SittingbourneSeagull
Well-known member
Yep, but quite a few Managers have kept him and played him. I would hazard a guess that most of those Managers knew quite a bit more about football then you.
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Adam El-Abd
- Thread starter Gullywog
- Start date
Yep, but quite a few Managers have kept him and played him. I would hazard a guess that most of those Managers knew quite a bit more about football then you.
andywhing4england
New member
- Jan 19, 2009
- 436
El-Abd is a limited player and an even more limited left back. obviously McNulty is our first choice but i would rather see El-Abd at left back than that Wright. At least el-abd can defend whereas wright cannot defend nor pass, cross or do anything right.plus hes just about as slow as el abd
smudge
Up the Albion!
What he said.
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
There's being positive and there's rose-tinted glasses. The way that some of you are talking, there's no work to be done and no need to offload any players and get new ones in because we've got a wonderful side. You see any criticism as some sort of treachery.
My opinion of him is based on watching him over his entire career. I'm genuinely sorry if it upsets you but I really don't think he's up to the job. I'm not jumping on his back just for the hell of it nor is it part of some personal vendetta. For what it's worth I thought he was very dodgy in the first half yesterday but much improved in the second half.
Elphick deserves all the plaudits for yesterday. To go through the nightmare that he's had over the last few games he's played and to come back in a big game and play that well....that takes a lot. Right at the beginning of the season before his confidence was shot to pieces, you could see he was composed, his first touch had much improved and he was looking to pass through midfield rather than hoof it out of trouble.
IMO a big problem last year and also for this year has been Virgo. He came back as some sort of prodigal son and seems (according to his comments after the Slade sacking) to think he's got a God-given right to play in the team. He's been as poor as any of the defenders this season and he's not a good captain. He definitely seemed to unbalance the side last season, playing in some bizarre positions and ahead of more able players.
Just my opinion, like.
SittingbourneSeagull
Well-known member
Agree about Virgo. I think he is a whole hearted player, but he needs to earn his place in the team, and IMHO at the moment the centre backs that played yesterday should be first choice. Tunnicliffe is good on the ball and also has pace, and Elphick looks as though he is prepared to change his game to become more of a ball playing centre half. Just hope that we don't continually slag him off when he makes mistakes playing this way as he will.
heavyweightsrbest
New member
- Oct 10, 2009
- 66
New Manager Syndrome...........All the defensive combinations we have tried have still produced the worst defending I have seen from an Albion team since the early 1970's. One game has not suddenly changed the players into world beaters. El-Abd will not be a regular by the end of the season and I suspect there will be a clearout in the summer. These players are not consistent enough to get us out of the division.
He did indeed have an iffy start and things did get better - and it helps when you have the fastest man on the pitch covering your ass.
Love the guy for filling in wherever he is asked - but he gets so far from his man at times that you'd never know if he can tackle or not, because you can't tackle from 20 yards away.
From what I've seen of Wright's a far better footballer - and given time, he could be really good cover for the (whisper this) slightly accident prone Jimmy Mac. As we bring in more and better players I see El Abd's role becoming more and more marginalised.
Love the guy for filling in wherever he is asked - but he gets so far from his man at times that you'd never know if he can tackle or not, because you can't tackle from 20 yards away.
From what I've seen of Wright's a far better footballer - and given time, he could be really good cover for the (whisper this) slightly accident prone Jimmy Mac. As we bring in more and better players I see El Abd's role becoming more and more marginalised.
Yeh, come on - in terms of pure skill and the beautiful game he may be a bit of a cart-horse - but he's OUR bit of a cart-horse, through and through - and will play anywhere he's asked and always put in a full shift.
OK, when everybody's fit (if ever that happens to us!) he'll be a bench-warmer, but in the absence of resources of ManU and the like, we need blokes like him in the squad. Let's get off his back and at least give him credit for what he does do!
OK, when everybody's fit (if ever that happens to us!) he'll be a bench-warmer, but in the absence of resources of ManU and the like, we need blokes like him in the squad. Let's get off his back and at least give him credit for what he does do!
The Large One
Who's Next?
The bloke has his limitations, his foibles and his errors. But to say he shouldn't be in this division - can't agree.
Yesterday, one left-back was a former England Under-21 international who has commanded just shy of seven figures in transfer fees during his career and playing in his strongest position, one was a player filling in in a relatively unfamiliar position. Could you tell which was which?
In the absence of Jim McNulty, he'll do me fine for now.
Yesterday, one left-back was a former England Under-21 international who has commanded just shy of seven figures in transfer fees during his career and playing in his strongest position, one was a player filling in in a relatively unfamiliar position. Could you tell which was which?
In the absence of Jim McNulty, he'll do me fine for now.
BensGrandad
New member
I think that people should lay off of Adam El Abd as he has served us well in which ever position that he has been asked to play.
The excitement of the game may be some excuse for these intemperate criticisms, which entirely miss El-Abd’s contribution to two of our goals, which can clearly be seen from viewing the Sky highlights in slo-mo.
Murray’s second goal [1m 10s] - El-Abd long throw, from just inside our half, lands neatly on Murray’s forehead, on to Forster perfectly positioned a little ahead on the corner of their box. Forster traps, back to goal, and with swivel turn passes neatly into path of Murray racing into box ahead of his marker. Murray strike, slightly deflected by goalkeeper’s left hand, cracks back off goal post into Murray’s continued run for tap-in.
Croft’s goal [3m 16s] - near half-way line, high ball drops almost vertically onto Croft’s head, as he is nudged in the back by a defender, resulting in ball going back towards our midfield. El-Abd can be seen to have anticipated this possibility, whilst also tracking back with the attacker he was covering. He was well placed to make an inch perfect half-volley forward to Dicker’s feet, lurking well forward and clear of his marker. He in turn had plenty of time for accurate pass to Dickinson, free of his marker on the left wing, who neatly worked his way to corner of the box ready for a measured pass into the path of Croft (him again!) storming forward to place the ball beyond the goalkeeper’s left hand and just inside the post.
Two sweet moves to savour for years to come set in motion by the player you wouldn’t recognise from the comments quoted. Watch the video and be ashamed!
Murray's first goal showed we were in with a chance; the second was key in allowing the forbidden thought that we really might win, and Croft's allowed us to think we really were going to win.
This says it all:
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Big Ernie McCracken
New member
- Mar 9, 2009
- 82
Poyet rates him more than virgo, livermore and wright and he knows a bit more than most on here
Deportivo Seagull
I should coco
El Abd - dreadful footballer who if you spotted him playing in the local park probably wouldn't pick out as a cut above anyone else. Awful defending consistently costs us goals and points and has little/no talent when on the ball. Get rid.
QUOTE]
That is shameful, and quite frankly bollocks. If he is as bad as you say then no manager would ever pick him, they'd pick some youth player or go a find a lad on the local park who stands out. Typical bollocks for the NSC 'Voice of reason'
El Abd is a league1 squad player and nothing , I suspect that he knows this. He's no Mcnulty and will most probably be realsed at when his contract is up. I suspect that he will end up at a league 2 club and will be a regular. But to say he is not a professional footballer and is a disgrace to his trade is insulting and tells us more about the poster than the player.
Hannibal smith
New member
My memory is that El Abd was awful in that season. Often seemed to be playing right back and the opposition always let him have the ball going forward as they knew his distribution wasn't good enough to find one of our players. The amount of possesion we lost when he had the ball at his feet was frightening. That's the problem of playing Virgo, Elphick and El abd for me. Our forwards would all need neck braces to cope with the hoof ball and nothing creative comes from the back.
That said, we had Gatting up front that seasin so it is entirely poissible that he was one of the better players. No wonder we went down.
I thought he had a good game on Sunday, but was shocking against Hartlepool and Wycombe.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
Good squad player, at this level, luckily for us he is 100% committed everytime he plays (how many of our players can claim that attribute?) and over the last couple of years he has covered in quite a few positions. He may not be the No1 choice in any of them but comes in for some pretty unneccesary abuse on here imo.
Any player who comes in to replace a first teamer would be inferior you would think, and El Abd is no different.
To compare him with Harding though is stretching it a bit TLO. Harding spent most of the time coming at us down our left and put countless crosses into our box which abeit we defnded superbly but you would never see Adam get forward like Harding can.
El Abd had a great game sunday though.
I have never really fully understood the logic behind this type of comment.
Anyways, if we are to move upwards and onwards then surely we need better players than El-Abd?
My main issue is not only is he a liability, opposing teams often seem to spot it very quickly.