The Gabby Appreciation Thread - Update: 4 year deal

[Smirker]

#ledge

[Goldie.7]

Gabby is no legend, he has one good game in 8 matches. Thanks for the laugh!

[PeterWithesShin]

It all boils down to what constitutes a legend. Some class Carew, Laursen, Mellberg etc as legends and they didn't win anything with us. I love Gabby, but the term legend for players gets thrown around too easily these days.

[KevinGage]

He has been responsible for some of our best moments over the past seven years (a fairly decent sample size).

Personally, I'd be of the opinion the rarified air of 'legend,' status can only be applied to a select few, the likes of McGrath, Sid, Shaw and -going further back- Waring, Houghton, Walker, Dixon, McParland, Hitchens and Aitkin.

But I loved players like Tony Daley and Dean Saunders too, so I get why some might even class them as leg ends.  If you can do it for them, then it can apply to the likes of Laursen and Gabby.

[Smirker]

Gabby is a Villa legend and when he's gone you'll all be saying the same.

Side note: His celebration after scoring really pisses a lot of people (fans of other teams) off  .

Running off going 'shhhh' and cupping his ear  .

[Mortimer's Bear]

Let's not forget he seems to absolutely love scoring against small heath which is rather nice!

[Hookeysmith]

Although there are times when i forget he is playing (more to do with where he is asked to play i think) there is a noticable hole in our team when he is not involved

It is usually a run of his or a clattering challeneg after a run back that puts a bit of spark into the game and wakes the fans up

No one grafts in the team like him

[Ads]

Would you be upset if Gabby was sold?

I personally would and that wouldn't apply to many of the squad. He is the scorer of some of my favourite goals of our most recent history. His goals in front of the Agbonlahor End at the Sty for instance, the winner at Old Trafford, his last minute donk at West Ham...

I love him. Although not necessarily in the way Smirker does.

[N'ZMAV]

I wouldn't want Gabby sold. He's one of the few players that Villa means anything to. He has passion I don't see if many of our other players.

[Ads]

He is the only player of ours other clubs hate. Probably because he's scored against them and given it the ear celebration.

Which is what I would do; score in front of their fans, cup the ear, score in front of ours, give it the Kozak.

[bobdylan]

He's a legend as much as Lee Hendrie was a legend.  I probably wouldn't even class Ian Taylor or Yorke as legends, Macca, Sid, Shaw, Little etc. definitely are though.

[Mortimer's Bear]

He's a legend as much as Lee Hendrie was a legend.  I probably wouldn't even class Ian Taylor or Yorke as legends, Macca, Sid, Shaw, Little etc. definitely are though.

Depends what your criteria is, Yorke was by far out best player of then 90's and therefore for me probably can be classed as a legend.

[bobdylan]

You're right of course, the manner of his departure is all that prevents him from being a legend in my eyes., not his quality and impact on the club, which were both massive.

[supertom]

To me I class Yorkie as a legend because I was there to see him in action. I couldn't comment on players like Withe, having not seen them play, but I respect how highly regard guys like him are, particularly with what was achieved at the club in his time.

For me Gabby falls into the Ian Taylor category. Good player, not great, but because he's Villa through and through and always showed 100% commitment he's something of a ledge. Gabby for me is the same. I will certainly remember him very fondly and miss him a lot in 10 years time. I think Gabby will save our bacon plenty more times in his Villa career, and I would love him to be lifting a trophy before he hangs up his boots. I'd like to think he'll be here when he's retiring.

[Dribbler]

Gabby is a good player but also a frustrating player sometimes, he's a solid mid premiership table pro, but it would be unlikely he would ever be a first choice starter for a top of the table team. That's been our blessing and our frustration at the end of the day. His biggest assets are of course his speed and his power, and those alone add a special dimension to our team and means opposition teams' defences have to play deeper to counter his pace.

I think though his overall footballing brain and decisioning skills can be questioned sometimes, and whilst i think he looks practically sage like when compared to some of our 'youth' i think that's hindered him a little and possibly one of the reasons he hasn't had the consistency we all hoped he could have. No doubt he's shown us some fine moments of quality and skill, and scored some important goals in important games, but unfortunately those moments have been a little too sporadic and are why he's only a 1 in 4 striker. You can't question his ethic and work rate though and If he'd of found that consistency he would no doubt have gone on to have a good England career, and we would have probably have lost him, hence why his inconsistency has also been a blessing in some ways. He has been a good servant to the club though, nigh on 20 years now i think, and i can see him retiring here and being a one club player. In some ways then i think he'll be looked back on as a legend for his service and some of his attributes and important  goals, but i wouldn't put him up there in the true legendary status quality wise.