The Gabby Appreciation Thread - Update: 4 year deal

[paul_e]

Ah, that wexplains why nobody has gone for Gabby then. It's just that a few people on this thread see it as proof that Gabby is no good, but not proof that Bent is.

I gave two criteria, that he'd neither been sought after by the bigger clubs nor established himself as en England International when decent English strikers were hardly growing on trees.  It's true Bent also hasn't been the subject of much interest by the really top clubs.  That's probably due to his relatively limited all round game.  But at least he's established himself in the England set up, probably because his movement and consistent record of finishing are sufficient to make the grade at international level.  It's those factors that also make him a better striker than Gabby, even if perhaps not quite up to CL clubs' standards.   Gabby is a middling level PL striker, not awful but nothing special.

Links to the bigger clubs is utterly meaningless.  Before supporters hear about it the interested club will have spoken to the players agent and sunded them out regarding how interested they'd be.  Gabby may well have decided he's a Villa fan and playing for his club, why would he want to leave?  If this is the case he might just have his agent set to say, 'no thanks' to every offer, and then subtlely mention to the club the interest to make sure he gets a nice new contract.

As for england he's been on the edge of the squad for a long time, as have other players, it doesn't necessarily mean anything.

The reality is we had 4 seasons of double figures for goals and gradual improvement where, despite never being the main man, he was always a good option and he brought something important to the table.  2 poor seasons for him and club in between, have now harmed his reputation but he's still scored enough goals and had enough influence on the club to deserve a chance to e part of a more settled side.  If by the end of this year he is still looking like he's not up to it then we'll worry about it.

[Percy McCarthy]

Gabby just had a season like Bent at Spurs when he scored 6 in 27 for a much more attacking team. But when Gabby got his 6 goals in those first few months he looked twice the player that Bent ever has, even at his best.

[The Left Side]

MON has said he wouldn't mind Carroll at Sunderland despite his toon roots, so Gabby might be off the radar?

[PeterWithesShin]

Gabby just had a season like Bent at Spurs when he scored 6 in 27 for a much more attacking team. But when Gabby got his 6 goals in those first few months he looked twice the player that Bent ever has, even at his best.

In fairness to Bent, over half those games he was on the bench as they had Defoe, Keane and Berbatov that season while Gabby started pretty much every one of his appearances.

[hilts_coolerking]

One thing Gabby undoubtedly has is ability.  One thing he undoubtedly doesn't have is reliability.

[ktvillan]

Paul_e if a top club were interested in Gabby it would have come out one way or another. I think you're dreaming if you think it wouldn't in this day and age.  And it would be an unusual agent that wouldn't have been pushing for such a move if interest was there, regardless of what Gabby said. That's how agents make their money.  I don't think he's been anywhere near the England squad for quite a long time.

[PeterWithesShin]

Didn't he have to pull out of an England squad last season?

[TheSandman]

One thing Gabby undoubtedly has is ability.  One thing he undoubtedly doesn't have is reliability.

This. His inconsistency is frustrating. Bent has a level which he can reach consistently throughout a season. Gabby has a level that is higher than that but he only ever achieves it for a third of the season with most of the rest of his season being very poor indeed. He's a good player on the whole, a truly excellent one when he's firing on all cylinders but a frustrating one due to the absence of consistency. I was also greatly disappointed that he pretty much seemed to have given up at the tail end of last season at a time when he had been made captain and should have been providing more inspiration and effort to the team.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I love these Gabby threads where all the doubting Thomases line up, only for Gabby to shove it up their collective arses, sideways.

I just hope he's not rushed back from this current injury and Lambert finds the necessary tactic of playing Bent and Gabby together. Getting the midfield to provide them both with some decent service would help too.

[Shrek]

Does anybody know anything about his injury? Rumours around he has done his cruciate ligament?

[SoccerHQ]

Don't think it will be that bad but him missing the start of the season would be a worry as this happened two years ago and he never got going that season at all.

Suppose these regular injuries he's getting now were inevitable as he barely missed a game from breaking through under MON in 2006 to about 2009.

[SHEPS]

Stats speak for themselves and these are poor. Top half striker? My arse. Bottom half striker? More likely. £8m value? My arse.  More like £3-4m based on stats.  Would be interesting to compare his past 4 year stats with a bottom half striker and you'll probably find its no better or worse. If any of those strikers were signed by villa we'd be rightly v pissed off.


GLOSSARY
GS: Games Started, SB: Used as Substitute, G: Goals, A: Assists, SH: Shots, SG: Shots on goal, YC: Yellow Cards, RC: Red Cards, FC: Fouls Committed, FS: Fouls Suffered, SV: Saves, OF: Offsides, W: Wins, D: Draws, L: Lossesp

2011/12 STATISTICS
TEAM   Competition   GS   SB   G   A   SH   SG   FC   FS   YC   RC
Aston Villa   Prem   32   1   5   5   59   18   47   43   6   0
Aston Villa   FAC   1   1   1   0   2   2   2   1   0   0
Aston Villa   CC   1   0   0   0   2   1   1   2   0   0
Season Totals   34   2   6   5   63   21   50   46   6   0

2010/11 STATISTICS
TEAM   Competition   GS   SB   G   A   SH   SG   FC   FS   YC   RC
Aston Villa   CC   2   0   1   0   0   0   0   1   0   0
Aston Villa   FAC   3   0   0   0   5   2   5   6   1   0
Aston Villa   Prem   17   9   3   1   29   12   33   20   3   0
Season Totals   22   9   4   1   34   14   38   27   4   0

2009/10 STATISTICS
TEAM   Competition   GS   SB   G   A   SH   SG   FC   FS   YC   RC
England U21   UEFA U21   3   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   2   0
England   WCQ   1   0   0   1   1   1   1   2   0   0
Aston Villa   Prem   35   1   13   3   66   36   53   60   3   0
Aston Villa   FAC   2   0   1   0   2   2   0   3   0   0
Aston Villa   CC   6   0   2   3   11   5   9   9   2   0
England   Int   1   0   0   0   1   0   1   0   0   0
Season Totals   48   1   16   7   81   44   64   74   7   0

2008/09 STATISTICS
TEAM   Competition   GS   SB   G   A   SH   SG   FC   FS   YC   RC
England   Int   1   0   0   0   1   0   1   0   0   0
Aston Villa   Intertoto   2   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Aston Villa   UEFA   4   1   0   0   1   0   5   14   0   0
Aston Villa   CC   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Aston Villa   FAC   2   0   0   1   6   1   4   2   0   0
Aston Villa   Prem   35   1   12   5   65   32   53   56   4   0
England   WCQ   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
Season Totals   44   3   12   6   73   33   63   72   4   0

2007/08 STATISTICS
TEAM   Competition   GS   SB   G   A   SH   SG   FC   FS   YC   RC
Aston Villa   FAC   1   0   0   0   1   1   1   1   0   0
Aston Villa   Prem   37   0   11   8   61   35   49   65   4   0
Season Totals   38   0   11   8   62   36   50   66   4   0

2006/07 STATISTICS
TEAM   Competition   GS   SB   G   A   SH   SG   FC   FS   YC   RC
Aston Villa   CC   3   0   1   1   4   1   3   7   0   0
Aston Villa   Prem   37   1   9   6   53   35   42   48   2   0
Aston Villa   FAC   1   0   0   0   0   0   3   2   0   0
Season Totals   41   1   10   7   57   36   48   57   2   0

[Ads]

Stick your stats up your arse.

Gabby is a top player and will come back next season in fine form.

[SoccerHQ]

He's a 1 in 3 striker.

Probably comparable to Zamora who's a lot older and went to QPR for what 8m?

Fulham also signed Andy Johnson for 12m a few years ago I remember....

Thinking Gabby is worth 3-4m is stupid.

[SHEPS]

Stick your stats up your arse.

Gabby is a top player and will come back next season in fine form.

They are not my stats. They are Gabbys. And theyre shit.