The Gabby Appreciation Thread - Update: 4 year deal

[Risso]

Player of the season by a mile.

Nobody else in the same class as Gab.  Not even close.

[Big Dick Edwards]

Gabby was inspirational today. He was everywhere -  up front, popping up on both flanks, and helping out in midfield. I've never considered it before but I can see him becoming a future Villa captain if he maintains this form and influence.

[Dante Lavelli]

It's great to have a real holte end hero too.  On current form he could eclipse Dwight Yorke! 

I really like the way he pops up either side of Bent.  Once Nzogbia finds his form - and he showed patched today - the three of them really do have everything.

[Caiphus]

He is reading the game very well at the moment too.  Rarely takes the wrong option and his dribbling and first touch are much better than I ever gave him credit for. His left peg has always been serviceable, he is looking genuinely 2 footed right now.  Don't ever leave Gabby!

[Broughty-Villian]

Gabby

[Risso]

He is reading the game very well at the moment too. 

Agreed, his all round game is just immense.  Such a hard working, intelligent player, his contribution is invaluable.

[KevinGage]

He's been much improved so far this season -maybe he's adapting to playing out wider and cutting in rather than directly up top. Whisper it, it might even suit him.

But captain material?  I don't see that.  He's a local lad and all the rest of it, but captains need as bit more about them.  Ash crossed the line plenty of times with his petulance, but he had that fire.  Barry far quieter, but lead by example and was regularly our best performer.  Stan is an experienced old pro, past his best maybe, but most of the squad respect him.  Bannan was very complimentary about him last year, how he always went out of the way to make the young players feel involved, and looked out for them.

It does throw up a genuine conundrum though, should we be needing a new captain in the not too distant.  Dunne is an obvious choice, but I'd sooner see him moved on, in all honesty. 

Maybe Given -who fulfilled that role for a time at Newcastle IIRC and has captained his country.  But that throws up the issue of whether keepers can be good captains. They do spend large chunks of the game completely uninvolved afterall.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Gabby for England.

[Broughty-Villian]

Gabby for Olympics

[Percy McCarthy]

I see the brainless one has sussed out yet another new role.

[nick harper]

Credit to McLeish for changing his role and encouraging him to be in a position to be facing defenders rather than back to goal. Very similar to the role Anelka often plays for Chelsea.

I have been a critic for his lack of awareness in the past but he is getting his head up now and it has improved his game no end.

He has got a yard of pace back aswell and that has made him more confident.

[Phil from the upper holte]

Match winner for us yesterday, Showing N'zogbia how to cross to a team mate

[Dante Lavelli]

Match winner for us yesterday, Showing N'zogbia how to cross to a team mate

I thought Nzogbia put in some good crosses yesterday.  There was one which was begging for a diving header from Bent.  I would have been an immense goal.

Gabby really does seem to be excelling in the role.  It compliments him in many ways as his crossing is good and he will get more space drifting wide where he can use his pace.

[Dante Lavelli]

A question to any of the doubters from earlier in the thread:  Has Gabby's form so far this season changed your mind about his ability?

I'm not picking a fight, I just think that his form has been better than I thought he could be and I was already a fan.

[Dave]

In the provisional England squad and deservedly so.

Gabby and Bent up front against Spain next week?