Been waiting for this one - Gabbi out?

Read this article again on Gabbi - https://www.football-italia.net/96843/napoli-too-big-gabbiadini

Was at his best either on the right of a front 3 or as a support striker.

"Playing on the right of a front-three which also included Eder and Stefano Okaka, the forward was able to cut in onto his favoured left foot and curl the ball into the far top corner."

As soon as he was put into a 4-3-3 or asked to play a lone striker he under performed.

Maybe there should be a reminder of what the positions were for the players we signed when they played their best football.

Read this article again on Gabbi - https://www.football-italia.net/96843/napoli-too-big-gabbiadini

 

Was at his best either on the right of a front 3 or as a support striker.

 

"Playing on the right of a front-three which also included Eder and Stefano Okaka, the forward was able to cut in onto his favoured left foot and curl the ball into the far top corner."

 

As soon as he was put into a 4-3-3 or asked to play a lone striker he under performed.

 

Maybe there should be a reminder of what the positions were for the players we signed when they played their best football.

Mentioned that position for him a few times. Seemed kind of obvious to me to try it with a bloke with a cannon of a left foot.

I don't think gabbi has ever been played with purpose in a wide part of a front 3 at Saints

fecking criminal really.

Ok so if Gabbi is an intelligent footballer why doesn't change his game up. Yes his team mates could do more but if he just keeps doing the same runs expecting his team mates to suddenly start finding him despite all the evidence they won't how intelligent is he?

You're right. Whilst he's at it why doesn't he start picking up the ball in his own half and beating 8 players like Messi would, if he's that intelligent. Just adapt ffs.

You're right. Whilst he's at it why doesn't he start picking up the ball in his own half and beating 8 players like Messi would, if he's that intelligent. Just adapt ffs.

iirc, that's one reason for Boufal finally getting a starting place in the team.

You're right. Whilst he's at it why doesn't he start picking up the ball in his own half and beating 8 players like Messi would, if he's that intelligent. Just adapt ffs.

So if he can't adapt his game which players should adapt their game to suit him then? Someone has to do something different do they not?

But if Gabbi is unable to adapt his game why are we assuming the rest of the squad can adapt instead?

 

The consensus is Gabbi needs us to play certain way to get the best out of him but that our other players can't provide that type of service so either Gabbi needs to adapt or the rest of the squad do either way we are requiring someone to deviate from their natural game.

Because the rest of the squad have already played in a way that would benefit Gabbi in the past. It's the same team that made the most of Long in '15, by playing to his strengths. When they started playing to his feet last season, while he had his back to goal (presumably because that's how he'd been told to set up) he became hopeless. I don't think it's the striker's job to do everything (unless you want to fork out for an Aguero), it's the midfielders'. Tadic is capable of that killer pass, but is constantly played out on the right, where he is at his most ponderous. Davis was key in that style of play too, but recently he's out of sorts, and I suspect won't ever return to the '8/10 Davis' we saw a few years ago.

We have proof that it worked, because that's the style we were playing with Gabbi arrived, and look what happened there. Ever since, we've been getting more and more reluctant to play a higher line, possibly because we don't have a Wanyama to mop up the mess, and haven't had a CB of VVD's quality since....well, VVD. All this does is leave Gabbi isolated on the front line, with no support at all. Last season, he was forever coming back into his own half looking for the ball, such was the defensive manner the team was set up.

He, along with Austin, is a natural finisher. Add to that the fact that he's much more creative (2nd goal against Utd in the EFL Final proves that) and I really feel for the bloke. I don't even think he needs a 2nd striker there, he just needs some bloody support from the attacking midfielders behind him, who I'm guessing have the reins on them due to the manager's seemingly complete reluctance to attack the opposition.

Because the rest of the squad have already played in a way that would benefit Gabbi in the past. It's the same team that made the most of Long in '15, by playing to his strengths. When they started playing to his feet last season, while he had his back to goal (presumably because that's how he'd been told to set up) he became hopeless. I don't think it's the striker's job to do everything (unless you want to fork out for an Aguero), it's the midfielders'. Tadic is capable of that killer pass, but is constantly played out on the right, where he is at his most ponderous. Davis was key in that style of play too, but recently he's out of sorts, and I suspect won't ever return to the '8/10 Davis' we saw a few years ago.

We have proof that it worked, because that's the style we were playing with Gabbi arrived, and look what happened there. Ever since, we've been getting more and more reluctant to play a higher line, possibly because we don't have a Wanyama to mop up the mess, and haven't had a CB of VVD's quality since....well, VVD. All this does is leave Gabbi isolated on the front line, with no support at all. Last season, he was forever coming back into his own half looking for the ball, such was the defensive manner the team was set up.

 

He, along with Austin, is a natural finisher. Add to that the fact that he's much more creative (2nd goal against Utd in the EFL Final proves that) and I really feel for the bloke. I don't even think he needs a 2nd striker there, he just needs some bloody support from the attacking midfielders behind him, who I'm guessing have the reins on them due to the manager's seemingly complete reluctance to attack the opposition.

100% agree! Have you got your coaching badges and are you willing to work for £2 million/year?

100% agree! Have you got your coaching badges and are you willing to work for £2 million/year?

I've got a GNVQ in IT, which makes it even worse that the fact even a complete lemming like me can see the problem, yet those paid an absolute fortune at the top, can't.

So if he can't adapt his game which players should adapt their game to suit him then? Someone has to do something different do they not?

Redmond and Tadic particularly, Romeu, Davis, Hojbjerg (as good as he has been), JWP, Cedric, Bertrand. Every single player in the team has the responsibility of supplying the strikers at some time or another, but watching Gabbi make a run and then someone like Redmond take a second touch instead of passing it, meaning his third touch would be a pass to a now offside Gabbi is one of the most infuriating things to see on a football pitch. Play the ball first time for once, it's a skill taught to 5 year olds, yes it may end up with a bad pass but i'd rather 50 bad passes and 50 good passes, than 100 completely pointless sideways ones.

Ok so if Gabbi is an intelligent footballer why doesn't change his game up. Yes his team mates could do more but if he just keeps doing the same runs expecting his team mates to suddenly start finding him despite all the evidence they won't how intelligent is he?

I don't think it's that at all. Not matter how intelligent he is, you can't expect him to score when you bring him on 87mins in to every game. No issue scoring under claude with essentially the same attacking players. Mismanaged by Pellegrino imo.