Dejan and Fonte are both capable of great tackles that look fantastic...slight mistiming makes it a foul...can't have one without the other.
if wickham can do it, samgal can. question is can we afford to send him out on loan to build experience when he's missed the early parts of our academy training regime?
In the Telegraph, Gallagher was mentioned as breathing down the neck of the defender for first goal and his movement causing the chaos for the second. I'll take the word of people who were there for his overall play, but sounds like he was doing his bit.
Last season we got rid of a few academy players at the end of the season. Obviously Sam's safe, but who do we think could go? Or have we now loaned out the ones who we will be releasing
Don't think he lacks pace. He looked quick vs Arsenal, yesterday he didn't have many balls played into areas where he could chase them. His positional play was good, as for being effective in the air, well he's young and will get stronger. As said above, his position in the box forced the defender to intercept Rickie's cross for the first goal. Not a bad game by any means. I'd start him at Swansea, with any luck he'll score and that'll give him confidence for the future.
It's very early days. He's 18 and he's having his first taste of senior football at Premier League level. Think about the difference in Lallana's performances last year to this, and you've got to say that if our coaching staff think he's got the potential why not wait at least another 12-24 months and see how he progresses before deciding for sure. Also, don't think he was even on pre-season with the rest of the first team this year, so having that next season may be a catalyst for him being more ready next time around.
Big guys take longer to mature and fill out. Forwards need to be strong due to the battering they take. A couple more years of the right nutrition and lifting weights will due him good. I don't expect much the couple years so we will need to buy one. I'm hopeful that maybe when SRL is about done we will have a replacement. I'd rather not loan him so he can learn the passes to make and places to be in our system.
It was hard to choose a stand out on Saturday for me, as it often is when we put in a good performance. Cork shaded it for me, but on reflection what I realised about Gallagher was that there were no outstanding "groan" moments. He did his job, kept a very good Everton team occupied and fitted into a Saints team that was really enjoying itself. The Evertonians I travelled back with were surprised to learn he was so young. They thought he was "sound". On top of that, Rickie rates the lad. 'Nuff said for me.
I think that it's worth noting that even players as talented as Bale and Walcott didn't fire in all cylinders in the Premiership immediately. There were many who doubted that they would make it at that level initially. I think that as long as a young player is still improving and has the right attitude, they might exceed expectations later.
Good excuse to see this again Sam puts his case at 3.00 on by taking the wee wee out of Portsmouth. [video=youtube;-QRlyvmRHys]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QRlyvmRHys[/video]
Schneiderlin rates him...said he was reportedly better than a young Lambert (presumably Rickie told him that). Morgan did add that he of course didn't know a young Lambert as he wasn't born then
