El Abd - whats happened?

[Hercules Rockerfeller]

Been a season ticket holder since 1984 .. what's your point?

Yet, it's taken you until now to recognise the improvement of Me E A? Fair enough!

 

[One Robbie Reinelt]

Yet, it's taken you until now to recognise the improvement of Me E A? Fair enough!

Just making an observation on how he's improved recently ... sorry this has offended you so much.
You're not a Swindon fan are you? Your intellect indicates you might be. Perhaps you're one of those Withdean boo boys. Whatever you are .. you're the reason why I don't post too often.

 

[clapham_gull]

Well worth a reminder, simply for those on here who thought his natural place was in the lower leagues as opposed to the first player on the team sheet in a Gus Poyet team.

Any little credibility they had before that has been simply blown away.

 

[Hercules Rockerfeller]

Just making an observation on how he's improved recently ... sorry this has offended you so much.
You're not a Swindon fan are you? Your intellect indicates you might be. Perhaps you're one of those Withdean boo boys. Whatever you are .. you're the reason why I don't post too often.

Oh dear. Shall I pick those toys back up for you? Anyway, you're right. He's improved magnificently. Happy for the lad.

 

[severnside gull]

Exceptional tonight - never stops shouting at his fellow defenders - never stops running and tackling - and more and more he is the pivotal man in our "passing it around at the back" game and looks composed and very much at home with it. I've always liked him for his grit and determination but never thought I would be singing his praises as a ball-playing centre back too Unreal

 

[Bwian]

He must be one hard bastard playing in those conditions tonight after that injury. Glad he's one of ours.

 

[One Robbie Reinelt]

Oh dear. Shall I pick those toys back up for you? Anyway, you're right. He's improved magnificently. Happy for the lad.

I'm glad we finally agree .... toys picked up & back aboard the Gus bus. It's a fantastic journey so far - long may it continue!

 

[NMH]

Wow! He didn't put a foot wrong tonight.
What a transformation ... zero to absolute Albion hero.

You don't know what you are talking about. He's never been 'zero'.

 

[Spanish Seagulls]

You don't know what you are talking about. He's never been 'zero'.

You'd have thought he was with all the flak he took first half of last season. Personally I've never been one to slate our own players, the opposition however, now that's a different story.

 

[Skaville]

It would be interesting to see where he would come in a player of the season (thus far) poll. There is some stiff competition but I reckon he'd make the top three.

 

[Chester Drawers]

So he had a great game against a glorified park side. Let's get his performance into perspective.

 

[Icy Gull]

You don't know what you are talking about. He's never been 'zero'.

Have to give credit where it's due, you have been championing him for years.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Finally given a position to play, and the right position for him. Shunting him from right back to left back to centre mid to centre half didn't help him at all. Having said that, full credit to Gus for giving him that opportunity. It would be easy to pigeon hole him and he didn't do that. Unlike Adams and his treatment of Virgo

 

[Silverhatch]

AEA has also been played in midfield too as a break it up give it simple midfielder. The bloke's built like a brick shit house, seems pretty articulate when you speak to him, is clearly a versatile and improving footballer who works at his game and can take instructions from a good coach. I think Adam El Abd is the absolute antithesis of the modern short term gotta have it now he's had one game he's crap mentality that is everywhere in football (and beyond). He's stuck at it, not been mouthy and petulant and is now a bedrock in good team. f***ing good on him.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

El Abd never was a holding midfielder. He did have a couple of decent games - but that was not his position. He got caught out of position and his close control was not good enough. He also couldn't pass.

He was a better full-back - but more defensive than offensive. He was never a Painter or Calderon.

He is a centre-back. And like most of us - with the confidence and support of those around him, and playing inthe right position - he is shining. And all aspects of his game are vastly improved. And his passing is better because people are in better positions to receive a pass than when he was in midfield. All our players look better passers.

But if you were a scout from another club looking at him when he was playing in midfield would you really have thought - "that is our man ?".

 

[magoo]

I've said in the past that he shouldn't be playing at this level, and at the time he shouldn't have been. But give him credit he's worked his balls off to improve and that's what being a pro footballer is all about.

 

[chez]

It's no coincidence that he is improved massively since Kuipers has left. I know a lot of you will think this is just another thinly disguised attack at MK but it seems obvious to me that a person would play much better when they knew that their own goalkeeper wasn't going to scream at them after every mistake (even when a lot of the time it was the GK's mistake)!

 

[The Large One]

It's no coincidence that he is improved massively since Kuipers has left. I know a lot of you will think this is just another thinly disguised attack at MK but it seems obvious to me that a person would play much better when they knew that their own goalkeeper wasn't going to scream at them after every mistake (even when a lot of the time it was the GK's mistake)!

You're right - it is thinly disguised. In fact, there's no disguise at all.

Adam El-Abd was, according to Dean Cox at the time, the only person in the squad who would shout back at Kuipers - at which point everyone else would just walk away and leave them to get on with it.

 

[chez]

You're right - it is thinly disguised. In fact, there's no disguise at all.

Adam El-Abd was, according to Dean Cox at the time, the only person in the squad who would shout back at Kuipers - at which point everyone else would just walk away and leave them to get on with it.

Bit of a coincidence though isn't it. It looks like he's still up to his old tricks as well, did you see the way he screamed at his defence when he buggered up a perfectly good back pass against Swindon.

Also wasn't it El Abd that Kuipers screamed at when we were playing away at Northampton in the league a few years back, the barrage was so ferocious that I think Kuipers was actually booked for it.

 

[The Large One]

Bit of a coincidence though isn't it. It looks like he's still up to his old tricks as well, did you see the way he screamed at his defence when he buggered up a perfectly good back pass against Swindon.

Also wasn't it El Abd that Kuipers screamed at when we were playing away at Northampton in the league a few years back, the barrage was so ferocious that I think Kuipers was actually booked for it.

The MASSIVE over-riding 'coincidence' of his improvement - which started while Kuipers was still here and playing - was down to Gus' appointment as manager.

Everything else is a footnote.