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Is Demarai Gray now Leicester City’s second choice striker

By Thomas Bradley Alderman

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 25: Demarai Gray of Leicester City celebrates with team mates after scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Leicester City at St Mary's Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 25: Demarai Gray of Leicester City celebrates with team mates after scoring his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Leicester City at St Mary's Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images) /
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BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 04: Lee Carsley assistant coach of England U21, Demarai Gray of England U21 and Aidy Boothroyd manager of England U21 look on during an England training session at St Georges Park on September 4, 2018 in Burton-upon-Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 04: Lee Carsley assistant coach of England U21, Demarai Gray of England U21 and Aidy Boothroyd manager of England U21 look on during an England training session at St Georges Park on September 4, 2018 in Burton-upon-Trent, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

So, Gray has produced the goods for England youth teams – quite spectacularly on occasion. The Leicester City winger/striker is often impressively deadly up-top versus youth international-quality opposition. Scoring six goals in total for the Young Lions whilst ‘up top‘.

Drifting left versus Liverpool

Against Liverpool, the 22-year-old made a huge effort to chase down and pressurize defenders. Not to mention find space and make inventive runs for prospective passes. This can all be checked on multiple online stats databases. Yet, Gray had a natural tendency to drift wide-left, leaving the main forward position almost vacant. Jamie Vardy seems to do this only if chasing a play; not without involvement with a lack of concentration.

Despite playing well as an auxiliary striker against Notts County during preseason, while Vardy recovered from England duty, Gray’s goal came from his expertise at left-sided cut ins. These facts tend to suggest that despite playing well with the English youth as the main forward man, he is suited better to the wing.

Leicester Mercury‘s opinion on the 21-year-old playing as a main forward is as follows: “Puel not giving up on Gray as a striker – For the first time in the Premier League, Demarai Gray led the line for City against Liverpool. Although the 22-year-old did not have as big an impact as City would have liked, substitute striker Kelechi Iheanacho playing a big role in the attempted comeback, Claude Puel is not giving up with the experiment just yet.”

There is then a quote from Puel on the subject from LCFC Live’s article:

"“Against Liverpool it was difficult for him. “He is a player who played very well from the start of the season and he needs to continue with a good focus and aggressiveness in his play. “He needs to be consistent because that is the difference between the young player and the experienced player. They have to learn, like all the young players in the team.” – Claude Puel"

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