Source: SKY_Sports
Don't give up on Gab
Former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin believes Gabriel Agbonlahor has become a victim of his own success.
Agbonlahor was booed from the field when he was substituted during Aston Villa's 2-1 home defeat to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon as Villa slipped behind Arsenal in the race for fourth place for the first time since December.
However, former Villa hitman Dublin believes the home fans were simply frustrated that Agbonlahor is not producing the sparkling form that earned him an England call-up earlier in the campaign.
"I really don't think they dislike him or think he's a bad player," Dublin told Sky Sports News.
"What he's done is play so well early on in the season and he's set his standards very high. Now because he isn't giving people what they saw in the early part of the season, they are getting frustrated.
"They know he can do it, it's just frustration. They know it's there, but they're not seeing it and they don't know why they're not seeing it."
MoveDublin suggested that leaving Agbonlahor out of Villa's next Premier League game - an away clash at Liverpool - would not be a wise move for boss Martin O'Neill.
He said O'Neill should try to build up Agbonlahor's fragile confidence by keeping his name firmly on the team-sheet.
"If I was in the situation that Martin's in, you've got to play him," Dublin continued.
"As a forward, I've been there myself. If you don't score and you get dropped that doesn't help your confidence. I know it doesn't help the team if you're not scoring all the time, but as an individual Gabby Agbonlahor still needs to play.
"He still needs to be confident enough to get on the ball and take the jeers. That's what it's all about. Can he handle the pressure of being a Premier League player, taking the cheers - but taking the jeers as well?
"I think he'll come back bouncing."
SizeVilla have used fewer players than any other Premier League club this season and Dublin feels the size, not the quality, of O'Neill's squad could cost them a top-four place.
Dublin feels Arsenal are now best placed in the race for fourth, but feels Villa - and possibly sixth-placed Everton - will push them all of the way.
Dublin added: "Martin O'Neill has so much quality in his squad, I just think he hasn't got the numbers.
"I feel you need at least 24 to 25 first-team footballers to go straight in and do a job - and I don't think Martin has got that many. He's got 19, possibly 20 at the max.
"He's starting to find it hard having to play those players all the time, but I do think he'll be there or there abouts for fourth. I really hope they do it because I think the fans deserve it.
"Arsenal are looking incredibly strong at the moment. After that thumping of Blackburn on Saturday, they're looking very good.
"I think David Moyes has done superb at Everton, they're just out of it slightly in the points scale.
"If I had to go for one of the three of them I'd possibly have to go for Arsenal."
