I can't understand how Donley didn't get minutes when we had so many injuries in the mid-field. I trust in Ange but it would have been good to see him play.
2023-2024 EPL Season
- Thread starter spintheblackcircle
- Start date
cheechoo
Lilje 4-ever
Gallagher starting is absurd. One of the worst footballers I've ever had the displeasure of watching.
It'd never happen but England won't win anything until they have a midfielder that can dictate/control a game.
Adam Wharton, now at Palace, has given me chills. That's a left footed Carrick regen. Dominates the first phase on the ball.
Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
truly nothing to say to that first sentence other than wondering if you've watched him. there are very few redeemable things in the current chelsea side, but he's been one of the best players in the league this season. used correctly he's absolutely brilliant.
they have a midfielder that can dictate/control a game, his name is declan rice.
adam wharton is so far so good at palace, has looked awesome everytime i've seen him, but i'm not sure england need a carrick regen when they currently have midfielders who are about double as good as carrick was on his best day.
donley should've gone out on loan. you can already see the world of good it's doing alfie devine.
cheechoo
Lilje 4-ever
I don't agree with that narrative at all. Gallagher is so bad on the ball that it's detrimental. His IQ is so low. I'm not impressed by a player that 'gives his all' and runs and tackles.
He's a midfielder that doesn't scan and has a first touch like he plays in timberlands.
He got played off the park against two championship opposition when Chelsea played Blackburn and Middlesbrough. He makes Mason Mount look like Zidane.
I don't think you have a chance at playing progressive football with such an entity in your starting 11.
Fortunately for Chelsea they seem to be fading back into midtable fodder status with very little desire to control the game, so someone like Gallagher who only brings utility off the ball is perfect to be their talisman.
cheechoo
Lilje 4-ever
Rice also doesn't control games, get out of here with that. He's a box to box midfielder the way Kante was, who was also misprofiled by casuals for years that called him a defensive midfielder because he was superb at winning the ball.
I've seen Arteta have Ø drop all the way deep in between the CBs to help with buildup because that's not Rice's strongpoint. They've been having a lot of success in that regard with Jorginho to be the metronome in the first phase with Rice as his ball winner partner the way Tuchel did with Jorginho and Kante when they won the CL. You can understand why they're chasing after a Jorginho successor to play alongside Rice in Zubimendi to continue to handle that first phase utility on the ball.
Wharton/Carrick/Obi Mikel types are one man build up armies. They thrive with their back to the press and can turn and play out and spring transitions. That's not Declan Rice. England very rarely produce players in that position that can control a game, and when they do, they're massively underrated like Carrick was.
I've seen Arteta have Ø drop all the way deep in between the CBs to help with buildup because that's not Rice's strongpoint. They've been having a lot of success in that regard with Jorginho to be the metronome in the first phase with Rice as his ball winner partner the way Tuchel did with Jorginho and Kante when they won the CL. You can understand why they're chasing after a Jorginho successor to play alongside Rice in Zubimendi to continue to handle that first phase utility on the ball.
Wharton/Carrick/Obi Mikel types are one man build up armies. They thrive with their back to the press and can turn and play out and spring transitions. That's not Declan Rice. England very rarely produce players in that position that can control a game, and when they do, they're massively underrated like Carrick was.
Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
the irony here is that Gallagher's game is a lot more stylistically similar to Kante's than Declan Rice's is.
i watched probably 95% of the minutes both Kante and Gallagher have played in a Chelsea shirt.
i watched probably 95% of the minutes both Kante and Gallagher have played in a Chelsea shirt.
cheechoo
Lilje 4-ever
They're all variations of B2B ball winners. Rice is commonly labeled as a #6, and he can play there but a lot of his game is marauding up the pitch with the ball and winning the ball back high up the pitch. Since you watch a lot of Chelsea, that moment this season when he intercepted Sanchez's errant pass in the final third and then scored the tying goal. Those aren't the zones of a backline shield.
I watch a tonne of Chelsea too (because their 'project' is fascinating to me) and TO ME, I consider Gallagher one of their greatest issues. Along with Chilwell when he's fit. Silva when he was fit. Raheem Sterling who looks like he could give a toss most weeks. And then Pochettino who's shown before he's out of his depth at a big club.
Gallagher's calling card is being an engine, but you can get similar off the ball work ethic but with players actually good on the ball ala Kudus, Paqueta, Guimarães, J Neves, Caqueret etc etc
I watch a tonne of Chelsea too (because their 'project' is fascinating to me) and TO ME, I consider Gallagher one of their greatest issues. Along with Chilwell when he's fit. Silva when he was fit. Raheem Sterling who looks like he could give a toss most weeks. And then Pochettino who's shown before he's out of his depth at a big club.
Gallagher's calling card is being an engine, but you can get similar off the ball work ethic but with players actually good on the ball ala Kudus, Paqueta, Guimarães, J Neves, Caqueret etc etc
hatterson
Registered User
Some absolute A+ entertainment on this page.
Paulie Gualtieri
R.I.P. Tony Sirico
- May 18, 2016
- 12,849
- 3,362
I'm not saying Gallagher is some worldbeater, but he's England's best eight beyond Rice. However England need Rice at the six.
cheechoo
Lilje 4-ever
He won't get his plaudits because of his name value or where he plays, but If we're being truly genuinely honest with ourselves it's Ross Barkley this season. He has been one of the best players in the country.
Deep progression
Duel winning
Vertical passing
Eze is better than Gallagher, and so is Angel Gomes. Gallagher wouldn't be a bad squad player though to come on in the final 15 minutes and chase after the ball like the rabid dog he is.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
JPBolts
Registered User
- Jun 21, 2019
- 1,241
- 364
I didn't realize that the top 6 teams right now have several games against each other left. Spurs & Villa all have Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City yet to play, and Man United has both Liverpool & Arsenal. Man City have Liverpool and Arsenal left.
spintheblackcircle
incoming!!!
- Mar 1, 2002
- 67,497
- 13,335
Savant
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2013
- 38,367
- 11,469
Michael Edwards in talks with Liverpool owners over possible return
Former sporting director had turned down initial approach, with Fenway Sports Group set to offer him wider position to prepare for life after Jürgen Klopp
www.thetimes.co.uk
FSG taking another run at Edwards; who is obviously the top (and maybe only) target. Here is the interesting stuff:
Edwards recently met FSG in Boston, sometime after he previously turned them down.
FSG would be creating a new position for Edwards which with be ABOVE sporting director (think Baseball with POBO vs GM). Sporting Director would be Hughes from Bournemouth.
Edwards would head recruitment and analytics; Hughes would be Edwards extension.
Alonso top target for manager (duh) Amorim seems backup plan.
Man Utd cannot win without the defensive midfielder Casemiro who were injured september to december last year. The defensive midfielder McTominay isn't best choice. The midfielder Amrabat has few games. The world-class attacking midfielder Fernandes are weak midfielder last two seasons. The most right midfield pair are Eriksen-Casemiro and Mainoo in attacking midfielder role and United should trade Fernandes for a new attacking midfielder?
Last edited:
Savant
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2013
- 38,367
- 11,469
spintheblackcircle
incoming!!!
- Mar 1, 2002
- 67,497
- 13,335
Even though it didn't end ideally, Dier was a class player for the club for a long time.
Jussi
Registered User
Brunkmeister
Registered User
- Sep 4, 2021
- 1,950
- 840
Should ofc been a grand slam for Arsenal but they seems to feel sorry for the worst team in Manchester.
spintheblackcircle
incoming!!!
- Mar 1, 2002
- 67,497
- 13,335
Another class player, Hojbjerg. He could start for 70% of Europe, he could cause problems in the locker room but instead he has been great when needed.
Savant
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2013
- 38,367
- 11,469
He didn’t want to leave. Tottenham didn’t even want him. No rocket science in any of that decision making
Paulie Gualtieri
R.I.P. Tony Sirico
- May 18, 2016
- 12,849
- 3,362
He didn't want to leave mid-season. Last summer he was open to it, but the club didn't find a replacement.
