Julian Gray switch hardly a black and white deal
JULIAN GRAY'S shock move to Fulham certainly caught everyone by surprise but, sadly, one can't imagine too many City fans will be sorry to see him go.
The fact is the extremely gifted winger has become somewhat of an enigma in recent years when he has been treading water rather than setting the Championship alight.
To be fair to the player, his progress at Coventry was been hampered by injuries which limited him to just 23 starts in his first year at the Ricoh Arena.
But the biggest criticism levelled at him is his seeming reluctance to get stuck in.
He has shown undoubted glimpses of skill and fancy footwork but, for many, it was never enough in a City shirt, often blowing hot and cold in games.
And the really disappointing thing for the Sky Blues is that the 28-year-old never lived up to his reputation elsewhere, or the billing given to him by players who have operated alongside him over the years.
Only last season Michael Hughes, Gray's team-mate at Crystal Palace, insisted that we had "not seen anything yet" amid the winger's stop-start campaign, going on to claim he is "absolutely frightening" when he reaches top form.
Clinton Morrison, too, only this week waxed lyrical about him, again insisting he has "frightening ability" and "got the whole package".
Sadly, we never got to see Julian Gray at full tilt over a sustained spell of games and that makes it all the more surprising that he has got a move to the Premier League.
Given that Roy Hodgson expressed an interest in the player in the summer, it would appear the Fulham boss is going on his past reputation.
So what next for Julian?
Will he just make up the numbers at Craven Cottage or will he be more suited among better quality players, with the likes of Jimmy Bullard winning balls and putting them on a plate for him?
Only time will tell, but Match of the Day will certainly make for interesting watching in the coming weeks and months.
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