No they wouldn’t.
Plenty of reasons to hate America but blaming America because some people don’t understand football is a reach.
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Player Archie Gray
- Thread starter The Fighting Cock
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Plenty of reasons to hate America but blaming America because some people don’t understand football is a reach.
the most important position on the pitch is the one hidden most by stats.
Poch anchored his midfield around Mason & Bentaleb in his first season and that turned out alright. I think we could do a lot worse than giving Gray a run in midfield
I thought he was excellent yesterday- great passing, always looking be in the right spot make the unselfish play- exactly what we want in CM.
Thing is... both of them scored and assisted plenty.
Only concern long term is how much playing along side Bentancur affects his progress
Won loads of defensive headers from corners too. Small things but made a big difference to us defensively
Nothing flash - moves it on quickly, often forward rather than pointless backwards recycling like Bentacur
Fantastic outing on Saturday, considering at times previously he looked utterly lost in midfield. If he can start to look comfortable in that position, then that, plus Xavi getting some consistency, will have the greatest impact on our season
Alex Scott cost Bournemouth 25m. He wasn't cheap. And he's 2.5 years older than Archie.
I vaguely remember he had a couple of stinker games for us in the latter part of last season but generally he performed well. Less opps this season but he looks a great prospect to me.
There is a strange phenomenon going on here.
People are citing Xavi Iniesta Modric and Rodri as proof - a dm or midfielder does not have to get goals and assists.
Therefore if Archie doesn't get any- it won't matter or count.
The argument would make sense if it was true. It isn't.
They all got assists and goals.
It's obviously the sum of their parts - but if Archie like Mason, Skipp Winks etc gets virtually no assists and goals - it's unlikely despite all the wishful thinking in the world - it will add up to enough.
The jury is out on him
Stupid to write him off - but equally stupid to think he should be in the first X1.
Tbh the whole goals and assists argument is completely irrelevant anyway until he actually gets meaningful minutes playing in midfield. We have no idea what his goal/assist output will be like until he's actually played a season as a midfielder.
He was popping up in forward positions down the left a fair bit against Brentford and had a shot cleared off the line vs PSG that led to RKM's first goal. From what I've seen he's got a pretty decent cross on him too. With a full season at 8 who's to say he won't get a fair few goals and assists?
Also, he's bloody 19 years old! He's basically one of about 4 teens in the whole league getting minutes at CM.
He was popping up in forward positions down the left a fair bit against Brentford and had a shot cleared off the line vs PSG that led to RKM's first goal. From what I've seen he's got a pretty decent cross on him too. With a full season at 8 who's to say he won't get a fair few goals and assists?
Also, he's bloody 19 years old! He's basically one of about 4 teens in the whole league getting minutes at CM.
modric g/a for spurs in the prem is underwhelming on a stat sheet
08/09 (started LW a lot) 3 goals, 9 assists, 34 league apps
09/10 3 goals, 4 assists, 25 apps
10/11 3 goals, 1 assist, 32 apps
11/12 4 goals, 4 assists, 36 apps
so take away the first year, which he played LW a lot, he averages just over 3 goals a year and 3 assists a year over an average of 31 games. thats not even a goal and an assist every 10 games....thats hardly what you'd call 'getting goals and assists'. did it matter? did it fuck! he didnt need to get goals or assists to influence the game.
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Those stats aren't even that bad for a CM, though. 3 goals, 3 assists, is about average across the league, I'd imagine.
The CMs with higher output tend to be the ones that take pens/set-pieces, play for super dominant teams or get some games playing further forward. For pure central midfielders, 3 goals/assists in the league isn't eye-catching but it's fine.
The problem is when you have a full on Didier Zokora who literally cannot shoot, cross or thread a through ball to save his life. And Gray certainly doesn't strike me as that profile.
Strange argument, these types of players don't get judged by that and he's not on the team to have a high output of G/A.
We need a passer in midfield and he's the closest to it.
Extra CB in the box! I love Sarr but we could definitely use that aspect of what Gray offers vs other CMs of ours. Add Palhinha in and we have a seriously large team. Add Bergvall in at the 10 or opposite flank 8 and we are some very bad boys all of a sudden...
I present...
Thug THFC:
Richy-RKM-Kudus
Berg-Palh-Gray
Udog-VdV-Rom-Djed
Vic
Something to be had with that kind of footballer... retain possession and progress the ball... isn't that what the game is all about... I would like to see him develop those late runs into the box to get on the end of a few crosses... they are difficult for defenders to account for... take Bruno at Man U... if Gray is marking him and we have quick turnover, there is no way Bruno is busting a gut to get back. A lot of goals Man U concede are Bruno and Casemiro not tracking back... if he adds this to his game and chips in with 8-10 goals a season then we will have a special player.