After watching yet another goal shy performance, why on earth is Gardner constantly getting shut out from our team?? I like most over Sunderland fans was over the moon when Bruce payed about 5m+ to sign this lad. He was suposed to be the goal scoring midfielder we've missed for so long. He was a class act at Brum last year, so why is he not playing? Surely a home match against Fulham you would expect to him to play, but Bruce is adamant in sticking with Colback!!!
It's a good question. Gary Bennett said he was told that Gardner is struggling to settle in. I mean he has moved all the way from Costa del Birmingham. I'm pretty sure his wife is still in Birmingham and I think I'm also right in saying he has children. But tbh who knows.
I wasnt over the moon, i didnt see what all the fuss was about, 17 goals in his career, 10 last season in a relegated team, just didnt see where all the get in`s come from. Hope to god he proves me wrong though.
Dont believe that for one minute. Here's his interview when he signed: http://www.safc.com/news/20110630/move-was-no-brainer-says-gardner_2256213_2384566
I know you cant read too much into it but I fail to believe he would be unsettled when he only signed in July and Birminghams a couple of hours away. What I do believe is he's probably abit fed up cause since the Stoke game (which he scored) he has'nt had a sniff of first team action!!
I wouldn't find it any suprise if Gardner left in the summer... It's not as if Bruce doesn't have a track record of bringing in players and letting them go 12 months later. I'm not a fan who rates Gardner's overall game so for me its no big miss... I don't think its a coincidence that he played for a team that was relegated. You can score 10 but whats the point if you concede 20? For all of Gardner's goalscoring exploits during last season, the Birmingham midfield wasn't exactly a water tight barricade infront of the defence.
Well obviously we carn't... I wouldn't of spent 6 million on him in the first place as I don't rate his overall game.
So other than Sess and Larson who else in midfield have we got to chip in with a few goals?? He scored on his dbut, so surelly he deserves another chance!!
Players like shaun wright-phillips, Chris eagles and Yakubu were available who would have done a better job than Cattermole, Elmo etc.
There is more to a midfielder than goals. Just look at Nolan. People ****ed over him because he scored so many, and they considered him one of our 'best players'. However, in reality, whilst he scored a fair few goals, he was a poor centre midfielder. Slow, sluggish and completely lacking any creativity. Even with his goals, he was the weak link in our CM play and prevented us from truly controlling the game. Having a regular CM who can pop up every now and again with a goal won't win you many points over the long run if he's an average/poor CM. Whilst Gardner did score a fair few, I never saw any CM play which suggested that he had the creativity or skill to help control the game as a CM would. Leave the goals to the attackers and get yourselves a CM player with some flair who will act as the engineroom of the team. Only very few CM's have the ability to do that AND score goals, but Gardner ain't one of them.
CHUMPAR$E SPEAKETH THE PISH yet again. Yet again CHUMPAR$E is obsesses with the board that is SAFC. What a total c u n t Bart
