Why Gray must stay

It’s possible we may have let him go too soon.

 

I can't say i'm a huge Gray fan. In fact I compared him to a sh*tter Callum Wilson when he signed, however I don't believe either one is a lone striker. I'd want to see some games with both of them up top from the start together.

Gray can run into spaces, but he looks isolated. When Deeney has had a partner (Ighalo, Vydra etc) I think he's been at his best, but then this will be a change in system - unless Deeney plays a deeper role.

 

Could have scored 50 goals this season but he'd still be a scummer **** who has no place in our garden of eden.

He must go and go now.

 

I'm not sure one up top really works for any but the best sides. They have so much possession and pressure that the midfielders are constantly supporting the striker, in and around the box. Poorer teams tend to suffer from the lone striker being isolated without support. I much prefer 2 up front who can support/work off eachother but appreciate that means one less in midfield, probably less width.

 

Three at the back, with the likes of Femenia & Janmaat as wing backs to drop back when needed, would allow for two up front.

 

Yes but the wise heads of the forum who know much more about systems etc than me say 3-5-2 can't work in the prem ?......unless you're Chelsea .I'd love to see us play that system as we did in the champ with TD & Vydra upfront .

 

Great post and I would just add that for a player to have ALL the attributes to be a lone striker makes him a very rare and extremely expensive beast.

 

Genuine question as I don’t know the answer, but who else in the league plays a genuine 4-4-2?

Individually Gray and Deeney are sub standard premier league players, it seems incredibly daft to me to play a system that helps to incorporate both of them, just because it makes both of them slightly better.

Neither of them are really up to it, so the answer is to play both? Or buy somebody else and play one of them with them?

We’ve not gone short of goals this season, we don’t actually need a striker that will score 25-30 a season. One lone striker that could score 10 a season would elevate us and mean we didn’t need to play Deeney AND Gray, as well as leaving room on the pitch for a player much better than either.

 

Gray started just 15 games and has 5. Surely 10 was doable as a regular starter and gaining some confidence, especially against the lesser teams?

 

4-2-3-1 is our best formation imo. It plays to our strengths, gets our best players on the pitch in roles they are suited too and gives some protection to the back. I dont see the point in trying to change it currently just to accommdate 2 underperforming strikers upfront instead of one.

 

Twice? I must have missed a move of his as I can only remember his time at WBA. And I'd loathe to judge him whilst playing under Pulis.

 

You’re probably right. The idea behind Gray was perfect and why he started initially this season. We never intended to play 4-4-2 it’s just ended up happening because we have strikers not quite up to the task.

In an ideal world a striker just a bit better than Gray would be ideal, slightly better at finishing and a better first touch and we wouldn’t need to entertain 4-4-2. Having said that I’ve not completely written Gray off yet but if Javi stays it seems he has already.

 

I expect he means the couple of times WBA actually gave him a start upfront !!

 

Are we talking about the same Andre Gary that cupped his hand to his ear as he ran past the home fans after nodding in to an open goal from 2ft on Saturday?

 

Yep there was the West Brom season then the first year back with us when we went up, ok granted he didn't play a league game, although I recall him starting in the league cup with Forestieri I think and both were let go by QSF before the transfer window shut. Therefore he was on the books of two premier league teams and was deemed not good enough at WBA and not good enough at Watford in the Prem.

 

But only by QSF.

Walter the Mute didn't deem Doucoure good enough - and look how that panned out.

 

That's his trademark goal celebration. We just don't get to see it much !

 

I don't think getting sold just weeks into the season without playing a game counts as "failing in the prem". It means "not given a decent chance in the prem"

 

True but Vydra still had two shots at premier league football.

 

This is true maybe my words were harsh but if the manager thinks your good enough you play, that's football, he had a pre season like everyone else, I'd like to see Derby go up and see how he gets on as he'd probably be a better striker now, If Gray had Vyds finishing that would be some player that's for sure

 

Quick straw poll, given the chance, right now, would you rather have Vydra back or QSF?

 

Vydra is probably the better finisher of the two.

 

Agreed. QSF's starting was great but his finishing was awful.

 

Vydra played against Gillingham that season when they dumped us out of the cup, and stunk the place out.

 

IIRC the whole team did

 

Yep, tbh vydra was actually one of the better players on the night I seem to recall. Still awful though, like all the rest. Depressing times.

 

If we had the Barcelona squad, we'd still get knocked out of that competition by Gillingham

 

Richarlison's stats games played with Gray vs games played with Deeney is eye opening too

 

I feel like the title of this thread should be ‘Why Gray could stay’... the word ‘must’ feels far too strong for the situation.

 

I think there is lot more come from Gray. So many of you won't give him a chance but I think he'd be a great option next year. Get rid of Deeney and Okaka all day long instead of him. Especially Deeney.

 

Zola 3-5-2.

 

And an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.