Stoke line up surprise bid for Charlton's Andy Gray as Sheffield United fail to lure Reading's Lita as replacement for Beattie
Stoke have made a surprise loan bid for Charlton striker Andy Gray, who would prefer a permanent move while his boss Phil Parkinson would listen to offers for midfielder Darren Ambrose.
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That's all it says. They've just signed Beattie though, do they need him?
Not surprised he's linked with a move, will be on a decent wage.
Would you get rid of him? We need a new striker and although Gray hasn't played too well he's our top scorer, one of our better strikers (I know that's not saying much).
Can't get rid of Ambrose until we sign a winger or two. Probably why Parkinson gave Wagstaff a chance tonight, see if he can step up to first team level.
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Gray would not even suit their style, he is a "to feet" player and Stoke prefer aerial merchants.
Get Gray off the books.
All true but he's not lived up to his billing. TBF to Pardew he bought the top scorer in the division so shouldn't have been such a risk but considering the fee, the likely wages and that he came into replace Andy Reid it hasn't worked.
May leave us short (in both senses) up front but a good move if it comes off. If there is some cash free to get a replacement in.
All this nonsense he doesn't jump tosh.
He hasn't lived up to hos billing as Henners said but he's come to us at a time when we have not been playing well and not creating much.
no offence henry but to replace our only creative midfielder with a striker seems an odd decision if it was pardews or murrays decision.
Yes, it was an odd decision by the person who selects the players ie the Manager.
They could always loan us kitson in return
We're getting rid of Gray to save money, not to double the wages !
He came to replace Todorov didn't he?
You'd bite their hands off for a player with no confidence who hasn't scored all season? Just what we need!!
Exactly. Hope he doesn't go best striker we have at the club.
He won't play at Stoke though, although a swap for Kitson would be decent.
He is good in the air from crosses but nobody can do much with the crap we have pumped towards him 7 feet off the ground with the centre half up his arse - not even Torres would score goals from that kind of service.
I would have like to have seen him given a run alongside McLeod with Gray playing deeper and McLeod on the last man, would have been worth a try at least.
Along with NLA's assessment, this is how I see Gray.
Putting his personal stuff and all the anxiety this has no doubt caused him and the disruption to his training & fitness,
on the park players just have to play to his strengths.
His game is not running the channels like Varney or McLeod, it's in the box. He is a finisher.
Give him the ball in front of goal, and he'll invariably at least get the ball on target.
His other quality is to hold the ball up, a decent touch and distribution, laced with football intelligence.
As Ormy says, that doesn't mean lumping the ball vaguely in his direction 7 foot up in the air and expecting him to consistantly beat 2 challenging centrehalves in the air - or oustripping defenders for pace.
What it does mean, is to get the goals from him, we just need to provide the type of service he thrives on.
He'll then score goals.
He's done it, and done it consistantly, for every other club he's played for in the last 5 or 6 years.
So the problem is mostly with Charlton.
no offence henry but to replace our only creative midfielder with a striker seems an odd decision if it was pardews or murrays decision.[/quote]
Yes, it was an odd decision by the person who selects the players ie the Manager.[/quote]
Cook was billed as a replacement for Reid, as i recall.
And Gray was said to be the replacement for the more or less terminally injured Todorov.
Who dear old AP then gave another year's contract to...
That's a tad harsh. At the time, there was no reason to suspect that he would not recover well from the op. Others have done it successfully, but it's much easier to make medical judgements with benefit of hindsight.
It will release a few shillings for some other player to come in, in that position who without being over critical will do more than what i have seen Gray do potentially
he is the best of a bad bunch as far as our strikers are concerned
it's just so depressing how we have gone from the curbs glory years(maybe not as exciting as some wanted) to a tinpot outfit so quickly ;-(