[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]From the financial point of view, maybe.
From a footballing perspective, he would have been very influential in the Third Division, with a quality 1st touch and a striker's mentality in front of goal - providing you gave him a service and didn't expect him to work the channels like
Luke Varney.
And he takes a penalty like Clive Mendonca.
So who do we replace him with - a trialist from Dagenham & Redbridge ......?
Sadly it is becoming increasingly evident that financial considerations are outweighing footballing ones.
That said I don't think Burton is that much worse than Gray (on the form he showed for us, I know there were extenuating circumstances) particularly in a lower division.
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]Maybe, Len.
Gray has got a more focused mindset in front of goal, has a great 1st touch and composure, and decent awareness and vision.
Burton will have to do the job, and credit to the player - whatever his limitations, he never hides and invariably works his socks off.
Those are the predominant qualities needed in division 3 together with something (Jonjo I hope?) a little bit different and classier than the norm.
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]has a great 1st touch
I think Gray could be good for us (or Barnsley) next season, but I can't agree with that assesment. His first touch is okay, but there is more than an air of Andy Hunt about him in the way 1 or 2 times out of 3 the ball pings up in the air as he tries to bring it under. He's also not the greatest hold up player in the world, I think it was too easy for defenders to get the ball off him even when he looked like he had it totally shielded.
Gray is doubtless the better finisher and would score more goals given decent service, but I actually think Burton is a better link man because he's a bit more athletic and has a better leap and also seems to have that bit of street smarts about him that allows him to hold the ball up, even with a much larger defender all over his back.
[cite]Posted By: kevtherev[/cite]Gray 1 half good season at Burnley and high percentage of goals from the pen spot. Doesnt make a high goal ratio goal machine that most CLUBS crave.
In what way do penalties not contribute towards goal ratio? Teams always need a good penalty taker - we struggled to find a consistent taker between Mendonca and Bent. Around a quarter of their goals for us probably came from penalties. I can remember Jensen, Euell and Stuart all missing pens between having those two heroes.
OK I stand corrected pens count towards the goal ratio. But it changes nothing Gray never has or will be a regular season in season out goal scorer and Pardew bought on one good season goal scoring record of which ahigh number of goals scored from pens.
Gray is an awful holdup player, he can not and does not retain the ball when under pressure from a defender. What he does is drop into the hole/midfield and bring players into it, but only if a defender or midfielder is not harrying him; and unlike Toddy doesn't have any vision past - admittedly good - short to close balls. That's why he had a field day against Derby as they did the same as Ipswich and packed the midfield but forgot to bother to defend the midfield: hence he dropped into the hole and constantly made flicks/links with Sam and other players.
It's a shame that Pardew didn't understand that Gray can't hold the ball up unless someone else is pacing around like a mo-fo and his forward partner is buzzing and making gaps for him. Hence Elliot banged the crosses in, and Robbie Blake run around like a madman making space and assisting the other half his goals/getting penalties. Of course it was too much to ask for Pardew to think on who did the work making space and assisting; although his strikers told him week after week no one was making chances and that is his own quote on BBC. So it was yet another player who needed others to battle for possession and others to make the vibrant break.
lets just wait until his departure is confirmed before slagging him off shall we.
on a different tack - now that Ambrose has gone and Holland doesn't look like re-signing with us, should Gray go the clubs leading goal scorer is.............???
One decent 35-30 goal a season striker would be the difference between us promoted or not (or relegated or not if we sell our midfielders), I just hope Parky can pull a rabbit out of a hat and find him but it won't be easy. Gray was never going to be that man IMO, too light weight for Div3 where you need a Iwelumo type as a target man. £600K and rid of his salary - I say take it and run, he only has a couple of years left in him anyway - I am shocked Barnsley have that sort of money to spend on someone with very little resale value.
Whichever way you look at it Gray wil go, leaving us with Mcleod, Dickson, Burton, and Fleetwood (if he isn't sold as well). Which hardly leaves me feeling confident.
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/football/Barnsley-decide-it-is-best.5502511.jp "Davey has yet to bolster his immediate first-team options but former Sheffield United striker Andy Gray will join the club pending a takeover at Charlton Athletic ..."
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]I see that Baaaaarns-leh have signed our old youth team player Onome Sodje,
From what I've heard from a York fan, he was very surprised by it, he didn't even think York should have kept him. Says his attitude is appalling, thinks means he'll be a League Two player at best, though he has a bit of talent.
Seems to be another player like Jerome Thomas that isn't interested in reaching his potential. Barnsley are taking a cheap risk in trying to get the best out of him.
Comments
Sadly it is becoming increasingly evident that financial considerations are outweighing footballing ones.
That said I don't think Burton is that much worse than Gray (on the form he showed for us, I know there were extenuating circumstances) particularly in a lower division.
Gray has got a more focused mindset in front of goal, has a great 1st touch and composure, and decent awareness and vision.
Burton will have to do the job, and credit to the player - whatever his limitations, he never hides and invariably works his socks off.
Those are the predominant qualities needed in division 3 together with something (Jonjo I hope?) a little bit different and classier than the norm.
Gray the better finisher and more composed in front of goal though, that's why he's the better goalscorer.
I think Gray could be good for us (or Barnsley) next season, but I can't agree with that assesment. His first touch is okay, but there is more than an air of Andy Hunt about him in the way 1 or 2 times out of 3 the ball pings up in the air as he tries to bring it under. He's also not the greatest hold up player in the world, I think it was too easy for defenders to get the ball off him even when he looked like he had it totally shielded.
Gray is doubtless the better finisher and would score more goals given decent service, but I actually think Burton is a better link man because he's a bit more athletic and has a better leap and also seems to have that bit of street smarts about him that allows him to hold the ball up, even with a much larger defender all over his back.
In what way do penalties not contribute towards goal ratio? Teams always need a good penalty taker - we struggled to find a consistent taker between Mendonca and Bent. Around a quarter of their goals for us probably came from penalties. I can remember Jensen, Euell and Stuart all missing pens between having those two heroes.
Thats where the comparisons end.
It's a shame that Pardew didn't understand that Gray can't hold the ball up unless someone else is pacing around like a mo-fo and his forward partner is buzzing and making gaps for him. Hence Elliot banged the crosses in, and Robbie Blake run around like a madman making space and assisting the other half his goals/getting penalties. Of course it was too much to ask for Pardew to think on who did the work making space and assisting; although his strikers told him week after week no one was making chances and that is his own quote on BBC. So it was yet another player who needed others to battle for possession and others to make the vibrant break.
He wasn't just a half-season wonder, he scored goals consistantly (when fit) for a number of seasons, after being converted from CM.
But I take the point, he needs the right combination of players around him to be effective.
Then of course, most players do.
on a different tack - now that Ambrose has gone and Holland doesn't look like re-signing with us, should Gray go the clubs leading goal scorer is.............???
John Fortune with 10.
crazy.
His second touch was a tackle FACT
he had Toblerone feet on a Jason Euell scale
Yet we have McLeod and Dickson who both have an even worse first touch :-(
"Davey has yet to bolster his immediate first-team options but former Sheffield United striker Andy Gray will join the club pending a takeover at Charlton Athletic ..."
http://www.thestar.co.uk/reds/Reds39-search-for-a-striker.5507865.jp
From what I've heard from a York fan, he was very surprised by it, he didn't even think York should have kept him. Says his attitude is appalling, thinks means he'll be a League Two player at best, though he has a bit of talent.
Seems to be another player like Jerome Thomas that isn't interested in reaching his potential. Barnsley are taking a cheap risk in trying to get the best out of him.