Gunning Signs....

For Port Vale!!! https://twitter.com/OfficialPVFC

Probably fine as a back up league 2 centre back.

Didn't really do too much wrong here to warrant the reputation he seemingly had and barely ever played in his preferred role. The knives were out as soon as he signed!

Quoted from sam gy

Probably fine as a back up league 2 centre back.

Didn't really do too much wrong here to warrant the reputation he seemingly had and barely ever played in his preferred role. The knives were out as soon as he signed!

He was flipping shite.

The knives weren't out immediately. I remember a few people suggesting we drop Pearson so we could play him because of Bignot described him as the next great thing. He got slaughtered (quite rightly so for that matter) after Morecambe away when we were shite and he was outstandingly so. A truly awful footballer. He couldn't pass, tackle, mark or move. He waddled around the pitch and sliced umpteen balls into the stands!

Port Vale's #bantz count is going to go through the roof.

Never ever going to forget that attempt of a tackle he tried at Crewe. Nearly put the lad in a coma.

I wonder if if Pearson had been played out of position in defensive midfield he would have received the same criticism, or more likely sympathy.

He played at centre half at Accrington and at home to Donny and was truly dire in both, especially Donny.

He may have been played out of position but he was incredibly unfit and couldn't do the basics like not shank the football every time he kicked it. He headed it a few times but that was about it.

Quoted from mariner91

He may have been played out of position but he was incredibly unfit and couldn't do the basics like not shank the football every time he kicked it. He headed it a few times but that was about it.

Watching him trying to kick a ball was actually a source of great comedy.

Quoted from Mariner_09

He played at centre half at Accrington and at home to Donny and was truly dire in both, especially Donny.

No he wasn't. Another player who got hammered for no discernible reason. I think it was because he was seen as a threat to Pearson and endorsed by Bignot, who also was unfairly criticised in my view. He wasn't Paul Futcher i grant you, but he was nowhere near as bad as people make out.

bignot deserved every inch of criticism aimed at him imo, i feel we would have headed straight back into non league with him at the helm but also felt gunning unfairly treated, never gave less than his best- which wasnt great, but nowhere near as bad as some on here say

Quoted from Hagrid

bignot deserved every inch of criticism aimed at him imo, i feel we would have headed straight back into non league with him at the helm but also felt gunning unfairly treated, never gave less than his best- which wasnt great, but nowhere near as bad as some on here say

Pure speculation. His record was quite good and he signed two of our best players in Jones and Osborne and possibly another in Asante, if he lives up to the billing. Still feel Bignot was treated a bit unfairly but never mind, it matters not now.

not speculation, its an opinion? some of the performances under him were dog shite, and the fact JF acted when he did says it all for me

i thought he was actually getting better with games until that clash in the Wycombe game ended his run.
He was a step ahead of Akinfenwa all game.

You don't end up in the 2nd tier of Scottish football if there is not something suspect about either your ability or attitude, probably the latter with Gunning to be honest.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

You don't end up in the 2nd tier of Scottish football if there is not something suspect about either your ability or attitude, probably the latter with Gunning to be honest.

I always suspected he might possibly be clinically insane. He'll fit in well in Stoke-on-Trent.

I'm sorry but this Gunning bashing is out off order, he was played out of position, Mariner 09 says he was dire at AS, thats testicles he was rock solid, did you go to the game? because everyone around me said he was MOTM. Yes he was overweight and put some over the top challenges in ,but for me he wasn't halve as bad as some on here say,i remember the clearance from under our crossbar at 0-0 against Mansfield, that changed the game in my opinion ,I'm wondering who's this seasons scape goat will be. I believe it will be a centre half who's slated for every mistake by the Pearson is Bobby Moore reborn brigade.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I always suspected he might possibly be clinically insane. He'll fit in well in Stoke-on-Trent.

Oi theres nowt wrong with us Stokies, I'll have you know... well OK theres loads wrong with us Stokies... I retract my first statement. I've got to say I'm having fun with this with all my Vale mates taking the urine out of the fact we signed Kelly, I'm having my own revenge right now

Would love to see his reaction when he first gets called duck by a bloke.

He is a Thug of a footballer, plain and simple. I for one am pleased he's gone. We will see how many on here still like him when we play Port Vale and he's crocked one of our players.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

You don't end up in the 2nd tier of Scottish football if there is not something suspect about either your ability or attitude, probably the latter with Gunning to be honest.

Wonder which one it is though, because there are some people on here claiming that he literally cannot kick a ball....surely you don't need a good attitude to be able to do that.

I mean, he was signed by Birmingham not that long ago...and before that was signed by Blackburn in the Premiership, but he must have just blagged his way through all of that somehow, because the fishy football geniuses claim he is unable to kick a ball properly and they know best.  

Quoted from sam gy

Wonder which one it is though, because there are some people on here claiming that he literally cannot kick a ball....surely you don't need a good attitude to be able to do that.

I mean, he was signed by Birmingham not that long ago...and before that was signed by Blackburn in the Premiership, but he must have just blagged his way through all of that somehow, because the fishy football geniuses claim he is unable to kick a ball properly and they know best.  

Obviously he can kick a ball but the amount of times he lost the ball with an inaccurate pass or just booted it forward was far too high for a good player. I know he wasn't a central midfielder but we absolutely must be looking for better than him if we want to move forward. I have no doubt that both Osborne and Clarke will be significantly better than Gunning.

Quoted from ginnywings

No he wasn't. Another player who got hammered for no discernible reason. I think it was because he was seen as a threat to Pearson and endorsed by Bignot, who also was unfairly criticised in my view. He wasn't Paul Futcher i grant you, but he was nowhere near as bad as people make out.

No where near as bad as people make out....not as good as Bignot made out......

potentially somewhere in the middle in reality, however he wasnt fit enough to even just "sit" in front of the back four where he was used. Poor with the ball, got in the way of team mates as much as he did the opposition.
I think i would say he had one good game for us, (cant recall which one) but he did break up the play alot in that game and helped the back four out and one other highlight where he ran the ball out of defence 30-40 yds in one game but in the rest of his appearances that i witnessed....less than average.

Quoted from mariner91

Obviously he can kick a ball but the amount of times he lost the ball with an inaccurate pass or just booted it forward was far too high for a good player. I know he wasn't a central midfielder but we absolutely must be looking for better than him if we want to move forward. I have no doubt that both Osborne and Clarke will be significantly better than Gunning.

Oh, I don't disagree with that at all. Would much rather have Clarke any day, and Osborne seems a good signing.

I don't think Gunning is great or anything, I just don't think he was as bad as a lot of people make out.

The point is, would Pearson have anymore composure on the ball than him in that position, I doubt it. It's very interesting that the attributes he is predominantly being criticised For, ie shanking it, are not centre back specific. Presumably in his trial for port vale, he was actually played in his correct position.

Quoted from ginnywings

No he wasn't. Another player who got hammered for no discernible reason. I think it was because he was seen as a threat to Pearson and endorsed by Bignot, who also was unfairly criticised in my view. He wasn't Paul Futcher i grant you, but he was nowhere near as bad as people make out.

Rubbish he was absolute crap, the despicable sort who hunt the man rather than the ball, good ridance

Have to say I saw him at Cheltenham.an absolute liability and a disaster waiting to happen. He's obviously got the technical ability, but up top, he's shot

Quoted from mariner91

He may have been played out of position but he was incredibly unfit and couldn't do the basics like not shank the football every time he kicked it. He headed it a few times but that was about it.

I was about to defend him and claim he was being played as a defensive midfielder when he is a centre back (for reasons I cannot comphrehend by Bignot, and Slade for a while), but then I remembered the sliced clearances, the aimless hoofs and the fact he was blowing out of his bottom after five minutes every game. We have needed a bit of nastiness for years IMO, but he was a borderline psychopath! He will miss the first game or two at Vale I think through suspension, don't worry Vale, there will be plenty more where that came from! Absolute raver!

Quoted from forza ivano

Have to say I saw him at Cheltenham.an absolute liability and a disaster waiting to happen. He's obviously got the technical ability, but up top, he's shot

I'm not at all sure that he has technical ability if I'm honest.

He did well in Scotland, but in my opinion he really showed himself to be well short of L2 standard, both technically and mentally. I'm glad he'll be playing for a rival team.

Quoted from chaos33

He did well in Scotland...

Why did he end up dropping out of the Scottish Premiership & joining Greenock Morton then? I would hate to see where he ended up if he did badly.

Ok smart @rse - he was both rated and liked at Dundee Utd and Morton - neither of which applied to his time here in L2. The point was more that I personally don't think he's league 2 standard.