Conor Gallagher – Mischaracterised

It’s hard not to feel a little bit sorry for Conor Gallagher….

Thrown into a leadership role into the chaos at Chelsea and seeming the picture on the pitch for what have been Chelsea sides largely lacking structure and have ultimately failed.

He has played almost every position through the previous season which is to his credit, he more often than not worn the armband and with some regularity dug Chelsea out some pretty dark holes. He was far from perfect. Of course he was. But a 24 year old player still learning the trade at the highest level whose strengths relies on a functional team around him was unlikely to ever be faultless.

Thrown into games with England expecting to bring some structure and solidity in Gareth Southgate’s midfield. Something a high energy player who regularly gets involved in the box and has good goalscoring numbers shouldn’t really be asked to do.

And now he’s seen on the wider scale amongst fan bases as a player who runs a lot and offers energy (True) but offers nothing in possession (Untrue) and seemingly is only a managers dream due to his versatility. But that’s just it. I’m not sure that’s versatility he particularly has….

Let me explain…

Conor Gallagher has an incredible engine and is one of the worlds best at forcing opposition turnovers, closing distances and passing lanes with a relentless intensity and an incredible athleticism that made him absolutely crucial to Mauricio Pochettino’s side in the 23–24 season.

He was largely used as a pressing number ten by Pochettino, a role he had in a successful loan spell at Crystal Palace , where he could destroy the play higher up the pitch and therefore regain it in more dangerous positions

His on ball value being weak is not completely a myth but well overplayed. Whilst he has a tendency to under hit/over hit passes, his passing numbers are fairly consistent with what you’d expect from someone playing his roles. He takes his man on 1v1 a lot and often comes out the winner and was actively involved in Chelsea’s attacking sequences this season (2.6 chances created a game involving him). He also scored some important goals for Chelsea through the season.

Basically to dumb it to its simplest form, Conor is best when he is involved. When he presses lots, when he passes lots, shoots lots. When that tempo goes to 100 (and it will), Conor is ready.

Managers enjoy the value in that and the relentlessness that kind of player brings in different games. The case for picking him is less about his overwhelming strengths and more about his lack of obvious weaknesses.

His game brings an engine tenacity and physical aspect to a sitting central midfield role but can bring a high intensity, high levels of chance creation and ultimately more danger if higher up the pitch.

So, What’s the issue?

Well everything I just said was in an ideal world and the fact is for each team, an ideal world with the perfect performance maybe happens 2,3 times a season.

Gallaghers pressing can be the best in the world but if those around him are not co-ordinating, for whatever reason it may be from manager failings to team fatigue to personnel choices, if those around him don’t follow in the press then holes start appearing in the teams shape and Gallaghers presence will be minimal and will look a little like a lost puppy.

Gallaghers first touch of Englands 0–0 draw with Slovenia being in the 16 th minute the perfect example of this happening

Whilst his technical skill set is somewhat underrated and over criticised, any form of game with large amounts of possession or when facing low block, Gallaghers game when he’s a sitting central midfielder is fairly pointless. The tenacity and physicality will be there, but any form of turnover he gains will lead to less attacking danger and rely on Conor’s creativity from deep which is definitely one of his few weaknesses

So whilst he CAN be a sitting central midfielder in say a 4–2–3–1, it does rely on an unbelievably well coached press weekly which I’m just not convinced is realistic.

Certainly not internationally and probably not week in, week out, Saturday Tuesday, over a seasons work.

To sum up, As a sitting central midfielder if you can’t create from deep, rely on the team’s structure behind you defensively and you are much further away from goal to impact the box. It’s very easy to ask what the point in you being there is.

So can Conor really play that position over a sustained period of time? Not really for me

How do you get the best out of him?

In no way say these are the same level of player technically but the skill set we are referring to Gallagher isn’t all that different to Bruno Fernandes or James-Ward Prowse.

A mobile robust physical engine, an out of possession machine, a player that is going to engage high up the pitch and force final third action where they tend to make differences.

The best way you utilise those players is get them where they are always going to make a difference in any sort of game. HIGH UP THE PITCH.

You then get those players forcing turnovers high up through their elite skill of closing lanes or their physical output and then you get them in areas they want to be in. Forcing shots, box crashing, making runs, trying risky passes, using that energy. You get more value from the player and you get more from their skill set. And then even if the in possession skill set is lacking, it’s a lot less dangerous to the team who can get back into shape to defend. Especially when you have got the engine these players do.

Let them be a second striker in the press. Let them be a pressing trigger, let them run off shoulders, let them isolate players. Let them take shots on.

I think you can do this one of two ways

You can do this playing them as a 10. Working in tandem with the attacking talent. Winning the ball in those danger areas. Using that physical output. Working off the striker, As Gallagher has played and been effective in previously.

OR

As a free 8 in a 4–3–3. So even if Gallagher does lead a press there is unlikely to be a situation where his team are overloaded in the middle.

It’s got to be fluid and the team have to play to a high intensity. He’s got to be allowed the freedom to make those box crashing runs. Essentially he would almost have to be treated as a luxury player even though with him you wouldn’t have the luxury part.

This is a player that can impact any sort of game if used correctly and the complete misidentification of the talent that Gallagher is by managers like Gareth Southgate and Frank Lampard is incredibly infuriating. It doesn’t help Gallagher at all. Making all his good traits fairly sterile in games and making all his bad ones prominent and leads to this image of him being nothing but a marathon runner as a result. Until someone really sees what he is, and maybe his next manager will do that, whether it be for club or country, he will always be seen as a marathon runner playing football which is completely unfair to a talented, clever, fairly unique footballer and for that reason

I really do feel sorry for him…