Straggler Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 On 05/08/2016 at 12:57, Straggler said: Gabby is the only one I would consider paying off to get rid this summer. I'm not sure how this has happened, but his influence at the club seems to have grown many factors beyond his ability to perform, to inspire or to lead. He has set the bar very low for what constitutes professional behavior at the club and his example set on and off the pitch last year was appalling. The chances of him making a positive contribution this year are pretty small and I think are rather heavily outweighed by the risk of him being a bad influence on the group. He is certainly not going to be first choice so I hate to think what he might get up to when he realises that he won't really have to be match fit as most of the time he won't get a game. A little bit of motivation in pre season does not mean he can sustain it over 48 games whilst largely being on the periphery and my money is firmly on him getting unmotivated real fast and falling back into old habits. I'd rather get rid now rather than have to deal with him mid season spreading his unique brand of team bonding. The reason why I think we may have to pay him off and not others is that I cannot see anyone wanting to buy him and I don't see Gabby leaving under his own steam. Even as a free agent I struggle to think of a club that will meet his salary expectations and be a place that Gabby would be willing to go and I don't see Gabby being prepared to take a big pay cut to keep playing for a significantly smaller team. In short I see his only future as a football player at Villa where he won't get a game, when he is finished here even at his relatively young age I think he is finished in the professional game. Pay him off, stick him on gardening leave, or let him go on a free (if anyone will have him), just don't let him be around the squad (senior or junior) I hope you can forgive me quoting myself but it is relevant here and I can't be bothered to retype it all. A month ago I was suggesting Gabby is the only one I would consider paying off and I explained why. I think much of this has already come to pass. He has not found a club, he has not shown the ambition to improve himself and at the same time prove himself. I don't claim to be able to see the future, but all the evidence points to the above IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Surely his position at the club is now untenable 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 2 minutes ago, Richard said: Surely his position at the club is now untenable Water off a ducks back, it's been untenable for some time it would seem - just shrugs it off and gets out the shisha pipe and "hippy crack". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fight Like Lions Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Why would we pay him off to the tune of about £7m only to see him become a free agent which would entitle him to a massive signing on free with another club? Ludicrous waste of money. Let him rot and hopefully he won't be so stupid come January when he sees Tony is completely serious. He's got away with far too much for far too long to let him have his way now, make him train alone until he cracks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 (edited) Well the only chance he has of playing football now before January is if we release him on a free transfer. He certainly won't be playing for us again. I know I said this around xmas last year and he wormed his way back in but we've got about 5 strikers ahead of him in pecking order now. His choice. Even with a loan we'd still be paying most of his wages so don't understand why he hasn't gone somewhere. Reading is 90 minutes away from Brum on the train so he can still see his kids regularly. Edited September 1, 2016 by VillaChris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Still getting paid. Probably just biding his time hoping we'll struggle and that Di Matteo will get sacked and that the next manager will play him when the African players are off to AFCON. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 14 minutes ago, Fight Like Lions said: Why would we pay him off to the tune of about £7m only to see him become a free agent which would entitle him to a massive signing on free with another club? Ludicrous waste of money. Let him rot and hopefully he won't be so stupid come January when he sees Tony is completely serious. He's got away with far too much for far too long to let him have his way now, make him train alone until he cracks. Do you not see the irony? In addition i would just suggest that him "rotting" could have the knock on affect of ruining the atmosphere at the club, letting a bad apple ruin the rest as it were Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 2 minutes ago, sne said: Still getting paid. Probably just biding his time hoping we'll struggle and that Di Matteo will get sacked and that the next manager will play him when the African players are off to AFCON. Bit silly of him then as it seems not just the manager needs to get sacked. The owner would need sacking too before Gabby plays for us again 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Just now, Richard said: Bit silly of him then as it seems not just the manager needs to get sacked. The owner would need sacking too before Gabby plays for us again But then again Gabby is not supposed to be the sharpest knife... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted September 1, 2016 VT Supporter Share Posted September 1, 2016 If he manages to hide in the bootroom cupboard for just a while longer he will be due a testomonial! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 He already is...made his debut in March 2006. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_c Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Whatever your opinion on Gabby, I think the whole situation (even more so N'Zogbia) really highlights that something needs to be done about footballers contracts. The fact that a player could sign a five year contract and then essentially have a terrible attitude, let their fitness go, be generally disruptive etc.., but still collect their full pay for the whole five years just isn't healthy for the game. They really need to be regulations on minimum standards in contracts. Particularly to protect smaller clubs. (I realise this is never going to happen with player power the way it is) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delphinho123 Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 There is no 'speculation' thread so I might as well spend my time in here. Don't know what to type really though. Gabby's shit? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fight Like Lions Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 36 minutes ago, Richard said: Do you not see the irony? In addition i would just suggest that him "rotting" could have the knock on affect of ruining the atmosphere at the club, letting a bad apple ruin the rest as it were Of course. My point is that Gabby now clearly wants to be paid off and I don't feel we should. I addressed the issue of him ruining the atmosphere by suggesting he should train alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 1 minute ago, Fight Like Lions said: Of course. My point is that Gabby now clearly wants to be paid off and I don't feel we should. As intellectually challenged as he may be he has put himself in that position and I believe the comments from the owner may have actually helped him in that quest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 47 minutes ago, Richard said: Do you not see the irony? In addition i would just suggest that him "rotting" could have the knock on affect of ruining the atmosphere at the club, letting a bad apple ruin the rest as it were I can see some sense in this. Begrudgingly, allowing him to leave and sign on for a free transfer is the "amicle" way that suits all parties. Yes Gabby will be "getting away with it", but who really cares - protecting AVFC interests is paramount and seeing off a player with a pay off and the best possible chance to ply his trade somewhere else sends messages that we don't deal players a bad deal after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fight Like Lions Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Just now, Richard said: As intellectually challenged as he may be he has put himself in that position and I believe the comments from the owner may have actually helped him in that quest Quite possibly although you can imagine his agent playing a role in this and making it quite clear he doesn't have to go anywhere in the hope of a pay out. The bottom line is I don't want to see him in a Villa shirt again but I also don't want to see him (and his agent) benefit financially from a signing on fee at a new club. Unfortunately that's the reality of the football landscape now so I will have to get over it! What I find hard to gauge is whether VT represents the majority of villa fans views on Gabby as his Instagram feed is full of fans hailing him a 'legend' etc. Even seen a couple of posts today claiming he is loyal for not going to Reading!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nnock1984 Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Put him on gardening leave until the end of his contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjvilla Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Can we tell him that he's not welcome at bodymoor or villa park? Don't let him train, be anywhere near anything villa and see what he thinks in January if reading come calling! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjvilla Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Just now, Mjvilla said: Can we tell him that he's not welcome at bodymoor or villa park? Don't let him train, be anywhere near anything villa and see what he thinks in January if reading come calling! Or, even better, get him into bodymoor and do nothing but run from when he starts to when he finishes training. No ball work, not with the kids. On his own, running laps of a training pitch. Make him earn his money. Force his hand to want to leave us. Be absolute words removed to him like he was to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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