{"id":290161,"date":"2023-09-09T22:21:30","date_gmt":"2023-09-09T22:21:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/?p=290161"},"modified":"2023-09-09T22:21:30","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T22:21:30","slug":"everton-could-do-with-a-signing-like-andy-gray-right-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/soccer\/everton-could-do-with-a-signing-like-andy-gray-right-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Everton could do with a signing like Andy Gray right now"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Everton could do with a signing like Andy Gray right now 40 years on from his arrival at Goodison Park- but if \u00a325m signing Beto can have half the impact the 67-year-old did Evertonians will breathe an almighty sigh of relief<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Andy Gray joined Everton 40 years ago and they now have a new striker, Beto\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The former Toffee backs Beto to succeed at Goodison Park but fears for Everton\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport&#8217;s podcast &#8216;It&#8217;s All Kicking Off&#8217;\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Forty years ago, Everton were in crisis when they signed a centre forward as a desperate last resort to get them out of trouble. Sounds familiar? It should do and if deadline week signing Beto has only half the impact Andy Gray did, Evertonians will breathe an almighty sigh of relief.<\/p>\n<p>Gray arrived at Goodison Park in November 1983 with Everton 17th in the table. Their previous home gate against Coventry was just 9,000, yet within two years the Scot was lifting the FA Cup, the League title and the European Cup Winners\u2019 Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Now 67, Gray is briefly back in England from his base in Qatar. On Tuesday, he will lunch with former team-mate Peter Reid, with the socials likely to spill over to watching Scotland play England in a bar that night. He is also hoping to make a pilgrimage back to Merseyside to interview manager Sean Dyche for his television channel beIN SPORTS.<\/p>\n<p>Though he also enjoyed success with Dundee United, Aston Villa, Wolves and Rangers, Gray is forever associated with Howard Kendall\u2019s great team of the Eighties and admits the club\u2019s current predicament, poor results, financial restrictions and supporter discontent causes him some pain.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Dismayed, distraught, whatever adjective you want to use,\u2019 says Gray. \u2018Everton are paying the price for years of mismanagement. They\u2019ve been circling the plug for three years and of course I fear for them again this season.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/09\/20\/75251157-0-image-m-6_1694286941771.jpg\" height=\"377\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Andy Gray believes that Everton are &#8216;paying the price for years of mismanagement&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/09\/20\/75251159-0-image-m-7_1694286950756.jpg\" height=\"370\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The former forward arrived at Goodison Park in November 1983 with Everton 17th in the table and quickly became a fan favourite<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/09\/20\/75251161-0-image-a-5_1694286937132.jpg\" height=\"430\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Gray has backed new Everton forward Beto to succeed like he did at Goodison Park<\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018They weren\u2019t in a great place either when I first arrived, but when I saw the dressing room with Neville [Southall], Reidy, Sharpy [Graeme Sharp], Kevin Sheedy, I knew there was quality.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018It was largely a young team and, once we gained confidence, we were on our way. This Everton squad don\u2019t have that. Even if they\u2019ve played all right, they can\u2019t score goals.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;There is a lot riding on Beto from Udinese. I\u2019ve seen in glimpses that he\u2019s strong, quick and can run in behind. He\u2019ll have to produce straight away, like I did. Howard was so anxious to throw men in he initially signed me on a 24-hour loan on the Friday so I could play the next day against Forest. I told Inchy [Adrian Heath] to stay close to me, I\u2019d mess the defenders around and get him a chance. He ended up scoring the winner.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018When Dominic Calvert-Lewin is fit again, Everton will have to get him and Beto both in the team somehow. This is the biggest challenge Sean has ever faced in management and that includes keeping Burnley in the Premier League. People talk about Graham Potter. Do me a favour, what could he do better than Sean with the current group of players.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Gray has had two remarkable careers. As a striker, he was the first to win the PFA Player and Young Player awards in the same season, with Villa in 1977. He became Britain\u2019s most expensive signing when Wolves bought him for \u00a31.5million in 1979 and his League Cup final winner the following year remains the club\u2019s last major trophy.<\/p>\n<p>He had two glorious seasons at Everton and wrapped things up by winning a Scottish title with Glasgow Rangers, their first of nine in a row.<\/p>\n<p>His international career is perhaps the only area of underachievement, winning only 20 caps in an era when Scotland was graced with several top-class strikers. While this week\u2019s match against England has rarity value, the Auld Enemies used to meet annually in the Home Championship, Gray twice playing in 2-0 defeats.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I didn\u2019t go to a World Cup but should have done in 1978,\u2019 he says. \u2018I\u2019d had a good season with Villa and the whole of Scotland wanted me on the plane to Argentina.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/09\/20\/75251213-0-image-a-10_1694287070392.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Gray believes that Everton will have to get Dominic Calvert-Lewin (right) and Beto both in the team somehow<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/09\/20\/75251215-0-image-a-13_1694287477602.jpg\" height=\"425\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Beto arrived from Udinese this summer and has looked sharp in his first games for Everton<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was in a wine bar for the squad announcement. The waiter wanted to have a bottle of champagne ready but I had a sinking feeling. For whatever reason, Ally McLeod picked Joe Harper instead of me. It was wrong \u2014 Kenny Dalglish was the Scottish striker better than me at that time.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was also involved in the qualification for 1986, Jock Stein was a fan. But Jock died and Alex Ferguson was put in charge for Mexico. He called me and said: \u201cI\u2019m not taking you to the World Cup\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>After hanging up his boots, Gray became a TV trailblazer, the voice of punditry who opened the door for Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and others as Sky Sports and the new Premier League revolutionised the game.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I was sceptical I could do it but there was a great producer called Andy Melvin who believed in me and convinced me it would work,\u2019 says Gray.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018If it has helped other former players down the line, I\u2019m delighted. I\u2019m like any other viewer is when I watch football, I like some pundits and disagree with others. Andy Townsend is one I\u2019d listen to.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Gray\u2019s upbeat personality masks certain tragedies in his life. He was sat alongside Stein in 1985 when the manager collapsed and died at the end of a World Cup qualifier against Wales.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018I remember Jock shoving a photographer away right at the end when he encroached to take a picture. Then suddenly he collapsed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;We were sat in the dressing room for 45 minutes afterwards still in our kit, totally silent rather than celebrating going to a World Cup. \u2018Then Fergie comes in and says \u201cThe big man has gone\u201d. It was a terrible, terrible moment.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Likewise, when a 15-year-old Gray attended an Old Firm match at Ibrox in 1971, he left by the stairway in which 66 fans were crushed to death. \u2018My mum probably saved my life,\u2019 he said. \u2018She\u2019d allowed me to go but only if I left 10 minutes early. She must have been fearful of the crowds.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018When I arrived home, I\u2019d had no idea of what had happened. Mum gave me the biggest hug \u2014 she\u2019d been worried sick of course because the news was coming out \u2014 and then we had this horrible wait until all my brothers got back safely,\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/09\/20\/75251233-0-image-a-11_1694287140320.jpg\" height=\"578\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>Gray works with Richard Keys (right) in the Middle East and has opened up on the decision to do so<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/09\/09\/20\/75251263-0-image-a-12_1694287200846.jpg\" height=\"422\" width=\"634\"><\/p>\n<p>The TV pundit urged Manchester United owners The Glazers to welcome a bid from Qatar<\/p>\n<p>Gray is aware that the role of Gulf states like Qatar and Saudi Arabia is a divisive issue, but tries to speak as he finds. Manchester United fans, he believes, should be happy if Sheikh Jassim, a former Qatari Prime Minister, can convince the Glazers to sell. \u2018If I supported United, I\u2019d welcome the Qatar bid. They\u2019d clear the debt, rebuild the stadium and sign the best players. Where is the downside in that?<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Qatar isn\u2019t perfect but there isn\u2019t a country which is. They hosted probably the best World Cup we\u2019ve seen. The organisation was great and there was no trouble.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Gray is content how his life has panned out. \u2018I\u2019ve had two successful careers, one on the pitch and one behind a microphone,\u2019 he says. \u2018I\u2019ve been incredibly lucky.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018All I need is for Everton to start climbing the table. It\u2019s just a shame they\u2019ve got Arsenal next!\u2019<\/p>\n<h3>IT&#8217;S ALL KICKING OFF!\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p><span>It&#8217;s All Kicking Off\u00a0is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football, launching with a preview show today and every week this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube , Apple Music and Spotify<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Your browser does not support iframes.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/football\/article-12499797\/Andy-Gray-Everton-Beto-Scotland-Premier-League.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everton could do with a signing like Andy Gray right now 40 years on from his arrival at Goodison Park- but if \u00a325m signing Beto can have half the impact the 67-year-old did Evertonians will breathe an almighty sigh of relief Andy&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - 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