Are today's Villans heroes on and off the pitch?
AN interesting theme emerged on an Aston Villa messageboard recently about whether fans respect their heroes as people as well as players.
Us sports hacks are in a privileged position in that we get to meet professional footballers regularly through our work.
And, although we probably moan about our jobs as much as the next man, we never forget how lucky we are to interact with the stars of the show.
I wrote a piece recently about how now-departed Shaun Maloney was a league apart from many of his peers in the way he generously gave mere mortals the time of day.
Perhaps I caught him at a good time, but hopefully he really is a genuinely good guy.
But looking at the thread on a Villa fans' site it seems even supporters who get less access to Martin O'Neill's men than the press still have a good grasp of the players' personalities.
The observations that Villa's Scandinavian duo of Martin Laursen and John Carew are friendly and accessible are spot on.
While, despite this summer's indescretions, Gareth Barry is always approachable if a little guarded and Zat Knight is a great bloke.
And Curtis Davies is possibly the most honest, down-to-earth footballer to emerge from the modern day showbiz age of the Premier League - but that's hardly a secret.
In my limited dealings so far with Brad Friedel, Nicky Shorey, Luke Young and James Milner, Villa seem to have unearthed top blokes as well as top players this summer.
Steve Sidwell, meanwhile, was a breath of fresh air with his chirpy Cockney demeanour and willingness to answer even my sometimes random, Sunday Mercury-style questions.
You'll note that I haven't made reference to a couple of Villa's younger 'superstars' and it's not my place to slate them for being distant, difficult and a tad self-obsessed.
But the topic on the said messageboard suggests that the Villa Park faithful have had similar problems interacting with certain players as us scribes.
Then again, these lads are professional footballers, not politicians or public speakers, so as long as they do their jobs on the pitch should they really be expected to hold court in front of their critical press and adoring public?
How many other youngsters, not long out of their teens, would welcome mixing with people they don't know and articulating their innermost feelings about life, the universe and their England ambitions?
Rest assured Randy Lerner and Martin O'Neill recognise the value of Villa fans and will make a point of passing it on to the club's impressionable young pretenders.
And for the most part the current set of players will respond by taking time out to thank supporters for the time, money and emotion they invest in the claret and blue army.
They'll even stop and talk to the press sometimes, if we're lucky.
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if the rumours about gabbys private life are true, its no wonder he's unnaproachable
To be honest, Gabby is the only player who i'd actually love to give a slap to! All the hype surrounding him is unnecessary! He's lazy, he can just about finish.
I heard from a sort of reliable source that apparently Gabby's earning £56,000p/w!!!
56,000 of the Queens English pounds for HIM!!!!!
What a joke!!!!
I don't quite get why everyones getting on Gabby's back. He's only 21 and will get better over the next two years. He has 20 times more ability than Vassel ever did, and did we get on his back this much.
As for him getting £56,000 per week frankly whocares its not your money and when you think about it thats what 2.9 million per year and in todays transfer market a 21 english proven goal scorer (well 10 and 11 goals per year) he would cost over 12+ million i.e. 4 x his wages.
UTV
regardless of gabby's footballing abilities you have to question his personal morals if recent stories are true.
Daveyboyr,
To be honest mate i wouldn't care if he was earning £56,000 or £156,000 a week, but you have to earn it!
He knows he walks straight into the team and i don't like his attitude, he went to the same school as i did and he was a spoilt little c**t then.
As for his personal life, if he goes on the way he is then thats his choice, but he just epitomises todays society! Liars, cheats, bigomists, greedy b***ards the lot of them! No care in the world for other people! Gabby is one of those!!!
Tom and Salifous big socks,
To be perfectly honest if he impregnated half the slappers in Walsall I wouldn't care as long as he does the business on the park, that’s fine by me. (would produce some very wrong looking offspring though)
MON will get rid of him if he’s not doing the business.
Just give him a chance over the next season then we can make a decision on him. Hes still a kid for crying out loud.
Cut negativity were only three games in...
If he’s starts stubbing cigars out in peoples eyes that's a different matter.