PaulC Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 And to think he is our all time leading premier league goalscorer. Games per goal how does he compare?over 1 in 4 games compared to Andy Gray and Benteke just over 1 in 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meregreen Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 And to think he is our all time leading premier league goalscorer. Games per goal how does he compare?over 1 in 4 games compared to Andy Gray and Benteke just over 1 in 2Probably nearer to one in 10 in recent times. Simply not good enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 And to think he is our all time leading premier league goalscorer. Its a bit like Wayne Rooney and England, if you play enough games you'll end up near the top. Guess Rooney is shit too then.Not over the course of his career but I do liken Rooney's current situation to Gabby's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Football hasn't been a passion for him in a long time, it is just something that provides him with a lifestyle now.Would like to know how he got a new contract. He should have been one of those players who was retired at 30 through lack of offers and desire to prove himself. So far removed from an intelligent footballer with the touch andguile....I doubt he would even bag double digits next year in the Championship. ...and some crap footballers are banging them in the past few years. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted October 31, 2015 Moderator Share Posted October 31, 2015 (edited) I've said all along with the attacking signings we were making in the summer I would be staggered if he remained first choice and through a combination of things he has. That will change with Garde coming in. Ayew and Traore will get regular starts imo.Gabby plays in two positions, up front and as a wide forward on the left - I'm interested in your assessment that Gabby won't get starts because of Ayew and Traore, because I think it actually helps suggest why Gabby is getting starts - Traore is a player who plays wide on the right hand side, in so far as I'm aware, he's never played on the left and I'm not sure whether he's played as a central striker either - he's competing for a place with Gil, Ayew and maybe N'Zogbia, whether he plays or not makes no difference to Gabby. Ayew plays best as a striker or down the right hand side, where he differs slightly from Traore is that he has played on the left at times, but he's out of position there, and I wouldn't expect him to play on the left under normal circumstances - again, I don't really think he's a threat to Gabby's place.Gabby is competing against Gestede or Ayew up front, and I think that's a competition Gabby loses right now - Gestede hasn't really impressed, but he does give the team an easy out and he has scored goals, and for me Ayew is a player that has turned a corner and looks like he could have a future there. In a formation with two up front, right now I have Gabby as our third option.Gabby is competing down the left against Grealish and Sinclair - those are the two players that will push him out of the position. Simple enough you'd think, Grealish is the brightest young thing we've had in some time, most managers would play him surely - and you're right, most managers do play him - however in recent times, most managers have played him centrally, behind a striker in that free floating number ten role that genius's end up in. As a left sided player, he's very good in an attacking sense, but he's not the best in terms of defensive cover - which makes life difficult when you have a very exciting young left back who could use a bit of cover. In terms of the team as a whole, for me it's 50-50 as to whether I'd play Grealish down the left or Gabby - it will end up being Grealish, but we need to find out how to make it work first. In the meantime, I think Garde will remove the debate by pushing Grealish inside, and I think he'd be right to do so.Which means, in a very real sense. the actual competition for a place in the side for Gabby is Scott Sinclair - and whilst this might be a contentious opinion. for me, Gabby is better than Scott Sinclair - so he plays.Anyways, the point I'm making is that it's not mental that Gabby is starting games, and that no matter how much wishful thinking we put into it, it's almost impossible to have a formation in which Grealish, Gil, Traore and Ayew all play without unbalancing the side. I wouldn't expect Garde to look at our squad and not pick Gabby right now - the solution would lie in using the window to balance the squad. Edited October 31, 2015 by OutByEaster? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gharperr Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 (edited) The guy has been a regular for the past 5 managers. Doubt hes going to get pushed out the side just because a manager is french. He'll continue to make plenty of appearences Edited October 31, 2015 by gharperr 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 He actually forced his way into the team under Lambert initially. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Well during the first 2 managers he was actually pretty good, and the last 3 ones have been utterly incompetent so I don't see it as a sure thing that Garde will play him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshVilla Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Sure i remember Houllier dropping him when he first started managing us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 You see OBE I was making the assessment we'd actually sign a decent striker so in my mind it would be: Ayew New good premier league experienced striker Grealish Sinclair/Gabby Gestede Gil/TraoreThat front trio has changed a few times this season.I think the problem is the main forward in our limited team needs to be reasonably capable of scoring a decent amount. Can you say with any confidence having watched him this season Gabby looks capable of scoring even 7 league goals at prem level this season?As much as I don't rate Gestede, he's scored 3 already and I'd back him to outscore Gabby even if he's very limited in our attacks.It is a big problem and one we must rectify in January if we are to have a serious shot at staying up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted October 31, 2015 Moderator Share Posted October 31, 2015 (edited) You see OBE I was making the assessment we'd actually sign a decent striker so in my mind it would be: Ayew New good premier league experienced striker Grealish Sinclair/Gabby Gestede Gil/TraoreThat front trio has changed a few times this season.I think the problem is the main forward in our limited team needs to be reasonably capable of scoring a decent amount. Can you say with any confidence having watched him this season Gabby looks capable of scoring even 7 league goals at prem level this season?As much as I don't rate Gestede, he's scored 3 already and I'd back him to outscore Gabby even if he's very limited in our attacks.It is a big problem and one we must rectify in January if we are to have a serious shot at staying up.Nope - I don't think Gabby should be playing up front for us - at the moment, not even as part of a front two - I would have him starting down the left in a 4-2-3-1 though.I agree that what we could do with as a better centre forward. I'm not sure I understand the way you've laid out those players - the top row is how you'd like to see us start but reads from right to left with the second row the back up options but arranged left to right? If that's the case, then I'm not really in disagreement with either, with Grealish down the left and a third central midfielder then I think we'd solid enough to support Amavi. Edited October 31, 2015 by OutByEaster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 It reads as first choice back three of Ayew (don't think anyone would disagree with that after last week), Grealish (as think if we play possession football under new manager he'll be very impact) and new striker as I don't rate any of our central players.Actually thinking about it I want Adama to start games so I'd bring him in and move Ayew to central and see if that works although not sure that will be his best position in this league, playing back to goal and all that.The ones below are purely back up e.g. Gil behind Grealish in the pecking order and Gabby and Sinclair as far away from the pitch as humanly possible.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted October 31, 2015 Moderator Share Posted October 31, 2015 Understood, I think your second row are the wrong way around, (Gil/Traore should be back up for Ayew and Gabby/Sinclair for Grealish) but the principle is sound and one I'd agree with - I'd suggested pretty much the same in the match thread for Spurs but with Gil ahead of Traore.I'm not against Gabby not starting, but I think there are a couple of formations where he's our best option - in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2 we're light on the left hand side, that'll keep him in the team, whether or not he can find some form or not is up to him, I'm just making the point that he's not as easy to leave out as some would suggest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Grealish and Gil are sorts that float all round the pitch though demanding the ball and wanting to play 1-2s so it's hard to define a position for them when they drift all over the place apart from their nominal starting position at kick off.Yeah Traore is a bit different, he's a more fixed up and down the line wide player but put him on the right as he did his damage at Palace from that side of the pitch and when he came on v Liverpool he played on that side of the pitch.I tend to group players together...Gil and Grealish are lightweight ball players so to me it's one or the other we can't support both in the same team while likes of Traore, Gabby and Sinclair are runners with or without the ball and don't have a clue what to do when defences sit deep and hold them off, I would like to see Adama get a run now though,Ayew is the one wildcard we've got, after an anonymous start he's been much better lately so wouldn't shock me if he starts as centre forward on Monday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supernova26 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 (edited) Given what we've got to play with Gabby should always be in the team he's still fast as **** his finishing will never be great but he makes things happen a...his little dink for Ayew was indicative of that. Holds the ball up ok as well. Probably at the expense of Grealish at the moment who is being knocked off the ball every time he gets it at the moment. Edited October 31, 2015 by supernova26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Sure i remember Houllier dropping him when he first started managing usWhat you talking about? Houllier loved Abdomgowor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Sure i remember Houllier dropping him when he first started managing usWhat you talking about? Houllier loved Abdomgowor.To begin with he criticised gabby for bulking up too much and that he needed to slim down to get his explosive speed back. Pretty sure he was dropped for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted November 1, 2015 Moderator Share Posted November 1, 2015 Charlie Aitken 1960-76 660 gamesGordon Cowans 1976-94 531 gamesBilly Walker 1919-33 527 gamesJoe Bache 1900-15 474 gamesAllen Evans 1977-89 474 gamesNigel Spink 1979-96 460 gamesTommy Smart 1919-33 452 gamesGareth Barry 1997-2009 441 gamesJohnny Dixon 1945-61 430 gamesDennis Mortimer 1975-85 406 gamesBilly George 1897-11 401 gamesEric Houghton 1929-47 392 gamesArthur Dorrell 1919-30 390 gamesHarry Hampton 1904-20 390 gamesTommy Mort 1921-35 368 gamesGabriel Agbonlahor 2006 - present 361 games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Sure i remember Houllier dropping him when he first started managing usWhat you talking about? Houllier loved Abdomgowor. To begin with he criticised gabby for bulking up too much and that he needed to slim down to get his explosive speed back. Pretty sure he was dropped for a while Yeah, my post was meant more as a joke regarding Houllier's attempts at pronouncing Gabby's name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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