penguin Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 On his day he can still cause the opposition big problems, unfortunately his day seems few and far between. Extremely frustrating as he isn't far off being a very dangerous player imo, always on the shoulder of the last man and seems like he gets a good chance a game (like the one on one VS West Ham) but often his poor finishing lets him down. Think I'd rather start Zog, have a feeling Gabby will come on and cause them problems though, hopefully not just wishful thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 This might be unpopular but I'd start him on Saturday - he doesn't show up nearly as often as he should but most of the times he does are in big games and you don't get much bigger than an FA Cup final. Well, a couple of weeks ago I suggested he should start since he has a very good record against Arsenal. However based on Sunday I'm having major second thoughts, he was disgraceful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 He's a bloody dangerous player on his day. Unfortunately, he has about 6 'days' a season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest av1 Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) He's a bloody dangerous player on his day. Unfortunately, he has about 6 'days' a season. I can't remember 6 so far this season, so I guess I'd start him Saturday ☺ Edited May 26, 2015 by av1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) I understand what Gabby does, but he has never appealed to me....to cite a threat is a kind of apology for not turning it in to a punish....I want players who punish teams not threaten them. I like players like dean Saunders with in boxing terms have "ring craft" Edited May 26, 2015 by TRO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 This might be unpopular but I'd start him on Saturday - he doesn't show up nearly as often as he should but most of the times he does are in big games and you don't get much bigger than an FA Cup final. On what basis is this idea founded on? It can surely only be the old villa fan/ local boy facade that surrounds him. Similar performances from other players would see them struggle to make the squad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 Gabriel Agbonlahor reignites a curious career to give Aston Villa hope The striker has been an enigma during 10 years in the Premier League but is again showing his worth when a critical situation demands Gabriel Agbonlahor's goal against West Brom was his fourth of the season and his first since 24 November. Photograph: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images It was a goal that had Tim Sherwood manically sprinting down the touchline, re-energised Aston Villa and lifted Gabriel Agbonlahor up to 45th place on the all-time Premier League goalscorers’ list, level with Brian Deane and Chris Armstrong. Or, to look at it another way, one position higher than Eric Cantona. The 71st top-flight goal of Agbonlahor’s career, and in particular the performance he produced during the first half of that crucial 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night, was like being taken on a trip down memory lane. Quick, direct and aggressive, this was the Agbonlahor of old, the centre-forward to whom Fabio Capello gave three England caps and Martin O’Neill described as a “priceless asset”. Agbonlahor was unplayable – only not in the way that many Villa fans had imagined beforehand, when the consensus seemed to be that Tim Sherwood had made a serious error of judgment by starting with a forward who had failed to score in his previous 14 league games. “Strangely excellent” would be one way of summing up Agbonlahor’s display against Albion. As well as scoring the opening goal he ran Joleon Lescott ragged, ought to have had a penalty when Ben Foster cleaned him out and he saw two efforts cleared off the line. All of that happened before half-time and when he was substituted eight minutes from time a standing ovation followed. “I think it was appreciated by the fans the other night, they were singing his name, you can’t imagine how much players grow from that,” Sherwood, the Villa manager, said. “I’ve managed one of the hottest strikers in English football at the moment, Harry Kane, he had to win over them Tottenham fans.” At times it was quite an ordeal for Lescott and it is safe to assume that the Albion defender will not relish the prospect of coming up against Agbonlahor again, when the two teams meet at Villa Park in an FA Cup quarter-final. “Joleon 10 years ago wouldn’t catch him. It’s nothing to do with age or players,” Sherwood said. “Gabby Agbonlahor is an extraordinarily quick player. Every game I’ve told him to play on the shoulder and look to get in behind, because once he gets in behind you, he’s hard to stop.” Yet Agbonlahor can also look like a player who needs a set of jump leads to get him started. He scored two in the first four games this season, picked up a new four-year contract at a time when Villa were feeling generous beyond belief (Paul Lambert also signed a long-term deal in September) and then scored once in his next 21 appearances. At times this season Agbonlahor has given the impression that he is going through the motions, rather than the gears. His is a curious case in so many respects. Born in Erdington and picked up by Villa at the age of 14, he has never been viewed as a footballer blessed with natural talent – “The one thing that attracted us to him was his pace, he had absolutely nothing else,” Bryan Jones, Villa’s former academy director, told the Guardian in 2008 – yet this is his 10th season as a Premier League player and there are moments when he can be absolutely devastating. A stunning seven-minute hat-trick against Manchester City back in 2008 sticks in the mind. He is part of the furniture at Villa Park and it will be a strange day when there is no Agbonlahor in the team photo. Given his debut under David O’Leary nine years ago this month, Agbonlahor has had more strike partners (17) over the years than Villa have scored league goals this season. Juan Pablo Ángel, Milan Baros, Luke Moore, Kevin Phillips, Chris Sutton, John Carew, Marlon Harewood, Nathan Delfouneso, Emile Heskey, Darren Bent, Andreas Weimann, Robbie Keane, Christian Benteke, Jordan Bowery, Nicklas Helenius, Grant Holt and Libor Kozak have all tried their luck with varying degrees of success and failure. Agbonlahor is a survivor and yet it is hard not to look back over his career, in particular that period when he was in his early 20s, in and around the England squad, scoring 11 (2007-08), 12 (2008‑09) and 13 (2009-10) Premier League goals a season, and question what has happened since and why performances such as the one against West Bromwich have become the exception and not the norm. One school of thought among those that know him well is that life has been too comfortable for too long for Villa’s longest-serving player and that the desire, hunger and determination to push on no longer burns inside. Agbonlahor has been loyal to Villa but also extremely well paid. The four-year contract he signed in 2010 was worth £60,000 a week. Why leave? And would Agbonlahor have got that lucrative deal he signed in September anywhere else? Others highlight the fact that Agbonlahor is Villa through and through and point to mitigating factors behind his deteriorating goal return. It is certainly true that Villa have been in steady decline across the period when his goals have dried up – he has scored only 25 in the league in the past five seasons and nine of those came in 2012‑13. There is also a legitimate argument that any forward would have struggled to make a mark for so much of this season, when the football was dire under Lambert and chances at a premium. Perhaps the biggest thing that can be said in defence of Agbonlahor’s form over the second half of his career is that he has spent far too long playing out of position since O’Neill left the club. Gérard Houllier, Alex McLeish and Paul Lambert all deployed Agbonlahor wide, where he never looks comfortable. He was arguably at his best for Villa back in the days when Carew was playing alongside him up front, in the same way that Christian Benteke did against West Bromwich. “That strike partnership [Agbonlahor and Benteke], outside the top six clubs, they’ve got to be the best two,” Sherwood said. “But on paper it doesn’t make any difference, you have to go and prove it and go and do it. And it’s about this time when Gabby normally comes out and starts keeping this team in the league.” The last comment was accompanied with a smile but has some substance. Two years ago, when Villa were mired in yet another relegation battle, Agbonlahor decided to turn it on and scored six in seven during the last nine games of the season to help them survive. What Sherwood and Agbonlahor would do for a repeat of that run now, with a couple of trips to Wembley thrown in. Link Am i reading this right?? one half decent game, yes that's all it was half decent, and suddenly all is perfect in the world of Gabby. Well hold tight Gabby fans, your probably going to get another run of mediocrity at best. I cant believe how he gets away with it time after time. Just because he supports the club. i for one will not be fooled. sorry. Could anyone really disagree with this now? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob182 Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) Shall we bring that post up when Gabby's had a couple of decent games again, and say 'seeeeee we told you he was okay! Narr narrrrr!' ? For what's it's worth, I think Sherwood has played him in the past two games just to get his match fitness up so he's an option for the finale. However, neither of those games were good games for a player do Gabby's 'talents'. He needs to play on the shoulder with constant through balls for him to sprint on to. Against Burnley all we did was cross the ball, and that's not playing to Gabby's strengths, so I'm not sure why anyone is surprised (or not, in your case Dave) that he didn't play well. Returning from injury + a tactic that doesn't suit you + a one dimensional player + the whole team playing poorly due to having one eye on a cup final = shock horror... A poor performance Edited May 26, 2015 by Rob182 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heid3ster Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Am i reading this right?? one half decent game, yes that's all it was half decent, and suddenly all is perfect in the world of Gabby. Well hold tight Gabby fans, your probably going to get another run of mediocrity at best. I cant believe how he gets away with it time after time. Just because he supports the club. i for one will not be fooled. sorry. Could anyone really disagree with this now? Dave J in agreeing with Dave J shocker. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 He's a bloody dangerous player on his day. Unfortunately, he has about 6 'days' a season. I can't remember 6 so far this season, so I guess I'd start him Saturday ☺ Haha well yeah, this is the thing isn't it? He could turn up and wreak havoc on Arsenal's defence - alternatively, he could be a massive liability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czechlad Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 It's a tricky situation, but the more I think about it, the more I think we should play Gabby. He thrives when we are forced to counter and attack quickly. N'Zogbia likes to hold onto the ball and create chances. I think against Arsenal we will won't see the ball nearly as much as we did against Burnley and there will be a lot more room for Gabby to work with. ------Benteke-------Agbonlahor------ --------------Grealish------------------- That's what I think will work. If it isn't working and Gabby is just doing nothing as he typically does, bring on Gil or N'Zogbia. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted May 28, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted May 28, 2015 It's a tricky situation, but the more I think about it, the more I think we should play Gabby. He thrives when we are forced to counter and attack quickly. N'Zogbia likes to hold onto the ball and create chances. I think against Arsenal we will won't see the ball nearly as much as we did against Burnley and there will be a lot more room for Gabby to work with. ------Benteke-------Agbonlahor------ --------------Grealish------------------- That's what I think will work. If it isn't working and Gabby is just doing nothing as he typically does, bring on Gil or N'Zogbia. Was about to post this exact thing... ... except not as finely worded. Thanks for saving my time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villarocker Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 (edited) They will have Walcott and Bellerin flying down our left side. We need pace to counter that and Gabby is our main asset for pace. Edited May 28, 2015 by villarocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Richardson will get absolutely bummed by them if he doesn't have some protection. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakid007 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 This guy is rubbish. End of AVFC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penguin Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 It's a tricky situation, but the more I think about it, the more I think we should play Gabby. He thrives when we are forced to counter and attack quickly. N'Zogbia likes to hold onto the ball and create chances. I think against Arsenal we will won't see the ball nearly as much as we did against Burnley and there will be a lot more room for Gabby to work with. ------Benteke-------Agbonlahor------ --------------Grealish------------------- That's what I think will work. If it isn't working and Gabby is just doing nothing as he typically does, bring on Gil or N'Zogbia. Don't be silly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Horses for courses though. He has a been a thorn in Arsenal's side many times so must start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave J Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Shall we bring that post up when Gabby's had a couple of decent games again, and say 'seeeeee we told you he was okay! Narr narrrrr!' ? For what's it's worth, I think Sherwood has played him in the past two games just to get his match fitness up so he's an option for the finale. However, neither of those games were good games for a player do Gabby's 'talents'. He needs to play on the shoulder with constant through balls for him to sprint on to. Against Burnley all we did was cross the ball, and that's not playing to Gabby's strengths, so I'm not sure why anyone is surprised (or not, in your case Dave) that he didn't play well. Returning from injury + a tactic that doesn't suit you + a one dimensional player + the whole team playing poorly due to having one eye on a cup final = shock horror... A poor performance I would totally agree with your one dimensional assessment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I see the arguments for him and yes we are likely to lose out on possession and counter attacking may be our best option. For me that shows as a club,we have not progressed in finding players to oust him.....but for the moment we have what we have. The worry for me with Zog....is him getting caught in possession and them launching their counter attacks with Walcott at the centre of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I don't see him doing anything if he starts on Saturday, just a feeling but he just hasn't looked sharp in his sub appearances and I thought he was awful against Burnley. Npt sure he'll just turn it on v Arsenal. I'm normally pro Gabby but think that would be a sentimental pick when we had nice balance with CNZ playing in the semi final. I'd have him as sub ready for the hour mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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