Gabby - The Good Old Days

[themossman]

Gabby's a good lad.

His form has dipped a bit recently but he was very good for us for the first three months of the season.

Infact if you look at every season in his career, he usually starts seasons very well, the goals then dry up between November-February and then he starts scoring again from March onwards.

He probably should score more goals over a season but then again not many players nowadays score 20 league goals a season anyway. And don't forget he dosen't take penalties either, all his goals are in open play, which can be a good way for a striker to boost their season tally.

Overall, he's one of us and has served us well through some good and bad times. The whole of our back 4 for a start should be getting more stick than Gabby for a start.

Exactly as I see it. The shame for him is he's never had a whole season of playing well and scoring consistently. Not entirely his fault but not entirely someone else's fault either.

[N'ZMAV]

Only the very top bracket of players, and a few average players on a freaky run, have a whole season of performing week in week out.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

The only thing I would criticise about Gabby's recent play out on the left is that when the ball is over on the right, he fails to come into the box, still keeping his wide left position. If Bent heads to the near post area, Gabby should be heading for the far post. Too often he's left out there in no man's land, a threat to nobody.

If we could get him and Bent playing together, we'd be flying up the league. Alex and his coaching staff need to sort it out.

Isn't that what happens when you are playing winger one week, striker the next and so on?

Not really. Gabby's a smart enough footballer to be able to adapt to both roles with little difficulty. Somebody needs to tell him just because he's playing out wide he can still be a goal scoring threat.

[Dante Lavelli]

The only thing I would criticise about Gabby's recent play out on the left is that when the ball is over on the right, he fails to come into the box, still keeping his wide left position. If Bent heads to the near post area, Gabby should be heading for the far post. Too often he's left out there in no man's land, a threat to nobody.

If we could get him and Bent playing together, we'd be flying up the league. Alex and his coaching staff need to sort it out.

Isn't that what happens when you are playing winger one week, striker the next and so on?

Not really. Gabby's a smart enough footballer to be able to adapt to both roles with little difficulty. Somebody needs to tell him just because he's playing out wide he can still be a goal scoring threat.

Too true.  We see Albrighton doing it often enough and Downing last year.
With two holding in Petrov and Clark the three attacking midfielders should feel they have the liberty to get into the box (albeit maybe not all at once).

[pedro25]

I think Gabby is great but he's not as good a winger as Marc or Charles or as good a centre forward as Bent or a floating forward/ attacking mid as Keane/Ireland, if the 4/5 of them are on their a game.  If (big if i know) all our attacking players were in top form I wouldn't put Gabby in our starting 11 at present.  I would if we went 4-4-2, but i think 4-2-3-1 will be far more effective for us.

[ozzjim]

Dave re being moved around. Other areas of the pitch maybe, but for forwards it is a sure fire sign they are not as much of a goal threat as others there. There are some top players who naturally come in from the left or right and score loads, Henry being the market leader if you like, but Gabby does not use his 1 major asset intelligently enough when up front, so ends up playing where it can be a weapon, ie running past a full back. The frustration of him not coming in on the back post like Downing and Albrighton do I echo, as it is nothing to do with him playing different roles and all to do with his footballing brain. Great athlete and talented footballer, if he had a footballing brain like Owen or even Bent, he would be a beast, and not with us anymore despite his love notes.

[Legion]

Personally I think it was a very sad day for Gabby when he was taken of on Saturday, that was a turning point, because if Villa do badly v Arsenal, AM will sideline Gabby again in desperation to recapture a winning formula for the next game.

He was ill but don't let that get in the way of a poorly thought out conspiracy theory.

As for the comments I take them as nothing more than a figure of speech but no doubt the same people who present themselves as body language experts are also cunning linguists and will convince themselves it's a sign of deep seated unhappiness.

Not sure if the concept has passed you by, but this is a football forum which allows people to offer there opinions and viewpoints on any raised subject.

Your obviously referring to the point I made about AM and I understand you leaping to his defence being some distant love child of his and as for me casting assertions on what i believe to be Gabby state of mind, then its a pretty safe bet that if an individual refers to the so called "good old days" then its possibly reasonable to imagine he may not being enjoying things quite so much now, don't you think?

Keep taking the medication and stick your Conspiracy labels where the sun don't shine thank you.

Yes it is, but is there really any need for your closing remark?

[Ian.]

Gabby is brilliant in my book He plays wherever asked and always works hard. He is a great front man when we only play 1 up top, its a pity he doesn't gel too well with Bent. Some partnerships just don't click. Mind you how many games have they really played together as a pair and how many times as it been on a regular occurrence? More often or not Gabby is asked to play out wide.

[Percy McCarthy]

Ah the old 'no football brain' chestnut. Posted as usual by someone with no football brain.

[N'ZMAV]

Does Gabby have a football brain?

[N'ZMAV]

I think Gabby is great but he's not as good a winger as Marc or Charles or as good a centre forward as Bent or a floating forward/ attacking mid as Keane/Ireland, if the 4/5 of them are on their a game.  If (big if i know) all our attacking players were in top form I wouldn't put Gabby in our starting 11 at present.  I would if we went 4-4-2, but i think 4-2-3-1 will be far more effective for us.

I like Gabby's work rate when on the wing, apart from the first half against Wolves - but, Ok, he was under the weather. But, he's far more effective up front, playing off a striker. He did well with Carew. Not sure it would work out with Bent. Still remains to be seen however. I don't think we have the right centre midfielders to go with a flat 4 in the midfield. Petrov and Ireland seem to need another player in there.

[Percy McCarthy]

Of course Gabby has a football brain. His technique has improved, but when he first got established it was terrible. You don't make it as a Premier league footballer with such a lack of technique without being really clever.

[N'ZMAV]

I tend to think he's got a brain too, season after season he seems to have adapted his game in order to keep up a decent level of performance at the top.

[SoccerHQ]

Does Gabby have a football brain?

Couple of seasons ago I'd have said no as so often on breakaways he'd run with the ball, not look up or pass and lose the ball. On other occasions he would look up but still wouldn't see the pass.

I do think he's worked really hard on that side of the game and he's improved his decision making with the ball this season, he's set up quite a few goals certainly.

[TheTimVilla]

I love Gabby to bits but I don't really think he's clever enough for innuendo!