Not sure that anyone is suggesting that he's not going to get there eventually, just now it's hard to detect what he really offers (other than a fresh pair of legs). When we bring Gaston off the bench, I think that something might happen. With Gallagher I don't. I realise that comparison may be a little harsh......but.......
Yeah I'm not saying we need to look for someone else to replace him in the next few games, we should definitely carry on giving him game time in our last three matches, but just commenting on what we've seen from him thus far. And I agree Schad that he's not quite filled out properly yet, he's 'lanky' rather than powerful at this stage when he certainly has the frame to be a bit of a monster. Needs to finish growing and also obviously needs the guile that comes with experience in how to use his body to his advantage as he's so big he can chest and take down balls that others would need to jump to head, certainly Rickie is the ideal man to learn from in that respect.
Wanna saying his leg is OK, it was a kick on the achilles that made him pull up short, same leg but not the same outcome thankfully.
Yeah, he shouldn't be in the starting XI for sure. But we're using him correctly. Coming off the bench gives him some playing time, lets us rest some guys, and it allows us to change things up a bit with his size and speed. He's not taking advantage of that yet, but as he learns and gels with the team hopefully we'll start seeing more out of him. I don't expect him to be a game-changer or even an impact sub just yet.
When Messi comes off the bench I think he can do more then Tello..... You can say it about a lot of players. Ramirez is a seasoned pro and Gallagher isn't. People are too harsh on young players that are learning the trade. Just because he hasn't set the world a light doesn't mean he doesn't offer much. Pochettino seems to think so and I trust him far more then you lot. I remember some people having a go at Chambers when he first started. Probably was the same for Shaw as well.
meh. They didn't get the job done today, but they could hardly be accused of just going through the motions or not having passion. They were working hard out there.
Come on now, no-ones said he can't be a great player for us in future we're just discussing what he brings to us at the moment, he's had long enough now where we can assess him like any other player. If anything at times I think Saints fans are the complete opposite and we now believe every youngster is going to be a worldie... Although that is the recurring pattern...
Yes, it's lovely being safe in the upper half of the table. Would you rather we were fighting relegation? Or are you frustrated we're not challenging for the title?
He is our only option. Having watched a lot of youth games, he reminds me of a younger version of Lambert. But he obviously needs more work as all players do. For the youth he basically played the Lambert role and played it well, he just needs to bulk up and adapt to the Prem. Didn't people say the same for Shaw when he first replaced Fox? Look at him now.
Yeah, I know... I already said that I'm not saying we need to replace him I'm just weighing up his performances so far. And I remember Shaw being met like a breath of fresh air and a hero from the second he entered the team to be honest, and for good reason haha.
Obviously a lot of young players won't make it, Isgrove and Curtis to name two. But I feel Gallagher will be one that does.
Gallagher is inexperienced, it's the suspiciously Italian/Argentine/piratical shaped hole in our squad that's giving us limited options.
I didn't see it, but was it not handball, just a bloody good save? I heard two different pundits declare penalty
I was going to raise this point. Reading the forum it sounded as if each team's best player was supposed to be marking each other....
Interesting reading this; I didn't see the game, heard bits of it. Reading we desperately missed JayRod and have since his injury. Well yes we missed him, but I disagree in the context of the two games since his injury. In the last two games, the result should have been over within the first ten minutes. Today, if Rickie had scored those two chances, game over and we don't miss anyone. We are just not taking our chances. I'd agree we miss the option of the ball over the defense to Jayrod. I saw one brief moment, when our CB played the ball to Rickie who was on the halfway line. Their defensive line was about a third of the pitch from their goal when Rickie dropped into get the ball; I then noticed a player run deeper towards our half and around Rickie.. it was Adam, our other attacking option and he was running toward our goal. our goal side of Rickie and he had no option forward.
Paul Lambert seemed to think it was a lucky break for his team. It would appear there is an unwritten Rule in the FA Referees handbook, "Under no circumstances should a Penalty be awarded to Southampton if it can be avoided, they have a Rickie Lambert which gives them an unfair advantage.
