Shaun Grigg signs a two-year contract extension (RFC)

[Coach]

It doesn't shock me at all. I am brilliant and a leader of men. And despite being a bit of sook, you actually know a bit about football yourself Wilbur. It doesn't surprise me that you agree with my call.

[Stripes]

Best outside midfielder in the team. Plays a vital role moving our ball through traffic and is highly under rated imo. Some supporters have a fixation with players who are ball winners. If players do not win the contested ball and tackle continuously then they are weak and 'forward runners'. This is a fallacy. The reality is that we need a mixture of players with a spread of roles. If we had a team of inside midfielders then we have no one to carry the ball and deliver it effectively into our forward half.

Griggs greatest strength is no his inside work or tackling, it is his ability to find space and give us an attacking option to move the ball forward. He is not our most best player but he is an important part of the jigsaw.

While I understand your point Stripes and I agree that all sides need good outside mids to compliment your inside ones. I also acknowledge that Grigg's role is without question primarily being an outside mid, actually that is cannot disputed. Having sat through a number of pre-match briefings as part of my Inner Sanctum package I am very much aware of what his role is on game day

However, what I have a problem with regarding Grigg is 2 things.

Firstly, even though he is a outside mid there are times when he needs to not stand back and wait to receive but actually go to a contest and help his team-mate. IMO he doesn't do this enough. Perfect example is when he has a team mate up against 2 opponents and stands back waiting to receive when what he needs to do is attack the contest and assist in creating a stoppage; which is a major part of our game plan, creating stoppages.

Secondly, good outside mids run hard both ways to create. Defensively Grigg more often than not barely breaks out of a jog. And this season again IMO his attacking running/spreading has mirrored his defense running. Simply he isn't running hard both ways whether that be to get to a contest and when spreading to create overlap or run.

The problem I have with that theory though WP is that if he goes to every contest to create a stoppage we lose the outside option to move the ball into space. This is the very reason why around stoppages we have ball winners and we have 'thread players' who sit just off the contest to receive the handball and get into to a player in space. Grigg needs to be that player in space. If you watch all the best midfields in the league they are excellent at threading the ball quickly out of the congested area, to a good ball user and then forward to (ideally) an uncontested player. Grigg is the typically the third player in that link of disposals to move the ball forward and therefor its typically the first to be required to spread into space.

Simply he is doing his role or 1) the coaches would not be pumping up his tires, 2) he wouldn't have the players respect, 3) would lose his place in the team and 4) wouldn't of had his contract extended.

We can't judge players all the same. You can only judge them on the role they are expected to fulfill. Grigg is obviously fulfilling that role well.

By the way I agree that he needs to cut out the helicopter kicks because forward delivery is his role and his kicking can let him down at times when he goes for distance and Tivendale would have been a great outside player with our current game plan.

[tigs2011]

Tivendale would actually be a gun in our current side.

Problem is you can't have more than 1 Greg in the team and Greg White has cemented his spot.

[Yeahright]

Best outside midfielder in the team. Plays a vital role moving our ball through traffic

How does our best outside midfielder move through traffic?

He needs to be less selfish, blazes away in the forward 50 but is the first to give someone a spray if they don't hit him up

[cub]

Its really easy to bag your team when you see them every week.

Other teams including Swnas Ctas Pies have "Krappe" players too uyou know, being a good team makes them step up and become less noticeable.

SEN were saying last night your bottom 6 shows where your at and top of head that would be

White (Tearing it up) Tuck (Hard nut great contested splitter) Vickory (Creates structure contest)
the others take your pick point is we are looking pretty stuffing good, made me smile.

Our bottom 6 are as good as any ....

[Smokey]

Best outside midfielder in the team. Plays a vital role moving our ball through traffic and is highly under rated imo. Some supporters have a fixation with players who are ball winners. If players do not win the contested ball and tackle continuously then they are weak and 'forward runners'. This is a fallacy. The reality is that we need a mixture of players with a spread of roles. If we had a team of inside midfielders then we have no one to carry the ball and deliver it effectively into our forward half.

Griggs greatest strength is no his inside work or tackling, it is his ability to find space and give us an attacking option to move the ball forward. He is not our most best player but he is an important part of the jigsaw.

Well done Grigg and well done Tigers 

Agree Stripes, although his disposal could do with some improvement.   

[Smokey]

It doesn't shock me at all. I am humble yet brilliant and a leader of men. And despite being a bit of sook, you actually know a bit about football yourself Wilbur. It doesn't surprise me that you agree with my call.

Edited for accuracy

[WilliamPowell]

The problem I have with that theory though WP is that if he goes to every contest to create a stoppage we lose the outside option to move the ball into space. This is the very reason why around stoppages we have ball winners and we have 'thread players' who sit just off the contest to receive the handball and get into to a player in space. Grigg needs to be that player in space. If you watch all the best midfields in the league they are excellent at threading the ball quickly out of the congested area, to a good ball user and then forward to (ideally) an uncontested player. Grigg is the typically the third player in that link of disposals to move the ball forward and therefor its typically the first to be required to spread into space.

But Stripes I didn't say or even suggest every contest.

I said "there are times when he needs to not stand back and wait to receive but actually go to a contest and help his team-mate".

I believe currently he doesn't do this, he stays back too often. And in the example of used I was talking about a situation when it is him and one other team mate. Not him and say 3-4 others. In that situation yes he should remain outside. But in a situation where a solo team mate is under the pump and needs help then he has a responsibility to make the contest - that is his part of his role as well

Without wanting to sound like I am big noting I also mentioned that "having sat through a number of pre-match briefings as part of my Inner Sanctum package I am very much aware of what his role is on game day". With that in mind I can say I watch players very closely; probably too closely to see if they follow they instructions they've been given. **

**BTW reckon MT will vouch for me here as he was my guest last week at the pre-match briefing and you watch games very differently when you've ben given an insight to plan, roles and matchups

Simply he is doing his role or 1) the coaches would not be pumping up his tires, 2) he wouldn't have the players respect, 3) would lose his place in the team and 4) wouldn't of had his contract extended.

On point 3 in particular I'd have to disagree, history has shown in the Dimma reign that certain players no matter how poorly they play simply dont' get dropped. 

We can't judge players all the same. You can only judge them on the role they are expected to fulfill. Grigg is obviously fulfilling that role well.

Agree and that's how I judge him on how that role of his has been explained to me   

[Dice]

And what would your response be if this was a Bachar Houli contract extension thread?

I love Bachar 

[Chuck17]

The problem I have with that theory though WP is that if he goes to every contest to create a stoppage we lose the outside option to move the ball into space. This is the very reason why around stoppages we have ball winners and we have 'thread players' who sit just off the contest to receive the handball and get into to a player in space. Grigg needs to be that player in space. If you watch all the best midfields in the league they are excellent at threading the ball quickly out of the congested area, to a good ball user and then forward to (ideally) an uncontested player. Grigg is the typically the third player in that link of disposals to move the ball forward and therefor its typically the first to be required to spread into space.

But Stripes I didn't say or even suggest every contest.

I said "there are times when he needs to not stand back and wait to receive but actually go to a contest and help his team-mate".

I believe currently he doesn't do this, he stays back too often. And in the example of used I was talking about a situation when it is him and one other team mate. Not him and say 3-4 others. In that situation yes he should remain outside. But in a situation where a solo team mate is under the pump and needs help then he has a responsibility to make the contest - that is his part of his role as well

It's number 1 and 2 points in the footballers creed;

- support your team mate
- when its your turn to go, you go

[Chuck17]

It doesn't shock me at all. I am humble yet brilliant and a leader of men. And despite being a bit of sook, you actually know a bit about football yourself Wilbur. It doesn't surprise me that you agree with my call.

Edited for accuracy

Classic Coach

[gerkin greg]

It doesn't shock me at all. I am brilliant and a leader of men. And despite being a bit of sook, you actually know a bit about football yourself Wilbur. It doesn't surprise me that you agree with my call.

[Chuck17]

Go Tivers 

[Stripes]

Well unless you have some insight you wish to share here WP it really can't be used to support your argument here or for me to debate against now can it. A bit like eluding to information drawn from Club 80 function hey WP 

I'm not going to argue specific contests with you that you have seen (every player makes numerous mistakes in judgement every game) but what I will argue is that he fulfills his role. He is a link player and he does that well. His fundamental role is not win his own ball but to gain meters for the side. He shouldn't be judged using any other parameters.

Simply he is doing his role or 1) the coaches would not be pumping up his tires, 2) he wouldn't have the players respect, 3) would lose his place in the team and 4) wouldn't of had his contract extended.

On point 3 in particular I'd have to disagree

Well then lets take out my third point and that still leaves three more points why he has been an important player for us and remains an important player for us going forward. 

[Penelope]

pretty sure that ellis said recently how the coaches wanted him to hang off the contest more to receive the ball outside.
Probably comes more natural for grigg, but id be confident he is doing what the coaches want him to.