Gray to Watford story

starting_11 · Post by **starting_11** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:27 am

Lay off the fentanyl will you, top claret!

Ooogeorgeorgeoghani · Post by **Ooogeorgeorgeoghani** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:28 am

Hedontplayforyou wrote:£11.5m now on Sky

Not worth selling at that price , plenty of championship clubs would pay more than that given his championship goal ratio

UpTheBeehole · Post by **UpTheBeehole** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:28 am

FML at £11.5m

Rileybobs · Post by **Rileybobs** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:28 am

Top Claret wrote:I for one will miss him and I rate him as our best striker at the club in over 40 years.

Better than Ings and Austin?

taio · Post by **taio** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:29 am

Top Claret wrote:I for one will miss him and I rate him as our best striker at the club in over 40 years.

Chuckypad · Post by **Chuckypad** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:31 am

Socrates wrote: I understand the need for saving for a rainy day, but right now we're a man looking at beautiful blue skies through a gaping hole in our roof. We're congratulating ourselves on having plenty of money to fix the roof should it rain but doing nothing to fix the roof whilst it is dry.

Hadn't realised how abject things had got at the club!

Which stand is leaking?

Dyche out!

jedi_master · Post by **jedi_master** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:33 am

11.5m is honestly a disgusting figure, one year left or not, especially considering Brentford's sell on fee.

We are barely turning a profit and selling him for less than the likes of Ross McCormack aent to Villa from Fulham for.

I wasn't happy to begin with but that takes the biscuit.

kentonclaret · Post by **kentonclaret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:34 am

If Gray had a fantastic first touch and excellent goals to chances ratio we would be asking for £60 million not £11.5 million or whatever sum is now being quoted.

The problem is replacing him with a player with pace who can score goals at this level and is within our budget and price range.

Hedontplayforyou · Post by **Hedontplayforyou** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:34 am

Nixon saying that it's £18m

thelifeofbrian · Post by **thelifeofbrian** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:35 am

It looks like we are going to play one up front this season- if we do then selling him makes sense IMO................. look at the bigger picture...........

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:35 am

Why would you sell to your rivals though. That's just bonkers. We must be getting something back off them other than money for us to even contemplate this.

billyhamilton82 · Post by **billyhamilton82** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:35 am

Certainly puts this current tansfer window into a totally different perspective.

Losing Keane and Gray in the same window without replacing them before the first game of the season is brave and most would say suicidal.

£11.5m "deal" or £18.5m. Could it be £11.5m plus Deeney?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:36 am

No matter what I've posted previously, one way or the other, this one looks to be happening.

ksrclaret · Post by **ksrclaret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:36 am

It's summer 2011 all over again, selling off our assets left right and centre.

At least then we hadn't just banked over a hundred million in two season in TV money. Replacements needed immediately because it stinks.

Crewe claret · Post by **Crewe claret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:36 am

Chris Boden tweeted Gray having medical at Watford £18m

Papabendi · Post by **Papabendi** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:36 am

shouldn't be selling til we have a replacement....

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:37 am

Well I'm finding this amusing after all the negative comments about him last season and even recently.

Some of you need to pull your heads out of your rears and make your minds up if you rate Gray or not.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:37 am

After every premier league season we have had we have sold our best players, even the cash from staying up can't prevent it.

I'm not Grays biggest fan as a footballer but his goals are worth more than the pittance quoted on sky. We are getting our pants pulled down.

D8BFC · Post by **D8BFC** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:38 am

It isn't the fact he's going as he is replaceable (or should be given the resources we have now) but for me it's who he is going to.

He'll get 10 goals in 38 games I suspect. These goals may earn Watford some points which they otherwise wouldn't have got.

I'd rather him be on our bench not scoring for a rival and not have there money!

D8BFC · Post by **D8BFC** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:38 am

Ps sky have it wrong it's 18m

ksrclaret · Post by **ksrclaret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:38 am

Sidney1st wrote:Well I'm finding this amusing after all the negative comments about him last season and even recently.

Some of you need to pull your heads out of your rears and make your minds up if you rate Gray or not.

I don't particular and I've been consistent in that, but it's fair to say we've nothing else like him the squad and to sell him on the eve of the new season to a relegation rival is shocking, and whether I rate him or not is fairly irrelevant.

Selby Claret · Post by **Selby Claret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:38 am

Down_Rover wrote:I think we should sell.
We all see Gray week in week out and know, barring improvement, that he is not a PL striker. He does not anticipate the next phase of play or read a game, he is not as fast as he is touted to be and his ball control is poor. We all deep down know this.

Have to agree wholeheartedly.

Also, he scored in a total of six matches last season - and one of those was a penalty.
He scored (from open play) in only 5 matches - 3 against Sunderland, 2 against Swansea, and goals against Palace, Middlesbrough and Liverpool - his goals accounted for a total of 4 points gained.

UpTheBeehole · Post by **UpTheBeehole** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:39 am

Sidney1st wrote:Well I'm finding this amusing after all the negative comments about him last season and even recently.

Some of you need to pull your heads out of your rears and make your minds up if you rate Gray or not.

I'm glad you find it so amusing. Must be easy to do having only glory supported the club for the last few years.

SalisburyClaret · Post by **SalisburyClaret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:39 am

£18m is about right given his contract -providing we have a good sell-on clause as Gray has massive potential.

The only thing wrong is the timing - we should have had a replacements in for Keane and Gray a long time ago so they could have had a pre-season.

IF he goes (the BBC and Sky have a long track record of being wrong on transfers), that would leave us with 2 main strikers at the club. Filling in with a relatively untried young lad and an enthusiastic but ageing winger is no way to go into a season - even in League 1

Still I've every confidence SD will get it sorted

Goobs · Post by **Goobs** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:40 am

Top Claret wrote: I for one will miss him and I rate him as our best striker at the club in over 40 years.

I don't even rate him as top 3 in the last 10 years. Strange how opinions can be so different in football.

boatshed bill · Post by **boatshed bill** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:41 am

[quote="Socrates"]
I understand the need for saving for a rainy day, but right now we're a man looking at beautiful blue skies through a gaping hole in our roof. We're congratulating ourselves on having plenty of money to fix the roof should it rain but doing nothing to fix the roof whilst it is dry.

Not enough credit is given for quality analogies these days!

kentonclaret · Post by **kentonclaret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:41 am

I would rate Gray against what we have left very highly indeed.

Against other PL strikers costing £60 million plus maybe not so highly.

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:41 am

billyhamilton82 wrote:Could it be £11.5m plus Deeney?

I very, very much doubt that.

Herts Clarets · Post by **Herts Clarets** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:41 am

FactualFrank wrote:Why would you sell to your rivals though. That's just bonkers. We must be getting something back off them other than money for us to even contemplate this.

Because no team who would expect to finish higher than bottom 6 would be interested in Gray. That's his level.

mealdeal · Post by **mealdeal** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:41 am

Sidney1st wrote:
Some of you need to pull your heads out of your rears and make your minds up if you rate Gray or not.

Whereas some need to make up their minds which club they support

Lowbankclaret · Post by **Lowbankclaret** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:42 am

I am sure the board and SD are trying very hard to recruit the players they want.

However with the squad as it stands today we will be relegated. When Gray goes the first 11 is weaker and 2 nd string weaker still.

With the away games we have to deal with in the first half of the season that good start you need is going to be very hard to accomplish.

taio · Post by **taio** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:43 am

I said a while ago he'd move this summer, so it will come as no surprise to me when this gets confirmed. If a fee of up to £18.5m is agreed I can understand the club agreeing to sell, but only if we are going to bring in at least another three players and spend a significant amount in the process. We desperately need some pace in the squad now too. If we get to the end of the transfer window and we've spent little more than now it would be a total failure of our recruitment approach. But I'll reserve judgement until we get to that point in time.

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:44 am

If the reported fee of £11.5m is correct then I'd rather keep him and stick him in the reserves, if he didn't want to play, rather than strengthen a relegation rivals team.

Dreadful decision so close to the start of the season. Front two of Vokes and Barnes is f*cking grim, route one only option.
Andre is the best striker we have and we are pretty much giving him away. Will the board spend some of this money? I know fees are inflated but going into the season with the squad as it is, we are 100% nailed on relegated. Gone backwards. (So far)

boatshed bill · Post by **boatshed bill** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:44 am

Watford will not be in danger of relegation this season, with or without Gray.

dushanbe · Post by **dushanbe** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:47 am

Sidney1st wrote:Well I'm finding this amusing after all the negative comments about him last season and even recently.

Some of you need to pull your heads out of your rears and make your minds up if you rate Gray or not.

It depends on what measure you are using to 'rate' Gray. If measured against other, better quality strikers in the division, then criticism is justified. If you are 'rating' him against what you've got in the squad - ie the best striker - and with little or no prospect of replacing him based on past performance, then thats a different matter altogether.

TheFamilyCat · Post by **TheFamilyCat** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:47 am

He's heard from KRBFC that Silva is a better manager and it's turned his head.

claretburns · Post by **claretburns** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:48 am

Further update on sky, a source says it is good business for Burnley, 11.5 million fee rising to 18.5 million and we offered Gray a new contract in July which would have made the best paid player in the clubs history but he turned it down.

Herts Clarets · Post by **Herts Clarets** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:49 am

What concerns me is our track record on recruitment, or lack of. Too many time we have been in an 'all eggs in one basket' position at the last minute, only for the rug to be pulled from under our feet. Lansbury, Stephens, Grosicki, Assombalonga. We just never seem to learn from previous mistakes.

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:49 am

UpTheBeehole wrote:I'm glad you find it so amusing. Must be easy to do having only glory supported the club for the last few years.

Its got to be better than being a miserable doom seeking long term fan like you.

I've paid for my season ticket so I'll still be there watching with or without Gray being there.

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:49 am

Oh well, there is always Daniel Aygei. His middle name is Ebenezer so that should fit in with a few peoples perception of Mike Garlick if we don't sign anyone else.

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:51 am

boatshed bill wrote:Watford will not be in danger of relegation this season, with or without Gray.

How do you come to that conclusion considering they finished below us last season?

Is their manager going to be good enough considering he was far worse than Dyche when it came to away games?

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:52 am

kentonclaret wrote:dsr

I wish I had your complete faith that Gray is not on his way out of the club.

Even CT admitted in post 44 that the story is quoted by too many media outlets not to have some real substance to it.

I hope that they are able to sign a replacement for Gray proven at PL level ready to go straight in to the team to face Chelsea.

If all you were complaining about was that they were selling Gray, then you'd have some logic behind it. You're complaining that they're selling Gray before they haver bought a replacement - that's untrue and can't be true unless and until he goes.

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:53 am

boatshed bill wrote:Watford will not be in danger of relegation this season, with or without Gray.

Flies in the face of logic that though.

: 2017-08-09_10h48_56.png (11.89 KiB) Viewed 4673 times

Their transfers so far

Tom Cleverley (Everton)
Will Hughes (Derby County)
Daniel Bachmann (Stoke)
Kiko Femenia (Alaves)
Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea)
Richarlison (Fluminense)

Some bottom end PL, top end Championship players, nothing particularly exciting. The Brazilian striker looks good on paper, only ever played in Brazil.

UpTheBeehole · Post by **UpTheBeehole** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:53 am

dsr wrote:If all you were complaining about was that they were selling Gray, then you'd have some logic behind it. You're complaining that they're selling Gray before they haver bought a replacement - that's untrue and can't be true unless and until he goes.

He's signing today. He's having his medical.

Reecey1987 · Post by **Reecey1987** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:55 am

Dom wrote:Flies in the face of logic that though.
2017-08-09_10h48_56.png
Their transfers so far

Tom Cleverley (Everton)
Will Hughes (Derby County)
Daniel Bachmann (Stoke)
Kiko Femenia (Alaves)
Nathaniel Chalobah (Chelsea)
Richarlison (Fluminense)

Some bottom end PL, top end Championship players, nothing particularly exciting. The Brazilian striker looks good on paper, only ever played in Brazil.

Id rather have there signings than ours tbh if you look at it that way . We have done well so far but they have signed better players than us

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:55 am

Didn't realise the Board were that stupid selling to a relegation rival , truly beggars belief.

GDK · Post by **GDK** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:55 am

Like most Clarets I've been a big fan of Andre in his time here. However, Vokes and Barnes both look more comfortable at this level now, and Walters is far more proven than Gray. At worst we're getting £10m+ for a player who doesn't want to be here and doesn't really fit the system we're going to be playing.

I doubt he would have started at Chelsea anyway so we don't need to panic. I agree we need to replace his pace but am sure we'll manage this by the end of the window. I suspect we're in for an interesting couple of weeks.

Also, Watford looked to have plenty of weaknesses that won't be cured by signing Gray, they'll still struggle his season.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:55 am

To be fair every new player that comes in should be the highest paid in the clubs history or were not progressing. Our wages are peanuts for the premier league.

MACCA · Post by **MACCA** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:57 am

This could be a master stroke at the club, Agyei could slot straight in if needed, but still have 3 strikers to fill 2 spots with 10m in the bank.
It's nice for us to be forward thinking.

Stop finding fault with everything the club does!

boatshed bill · Post by **boatshed bill** » Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:57 am

Spijed wrote:How do you come to that conclusion considering they finished below us last season?

Is their manager going to be good enough considering he was far worse than Dyche when it came to away games?

I'm basing my assertion on the premise that we are weaker, Swansea will be weaker, and at least two of the newly promoted sides will struggle.
I'm also not forgetting just how poor our form was in the second half of the season.