Paul McGrath: Why Aston Villa fans were wrong to turn on Agbonlahor
HEARING the Holte End chanting your name at the top of their voices is one the best feelings in the world and I should know because they still do it 50 times during Villa home games.
But I can't imagine how painful it must be when the Villa Park faithful turn against you like they did with Gabby Agbonlahor against Tottenham on Sunday.
Villa fans are usually so patient and they have always been brilliant with me during my playing days and since I've hung up my boots.
Which is why I was so upset to hear the ironic cheers aimed at Gabby when he was substituted towards the end of the sorry Spurs defeat.
There must have been a significant amount of supporters abusing him because the shocking reaction was audible on the television.
The only player I can remember getting similar stick from the claret and blue army was Savo Milosevic.
Believe it or not Savo was one of the most skilful strikers I ever played with and in training his first touch was sublime.
But he went through a spell where he couldn't hit a barn door, thought he'd never score again, and got frustrated with himself.
In turn the fans' patience with him finally snapped and there were one or two awkward occasions where they vented their anger at him and vice versa.
To give Gabby similar treatment is extremely harsh because he's still a young kid learning his trade and finding his way in the game.
I think Martin O'Neill is right when he says that some supporters have short memories because it was only recently that Gabby was being hero worshipped.
Knowing Martin he will take Gabby to one side at Bodymoor Heath and have a word with him to find out what damage Sunday's incident has done to him.
I'm sure he'll try to rebuild his fragile confidence by reminding him of the progress he has made to go from youth-teamer to senior England international so rapidly.
And he will challenge Gabby to prove his critics wrong by recapturing the explosive form which has made so many Premier League defenders so frightened of him.
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I think the media have got it all wrong about Gabby's substitution. The sarcastic cheering when he went off was directed at Martin O'Neill NOT Gabby. MON seems to have a problem dropping or substituting certain players even when they are not playing well, hence when Carew came on instead of swapping like for like (Either Gabby or Heskey) he resorts to putting Reo-Coker in the centre of defence and then left back instead of taking the obvious choice off. The fans were not getting at Gabby but having a knock at MON's decisions. Gabby has been off the boil for a while and needs to be taken out the firing line for a bit but MON will continue running him into the ground making his confidence even worse.
Russell, I think it was a bit of both in my opinion with the vans venting their frustrations towards Gabby and Martin.
But the manager has got his own view on who it was directed at, which will appear in Wednesday's Birmingham Mail.
Cheers for contributing. We always like to receive your comments.
Mat