Summer Transfer Thread: Speculation, Lies, Absolute Cr*p and Bosman Rumours

[Villanation]

I look at it like this, Gabby almost single handedly led the line for Villa under MON season in season out, this was at a time when Villa where at there most threatening for a very long time, he had the right players around him and it worked, there was some great goals and great moments, he was dynamic for England at U21 level and his debut at full England v Germany resulted in us beating Germany and according to Terry and other England players after that game Gabby was a real prospect and a real talent for England.

I have no doubt had Gabby been playing for a decent team his career would have simply got better and better, Gabby's problem is he's hung around and his career has declined with the team around him.

Houllier never got Gabby and neither does Mcleish, its not a question of him having an opportunity now because there is no real opportunity Gabby is one part of the overall machine and its not rocket science to see just how knackered that machine is.

However all this is hypothetical, I am utterly convinced if Gabby makes his move, someone else will get him back on top and we will enjoy this no brainer average lacking any real ability footballer....against us, next season, assuming we survive.

[supertom]

Gabby was so good earlier in the season. Obviously we've been used to him having patches and never a consistently decent season, but he's tailed off horrendously since Novemberish, and just hasn't looked like getting back to that level. I think the whole buzz gained of being appreciated and 1st choice again under McLeish, when he was cocked around somewhat by Houllier, just wore off.

We've needed Gab to really step up but sadly he hasn't. That's purely because he's a player that needs confidence and needs his team mates to get the best out of him. Sadly McLeish can't actually set up a team in any sort of effective manor, let alone attacking effectively with pace and directness.

[KevinGage]

He was out with injury when Houllier arrived (or soon after) and was struggling for fitness around Oct/ Nov when he came back. 

We signed Bent soon after - not a bad deal at all in isolation.  But it did mean that Gabby had to be shoehorned out wide from that point onwards.  And that has pretty much continued now - even with Bent's injury, it's been either Ivanhoe or Weimann up top.

I'd like to see him get an extended run in his favoured position before I write him off. 

[ozzjim]

I look at it like this, Gabby almost single handedly led the line for Villa under MON season in season out, this was at a time when Villa where at there most threatening for a very long time, he had the right players around him and it worked, there was some great goals and great moments, he was dynamic for England at U21 level and his debut at full England v Germany resulted in us beating Germany and according to Terry and other England players after that game Gabby was a real prospect and a real talent for England.

I have no doubt had Gabby been playing for a decent team his career would have simply got better and better, Gabby's problem is he's hung around and his career has declined with the team around him.

Houllier never got Gabby and neither does Mcleish, its not a question of him having an opportunity now because there is no real opportunity Gabby is one part of the overall machine and its not rocket science to see just how knackered that machine is.

However all this is hypothetical, I am utterly convinced if Gabby makes his move, someone else will get him back on top and we will enjoy this no brainer average lacking any real ability footballer....against us, next season, assuming we survive.

The problem is Gabby has never been on top as you put it, and all of the above is through specs that are flooded with claret. Houllier "got" Michael Owen, a striker who was essentially all about pace, and made him the best in Europe. He didn't think Gabby was up to it, and I agree with that assessment. He is a mid table striker, and we are very lucky we have a top drawer club level goalscorer in our squad, who I would much sooner keep that Gabby.

[ozzjim]

He was out with injury when Houllier arrived (or soon after) and was struggling for fitness around Oct/ Nov when he came back. 

We signed Bent soon after - not a bad deal at all in isolation.  But it did mean that Gabby had to be shoehorned out wide from that point onwards.  And that has pretty much continued now - even with Bent's injury, it's been either Ivanhoe or Weimann up top.

I'd like to see him get an extended run in his favoured position before I write him off. 

Really? He has been up top most weeks in the last few, Weimann was out wide when both in the side.

[KevinGage]

That's in the last few weeks.    And sometime Weimann is up top, sometimes Gabby.  They seem to alternate.   I thought Gabby was coming in from wide far more last Sunday, for example.  And Bill Weimann was more central.

He disappoints me, in so far as even coming from wide and cutting in, he should be a menace. 

But his best form for the club has been when he's been up top, not wide.  One of his best performances this season was  Chelsea away, playing off the shoulders of John Terry and Sideshow Bob and giving them the runaround.

Last week, whenever he collected the ball out wide and tried to beat the Man U fullback, he looked like a Championship player. I don't think he got the better of him once.

So I'd like to see him get an extended run in his favoured role - preferably in a set up that provides him with quality ball.  Rather than having to feed on the scraps, as most of our forwards have had to do this year. 

[Tom Sawyer]

It ain't rocket science. Gabby is a centre forward ... NZog is a winger... Ireland sits behind a forward... Banan is better in central midfield... so is Gardner... neither is at their best playing on the wing... Heskey should never play in a Villa shirt again. Why doesn't McCluck get this? Gabby may as well leave the sinking ship. Who in all seriousness would blame him?

[paulcomben]

It ain't rocket science. Gabby is a centre forward ... NZog is a winger... Ireland sits behind a forward... Banan is better in central midfield... so is Gardner... neither is at their best playing on the wing... Heskey should never play in a Villa shirt again. Why doesn't McCluck get this? Gabby may as well leave the sinking ship. Who in all seriousness would blame him?

Agree so much that I want you all to call me Huckleberry Finn.

[ozzjim]

That's in the last few weeks.    And sometime Weimann is up top, sometimes Gabby.  They seem to alternate.   I thought Gabby was coming in from wide far more last Sunday, for example.  And Bill Weimann was more central.

He disappoints me, in so far as even coming from wide and cutting in, he should be a menace. 

But his best form for the club has been when he's been up top, not wide.  One of his best performances this season was  Chelsea away, playing off the shoulders of John Terry and Sideshow Bob and giving them the runaround.

Last week, whenever he collected the ball out wide and tried to beat the Man U fullback, he looked like a Championship player. I don't think he got the better of him once.

So I'd like to see him get an extended run in his favoured role - preferably in a set up that provides him with quality ball.  Rather than having to feed on the scraps, as most of our forwards have had to do this year. 

But his best form this season, but a long chalk, was out wide in the 3 when he looked willing. I think he sulks a lot as a footballer, and always has, playing certain roles and I think it has a detrimental effect on him when he gets it in his head that he is not playing x role because. He has a record of less than 1 in 4 someone said earlier. Rather than getting better, that record is going in the opposite direction at the moment. Heskey with more pace and less intelligence would be my summing up of him. He is the one I would chose to score the winning goal in a cup final, or have the glory of being our main man in any given situation in an ideal world, but we are not in it, and I fear he is never going to be the player that in many peoples eyes he already is for the Villa. Saying put him up front is fine, but watch his movement compared to Bent or even Bill.

[Tom Sawyer]

It ain't rocket science. Gabby is a centre forward ... NZog is a winger... Ireland sits behind a forward... Banan is better in central midfield... so is Gardner... neither is at their best playing on the wing... Heskey should never play in a Villa shirt again. Why doesn't McCluck get this? Gabby may as well leave the sinking ship. Who in all seriousness would blame him?

Agree so much that I want you all to call me Huckleberry Finn.

Only if you call me Daddy

[pauliewalnuts]

I miss the old days.

it used to be that whenever we discussed Gabby, VillaDawg (now VillaMackem, one assumes) would hit us with that "Gabby was the fourth highest scoring English player in 2008" or whatever it was statistic.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I miss the old days.

it used to be that whenever we discussed Gabby, VillaDawg (now VillaMackem, one assumes) would hit us with that "Gabby was the fourth highest scoring English player in 2008" or whatever it was statistic.

I bet you even pine for the days of the Spurs wages statistics.

[Mister E]

He was out with injury when Houllier arrived (or soon after) and was struggling for fitness around Oct/ Nov when he came back. 

We signed Bent soon after - not a bad deal at all in isolation.  But it did mean that Gabby had to be shoehorned out wide from that point onwards.  And that has pretty much continued now - even with Bent's injury, it's been either Ivanhoe or Weimann up top.

I'd like to see him get an extended run in his favoured position before I write him off. 

Agreed, and well summarised.

[Villanation]

I look at it like this, Gabby almost single handedly led the line for Villa under MON season in season out, this was at a time when Villa where at there most threatening for a very long time, he had the right players around him and it worked, there was some great goals and great moments, he was dynamic for England at U21 level and his debut at full England v Germany resulted in us beating Germany and according to Terry and other England players after that game Gabby was a real prospect and a real talent for England.

I have no doubt had Gabby been playing for a decent team his career would have simply got better and better, Gabby's problem is he's hung around and his career has declined with the team around him.

Houllier never got Gabby and neither does Mcleish, its not a question of him having an opportunity now because there is no real opportunity Gabby is one part of the overall machine and its not rocket science to see just how knackered that machine is.

However all this is hypothetical, I am utterly convinced if Gabby makes his move, someone else will get him back on top and we will enjoy this no brainer average lacking any real ability footballer....against us, next season, assuming we survive.

The problem is Gabby has never been on top as you put it, and all of the above is through specs that are flooded with claret. Houllier "got" Michael Owen, a striker who was essentially all about pace, and made him the best in Europe. He didn't think Gabby was up to it, and I agree with that assessment. He is a mid table striker, and we are very lucky we have a top drawer club level goalscorer in our squad, who I would much sooner keep that Gabby.

Naaa, Gabby was a player in the ascendancy under MON, most of the top managers thought so, Wenger tried to buy him for 15ML and Gabby refused to go, preferring to play under MON and of course his beloved Villa, the obvious screams at most anybody, he was plagued with injury under Houllier and Houlliers eternal nagging that Gabby should join weight watchers ffs, Gabby standing his ground saying he needs that extra bulk to stop intimidation in the box was his reply, thereafter he was stuck out as a left winger, so there you have a right footed player that's used to working the channels and one of the best at it, now out in no mans land on his wrong foot, and people wonder why the guy's form has dropped, and what happens next, McLeish does the same thing, useless, completely useless and incompetent management.

But as already mentioned this relentless criticism of Gabby will find its own answer, there will come a time when a Villa defence will have to contend with the awesome threat that he can pose, that then, will finally silence the critics once and for all.

[ozzjim]

I could not disagree with almost every point more. Blind support because he had Villa links as a kid at its most sickly.