Archie Gray

[braineclipse]

I didn't realise Gray had started 4 out of 5... Resmin is not wrong.
Gray played with Bentancur vs PSG, with Palhinha vs Fulham, only got 5 minutes vs Newcash (Sarr started with Bentancur), played with Bentancur vs Brentford and with Palhinha tonight.

He's so good and so young and so fit, what an excellent purchase that was.

The way I've seen it in the PSG game it was more of a diamond with Gray as the most advanced. Against Fulham it was Palhinha anchoring with Gray and Bergvall box to box. Brentford and Slavia being the first games in some time where he's started as a more clearly defined deep midfielder.

Obviously your point seems more about game time and not disagreeing. He is getting that game time and he is really good. I really hope him playing quite a lot, but also him playing clearly in a deeper role continues. Him getting subbed yesterday was to me hopefully because he'll be starting in a similar role come the weekend. He can play well in other roles too, no doubt. But that to me is where we get the most out of him now.

 

[metalgear]

i love watching Gray play - he has a quick mind and has the urgency to release the ball fast, and it all comes off so effortlessly.

i think he had a near perfect passing game but I would like to see him take more risks. still young i know !

Yeah Bergvall is way more risky on the ball than Bergvall. Though I also think Bergvall is better a bit deeper and showed last season what he can do in a role like that.

But Gray is up there as one of our players with the most control and composure on the ball in tight areas and in terms of then also doing useful things with the ball in those situations. He also seems to have a good awareness defensively.

 

[markysimmo]

I loved his defensive awareness too
Every time one of VDV or Romero was out of position he dropped in straight away

 

[braineclipse]

i love watching Gray play - he has a quick mind and has the urgency to release the ball fast, and it all comes off so effortlessly.

i think he had a near perfect passing game but I would like to see him take more risks. still young i know !

Great close control too and ability to get out of tight spaces with quick feet.

Perhaps sometimes he could take more risk. Personally I'd like to see us use him more, give him the ball even more rather than he himself taking more risk.

 

[DubSpur]

Great close control too and ability to get out of tight spaces with quick feet.

Perhaps sometimes he could take more risk. Personally I'd like to see us use him more, give him the ball even more rather than he himself taking more risk.

I'm sure that will come as he gets more confident and more experienced.

 

[thfcsteff]

I loved his defensive awareness too
Every time one of VDV or Romero was out of position he dropped in straight away

he has a maturity and selflessness in that regard that is outstanding. I wonder if he might make a late bid for the World Cup squad?

 

[markysimmo]

he has a maturity and selflessness in that regard that is outstanding. I wonder if he might make a late bid for the World Cup squad?

No chance, Tuchel will take Hendo, Curtis Jones instead

 

[Muttley]

he has a maturity and selflessness in that regard that is outstanding. I wonder if he might make a late bid for the World Cup squad?

The irony of course is that he pretty much had old man Hendo in his pocket for a lot of this game. Problem is that Hendo has been the unofficial captain of England for a very long time. Kane knows who's in charge when they play together. Hendo's been the best captain around for a decade or so.

Tuchel has it good. He has Rice, Anderson, Wharton, Mainoo and O'Reilly. He also has attacking midfielder Bellingham, Rogers, Foden etc and will struggle to include them all. Gray will probably have to bide his time.

 

[El Dante]

he has a maturity and selflessness in that regard that is outstanding. I wonder if he might make a late bid for the World Cup squad?

I think he could. He can play and cover multiple positions which is invaluable. So if he performs well and gets called up in the next International break then he has a good chance.

 

[thfcsteff]

I think he could. He can play and cover multiple positions which is invaluable. So if he performs well and gets called up in the next International break then he has a good chance.

I suppose -in fairness- we will need to see him as a regular starter for us before that could become a possibility. It just seems that he has a unique mentality I do not see in any other talent of his age, including a temperament which is frankly unbelievable!

 

[Robbo]

I think he could. He can play and cover multiple positions which is invaluable. So if he performs well and gets called up in the next International break then he has a good chance.

Should've played for that other lot down the road, and he'd be in the squad in an instant. Walcott mrk II.

 

[Bishop]

I suppose -in fairness- we will need to see him as a regular starter for us before that could become a possibility. It just seems that he has a unique mentality I do not see in any other talent of his age, including a temperament which is frankly unbelievable!

I don't actually think he's playing well enough to make the England squad. He's done alright so far, very good against Brentford, I felt pretty anonymous versus Slavia. He would need a consistent period of playing at a higher level than he's shown at the moment to really even get into England contention.

Next summer's tournament is going to come too soon in terms of his developing. He might be a serious option at some point next season if he can achieve that higher performance and consistently.

 

[thfcsteff]

I don't actually think he's playing well enough to make the England squad. He's done alright so far, very good against Brentford, I felt pretty anonymous versus Slavia. He would need a consistent period of playing at a higher level than he's shown at the moment to really even get into England contention.

Next summer's tournament is going to come too soon in terms of his developing. He might be a serious option at some point next season if he can achieve that higher performance and consistently.

I didn't say 'right now', I suggested that if he continues his trajectory and establishes himself in the first eleven, then it is possibly on the cards.

Anonymous v Slavia? That's part of the point, he's doing all the stuff others haven't been in terms of intelligent play and positioning for the team and not necessarily for himself. I don't disagree that next summer might well be one too soon though; be interesting to see. There's usually one late surprise.

 

[Crab.C.Nesbitt]

I doubt he’ll break into the World Cup squad next summer because we are stacked in midfield. But I do think this season could be his breakthrough season for us. Frank wanted him at Brentford and clearly rates him. And to my mind Archie gray is a rolls Royce of a player, pure class!