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Andy Gray - Everton legend?

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blue_aussie05 said:
I think the general consensus amongst every fan I know is that this is the case with Gray, but I've got no idea if this was actually true or not. I've not got any evidence to say he was definitely offered the job, or that he definitely wasn't.

It seems to be one of those club myths, similarly to what happened later that season between Kendall, who was appointed instead of Gray, and Gary Speed. No fan has any idea whether Kendall's account of why he sold Speed is true or not.

Just as an aside, if one of the stories doing the rounds about Speed's departure is true - that Kendall lied about Speed refusal to play, and then hung him out to dry - does this make Kendall any less of a cnut than Gray, for knowingly selling Speed down the river, leading to him getting abuse every time he returned to Goodison, if Speed had actually done nothing wrong?
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Just ask yourself why Gary Speed had to sign a confidentially contract, when he left Everton. Gary was true to his word
and never ever talked about what went wrong at Everton. An awful lot of things were out of order while Kendall was
manager at that time. I heard a few stories of what was happening, like loads of Evertonians, but I would wouldn't bet
against the fact that Gary Speed got an hell of a raw deal off Everton.
 
dave abrahams said:
Just ask yourself why Gary Speed had to sign a confidentially contract, when he left Everton. Gary was true to his word
and never ever talked about what went wrong at Everton. An awful lot of things were out of order while Kendall was
manager at that time. I heard a few stories of what was happening, like loads of Evertonians, but I would wouldn't bet
against the fact that Gary Speed got an hell of a raw deal off Everton.
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I've heard some stories, but given that Speed has said nothing, I can't see how that story can be true or have any credibility.
 
blue_aussie05 said:
OK mate. It was before the days of the internet, and I was in the States at the time who weren't interested in 'soccer' at the time, so missed all the hyperbole surrounding Kendall's appointment.

For the record, I never wanted Gray anyway. Would have preferred Bobby Robson at the time. Wasn't Johnson promising us a world class foreign manager? Then offers the job to Gray, then Kendall. Shambles...
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He interviewed Wim Van Hanegem. I dont know if that counts!
blue_aussie05 said:
@davek what's your take on why Gary Speed left the club?
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No idea. I've heard all the rumours, but I dont think we'll ever find out.
 

blueblue said:
To me the word legend is thrown around far too easily. Andy Gray was at our club for a relatively short period in his career and came at a time when many considered his best days as a player were gone.
As with Peter Reid is was the ingenuity of Howard Kendall who resurrected both careers
Gray was a great signing for us for a shortish while and was a big character in a dressing room of big characters.

A big influence in an important time in our history..yes, a legend...no.

West,Royle,Labone, Ball ,Kendall, Harvey,Southall,Reid, Ratcliffe and others besides imo are legends but not Andy Gray.
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those are the signings that really lift a team, talented players who have had a bad time elsewhere, if you can turn them round and re-motivate them that becomes infectious and drags others with them, arteta dunc and even lennon being more modern examples
 

Walken said:
all the cliches about the term itself being subjective aside, he was a key member of a title and cup winning team, the longer our current drought goes on the more he is a legend for me
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Did you see him play? I loved him at the time. His passion and committment were contagious.

However, despite me being absolutely gutted at the time, with hindsight it's got to be said that Kendall let him go at the right time. He wasn't very good after he left us, and quickly went downhill
 
Toffeelover said:
Gray imo was not here long enough to qual as a legend.
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I think his short time at the club appears to be peoples main sticking points.

Say, for arguments sake, that Kendall didn't sell him, meaning Gray stayed at the club as a fourth choice striker in 85/86. If Gray had played a cameo in that season, and possibly the one after too due to his injury record and age, he'd have won another title with us but probably not played very many games. I'd say he probably would have retired shortly after.

What would his standing be at the club then? Would he have spent enough years with us, and won enough trophies, to change people's minds, or would his deteriorating form now be our lasting memory of him?
 
blue_aussie05 said:
I think his short time at the club appears to be peoples main sticking points.

Say, for arguments sake, that Kendall didn't sell him, meaning Gray stayed at the club as a fourth choice striker in 85/86. If Gray had played a cameo in that season, and possibly the one after too due to his injury record and age, he'd have won another title with us but probably not played very many games. I'd say he probably would have retired shortly after.

What would his standing be at the club then? Would he have spent enough years with us, and win enough trophies, to change people's minds, or would his deteriorating form now be our lasting memory of him?
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It did not happen though so speculation does not change matters.
 
blue_aussie05 said:
Did you see him play? I loved him at the time. His passion and committment were contagious.

However, despite me being absolutely gutted at the time, with hindsight it's got to be said that Kendall let him go at the right time. He wasn't very good after he left us, and quickly went downhill
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was born in 84 mate, just in time to miss out on the glory years, then endure a decade of russian roulette with relegation, have seen as much as i can of those guys though, you can see why the fans took to his style, he and sharp must have been a tough days work for any defence
 

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