spanish flair
Well-known member
Pre Poyet days at Withdean I would agree and he really used to wind me up, but Poyet turned him into a decent player in league 1
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El Abd on loan
- Thread starter Fourteenth Eye
- Start date
Pre Poyet days at Withdean I would agree and he really used to wind me up, but Poyet turned him into a decent player in league 1
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 30,566
I'd like to think what you actually meant to say was that he was one of the most improved players you've ever seen at the Albion.
I've got a lot of respect for Adam, he worked very hard for the club and blossomed under Gus. Very harsh to call him sh1t.
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Bury pay decent wages (by all accounts) so a move there might not be such a bad thing. The move to Bristol doesn't seem to have worked out, these things happen.
I used to love watching Adam play. I remember him and OGH winding up Neil Ruddock at Swindon, god knows what they said to Razor but he went ape shit...
I used to love watching Adam play. I remember him and OGH winding up Neil Ruddock at Swindon, god knows what they said to Razor but he went ape shit...
Charlies Shinpad
New member
I used to love watching Adam play. I remember him and OGH winding up Neil Ruddock at Swindon, god knows what they said to Razor but he went ape shit...
I also remember him and Ricky Lambert down here when he wound him up and ended up with Lambert getting sent off
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Classic El-Abd.
I love watching players who dabble in the dark arts of football. Its like watching a game within a game. Not everyone's cup of tea, many on here hated the way he held players, ruffled their hair, feigned injury, time wasted and fouled but I love all that stuff.
One of my favourite memories of our first Amex season (I think) was the dire game against Reading. Just watched him and Jason Roberts hold and niggle each other all game. Shortly after the ref had another word with them they both went down in a heap with the ball no where near. The ref shook his head in despair and trotted away. They helped each other up and both had massive grins on their coupons.
Fef
Rock God.
- Feb 21, 2009
- 1,727
You mean that somebody rubbed him up the wrong way?
GoingUp
Well-known member
Funny if I remember correct (ill admit my memory can be sh!t) he was playing his best football again when he left. He had the odd dodgy spell, but he was a great defender for us. I was pissed that we got rid of him.
You can say he definitely made the most of his potential, which is always great to say about a player.
You can say he definitely made the most of his potential, which is always great to say about a player.
Black Rod
Well-known member
- Jan 19, 2013
- 945
Poyet's greatest achievement in his time here was turning Adam El-Abd from a calamitous defender who wouldn't have looked out of place on an episode of Chuckle Vision giving away a goal every five games to one who was a competent ball playing international centre back in the Championship
The fact that less than a year after leaving us - where he couldn't get in purely because of the outstanding form of Greer and Upson - he is now in League Two is pretty shocking
The fact that less than a year after leaving us - where he couldn't get in purely because of the outstanding form of Greer and Upson - he is now in League Two is pretty shocking
Barrel of Fun
Abort, retry, fail
I'm a massive critic of play acting, but a massive hypocrit as I loved The Bomber for his antics and lots of other stuff.
If someone like Leon Knight had half the application of El-Abd, Knighty might be playing tonight and not spouting rubbish on Twitter.
Good luck to him at Bury.
If someone like Leon Knight had half the application of El-Abd, Knighty might be playing tonight and not spouting rubbish on Twitter.
Good luck to him at Bury.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
It didn't help that he tried to play him at RB, a similar error to previous Albion managers. He was a good CB who reached the limit of his capabilities in League 1 but did it well.
I didn't. I admire his commitment and his desire to make the best of his talent but this marked him down in my opinion.
Grombleton
Surrounded by <div>s
- Dec 31, 2011
- 7,356
It used to worry me that it would come back and bite him on the arse, but it was funny watching him wind up Lambert...he also kept winding up Ameobi when we played Newcastle in 2013. It didn't get him sent off but it was funny
seagullwedgee
Well-known member
- Aug 9, 2005
- 2,983
I liked AEA a lot.
Under Slade, AEA would always dive in and challenge at the first possible opportunity, all our defenders did, it is what made us look naive and leaky, and ultimately led to Slade's downfall.
Between Gus and Tarrico (more likely Tarrico) they taught him to be intelligent, decide when to stand tall and jockey, and when to go in with feet or head. Within weeks he became a much better player. And Gus loved him for his honesty, his commitment, and his straight forwardness.
And so did I. Gutted the day he left us, and even more gutted to see him go to Bury. He is a brilliant bloke, and he could/should have stayed with BHAFC as a lifer.
Wedgee
Under Slade, AEA would always dive in and challenge at the first possible opportunity, all our defenders did, it is what made us look naive and leaky, and ultimately led to Slade's downfall.
Between Gus and Tarrico (more likely Tarrico) they taught him to be intelligent, decide when to stand tall and jockey, and when to go in with feet or head. Within weeks he became a much better player. And Gus loved him for his honesty, his commitment, and his straight forwardness.
And so did I. Gutted the day he left us, and even more gutted to see him go to Bury. He is a brilliant bloke, and he could/should have stayed with BHAFC as a lifer.
Wedgee
Last edited:
Spot on. He was my choice for Player of the season two years running.
One version of events is that on the 11th January, when we played at home to Birmingham and El-Abd was a substitute, a member of the Albion's coaching team picked on AEA for not looking committed as a substitute - not warming up keenly and being prepared to come on. It then goes that AEA went ballistic at this and a physical confrontation occurred. AEA was told he would never play for the club again (presumably under that coaching regime). Fortunately it was the January transfer window so a new club was found and the following Saturday AEA played his first game for Bristol City.
Is this true? I don't know, but AEA seemed to be a one-club man who, you would have thought, would go on to become a part of the furniture of the club. Maybe he will once his playing days are over. I certainly hope so - I was gutted when he left.
It would sadden me greatly if this is indeed what happened.
Hillian1
( . ) ( . )
I didn't see the incident with my own eyes, but a friend of mine did and recounted the scenario exactly, almost word for word, as you have.
spanish flair
Well-known member
I have recieved a PM from another source confirming this story and it must have been hard for Adam, who was Albion through and through, having to take that from a coach who was a one trick pony player with Adam at the Albion. Also Adam probably remembered the slagging off he gave the club when he played for Yeovil. I would have love to have seen Adam sticking one on him.
Mackenzie
Old Brightonian
Fair enough, different strokes for different folks.