It is easy for negativity to permeate a fan base, and while Tottenham Hotspur supporters should be highly critical of the team, they have to be careful not to go after certain players when most of the blame lies with the decision makers at the top of the club and manager Thomas Frank.
Most of the fan base understands that the young players at Tottenham are doing an excellent job and developing nicely, and, if anything, it is Frank who is at fault for not trusting them more or even for actively holding them back - has has been the case for left winger Mathys Tel.
It does feel like there are many people who are sleeping on Archie Gray, though. The young center midfielder quietly fought hard to usurp veteran Rodrigo Bentancur as a starting midfielder in the side, even though Benta was once seen as indispensable and especially favored by Frank - ever the manager to be reluctant to trust young talent.
Archie Gray is growing stronger
Gray has been quiet of late as injuries have befallen his teammates, and with Joao Palhinha and Conor Gallagher as the veteran ball winning midfielders, Gray has become overlooked but arguably even more important as the only true creator or passing progressor from deep.
Because Gray is still young and growing, he will have quiet patches or games in which he is overruled by more dynamic stars in the middle of the park. But by and large, Gray has been an asset to Tottenham, even in games like the one against Manchester City when Spurs are going up against a much stronger opponent on paper.
The misconception Tottenham Hotspur supporters must avoid making is that an off game from Gray or a quiet game means he has played poorly or that it is time to get rid of him. In his role as a holding midfielder who screens and passes so the others can shine, Gray, especially being a young player, will have games on the more subdued side.
Overall, what Gray has done in his second season at Tottenham is hugely positive, because he has become a legitimate starting caliber Premier League player as a U23 midfield prospect on a pretty below average team with a well below average coach. He has made real strides since his first season, and his work rate and attitude are major pluses, given that he has the upside and the raw tools to be great.