got a glimpse of the Dutch coast off in the distance.

 

I admit Gray isn’t the best finisher and doesn’t have a particularly good left foot but to say he’s **** shows you to have pretty limited football know how. He’s an important player in this team and is always involved in the build up play. I’m glad we don’t have a striker we’re reliant on getting the goals, our team is set up so the goals come from just about anyone.

 

Almost right

 

According to a few of our pundit like fan base, Gray cant shoot, has no composure, has a bad first touch, and is a pub player.

Maybe he could take lessons from this guy:

 

Who might have scored if it weren't for Yedlin's much appreciated intervention? Was Rich anywhere near it (I haven't seen MotD yet and the players were almost impossible to make out from up in the gods)? If so, that makes Ybotcoombes' prediction dead right - assuming order doesn't matter!

 

Will be off to Everton then - after all, they're a massive club and that counts for so much. And besides - as well we know - if they want him, they'll have him. Nobody turns down Moshiri.

 

It is not a myth though is it? Gray made countless runs yesterday creating space and and allowing us to keep possession of the ball. Its nonsense to say that he does not contribute to the system you only have to look at Richarlisons goal against Everton to see how his runs in behind create space and give defendeers something to think about, or Richarliosons goal against Bournemouth. Admittedly I would rather have a striker with a better shot though.

 

Yes, the only reason some second-rate journalist thought that up is because it rhymes with Blissett. That season he was top scorer on the top division, I seem to recall. GT commented on it: He said something to the effect that Blissett misses so many because he gets into goal-scoring positions more than any other striker. N0-one remembers the journo.

 

I love him to bits but remember one particular instance when from a corner we shot from the edge of the box and it was going in only for it to be 'saved' nearly on the line by Luther sticking out his foot!

 

Typically you couldn't resist getting a dig in at a player that has nothing to do with the topic of discussion.

Better and more consistent as a team, maybe? Or could it be we are just performing better having learnt from our previous three matches how to manage games, and with respect to our last two opponents, they haven't been the most testing opposition have they, compared to Chelsea and Everton (who played against a reserve goalie for half an hour) away? More balanced perhaps, but not by that much. We were fortunate to still be winning at half time against West Ham and had a pretty shaky spell between our 1st and 2nd at Newcastle. We won comfortably without conceding at Bournemouth and Southampton, opponents of similar calibre to Newcastle, with Holebas in the team.

Zeelegelaar has been a great player no doubt but even with hindsight you can't prove that one outfield player has made that much of a difference. Our central defence is more responsible for us defending set pieces and I don't think Zeelegelaar can take that much credit for our improvement in that of late (personally I think Kiko is the better defender of the two anyway) - and, again the limited quality of our last two opponents has helped to some extent.

 

Looks like this lad is comfortable with hitting a penalty if only he was playing for us when we played Everton the other week!

 

You’ve got to love some of our fans. We are playing some smashing stuff, scored the most goals outside of the top 6 and we are being lauded as the next best thing by pundits who have previously never given us the time of day. Yet after only 13 games we’ve written off a striker that is playing his part in that success. Even better, the Pozzos apparently might regret selling two strikers for bucket loads of cash (helping to fund this brilliant team we currently have) who clearly couldn’t cut it in the premier league. Amazing.

 

Wasn't this done to death at the time: Silva decided pre-match who the pen taker was. I think Gray put Cleverley off though.

 

To be honest mate that statement was a bit tongue in cheek to be fair, although I would prefer to see Gray take penalties in the future if Deeney is not playing that is.

 

Okaka

 

Could you imagine the melt down if Gray missed a pen. Years of forum entertainment.

 

Okaka.
He could play Richarlison up top and mix it up.
Silva has plenty of choice.

(In response to miked2006).

 

he'll occupy space and exert force into the earth in the same way that Gray does.

 

This is the championship we’re at a different level now yada yada

 

Congratulations to Travis. Lovely news!

In all the fuss over Gray yesterday, there doesn’t seem to be much comment about Okaka missing from the squad again. Anybody know why? He seemed to have played himself back into some sort of favour with his two recent appearances off the bench.

 

Read somewhere it was an ankle injury.

 

I've heard his channel running ability is second to none.

 

He's scored just one fewer goals

 

thanks for pointing that out, but I got it from the "championship player of the year bit"
I don't think the step up in level makes you go from hitting the ball cleanly and being capable of every type of finish to what we saw yesterday, especially as he hit the back of the net last year in the prem. He's out of form in front of goal. A few more, and I think we'll see the best of him. Interesting that nearly all Burnley fans say the had us over selling him, but yet there are YouTube clips of him entitled "burnleys magician" put up by, er, Burnley fans.

 

Nothing divides Watford fans quite like success.

I want Mazzarri back so we can all go back to being miserable but, importantly, all getting along.

 

Gray scored 10 in 30 odd appearances for Burnley in 16/17 season in a side that didn’t score many.

I wonder what division that was in ..... ?

I don’t think he is a £18m footballer, but he’s better than many are claiming on here. He creates space for others and plays the way Silva wants. He’s capable of scoring plenty he just needs confidence. He could yet surprise.

Some of our so called fans are like a dog with a bone and the personal abuse is out of order imho.

 

Yep, I agree, and the goals are twice as large in the Championship.

Fact.

 

Throughout his career, Luther missed a lot but also scored a lot, as he was so good st getting into goalscoring positions. Gray is only doing the first of those

 

I imagine pretty much everyone on here has played sport to some level and will know the harder you try and force things the worse you look. IBB would tell you the harder you try and muscle a serve in tennis, the less power you will create. Grays needs to be loose and instinctive in front of goal and that takes the kind of confidence that comes from being less aware of what you're doing. Hopefully, the goals will come.

 

Sometimes an expensive painting looks fantastic in a brochure or a gallery floor, but when it arrives at the house realisation hits that art - it is not.

There are two types of people in this situation.

The first hangs the monstrosity up in the centre point of their lounge, remaining defiant to their friends and family after their heavy spending. "It's wonderful, but complicated. It ushers the light down the channels of the room. It makes everything else look better, creating space for the other objects in the room". They eek to defend their choice, and get their money's worth, despite having to swallow a bitter pill every time they see the thing ever-present.

The second accepts mistakes were made, treats the horror like an embarrassing sunk cost and keeps it locked in the attic, bringing it out only for a few minutes to entice a rich investor who might stupidly offer anything near half of what was paid for it.

Sure Grey should get some minutes right now when Okaka tires because the alternatives are also poor, but a replacement should be brought in the day the window opens. We shouldn't keep playing him out of obligation, despite his vastly overpriced transfer fee.

 

On a topic slightly related to the title if this thread, I've been crying out for ages for a quick strong central defender to partner Prodl. I think Kabasele is turning into that guy

 

Sounds like you're saying the "picture of Andre Gray" should go in the attic.

I think the point you're missing is that Gray is a human being and not an inanimate object, and can therefore improve.

 

When Gray improves 200%, he'll be worth a start.

 

200% seems reasonable. So if he scores 4 in his next 13 games you'll be happy?

 

You saying our André is no oil painting?
He’ll be devastated.

The bitter pill I swallowed yesterday was a 3-0 win.
Where can I get more?

Seriously, we’ll see what happens in the winter window, but I don’t think Silva is playing him out of obligation, he’s in the team for his ability to create space. The team is playing well with Gray, despite his air shots etc.
And we’ll also see what happens to the original oil painting of our Troy that used to be over the mantlepiece.