Confirmed Signing Demarai Gray

[Gav_Fox]

The thing is though, pace and mobility have been big problems for the team, so he kind ticks a lot of those boxes. There's no doubt he's wasteful in front of goal (and in and around it) and is very poor defensively, but he gives us a lot of what we need in possession. The signing fits the brief of what we are after, and it is a great price.

It's funny as it is normally the sort of signing a promoted team will make, but I will look on and think "he could have done a job for us you know". Watford make a lot of those. Lads like Will Hughes. Never going to be world beaters, but competent players.

Re the challenging for Europe, we are already at that point to be fair mate. We were within 10 points of 3rd and 8 points of 4th last season. We fell away a bit, and while I hate to use it as an excuse (and I appreciated every fanbase will say it) but over and above the league average we really struggled to convert at home. Even if we added nobody and lost nobody, and got the same level of points, I'd imagine we would finish top 7 and in European competition. If we could eek a few more points from the home advantage thing we are probably in the top 6. It wouldn't be done in the most pretty or aesthetically pleasing way, but it would be effective.

As with all players it's often about getting the right fit at the right time for a player. Over the last 5 years we have been really woeful at that while sides like Leicester have been really good at it. I bet if you looked at United fans at around the time you sod Maguire and signed Evans they would have said similar to what you're saying, but he came in and did a job for you, and has been a good signing from the outside).

I also think with Gray, and with Leicester more broadly it just wasn't a great fit for Rodgers. You are a clinical and technically gifted side now and he is wasteful. You have players with pace and power but also quality. We are not at that point at all. We are trying to inject power and pace into the team. But either way, your insight is appreciated.

No disrespect but this is the mentality I’d expect from a fan of a newly promoted side.

He might be the type of player you need; however for a club like Everton I expect you to aspire higher and get in better. There’s many players out there, who can probably do what Demarai Gray does but better.

As I said, he is the type of player I’d expect Norwich, Watford or Brentford to sign, or even someone like Fulham who want to get promoted straight back into the Premier League.

I see a lot of noise of you hoping to shift Bernard & Iwobi, replacing them with Gray & Townsend is absolutely bizarre from a club like yourselves, you’re just replacing garbage with garbage, who just happen to be cheaper.

This will come across as arrogance, but there’s a reason why Leicester City’s transfer business gets praised. We look to sign young, talented players who will have room to grow, then in the end they’d be sold on for double or triple, then the same cycle starts again.

You need more signings like Ben Godfrey and less cast off signings like Gray & Townsend.

 

[Noble Savage]

Late news - Townsend medical complete this morning

If it isn't Theoneandoneandoneandoneandoneandoneanonly news , it isn't news .

 

[windymiller]

These two for £1.5m or Wilfried Zaha for £65m.

I know which one I prefer more between Everton 2021 and Everton 2018.

Let's have none of them. Save £66.5m.

 

[Sadken]

Three players for 1.5 million, Moyes will be so proud . I wonder if man city got gray we would all be saying it's a shrewd bit of business .

 

[little elfin]

 

[Axlswhk]

No disrespect but this is the mentality I’d expect from a fan of a newly promoted side.

He might be the type of player you need; however for a club like Everton I expect you to aspire higher and get in better. There’s many players out there, who can probably do what Demarai Gray does but better.

As I said, he is the type of player I’d expect Norwich, Watford or Brentford to sign, or even someone like Fulham who want to get promoted straight back into the Premier League.

I see a lot of noise of you hoping to shift Bernard & Iwobi, replacing them with Gray & Townsend is absolutely bizarre from a club like yourselves, you’re just replacing garbage with garbage, who just happen to be cheaper.

This will come across as arrogance, but there’s a reason why Leicester City’s transfer business gets praised. We look to sign young, talented players who will have room to grow, then in the end they’d be sold on for double or triple, then the same cycle starts again.

You need more signings like Ben Godfrey and less cast off signings like Gray & Townsend.

Brendan rodger spoke highly of him. What’s the real problem with gray?

 

[windymiller]

So would Gray be cover for LW and Townsend cover for RW with a first team RW coming in?

So if we sold Bernard and brought them two in for the reasons above and possibly saved on wages and made money off Bernard, that would be good business.

They both play a minimum of 25 games this season, maybe more. These are not "squad signings" in lieu of better signings, these are our summer signings.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Do you realise we will never be great if we keep signing multiple iwobi clone?

It all depends on if they will be squad players mate.

Iwobi is a coward, pulls out of 50/50's, doesnt run himself into the ground - if Townsend effectively replaces him on ability but better workrate and application then its a small squad improvement.

Same with Gray - he's not great, inconsistent but the raw materials are there maybe its down to application - his career has stagnated and he's probably buzzing he has a final saloon chance at a PL level side - 2 year contract he'll know he'll have to get stuck in.

What people say about Gray is what people said about Jesse Lingard - sometimes a kick up the arse is whats needeed, Gray is a Moyes Everton type signing imo. He'll effectively replace Benard in the squad who you barely see anymore and on a third of the wage - if it doesnt work out punt him next summer for likely a profit.

Providing we strengthen the starting 11 with 2-3 good players I haven't a problem with them as squad options - having to cut the books was always going to happen at some stage would rather this summer and have hopes of a big wad of cash to spend next with all the dross off the books/out of contract.

 

[longers]

We are going to go proper old school, bus parked and lob it into box at every chance.

Doesn't sound that much worse than the football under Ancelotti tbh

 

[Azza]

Am I in some crazy effed up nightmare, Benitez is manager and we are linked with Begovic, Gray and Townshend??? This is a bad nightmare

Feels like I've fell into some alternative shitverse.

People actually making arguments for Townsend being a useful signing or thinking Demarari Gray who made
133 PL appearances for Leicester and never did anything is going to have some kind of renaissance here.

 

[MikeH72]

We are going to go proper old school, bus parked and lob it into box at every chance.

Doesn't sound that much worse than the football under Ancelotti tbh

Was just about to say, that’s exactly what we were doing last season.

 

[RomanReigns]

 

[Kev The Rat]

If he wants them then he believes they are the best of the options he has been presented with.

I refuse to believe they would be any managers first choice.

he's been out of the game here a few years now, before he left these may have been more viable than they are now, which is why he's called for them.

 

[Gav_Fox]

Sounds to me like sour apples the amount of Leicester fans feeling the need to come on here and tell us how poor he is...

If you took someone like Albrighton from us on the cheap, we’d have a reason to be sour.

But Demarai Gray...nah we’re laughing.

 

[Buce]

Sounds to me like sour apples the amount of Leicester fans feeling the need to come on here and tell us how poor he is...

Feel free to revisit the conversation in a few months.

You'll see what we mean by then.