Grimes

[Skippyjack]

Grimes has had 6 key passes this season, equal best with Tymon. His fellow central midfielders have had 2 - Franco, and 0 - Fulton. Ronald has had 3, Eom 4. This from Grimes mainly from a deep lying position.

Key passes, what a load of bollocks, who decides what pass is "key"..it's like referees call, in other words it's the referees interpretation of events

 

[Cooperman]

Key passes, what a load of bollocks, who decides what pass is "key"..it's like referees call, in other words it's the referees interpretation of events

Opta do. A key pass is defined as a final pass to a player who subsequently has an attempt on goal without scoring.

There's no subjectivity here.

 

[Cooperman]

It’s what he does. In so many ways.

I assume there has been some cleaning up on this thread.

 

[Skippyjack]

Opta do. A key pass is defined as a final pass to a player who subsequently has an attempt on goal without scoring.

There's no subjectivity here.

Ah that old chestnut, nothing to do with the player shooting at goal, just the person who passes the ball to him.. so a pass on the edge of our area, like a lame duck, then the subsequent player has a shot from 35 yards.. and that's classed as a key pass.. got you, Grimes does that all the time, because he has more of the ball than anyone on the pitch, his stats are so ridiculously high because of that fact.. stats make him out to be this ultimate midfield general who is all action, but interpretation is actually key In this debate.. he does get about 5 assists a season though..

 

[Skippyjack]

Oh yeah, Grimes is our primary set piece taker, so that also pads his stats up..

 

[Swanjaxs]

Oh yeah, Grimes is our primary set piece taker, so that also pads his stats up..

Aye he's no Gylfi Sigurðsson, but it is what it is...

 

[Magicpads01]

Oh yeah, Grimes is our primary set piece taker, so that also pads his stats up..

If anything it makes it worse, as he's absolutely useless at them, that is something I won't praise him up for.

 

[SwanseaJack]

Is everyone just completely overlooking that an element why he has never left is also due to personal reasons? He has a family in the area and his significant other has strong ties to the area. He's playing week in week out in a half decent team on very good money and a long term contract.

Not every decision for careers is about playing for a bigger club or a season or two on huge money..... Some of the smarter players realise this I think prioritise happiness at home, good for them.

I also do not doubt for one second that over the years several approaches have materialised for him, I think he's just enjoying the life he has built for himself here.

 

[Smurph]

Is everyone just completely overlooking that an element why he has never left is also due to personal reasons? He has a family in the area and his significant other has strong ties to the area. He's playing week in week out in a half decent team on very good money and a long term contract.

Not every decision for careers is about playing for a bigger club or a season or two on huge money..... Some of the smarter players realise this I think prioritise happiness at home, good for them.

I also do not doubt for one second that over the years several approaches have materialised for him, I think he's just enjoying the life he has built for himself here.

You also need another club to actually submit an offer to move as well. As far as I am aware that hasn't happened to date.

Completely agree about some things aren't all about money.

 

[K23]

I think what we saw from Grimes on Saturday is what he's like when he has a specific type of player alongside him in midfield, someone who grafts but also wins tackles and always looks to play forward passes but most of all, takes some responsibility. Saturday it was Franco and Grimes played well. Sometimes last season, it was Joe Allen but usually only as a substitute but when he came on the midfield seemed to function better and Grimes played better. Under Potter, Grimes had a good season as most of those around him had spent the previous season in the Prem and I think Leroy Fer would fit that Franco/Allen template. It's taken Franco a few games to fit in and he was excellent against Norwich but now he has reached that level, Grimes can do what he does best without having to make up the slack from a succession of midfield passengers like Fulton and others so hopefully, he will continue to show that level of form. Hopefully, Joe Allen can stay fit enough in case Franco gets injured and I'm also hoping Franco's fitness will improve so he last 90.

 

[Andrew - North Hill]

Matt Grimes divides the fanbase like no other. One thing I'll add is, would our midfield, at the moment, and since relegation from the Premier League, be stronger or weaker without him in it?

We have what we have, and for me, Grimes is probably the first name on the team sheet.

It's called cutting our cloth accordingly, lads, in my humble opinion.

I actually don't think he divides the fanbase, as much as this thread may suggest otherwise.

Broadly speaking, I think most people see him for what he is - not the worst player to wear the white shirt, but nowhere near one of the greats either. An average, beige, inoffensive player, in an average, beige, inoffensive side.

Where the trouble starts is when you've got Grimes fanboys claiming he's the second coming of Leon, a Championship Team Of The Year contender, and then they roll out meaningless pass accuracy and "progressive pass" success rates to back up their "point". That's what gets people's backs up.

 

[Magicpads01]

I actually don't think he divides the fanbase, as much as this thread may suggest otherwise.

Broadly speaking, I think most people see him for what he is - not the worst player to wear the white shirt, but nowhere near one of the greats either. An average, beige, inoffensive player, in an average, beige, inoffensive side.

Where the trouble starts is when you've got Grimes fanboys claiming he's the second coming of Leon, a Championship Team Of The Year contender, and then they roll out meaningless pass accuracy and "progressive pass" success rates to back up their "point". That's what gets people's backs up.

No that last paragraph is the problem. It’s because he isn’t Leon why no one can appreciate what he brings to the team.

 

[monmouth]

Is everyone just completely overlooking that an element why he has never left is also due to personal reasons? He has a family in the area and his significant other has strong ties to the area. He's playing week in week out in a half decent team on very good money and a long term contract.

Not every decision for careers is about playing for a bigger club or a season or two on huge money..... Some of the smarter players realise this I think prioritise happiness at home, good for them.

I also do not doubt for one second that over the years several approaches have materialised for him, I think he's just enjoying the life he has built for himself here.

Plus since he went to Leeds, failed so miserably, and was booed back to Swansea, he probably cacks his pants at the thought of having to prove himself in a better team. Far better to be the big swinging dick in a sea of tadpoles.

Given our owners' track record though, if we'd really had any semi decent offer, he'd be gone.

 

[bytholwyn]

I made the same point re his dropping back. Whether it's him following instruction or taking the easy way is not clear, my guess is that it's tactical.

As for that chart, I did not say that it is solely down to passes to Fulton, so don't twist it. What is true though is that it's influenced by 15 yard passes to Fulton when Grimes is near the D or even deeper. This has happened multiple times in multiple games and the data collection models don't differentiate between Grimes and Fulton playing keep ball and Grimes knocking it twenty yards longer to Paterson.

That's fair up to a point, but the fault lies mainly with Fulton, who's made more backwards passes than forwards one this season (they were roughly equal last season) whereas Grimes has made twice as many forward passes as backwards ones.

Grimes' play is only problematical in a team that is conservative in its approach and plays at a low tempo. Surrounded by attack minded players instructed by an attacking philosophy Grimes comes into his own. If there's a problem with the way Grimes is playing there is almost always an underlying team level malaise, down to the manager, or player availability.

 

[Smurph]

That's fair up to a point, but the fault lies mainly with Fulton, who's made more backwards passes than forwards one this season (they were roughly equal last season) whereas Grimes has made twice as many forward passes as backwards ones.

Grimes' play is only problematical in a team that is conservative in its approach and plays at a low tempo. Surrounded by attack minded players instructed by an attacking philosophy Grimes comes into his own. If there's a problem with the way Grimes is playing there is almost always an underlying team level malaise, down to the manager, or player availability.

A player with an ounce of ability takes control of the circumstances around him and dictates things. A lot of the time Grimes just disappears.

If he can only play with certain players around him it's him that is the issue not the other players in the team. The sole reason he's not been snapped up by a "bigger" team is because he just isn't as good as he is made out to be by certain quarters of our fanbase or the media who base their judgement based on stats.