Self-belief and keeping a cool head sees Grigg get results
WILL Grigg has the temperament to cope with being Sunderland’s bigmoney January signing, according to Jack Ross.
The Northern Ireland international joined from Wigan Athletic for an initial £3m – comfortably the third tier’s most expensive signing. It only added to the pressure of leading the line for its most high-profile club.
If bad misses in his first two Stadium of Light games for the Black Cats increased the scrutiny – with Grigg describing the one against Blackpool as “pretty embarrassing” – it did not seem to affect him when he converted the penalty that gave them a 3-2 lead against Gillingham on Tuesday.
You might expect a different Grigg after that, but manager Ross says it is testament to the 27-year-old’s mental strength that he has been unchanged in the build-up to today’s League One game at Bristol Rovers.
“He has a lot of self-belief – in a good way, not in a arrogant way,” said Ross. “I didn’t notice one single thing different from him between post-Accrington and post-Gillingham.
“The encouraging thing for me is that he was playing well and helping us as a team.
“Players will tell you what you want to hear sometimes but you can figure out usually if they mean it, and he just kept saying he would score.
“He will score goals and he will miss chances but his pedigree proves that he can deal with that. The circumstances surrounding his first goal highlight the strength of character he has got.
“It felt like an age before he took it (the penalty), and you can feel the tension in the stadium. You could feel something, whatever it was.
“I have never not watched a penalty, but I did have a half-think about not watching that one. I was pleased he scored it.” Aiden McGeady is Sunderland’s penalty-taker, and converted their second spot kick against Gillingham, but was happy to hand over responsibility for the first.
“I knew the significance of it because of everything that happened in January,” said Ross.
“I have always worked on the basis that if you want to take a penalty then you believe you can score it, or you will score it. “Penalties are psychological things, if you have any doubt then there is more chance you will miss it. “The fact he wanted to take it said it all. “This is a big club and some people can walk in and can get a wee bit intimidated by it, even if there are others who think ‘Great!’ and embrace it. “He is a relaxed guy, quite assured and that comes from being comfortable in his own skin.” Ross knew what he was getting at the end of his month-long pursuit of Grigg. “You do your diligence on players, so we have (sports scientist) Paul Walsh who works with Northern Ireland, I spoke with David Weir who knows Will quite well (having coached him at Brentford),” he explained. “It was more about his character and how he was. Everyone I spoke to was really positive.”
Grigg was signed to replace 16-goal top-scorer Josh Maja, who joined Bordeaux in January.
Ross, whose children regularly sing Grigg’s famous terrace song, says the new man has improved Sunderland’s football.
“I have enjoyed having him in the team,” he said. “In the home games he has helped us.
“We have been more effective in the final third, created more shots at goal because he is an out-and-out striker. Josh plays in a different way.
“Will plays more as a traditional centre-forward and suits the players around him.
“I was more frustrated (at his failure to score in his first three games) because I felt we were looking better and a few of things flying around were a wee bit unjust.”