Gabby - keep or let go

[LeeB]

He's not the cause of our decline.

No. But this thread is about whether or not we want to retain his ample arse at Villa Park.  And it is an internet forum and we go over the top about things all the time. You are right to remind us of his many goals though. He was a great servant.

So ta Gabby. Now bugger off to Wolves!

Okay fair enough. I just think he doesn't deserve all the stick he gets considering what he's done for us in the past.

Fuck him, he's lived off it for 5 years and he's taken the piss. He deserves as much vitriol as you reserve for the chairman.

Fair enough, and fuck Lerner as well - the true cause of our disgraceful humiliating decline.

Ultimately, yes, and there's fuck all we can do about it.

[Bad English]

Some of the personal abuse of Gabby is uncalled for, as it is for the chairman or anyone else for that matter. However, Gabby is past his best and has been for a while.

It is going to be like being in a meeting at work if we have to stop swearing and abusing people.

"Gabby is past his best"
"Yes, he should go"
"I would play him."
"I strongly disagree"
"OK then".
"Could a Moderator kindly close the thread please? We have finished."

[Risso]

Some of the personal abuse of Gabby is uncalled for, as it is for the chairman or anyone else for that matter. However, Gabby is past his best and has been for a while.

It is going to be like being in a meeting at work if we have to stop swearing and abusing people.

"Gabby is past his best"
"Yes, he should go"
"I would play him."
"I strongly disagree"
"OK then".
"Could a Moderator kindly close the thread please? We have finished."

A pox on your first born sir, I demand satisfaction!

[Ads]

We have Gabby and N'Zogbia both on a reported £65,000 a week in wages. Think of how much improved we would be in an attacking sense if we could bring two £65,000 quality players into the side on Saturday.

What a drain on resources they've both been for too long.

[SoccerHQ]

Poor Gabby, way past his best indeed, but he's been turned into a scapegoat for all our problems and gets more grief than the real culprit at Villa.
Anyway, I'd play him at Sunderland. He's got a good record up there.

I honestly don't know of anyone that still defends Lerner but Gabby is the absolute epitome of what's gone wrong at the Villa over the last 5 years. Rewarded with contracts and positions of authority way above his ability, not progressed or adapted his game, become complacent, finally disappeared totally when the going got tough and drains the club of finances and good energy.

As I say, if one player summed up with way we've gone down the plug hole without so much as a murmer it's Gabby Agbolahor.

I disagree. If you're looking for a player who sums up our decline it would be Brad Guzan. Rightly let go because he was shit then laughably brought back when we realised no decent PL keeper would join us on the pittance we pay in wages.
Gabby is past his best, no question, but the stick he gets is OTT considering the amount of goals he's scored for us over the years.

Guzan has been a lot better for us over the last few years than Gabby imo. I'd also disagree he was "shit" when we let him go, he served us well over the 2011 xmas period when Given got an injury.

[aj2k77]

Guzan was regarded as a well dodgy keeper wasn't he? We let him go and no one batted an eye lid, we re-signed him as a lazy and cheap option. A true Villa signing for the last half a decade, lazy and cheap.

[Risso]

Guzan was regarded as a well dodgy keeper wasn't he? We let him go and no one batted an eye lid, we re-signed him as a lazy and cheap option. A true Villa signing for the last half a decade, lazy and cheap.

Spot on.  It was lauded as some sort of coup by Lambert, when in reality nobody decent wanted him, and it stopped us having to spend proper money on a decent keeper.  And that's where we are now, with easily the shittest keeper in the Premier League stinking out our net.

[Clampy]

I seem to remember a lot of people at the time saying what a good re-signing Guzan was and he was great when he first replaced Given. I think we possibly need a change now though.

[luke95]

Poor Gabby, way past his best indeed, but he's been turned into a scapegoat for all our problems and gets more grief than the real culprit at Villa.
Anyway, I'd play him at Sunderland. He's got a good record up there.

I honestly don't know of anyone that still defends Lerner but Gabby is the absolute epitome of what's gone wrong at the Villa over the last 5 years. Rewarded with contracts and positions of authority way above his ability, not progressed or adapted his game, become complacent, finally disappeared totally when the going got tough and drains the club of finances and good energy.

As I say, if one player summed up with way we've gone down the plug hole without so much as a murmer it's Gabby Agbolahor.

I disagree. If you're looking for a player who sums up our decline it would be Brad Guzan. Rightly let go because he was shit then laughably brought back when we realised no decent PL keeper would join us on the pittance we pay in wages.
Gabby is past his best, no question, but the stick he gets is OTT considering the amount of goals he's scored for us over the years.

That's the thing tho , he hasn't really scored that many in 10yrs for us .
Put his goals to games ratio up against the likes of Yorke, Angel, Dublin, Carew & Benteke he is pretty average at best

He scored vital goals at vital times no doubt but he's never ever been consistent enough to have spent 10 yrs at one club

[DaveD]

Sell him to a Championship club, and prepare for the inevitable hat trick in front of the Holte End in August.

[oswald funkletrumpet]

Guzan was regarded as a well dodgy keeper wasn't he? We let him go and no one batted an eye lid, we re-signed him as a lazy and cheap option. A true Villa signing for the last half a decade, lazy and cheap.

Spot on.  It was lauded as some sort of coup by Lambert, when in reality nobody decent wanted him, and it stopped us having to spend proper money on a decent keeper.  And that's where we are now, with easily the shittest keeper in the Premier League stinking out our net.

totally agree

he was available for free and still nobody wanted hhm

[tomd2103]

Sell him to a Championship club, and prepare for the inevitable hat trick in front of the Holte End in August.

And the even more inevitable "ssshhh" finger on lips celebration!

[Clampy]

Guzan was regarded as a well dodgy keeper wasn't he? We let him go and no one batted an eye lid, we re-signed him as a lazy and cheap option. A true Villa signing for the last half a decade, lazy and cheap.

Spot on.  It was lauded as some sort of coup by Lambert, when in reality nobody decent wanted him, and it stopped us having to spend proper money on a decent keeper.  And that's where we are now, with easily the shittest keeper in the Premier League stinking out our net.

totally agree

he was available for free and still nobody wanted hhm

Not long after he re-signed, there was a 'Brad Guzan Appreciation Thread' on here which you can still find if you look. It's mainly full of praise. People have short memories.

[SoccerHQ]

Guzan was one of the reasons we stayed up in 12/13 and was fine for most of the next season. Yes his level has dropped lately but come on we had a worse keeper playing for us when we were top 6.

Signings like CNZ, Heskey, Habib Beye and....Shay Given have done far more damage to us than signing a reasonable keeper back on a free transfer.

[Pat McMahon]

Gabby was like Collins and Dunne in that his best years were under MON, but struggled after MON's departure. He has done little for a few seasons now so needs to go - no way should he be a high earner and no  way should he be captain.