Both Elphick and Cook needed first team football and we weren't able to guarantee that. There were better established players in front of them. They made the correct decisions for them. Would they be so good and dependable if they were both playing the odd game hither and thither?
Gus loved El-Abd. I'm sure he would have played Dunk more, but it was a difficult time for him. I don't think any of our centre backs could have been described as being flair during his tenure.