Summer transfer rumours, speculation and out-and-out b*ll*cks.

[mrfuse]

As posted earlier I see sturridge as a much better option than kalou or gabby -

Yeah Agreed he would be another player we could buy and lose to another club for a profit even if he costs £20M now, top player!

[Chris Smith]

How can Gabby have a good season if he's on the bench?

Maybe the fact he was on the bench suggests he wasn't good enough to be in the team ?

I like gabby but he needs someone like mcleish to give him a kick up the arse and get his career back on track , and mcleish may be the ideal manager to do just that - we have a few players who have lost their way and big eck is ideal to get their careers on track.

Load of bollocks.

Houllier pissed him about last season. He doesn't need a kick up the arse or any other cliched nonsense, he just needs to be picked where he is most effective.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Agbonlahor is most effective up front on his own but thats not going to happen

[eastie]

Is this the same chris smith who was saying ash was doing so well in his role last season that there was no way we should change to 442 and play gabby - you were the one saying no let's keep ash there when people were screaming for ash on the wing and gabby up front- typical!

[Mazrim]

I must admit, if I'm looking forward to anything this season its seeing how McLeish is going to fit Gabby and Bent (as strikers) into the same starting line up and make it work.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Kalou would not come to Villa. He will see no CL football and challenging for the title as a massive step down. Think we should be much more concerned about a DF midfielder as now Ireland will be a contender by Mcleish in the role of offensive mid along with several others ........

[eastie]

Anyone in mind Walters?

[Merv]

Houllier more or less told Gabby to stay out wide and run up and down a lot. It's the sort of thing a PE teacher would tell the fastest kid in the school team to do.

Used as a striker, doing what he's best at, and Gabby's good for double figures pretty much every season.

[Risso]

I must admit, if I'm looking forward to anything this season its seeing how McLeish is going to fit Gabby and Bent (as strikers) into the same starting line up and make it work.

I really don't see why this would be so difficult.  Bent is always going to do what Bent does best, ie feed off any free balls in the area and slot them home.  I'd have thought having another decent striker who is supremely quick pulling defenders out of position would make this easier by giving him more space.  We just need to make sure the two of them get the supply, which is going to be difficult if we keep selling our best players.

[ktvillan]

I must admit, if I'm looking forward to anything this season its seeing how McLeish is going to fit Gabby and Bent (as strikers) into the same starting line up and make it work.

I fear he will try it, he implied he would at that fans forum thing.  If he makes it work he's a fucking genius because I can't see it working in a million years.

[ktvillan]

I must admit, if I'm looking forward to anything this season its seeing how McLeish is going to fit Gabby and Bent (as strikers) into the same starting line up and make it work.

I really don't see why this would be so difficult.  Bent is always going to do what Bent does best, ie feed off any free balls in the area and slot them home.  I'd have thought having another decent striker who is supremely quick pulling defenders out of position would make this easier by giving him more space.  We just need to make sure the two of them get the supply, which is going to be difficult if we keep selling our best players.

If you want a partner that will pull defenders out of position and create space for Bent that would have to be Heskey.  Gabby's quick but his movement is generally poor, I really can't see him pulling too many defenders out of position. 

[N'ZMAV]

I'd love to see Gabby and Bent play up front together. If, McLeish goes 4-4-2. Hopefulyl eh does.

Also, we do need another forward, as I expect Heskey to be off.

[Rigadon]

I must admit, if I'm looking forward to anything this season its seeing how McLeish is going to fit Gabby and Bent (as strikers) into the same starting line up and make it work.

I really don't see why this would be so difficult.  Bent is always going to do what Bent does best, ie feed off any free balls in the area and slot them home.  I'd have thought having another decent striker who is supremely quick pulling defenders out of position would make this easier by giving him more space.  We just need to make sure the two of them get the supply, which is going to be difficult if we keep selling our best players.

If you want a partner that will pull defenders out of position and create space for Bent that would have to be Heskey.  Gabby's quick but his movement is generally poor, I really can't see him pulling too many defenders out of position. 

Agree.  Gabby is effective at counter attacking balls in behind defenders.  Bent the same but he has more of a natural ability in finding the net rather than the goalies knee.  Gabby is a bit of a favourite of mine, but he aint going to work alongside Bent.

[Concrete John]

I must admit, if I'm looking forward to anything this season its seeing how McLeish is going to fit Gabby and Bent (as strikers) into the same starting line up and make it work.

I really don't see why this would be so difficult.  Bent is always going to do what Bent does best, ie feed off any free balls in the area and slot them home.  I'd have thought having another decent striker who is supremely quick pulling defenders out of position would make this easier by giving him more space.  We just need to make sure the two of them get the supply, which is going to be difficult if we keep selling our best players.

The issue with that is in order to be effective the 2nd striker needs to have a good footballing brain.  Not only for pulling defenders away, but also when on the ball for picking up on his partner's runs and playing him in.  I'm afraid Gabby, for all the attributes he does have, does not have a good footballing brain.

[eastie]

It's ok expecting heskey to be off but who would want him when you consider hes on £65000 a week?

If we offload him we may have to pay some of his wages , I'm just hoping sven takes him off our hands as emile is a Leicester lad and may be tempted .