Karim El Ahmadi CONFIRMED (Reply #278)

[peter w]

In my opinion Gabby has this season (possibly to Christmas) to cut it with the new manager. If he doesnt then its time to part ways. We cant carry him forever however much I want him to succeed.
I'm convinced theres an absolutely lethal weapon there somewhere but somebody will need to unlock it soon. Too much of the joker, not enough business.
He'll have big competition this season from Bent (who will start ahead of him), Weimann and whoever else Lambert brings in. He'll have to make a big impact on Lambert and may have limited opportunity to do so.

It would be great for the fans who love him if he could become the player we all hoped he could be. If not, well c'est la vie.

I think you're being extremely harsh. In the early part of the season -up unto  his injury he was spoken of in international call-up terms.. When he came back he was in a team not creating goals and playing up top by himself. No, he wasn't playing well also - but his ,midfield certainly didn't help. neither, I must add, did his manager.

Wanting him desperately to do well but accepting that a third season of indifferent form might be enough is "extremely harsh"?
I dont think so.

Houllier used him as a winger first and foremost. McLeish did early on and to be fair he was looking good. he was at is best either playing with Carew or being on the end of Young's crosses or playing as the focal finishing point of a counter-attacking team. His role in a Darren Bent led forward line can be questioned but waiting for him to 'succeed' is wide of the mark for me.

[tomd2103]

In my opinion Gabby has this season (possibly to Christmas) to cut it with the new manager. If he doesnt then its time to part ways. We cant carry him forever however much I want him to succeed.
I'm convinced theres an absolutely lethal weapon there somewhere but somebody will need to unlock it soon. Too much of the joker, not enough business.
He'll have big competition this season from Bent (who will start ahead of him), Weimann and whoever else Lambert brings in. He'll have to make a big impact on Lambert and may have limited opportunity to do so.

It would be great for the fans who love him if he could become the player we all hoped he could be. If not, well c'est la vie.

I think you're being extremely harsh. In the early part of the season -up unto  his injury he was spoken of in international call-up terms.. When he came back he was in a team not creating goals and playing up top by himself. No, he wasn't playing well also - but his ,midfield certainly didn't help. neither, I must add, did his manager.

Wanting him desperately to do well but accepting that a third season of indifferent form might be enough is "extremely harsh"?
I dont think so.

Houllier used him as a winger first and foremost. McLeish did early on and to be fair he was looking good. he was at is best either playing with Carew or being on the end of Young's crosses or playing as the focal finishing point of a counter-attacking team. His role in a Darren Bent led forward line can be questioned but waiting for him to 'succeed' is wide of the mark for me.

I've always got the impression, especially last season, that Gabby does not want to play out wide.  For me, he is a centre-forward and needs to play there.  It is quite encoraging that Lambert got the best out of Simeon Jackson at Norwich, who is a similar type of player to Gabby, but in my opinion nowhere near as good.  Hopefully he can do a similar job with Gabby.

[ozzjim]

To be an effective centre forward Gabby needs to add movement to his game, and lose some of the bulk. He has lost a yard, and for a bloke that is just about pace essentially, your sacrificing your one talent. Love to be proved wrong, but I think he has peaked in a Villa shirt.

[VillaAlways]

Wasn't getting on the players back at all.I'm thrilled he's coming,but that comment re the Sky 4 made me cringe.

[KRS]

Would it make you feel any better if he said he was looking forward to playing against Fulham, Stoke, West Brom and Wigan? Surely the fact that he's looking forward to playing against, wanting to put in good performances and trying to beat the best teams in the league as a Villa player is the exact kind of thing that we as Villa fans want to hear?

Yourself and Ad@m are very much in the wrong on this one I'm afraid.

[villadelph]

To be an effective centre forward Gabby needs to add movement to his game, and lose some of the bulk. He has lost a yard, and for a bloke that is just about pace essentially, your sacrificing your one talent. Love to be proved wrong, but I think he has peaked in a Villa shirt.

I don't buy the whole, "Gabby has lost a step..." argument. I realize when he was lighter he might have been a bit more nimble, but there were many cases this season in which a defender would turn his back thinking he could comfortably collect a ball 15 yards away from him, and Gabby would not only catch him and beat him to the ball but have the muscle to shield him off. He put a fair few of opposing defenders on their asses last year. He's still incredibly fast, no question about it. The only thing that Gabby needs to do is put the ball in the back of the net. Or absolutely shred outside backs and put a slotted ball on Darren Bent's foot. Goals, goals, goals. He needs to deliver in the aspect of the game he is responsible for.

Hope Lambert can get him to shine again.

[SHEPS]

To be an effective centre forward Gabby needs to add movement to his game, and lose some of the bulk. He has lost a yard, and for a bloke that is just about pace essentially, your sacrificing your one talent. Love to be proved wrong, but I think he has peaked in a Villa shirt.

I don't buy the whole, "Gabby has lost a step..." argument. I realize when he was lighter he might have been a bit more nimble, but there were many cases this season in which a defender would turn his back thinking he could comfortably collect a ball 15 yards away from him, and Gabby would not only catch him and beat him to the ball but have the muscle to shield him off. He put a fair few of opposing defenders on their asses last year. He's still incredibly fast, no question about it. The only thing that Gabby needs to do is put the ball in the back of the net. Or absolutely shred outside backs and put a slotted ball on Darren Bent's foot. Goals, goals, goals. He needs to deliver in the aspect of the game he is responsible for.

Hope Lambert can get him to shine again.
[/quot

When has he ever been in the goals, goals, goals? He's never been capable of scoring regular goals playing up front. Hes just ordinary and we need to move him on. If he wasn't a local lad everyone's opinion would be the same.

[KRS]

Someone posted Gabbys stats a few pages back...if playing regularly he should be getting at least 10 goals and 10 assists rather than the 4 goals and 4 assists which hes averaged over the last 2 seasons.

There is no room for sentiment, so in order for the team to progress I would have competition for places with Bent and Weiman...if that means he sits on the bench until called upon as a sub due to injury or change of tactics then so be it. Our midfield is already starting to look stronger so trying to accommodate him out wide for the sake of it when we have more natural and better creative wingers doesnt make sense.

[Ad@m]

Would it make you feel any better if he said he was looking forward to playing against Fulham, Stoke, West Brom and Wigan? Surely the fact that he's looking forward to playing against, wanting to put in good performances and trying to beat the best teams in the league as a Villa player is the exact kind of thing that we as Villa fans want to hear?

Yourself and Ad@m are very much in the wrong on this one I'm afraid.

Just because you don't understand where we're coming from KRS doesn't make us wrong.

[Percy McCarthy]

interesting assumption that those who rate Gabby only do so because he's a Villa fan.

I'm a Villa fan, how come nobody thinks I should be playing for us?

[D.boy]

Because we have seen your legs and you make Bannan look like a giant! 

[VillaAlways]

Would it make you feel any better if he said he was looking forward to playing against Fulham, Stoke, West Brom and Wigan? Surely the fact that he's looking forward to playing against, wanting to put in good performances and trying to beat the best teams in the league as a Villa player is the exact kind of thing that we as Villa fans want to hear?

Yourself and Ad@m are very much in the wrong on this one I'm afraid.

It's not a case of being right or wrong though is it? I said the comment made me cringe. I have no control over that

[DB]

As someone siad, he's brilliant when he doesn't have to think about what he has to do i.e. instictive shots, taken first time. I would never back him 1 on 1 with the keeper running in on goal. When he has a decision to make, it's usually his downfall. Maybe with a decent coach, they can sort it out.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I can't believe nobody has pointed out the obvious problem with this transfer. His funny shaped head.

Ha Ha

he's no kompany though

[Mr Speedy H]

Someone posted Gabbys stats a few pages back...if playing regularly he should be getting at least 10 goals and 10 assists rather than the 4 goals and 4 assists which hes averaged over the last 2 seasons.

There is no room for sentiment, so in order for the team to progress I would have competition for places with Bent and Weiman...if that means he sits on the bench until called upon as a sub due to injury or change of tactics then so be it. Our midfield is already starting to look stronger so trying to accommodate him out wide for the sake of it when we have more natural and better creative wingers doesnt make sense.

Pretty much what I said.

His goal scoring record isn't amazing, but it's not bad. I say we keep him as a 'super sub', which is something I believe Lamp will be able to utilise. Let Weiman and Bent get regular starts and bring Gabby in for the last 20 or so minutes, when we need someone with pace to outrun the tiring defenders and pop it behind the keeper.