Jay Mcgrath

[StocksArmy]

Yes I am aware that there is already a thread for him but not sure how to find it.

Anyway….. as I am sure most of us are aware, a star has been born. It just seems effortless for him. He just takes the ball off of people it’s really weird to watch how normal it comes to him. He’s always in the right place and everything that comes his way he just deals with it. It’s been a long time since we saw a player destined for bigger things for our club but I would be amazed if he doesn’t at least make the championship. Hopefully it’s with us!

[philsky]

He’s imperious at times.

Premier bound imo

[RoversInSpain]

As has been mentioned before a touch of Matt Mills about him.
Always looks well up for it.
He’s got a long way to go, but he’s got the ability. Plenty in Wood and Anderson to learn from too.

[drfchound]

I also have compared Jay to Matt Mills.  Loves to play the diagonal long ball, wins most of his headers and a threat at set pieces.
One or two gave him some stick last week though following the Crewe goal.

[andyst79]

I also have compared Jay to Matt Mills.  Loves to play the diagonal long ball, wins most of his headers and a threat at set pieces.
One or two gave him some stick last week though following the Crewe goal.

Saw that on the lucky pint thread, if you watch the highlights it was harsh on Jay as he was committed to getting a block in , however the Crewe player did well and feigned to shoot

[GazLaz]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

[roversdude]

This should be our centre half pairing until we get a big big offer for one or both

[5minstogo]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Joe has really improved his weaknesses  but Jay is a few years behind him. Future is bright with our defensive options.

[Pancho Regan]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Admiring McGrath and praising Olowu are not mutually exclusive opinions to hold.
Personally I don’t think Olowu is ‘head and shoulders above’ Jay but I don’t think we need to assess them against each other in that way.

I think we have two very promising centre backs here, both of whom offer something different but who seem to be complementing each other very well so far.
Jay is still a bit raw and is learning all the time but I agree with the sentiments on this thread - this lad could go far.

We probably started the season expecting to see Woody and Tom as our CB pairing but it’s funny how things work out and at the moment I’m more than happy with the way Jay and Joe are performing.

Credit again to Grant for making sure we have strength in depth in all departments, and long may the J & J pairing flourish.

[andyst79]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

He seemed to turn a corner when we played Wrexham at home last season, he's showed glimpses prior but not had the consistency albeit in some poor periods on the whole as a team which won't have helped.

[andyst79]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Joe has really improved his weaknesses  but Jay is a few years behind him. Future is bright with our defensive options.

add Maxwell to that

[sedwardsdrfc]

Will be very strange if Anderson or Wood come back in when available. This pardoning is clearly the best for the here and now as well as the room for improvement.

[GazLaz]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Joe has really improved his weaknesses  but Jay is a few years behind him. Future is bright with our defensive options.

add Maxwell to that

Maxwell is on a complete different level to anyone else in the squad IMO. Just hope he stays fit.

[Usher wide.]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

How many years has Joe been in & around the 1st team compared to Jay? That’s perhaps where the praise he gets “…in relation to Olowu.”, might come from?

Either way, we have two good young centre backs (possibly another couple coming on) that we can be thankful are on our books.

I said in an earlier thread that Jay reminds me very much of Matt Mills (without wishing to ‘steal’ anyone’s thunder) & whilst Joe is steady & still ‘coming on’, Jay is above Joe in the pecking order of centre backs & if you can’t see that even at this early stage in their careers then sorry but I don’t rate your judgment of a player.

No offence.

[Drover]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Admiring McGrath and praising Olowu are not mutually exclusive opinions to hold.
Personally I don’t think Olowu is ‘head and shoulders above’ Jay but I don’t think we need to assess them against each other in that way.

I think we have two very promising centre backs here, both of whom offer something different but who seem to be complementing each other very well so far.
Jay is still a bit raw and is learning all the time but I agree with the sentiments on this thread - this lad could go far.

We probably started the season expecting to see Woody and Tom as our CB pairing but it’s funny how things work out and at the moment I’m more than happy with the way Jay and Joe are performing.

Credit again to Grant for making sure we have strength in depth in all departments, and long may the J & J pairing flourish.

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Olowu is 25 next week,he was nearly 22 when we signed him,Jay is 21 and we could be struggling to keep hold of him be long before he is 25,Olowu has got back to his best and I think we can thank Grant,Cliff and their team for that,no need to compare,thats Grants job when picking the squad,so happy not just to have them both,but to have such a great squad and team spirit seems great,never felt so confident in my bets on us. 

[BillyStubbsTears]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

I've been less than smitten with Olowu in the past. He had all the physical attributes but he didn't seem to have the sense of a real defender.

2024 though, he's stepped up a level. Been absolutely superb every time he's played. A real diamond.

Together, Olowu and McGrath are some defensive unit.

[Nudga]

Is Jay's name pronounced McGraar or as its spelled, McGRATH?
I've heard it pronounced both ways ont radio and club videos.

[GazLaz]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

How many years has Joe been in & around the 1st team compared to Jay? That’s perhaps where the praise he gets “…in relation to Olowu.”, might come from?

Either way, we have two good young centre backs (possibly another couple coming on) that we can be thankful are on our books.

I said in an earlier thread that Jay reminds me very much of Matt Mills (without wishing to ‘steal’ anyone’s thunder) & whilst Joe is steady & still ‘coming on’, Jay is above Joe in the pecking order of centre backs & if you can’t see that even at this early stage in their careers then sorry but I don’t rate your judgment of a player.

No offence.

No offence taken.

[Silkscarf]

Is Jay's name pronounced McGraar or as its spelled, McGRATH?
I've heard it pronounced both ways ont radio and club videos.

When he played, I thought his dad’s name was pronounced to rhyme with bath.

But I hear McGraar more now for this lad. Maybe it’s because it rhymes with ‘Ooh aah’.

[5minstogo]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Joe has really improved his weaknesses  but Jay is a few years behind him. Future is bright with our defensive options.

add Maxwell to that

Absolutely, Nixon too. Williams and Flint breaking through. Don't know where this all leaves Faulkner, this loan spell has been a disaster from what I can work out.

[NickDRFC]

I’ve only seen the televised games this season so can’t claim to have seen week in week out, but whilst McGrath has been great and has a huge amount of potential I’d say that Olowu has been exceptional and been the better performer of the two for me.

I think with McGrath there are potentially a couple of biases at play - firstly he’s very young so the potential to develop further and play a league or two (or three?) above where we are is easy to imagine. Secondly, he’s one of our own and because of the romantic element of his childhood connections, his dad etc the fans will inevitably be more forgiving and gloss over any shortcomings (not that there have been many of them). Conversely with Olowu there could be a different type of bias at play based on the fact that he’s played a lot/been around the squad when we’ve been absolutely terrible and he struggles to shake off that association.

It’s great to be talking about which centre back is playing better, though, as opposed to how poor the defence is! I think they’re playing very well together and would like to see them continue even when Anderson and/or Wood are back.

[NickDRFC]

I honestly don’t get how much praise he gets in relation to Olowu. Perhaps I’m the only one that thinks it but Joe is head and shoulders above him as a defender.

Joe has really improved his weaknesses  but Jay is a few years behind him. Future is bright with our defensive options.

add Maxwell to that

Absolutely, Nixon too. Williams and Flint breaking through. Don't know where this all leaves Faulkner, this loan spell has been a disaster from what I can work out.

Anyone have any insight into what’s going on with Faulkner? He was injured but then back on the bench for a few games, then not I’m the squad last time out. How long is his contract? He’s probably 6th choice CB now, possibly even 7th as Bailey would possibly play ahead of him.

[Donnywolf]

This should be our centre half pairing until we get a big big offer for one or both

My Seat buddy is much more tactically aware than I am. He also sees things I don't even think of ....

... and he has been praising McGrath for a long time and he said weeks ago he and Olowu should be our CB pairing going forward

[Usher wide.]

I’ve only seen the televised games this season so can’t claim to have seen week in week out, but whilst McGrath has been great and has a huge amount of potential I’d say that Olowu has been exceptional and been the better performer of the two for me.

I think with McGrath there are potentially a couple of biases at play - firstly he’s very young so the potential to develop further and play a league or two (or three?) above where we are is easy to imagine. Secondly, he’s one of our own and because of the romantic element of his childhood connections, his dad etc the fans will inevitably be more forgiving and gloss over any shortcomings (not that there have been many of them). Conversely with Olowu there could be a different type of bias at play based on the fact that he’s played a lot/been around the squad when we’ve been absolutely terrible and he struggles to shake off that association.

It’s great to be talking about which centre back is playing better, though, as opposed to how poor the defence is! I think they’re playing very well together and would like to see them continue even when Anderson and/or Wood are back.

With all due respect, if you’ve only ever seen televised games you can’t really appreciate the two’s all round games, you only see them when they’re on the ball or defending set pieces.

The positions they take up off the ball & the way they marshall players around them & cover for other defenders moving forward are not seen by tv viewing.

Jay has far more to his game in that respect plus (which of course you will see on tv) he’s far more comfortable on the ball than Joe as you can see when he carries the ball into & beyond the midfield leaving opposing players in his wake with a burst of pace & his natural strength.

However Joe has come on leaps & bounds this season. Perhaps we have a young pairing here who can go on to be the envy of many a side in the division above next season & the division above that the season after.

[roversdude]

Big big test next Saturday against an in form experienced bully

[drfchound]

I’ve only seen the televised games this season so can’t claim to have seen week in week out, but whilst McGrath has been great and has a huge amount of potential I’d say that Olowu has been exceptional and been the better performer of the two for me.

I think with McGrath there are potentially a couple of biases at play - firstly he’s very young so the potential to develop further and play a league or two (or three?) above where we are is easy to imagine. Secondly, he’s one of our own and because of the romantic element of his childhood connections, his dad etc the fans will inevitably be more forgiving and gloss over any shortcomings (not that there have been many of them). Conversely with Olowu there could be a different type of bias at play based on the fact that he’s played a lot/been around the squad when we’ve been absolutely terrible and he struggles to shake off that association.

It’s great to be talking about which centre back is playing better, though, as opposed to how poor the defence is! I think they’re playing very well together and would like to see them continue even when Anderson and/or Wood are back.

With all due respect, if you’ve only ever seen televised games you can’t really appreciate the two’s all round games, you only see them when they’re on the ball or defending set pieces.

The positions they take up off the ball & the way they marshall players around them & cover for other defenders moving forward are not seen by tv viewing.

Jay has far more to his game in that respect plus (which of course you will see on tv) he’s far more comfortable on the ball than Joe as you can see when he carries the ball into & beyond the midfield leaving opposing players in his wake with a burst of pace & his natural strength.

However Joe has come on leaps & bounds this season. Perhaps we have a young pairing here who can go on to be the envy of many a side in the division above next season & the division above that the season after.

Olowu also has the ability, and uses it, to carry the ball forward when an opportunity arises.
They are both very good at it.
I also hear Olowu barking out instructions which is never a bad thing.
They are both very good.

[StocksArmy]

I won’t praise Olowu too much just out of fear I will jinx him back into the player he was for the main part of last season. Been solid so far. Must admit I was one of the ones praying McCann would try to offload him but, happy I am being proven wrong.

[Lesonthewest]

What we do have is two young, excellent, & constantly improving centre halves, both have different attributes, don't need to compare them in my opinion.

[Prez]

Apart from his defensive duties, Olowu was unlucky not to bag a brace yesterday. That instinctive "hook shot" he did in the first half was very unlucky not to go in.

[Goole Rover]

I won’t praise Olowu too much just out of fear I will jinx him back into the player he was for the main part of last season. Been solid so far. Must admit I was one of the ones praying McCann would try to offload him but, happy I am being proven wrong.

Me too.