The Gabby Appreciation Thread - Update: 4 year deal

[HolteEnder96]

as a 17 year old, all through my childhood through to this day Gabby has been my favourite player, a hero in my eyes, if there is ever a player who turns up in the big games, it is him
'commeth the hour, commeth the man' has never been more fitting!

[Mortimer's Bear]

'Cometh the contract, cometh the man' if memory serves...

[Ads]

'Cometh the contract, cometh the man' if memory serves...

I think that is grossly unfair on Gabby.

I cannot think of a player who has scored more important goals than him, season in, season out (if not with the frequency we would like) over the past 20 years.

He is no flat track bully and will murder anybody in the league on his day.

[Mortimer's Bear]

'Cometh the contract, cometh the man' if memory serves...

I think that is grossly unfair on Gabby.

I cannot think of a player who has scored more important goals than him, season in, season out (if not with the frequency we would like) over the past 20 years.

He is no flat track bully and will murder anybody in the league on his day.

It was a tongue in cheek comment based on that incredible upsurge in form he had when his contract was up a few years ago, if you read my previous post you'll see my thoughts on Gabby.

[Smirker]

Legend. Just wish we could win a trophy, it'll be criminal if he finished his career with us having won nothing.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Legend? Really?

[Smirker]

Legend? Really?

Yes really.

[bobdylan]

He's reached double figures once in the last 4 years.  See Vassell, Joachim etc..  I just don't rate the guy, he's an athlete not a footballer, still has no brain.

[glasses]

He's reached double figures once in the last 4 years.  See Vassell, Joachim etc..  I just don't rate the guy, he's an athlete not a footballer, still has no brain.

Wow. Can anyone else spot the common theme there apart from all three being Villa strikers?

[frank black]

IMO he's OK, nothing more nothing less.

[glasses]

Said it a few pages ago, but how many 'brainless' footballers have scored against 33 of the 34 teams he has played against in his career? That can't be luck. That can't be just a 'brainless non-footballer' fluking a career.

That is hard work and talent.   

Legend? He'd need to win something.

Doesn't take away the fact he has been fantastic for us.

[Smirker]

Gabby's not a striker though is he. If he was then that statistic would hold some weight but it doesn't.

[Olof's Beard]

He's reached double figures once in the last 4 years.  See Vassell, Joachim etc..  I just don't rate the guy, he's an athlete not a footballer, still has no brain.

#

The football brain line is always trotted out about Gabby but it isn't true.  He has learned a lot and is now excellent at holding the ball up, knowing when to back in and bringing others into play.  He has also improved greatly in a number ways over the years - his heading, his left foot (which isn't far off his right now, see a highlights reel of his goals), his passing.

The frustration is that he doesn't score enough goals because he is not only a very good finisher when in on goal but also has the pace to get himself into positions.  Although I am sure he would be scoring a lot more these days if played as a central striker.

Either way, for where we are now he is crucial to us.  And he was crucial to us when we were a side capable of challenging for the top four as well.  I'd rather have him than not.

[bobdylan]

In the seasons he has played as a central striker he's averaged about 12 a season and the last 3 1/2 seasons when he's largely played as a left sided forward, albeit he's still played a good number of games through the middle, he's averaged around 7 goals per season, Downing got 9 in that role for the season he played there and he was a converted wide midfielder/winger, not centre forward.  Gabby has no striker's instinct to take up a position on the far post when he plays on the left of a 3, he should be busting a gut to get in on the far post but doesn't.  He's  ok for where we are now, but not for competing with the top 6/7 Prem teams imo.  Bit of a wasted career that looked so promising.  For perspective, Everton have 3 full backs fighting for 2 spots, one of them has scored twice as many as Gabby this season, one the same and one is only one goal behind him.  When we were challenging the top 4 if we had Bent instead of Gabby we could have finished 4th not 6th imo.  Carew as a target man outscored Gabby every season, it should have been the other way round.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Legend? Really?

Yes really.

If Gabby is a legend then I obviously don't understand the true meaning of the word.

Yes I like him, yes he's been good for us and yes he's Villa through and through, but for me he certainly isn't a legend.