The Gabby Appreciation Thread - Update: 4 year deal

[olaftab]

Fuckin' star!

Big up the Erdington massive!

Gabby is a top boy and he is the pride of  Nechells. About time  people  living outside B7 started appreciating  him properly!

[ktvillan]

Remember the last time you were trying to have a little dig and dropped the "considerably better fan than you"  "can't see it properly on TV " line on me?  Then I pointed out I'd actually been at the game in question. At which point you STFU.   In the posts that followed quite a few posters, quite reasonably, agreed there were some things you pick up better live at the game, some things you pick up better with the benefit of TV with close ups, slo-mos, different angles, commentators etc. Not a peep from you.  And that is my view.  But in your world it's still  an unarguable fact, so why bother arguing?   

Yet more obfuscation, you're not arguing because you're wrong but don't have the bottle to admit it. In this case, where we're talking about the intelligence of a player, the work off the ball is crucial and not something the TV viewer will normally be aware of unless the broadcaster decides to focus on it.

Back to the point in question. Can you give specifics to support your regurgitation of the "no footballing brain" cliche?

There you go again.  "You're wrong". But this time you also know what I'm thinking.   It's an opinion, and it isn't wrong, it's just different to yours. 

How many independent pundits, reporters, or commentators  have ever picked up on these marvellous, intelligent off the ball runs that you say Gabby makes that create space for others.  How many times has it been mentioned in 5 years ?.  Surely he has a reputation for such things if what you say is true?   He's not noted for it as far as I know.  But he must make them because you go to the games and you say so.  Yet they are apparently invisible in TV world, and to newspaper reporters. 

The very absence of such runs is what prompts me to think he isn't the most switched on of players.  So how about you list them all for us.  Since you obviously watch him closely, up close and personal and all that, I'm sure you must have seen every one and have them all noted.  Over 5 years let's say there must have been at least 10 a season if it's one of his fortes.  So that's 50.  Over to you. 

[Chris Smith]

What a pathetic post, truly plumming the depths of inanity.

It's something that happens in every game, he moves off the ball makes runs to take defenders away, drops back in to cover his full back etc. He's played a number if different roles and systems and has shown himself adaptable each time. Not the sign of a player lacking intelligence.

However, it's you who has made the specific claim that,  amongst all of our players, he lacks this so called "football brain" but have offered nothing in support other than " it's my opinion".

[Villanation]

Ktvillan: Name me a Villa player or Villa team that's lorded by the press, its never happened and it never will, how many times do you see on MOTD when the so called pundits discuss the match just screened spend 10 sec's on Villa and the rest of the time on the opposition, in fact after the Everton game Hanson, Lineker and Shearer didn't even mention Villa at tall.

The other night the commentator commented that Ashley Young's career had just begun, like he'd never been at Villa, and in fact it seems now with this amazing ascendency to an England shirt after just a few games a Man U when he barely got a run out whilst he was at Villa.

One thing is for sure I take very little notice of what these very biased dead head pundits comment but I do listen to what the players think and mangers and coaches because they are worth listening to, so if it helps John Terry rates Gabby as one of the best and most fearsome front men in the Premiership to play against, his words " A Nightmare to mark" Whilst Gabby was playing at U21 when they played and beat Portugal in the final with Gabby scoring the winner (if I remember) the Portuguese coach highly respected in the world of football and has been the source of spotting some of the worlds top players described Gabby at that time as being Incredible and a future world talent.

So its a question of reading the crap in the tabloids which I have to be honest I thought everybody was now aware is pure rubbish, thought that was a given, or to people actually in the game including the likes of Arsene Wenger who tried to buy him a couple of season back describing Gabby as a new and powerful kind of player that he wanted.

If you going to wait for the media to give anything to do with Villa the kind of recognition we sometimes deserve your going to wait a very long time.

And just another point, if you can't see world class talent in this next clip, then there is nothing I can say that will ever convince you, in media terms this is one of the most viewed clips across the planet.......so there, and enjoy because you can't look at this and not love the guy, ffs he is Aston Villa born and breed in the shadows of the very walls of the stadium, he supports the club...just like you.

&NR=1

[Sexual Ealing]

Added to that, I can't see Sky selling many subscriptions if they take the time to point out when a player makes a great run off the ball, only for the move to break down at left-back due to a dog pissing on Warnock.

[Percy McCarthy]

Percy that's been put to me before, possibly by you, and I'll give you the same answer - it's nothing to do with his Brummie accent, which would be a bit hypocritical as I'm a Brummie myself.  Your point about questionable technique rather than not making intelligent runs or taking up intelligent positions is reasonable enough.

I didn't mention his Brummie accent. You're right - my point about his intelligent runs and intelligent positioning is reasonable; but more than that, I'd say it quite conclusively shows he's an intelligent player.

[ktvillan]

Percy that's been put to me before, possibly by you, and I'll give you the same answer - it's nothing to do with his Brummie accent, which would be a bit hypocritical as I'm a Brummie myself.  Your point about questionable technique rather than not making intelligent runs or taking up intelligent positions is reasonable enough.

I didn't mention his Brummie accent. You're right - my point about his intelligent runs and intelligent positioning is reasonable; but more than that, I'd say it quite conclusively shows he's an intelligent player.

Not really, it just shows that a further limitation is his lack of good technique in certain situations.

[ktvillan]

What a pathetic post, truly plumming the depths of inanity.

It's something that happens in every game, he moves off the ball makes runs to take defenders away, drops back in to cover his full back etc. He's played a number if different roles and systems and has shown himself adaptable each time. Not the sign of a player lacking intelligence.

However, it's you who has made the specific claim that,  amongst all of our players, he lacks this so called "football brain" but have offered nothing in support other than " it's my opinion".

I guess you mean Plumbing.   What you are effectively asking me to do is to list all the intelligent runs that Gabby hasn't made.   Which is absurd.   However if you can explain the methodology for doing so I'll gladly try to oblige, but to me they are conspicuous by their very absence.

Whereas, if it happens every game, as you claim, it should be a relatively straightforward matter to draw up a lengthy list of positive examples.  Like when I asked you to provide a few examples of all the forward passes you claimed Petrov had made in a particular game (although that time you came up with nothing).

On the subject of TV coverage, I can regularly see the clever movement and defence fooling runs of players like Rooney, Owen, Giggs, Drogba, Owen,  Kuyt, Van der Vaart, etc. even our own Darren Bent's good movement is obvious.  I was able to clearly see Heskey's excellent movement a couple of seasons ago against Hull that dragged three defenders away from Dunne leaving him with a free run on goal when Milner played him in.  All this on the TV.  And the pundits picked up on it and replayed it.  Yet Gabby's runs are somehow invisible to the TV camera.   Perhaps you can explain that particular conundrum?

[Dante Lavelli]

I'd agree that Gabby's best position is up front and probably on his own.  I do not agree that he would play well with Bent as I think Bent is also better playing on his own and therefore Bent/gabby could get in each others way. 

Secondly I think defences would defend deeper if Gabby was playing 'on the last man' and therefore this would reduce the space for bent to run into for any #cough# slide rule passes between defenders.

My biggest reason for not wanting Gabby down the middle (at the moment) is that having two up front would weaken the midfield.

I do think however, that the formation we are playing 4231 (and 433) should be more flexible in the forward positions and therefore Gabby should be able to play narrower and also interchange with Heskey/Bannan/Nzogbia/Albrighton more often.  This would hopefully mean he can find himself in central positions unmarked.  I hope a more mobile Bannan will facilitate that as long as AMc gives them license to play with freedom.

[Ryu]

KT you're right. Now I think about it I realise that every time I glance at Gabby during a game he is just stood there, looking a bit confused and scratching his arse. This explains why I've never seen him get behind the defence or on the end of a cross or through ball in his whole career and why good defenders like Vidic have no problem dealing with him. Now, if you wouldn't mind compiling a list of every time Marlon Harewood controlled the ball with his let foot whilst facing away from goal I'd appreciate it. Have it on my desk by Thursday, thanks.

[ktvillan]

What a ridiculous post Ryu.  I've never questioned Gabby's pace (which is what Vidic seems to struggle with against him) and his ability to get on the end of things, and to tuck them away occasionally, is on record.  I've never denied his obvious  attributes of pace,  power and instinctive finishing. But for me it's those things rather than intelligent movement or  clever play that make him a decent player.    But don't let missing the point completely put you off.  And WTF has Marlon Harewood got to do with anything?  Just let me know which primary school your desk is in and I'll send you something not sharp to play with.

[andrew08]

Being a member of the Society I do look for Gabby movement off the ball, and he does suffer in comparison to Bent who is spectacularly good off the ball but his 'lay off and go sprint' is definately above average PL class and I would say only Defoe of the English strikers does it better.

[Ryu]

Tucking things away occasionally is a bit unfair on gabby who has always scored regularly with the exception of last season.  I'm sorry, I obviously don't understand football as well as you because I always thought getting away from a defender and on to the end of a pass from a team mate and then scoring a goal was about the most clever thing you do in a game of football.  I now realise that making a run that lee dixon can be bothered to talk about on a sunday night is what it is really about.

The marlon harewood joke was about your desire to have people you're arguing with come up with all sorts of examples for their points even when it's not really feasible. But I probably didn't do a very good job because I'm young innit?

[ktvillan]

Oh it was a joke was it? Aren't they meant to be funny?

[Ryu]

Jokes are meant to be funny?  That's chris smith's line!

Are you really the same person?