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Archie Gray

Ace Face said:
One of my reasons for wanting us to move Bergvall on is to get Gray into his preferred midfield role.

I thought he was excellent at times for us last season in midfield. His ceiling may not quite be as high as Bergvall’s but his floor is significantly higher.
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Bergvall isn't the reason Gray is stuck at RB.

If he does go to Brentford that is an absolute shocker of a decision.
 
I cannot imagine we would contemplate selling Archie.
If we do, that would raise serious concerns about how we view a path for very talented young players to make their mark.
 
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So how do we feel about these youngsters potentially going to the manager and telling them they want to leave? what should the manager do? force them to stay? give them the minutes they want whilst upsetting more experienced players?
 
Yiddo said:
He is hardly going to announce he is one of the leadership group, give him captaincy all pre season and the first game of the season just to sell him.
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I hear you, but I'm not sure that would necessarily stop/prevent a sale.
It can be that a club wasn't intending to sell a player, and/or didn't expect offers to come in, and selling club may actually like said player.
But every player has a price. When an offer arises that meets that price, or exceeds it, there is often discussion and decisions to be made.
 
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Ace Face said:
One of my reasons for wanting us to move Bergvall on is to get Gray into his preferred midfield role.

I thought he was excellent at times for us last season in midfield. His ceiling may not quite be as high as Bergvall’s but his floor is significantly higher.
Click to expand...
Gray isn't getting games in midfield not because of Bergvall really but because Fernandes, Tonali and Bentancur are all ahead of him.

Tbh even the thought that he's going to be a an ever present mainstay for us In the long term i find a bit questionable because Fernandes is only a year and a half older but significantly more developed and has a super high ceiling higher than anything I've seen from Gray so unless he becomes the guy who eventually replaces Tonali is he ever likely to hold down a starting spot on merit? Id imagine we would replace Tonali with someone of a similar ilk and Gray doesn't seem to be that player either.

It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out but he doesn't really have the game so far that the truly top midfielders demonstrate.
 
Bishop said:
Gray isn't getting games in midfield not because of Bergvall really but because Fernandes, Tonali and Bentancur are all ahead of him.

Tbh even the thought that he's going to be a an ever present mainstay for us In the long term i find a bit questionable because Fernandes is only a year and a half older but significantly more developed and has a super high ceiling higher than anything I've seen from Gray so unless he becomes the guy who eventually replaces Tonali is he ever likely to hold down a starting spot on merit? Id imagine we would replace Tonali with someone of a similar ilk and Gray doesn't seem to be that player either.

It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out but he doesn't really have the game so far that the truly top midfielders demonstrate.
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Fernandes’s ceiling is so high I can honestly see him at PSG, Real Madrid or Barcelona etc in 2 or 3 years time, the question really should be if Gray is prepared to sit around for a season or two while having his development shunted as a utility rb.
 
Bishop said:
Gray isn't getting games in midfield not because of Bergvall really but because Fernandes, Tonali and Bentancur are all ahead of him.

Tbh even the thought that he's going to be a an ever present mainstay for us In the long term i find a bit questionable because Fernandes is only a year and a half older but significantly more developed and has a super high ceiling higher than anything I've seen from Gray so unless he becomes the guy who eventually replaces Tonali is he ever likely to hold down a starting spot on merit? Id imagine we would replace Tonali with someone of a similar ilk and Gray doesn't seem to be that player either.

It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out but he doesn't really have the game so far that the truly top midfielders demonstrate.
Click to expand...

Fernandes has the talent to be up there with Modric, Carrick and Ardiles as one of our all-time great midfielders plus already has 73 PL games under his belt so should be the first name on the team-sheet.

Bentancur seems to be getting back to something like the form he showed before the surgery, so another automatic starter.

Tonali and Gallagher will be getting more games in midfield due to the sheer amount of money we’ve spent on them.

Porro now has no understudy so Gray is stuck with that unenviable job until his advisors tell him that he needs to move for the sake of his career.
 
Yiddo.1882 said:
Fernandes’s ceiling is so high I can honestly see him at PSG, Real Madrid or Barcelona etc in 2 or 3 years time, the question really should be if Gray is prepared to sit around for a season or two while having his development shunted as a utility rb.
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Do we even have a role for him as the development CM as Bergvall seems to have that role for the minute. I guess if we do get a backup RB or use one of the CBs for that role maybe he becomes an option for those last 10 minutes chances.
 
Bishop said:
Do we even have a role for him as the development CM as Bergvall seems to have that role for the minute. I guess if we do get a backup RB or use one of the CBs for that role maybe he becomes an option for those last 10 minutes chances.
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I see Bergvall filling the Tonali/8 role with Gray the Fernandes/6 role, problem is Bentancur is currently ahead of Gray there.
 
Bishop said:
Gray isn't getting games in midfield not because of Bergvall really but because Fernandes, Tonali and Bentancur are all ahead of him.

Tbh even the thought that he's going to be a an ever present mainstay for us In the long term i find a bit questionable because Fernandes is only a year and a half older but significantly more developed and has a super high ceiling higher than anything I've seen from Gray so unless he becomes the guy who eventually replaces Tonali is he ever likely to hold down a starting spot on merit? Id imagine we would replace Tonali with someone of a similar ilk and Gray doesn't seem to be that player either.

It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out but he doesn't really have the game so far that the truly top midfielders demonstrate.
Click to expand...
Only one injury away from him getting game time in his favored position though. It'll be interesting to see who gets called on first out of Gray, Bergvall and Gallagher should Tonali or Fernandes get injured.
 
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