The Gabby Appreciation Thread - Update: 4 year deal

[ktvillan]

No big club has ever sniffed around Gabby, and he has barely been considered for England under three or four different managers, during a time when decent English forwards have been pretty thin on the ground.  I think that says something about opinion of his ability outside VP. i.e. he aint all that.   He's had a few good games, scored a few important goals, but lacks both the technique and movement to do it consistently.  Which is why I've never really been one of his biggest fans.   

[Witton Warrior]

There's two parts to this for me.

The bit that wants "one of us" (a Villa fan) playing for the team to do well. I want him to succeed.

The other bit is where he has to add to what we have and sometimes I don't think he does.

Been said before but a make or break season...

[peter w]

kt you're wrong. If you ask fans of all other clubs about our players, even when we were top 6 finishers Gabby is always mentioned as a player everyone rates.

[Ian.]

Good news that his injury is not too bad, we will need him on form this season.

[Breezeblock]

the bloke has scored eleven goals in all competitions during the last two seasons. Not good enough, sorry.

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

the bloke has scored eleven goals in all competitions during the last two seasons. Not good enough, sorry.

How many of those games has Gabby been played as a wide player though in a very negative side sent out by TSM? Whilst I don't think Gabby has been amazing I think Lambert will get the best out of him and can therefore see him having his best Villa season ever this year.

[Irish villain]

the bloke has scored eleven goals in all competitions during the last two seasons. Not good enough, sorry.

In and out of the team, played out of position, played under two different managers. So unfair to write him off based on that. Even players like Dwight Yorke went through bad seasons at villa. Gabby has been remarkably reliable from the time he first broke into the team, I think I can overlook the past two seasons if he turns it on again this coming year. If not then, maybe it will be time for him to move on.

[luke25]

He'll finish his career with us and go down in history as a great servant to the club, in the Alan Wright category.

[ktvillan]

kt you're wrong. If you ask fans of all other clubs about our players, even when we were top 6 finishers Gabby is always mentioned as a player everyone rates.

I didn't mention fans of other clubs, just how he seems to be rated by scouts and coaches of the bigger clubs and England.   Perhaps you think  other clubs' fans know more about rating a player than the likes of Ferguson, Wenger and Capello.  I would disagree.  Plus this quote from Meanwood Villa earlier in the thread would indicate it might be you who's wrong, assuming it's true:

"If you take away him being a fan and the memories we have of his good spells then most fans of other teams don't rate him at all. Was it last season when Newcastle were linked with him and someone provided a link to one of their message boards which was full of "oh god, no" type comments?"

In any case fans can tend to have a "highlights" opinion of other clubs' players, i.e they see the good things he does in the highlights, but don't see the poor stuff in between.  N'Zogbia might be a good example, and from our past players like Curcic, Alan Thompson, and Sidwell.
I stick to my opinion, if Gabby were as good as some people think he is he would be an England regular and the subject of interest from wealthier clubs.

 

[Percy McCarthy]

He's been called up a few times, sometimes he's played, sometimes he hasn't turned up. I don't think that helps his chances or endeared him to Capello, who obviously rates him having called him up in the first place. Apparently Wenger rates him highly, and I'd be surprised if Fergie doesn't, he's scored more than most non-Man Utd players at Old Trafford, as well as having good games against them at The Villa. Ok, he hasn't bought him, but I bet he has a word with Vidic and Ferdinand about him before we play them. Something along the lines of 'don't let him make you look like a pair of c**** like he usually does'.

[ktvillan]

He was called up, given a go and discarded.  I'm not sure if that equates to Cappello obviously rating him, or if it was more a case of who have we got available, let's have a look to see if he could make the step up and deciding he couldn't.  Wenger doesn't rate him highly enough to have tried to sign him.   I agree he's done Vidic for pace a few times and scored what, two goals against United? It's not enough to make him a top PL striker in my view. Bent has scored one for us at Old Trafford in his only game for us there.

[Risso]

I like Gabby, want him to do well and am fairly certain he'll have a good season under Lambert.  But I think it's true to say that fans of other teams don't rate him particularly highly, certainly the ones I talk to anyway. 

[Irish villain]

While I am not saying Gabby is a villa legend (he has quite some way to go there) there are villa legends who didn't win too many England caps so it's not really fair to judge Gabby on the number of caps he has won.

[Breezeblock]

the bloke has scored eleven goals in all competitions during the last two seasons. Not good enough, sorry.

In and out of the team, played out of position, played under two different managers. So unfair to write him off based on that. Even players like Dwight Yorke went through bad seasons at villa. Gabby has been remarkably reliable from the time he first broke into the team, I think I can overlook the past two seasons if he turns it on again this coming year. If not then, maybe it will be time for him to move on.

Marlon Harewood scored 7 goals in 40 appearances for us and received pelters from all and sundry.  I would put Gabby's 11 in 60 appearances on the same par yet its always "played out of position", "no service", "injuries", yadda, yadda, yadda. I lost count of the scoring opportunities Gabby fluffed last season. He is and always has been a one-trick pony with limited on-the-ball skills and absolutely no footballing brain. As I said, not good enough.   

[supertom]

If Gabby plays like he did 3 years ago then I've no problem. I think with how we're set up now, he'll flourish. He'll be able to work the channels too, coming out wide as our narrower wide players like Holman and Ireland come in field. I think it'll work well.

I don't think Gabby, at his best is too bad technically. He needs to be playing with confidence. Some of the goals he's scored for us have been brilliant and shown a touch of class he doesn't always get credit for. Granted he needs to do it more, but his overall play kept on improving under O Neill, year on year. He stagnated under Houllier. Started brilliantly for TSM but tailed off. He needs to keep his concentration up, his confidence and improve his decision making. He can do it. The pace he has is still a great weapon and others say, he's a knack of scoring against the bigger teams. 

We'll see but I'd hate to see Gabby be sold now and then go off and have a brilliant season with someone else.
I think he'll score 15 next season in all comps. In fact I'll go down the bookies and lay some cash on it.