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Is Sam Gallagher ready for the first team?


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Ready to make his debut perhaps...has already played in the cup. Can see him getting on the pitch Vs Burnley, or if we're comfortably winning with 5/10 mins to go, but can't see him playing if are still looking for something in the game. We still have Osvaldo, Lambert or J-Rod who would be able to do a better job up there.

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He was alright last night, didn't do anything exceptional - people would have been raving if his bog-standard top corner bender Osvaldo-alike shot had gone in, despite that not being that difficult a thing to do. His deflection of a waist-high cross into the bottom corner when he wasn't expecting it was impressive though, but some people think it was a fluke.

 

He's nowhere near the level of the starters we already have, but at this stage that's because he hasn't had the opportunity to be challenged at that level and get used to the endless nudges and tricks of top players, the pace of decision-making, gamesmanship, strength and also in the longer term the need to be flexible and adaptable that comes from playing at the top level week in, week out and the endless analysis of playing styles and tendencies that goes on nowadays.

 

The only way to find out if he can do it is to give him the chance.

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Have seen him play 2/3 times. Sounds like he was decent last night, however whenever Ive seen him he hasnt done much. Clearly he's still young, and there must be something special about him to be near to the first team, but recently against Exeter U21s he offered very little. Another year or two then maybe, but can't quite see him tearing up the Prem at 17 in a Rooney esque way just yet!

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I won't be convinced of his quality till the papers say he's going to Chelsea, Arsenal or Man Utd.

 

I'm a sucker for hype tho generally! I've already drafted this Sims character, who I never heard of before yesterday, into my provisional 2016 Champions League winning squad.

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Alan Shearer aged 17 v Arsenal at the Dell........3 goals on his debut...

 

Alan was managed thereafter in a sensible way....

 

Manager thouight he was good enough etc

 

Same will apply to Poch...who already thinks a lot of him....

 

Over to you coach...when and where..

 

Looks a good prospect as do several of the team.

 

 

Josh Simms......looking top notch in youth games.

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Blackstock, Best and McGoldrick all had vastly superior youth team goal ratios and write ups than Gallagher has had.

 

Not saying he isnt going to be good, but lets not put pressure on him.

 

Agree entirely

 

Was it last year (or the year before) when our decent Youth team were dicked 5-1 at home by Nottm Forest?

 

Their main striker was, if I remember correctly, Patrick Bamford who Chelsea then snapped up for £1m or so.

 

He is now learning his trade in the lower leagues (Milton Keynes Dons)

 

That what the 'elite' clubs seem to do with their players

 

I am not saying this is right for everyone as we seem to have done alright by blooding our youngsters in the first team

 

However I think it is probably more difficult for young keepers, central defenders and strikers to make the step up than fullbacks, midfielders or wingers

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Didn't think he was the best saints player on the pitch last night certainly had something about him (he did score a hatrick after all) but couldn't imagine him making much impact in a PL game at the moment.

 

Josh Sims was the attacking player that really stood out for me last night some great ball skills and real pace.

 

Also liked the look of the CB (no.6?) who looked really good to.

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Blackstock, Best and McGoldrick all had vastly superior youth team goal ratios and write ups than Gallagher has had.

 

Not saying he isnt going to be good, but lets not put pressure on him.

 

Blackstock and Best didn't score all that many from what I remember.

 

McGoldrick got something like 50 goals in a season by playing every game in three age groups.

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Seager was also scoring miles more than Gallagher last season, plus Hoskins who regularly scored for the 18s and 21s can't get in the Yeovil team this season.

 

Patience is needed. Not every Academy player will be of the quality of Shaw, JWP or Chambers - these are exceptional players for their age.

 

 

Who was the Academy striker who scored loads of goals and eventually went to Brentford before disappearing off the radar?

 

There was also the young striker who got sent off playing for Saints in the Man Utd cup tie a few years back and ended up at Southend

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Who was the Academy striker who scored loads of goals and eventually went to Brentford before disappearing off the radar?

 

There was also the young striker who got sent off playing for Saints in the Man Utd cup tie a few years back and ended up at Southend

 

Brentford - don't recall that one, unless you're thinking of Mark Paul. If so, I think he was a bit older when he joined us from non league.

 

Matthew Patterson v Man Utd.

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Blackstock and Best didn't score all that many from what I remember.

 

McGoldrick got something like 50 goals in a season by playing every game in three age groups.

 

Be fair to David, Dexter and Best they've all carved out good careers for themselves in the championship as solid if unspectacular strikers.

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Bags of talent, awful attitude if I remember correctly. In today's football players who are not on the verges of their first team by the time they're about 18 or 19 probably won't make the grade at that club. They may well do well a level down though.

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It's also worth remembering that back in the late 90's, early 2000's, our reserve team would regularly be at the top of the reserve league... but only because they virtually had their own squad that stuck together, trained together, played together, but hardly any of whom made the regular step up to the first team... players like Matthew Robinson, Kevin Gibbens, Duncan Spedding, Neil Moss, Ryan Ashford, Paul Tisdale, Phil Warner, even Gary Monk, David Hughes who did break in to the first team but never maintained it. I could go on naming loads who were regulars and who we watched at Staplewood regularly over the years.

 

The key is having the pathway to the first team. The notion of now being 'promoted' from U-18's to Development Squad or First Team, as we have had the past two seasons, with players actively publicised as making the move up. Add in the fact we are clearly working more on technique, and that teams play the same way in the U18's and Development squad, all helps pave the way for players to make the step up. So goals scored in themselves are not what MP is looking at. Undoubtedly, finishing is important for a striker, but if it were the be-all and end-all, then we probably wouldn't have signed Jay Rodriguez. It's how they fit into the system, how they contribute to the team as a whole, their mentality and intelligence on and off the ball, and so much more.

 

I actually think that some players who we released could've actually prospered better in our current set-up. Having ability is all well and good, but to realise it needs a combination of good coaching and training, the right mentoring and emotional development, as well as hard work on your part obviously. We now have a better overall environment to develop these players and so are seeing the rewards IMO, in the form of a greater number of players realising their potential talent, rather than us just having MORE players with talent in the first place.

 

Our academy record is clearly good, but it's just getting better all the time as a result.

Edited by Minty
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It'd be great to produce an out and out striker. Been a long time, as Walcott was always going to be used wide as well. Best and McGoldrick were bought in a little older, and more to the point, were severely lacking in quality.

 

You get the impression you have to be a pretty decent player now to be in our academy teams. Can't imagine the likes of Lloyd James, Gillett, Lancashire being in there anymore as they just lacked the technique, composure or any obvious potential. It's one thing producing the odd talent like Bale or Walcott, but getting the average standard to a high level is what really makes the difference. Hugely impressive and IMO the only way for any club to succeed long-term. Yes you can do a Man City, but surely even they won't throw money at it forever, and buying players in every summer will never get you the consistency, commitment and experience together of players who've come through the ranks together.

 

 

On the subject of City... the speed they are building their training complex is crazy. I live just up the road from the Etihad and they have completed the main building work on the various stadia they are putting in there. It all went up in the space of three months. Crazy money being spent. The main training stadium wouldn't look out of place in the Championship! The Etihad itself has recently had planning approved to build two more tiers at either end to increase capacity to 61k

 

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Edited by jasonb
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The main training stadium wouldn't look out of place in the Championship!

 

By a clear margin it is the most impressive under 21/youth team stadium in the UK, but saying it wouldn't look out of place in the Championship is pushing it as it only has a 7,000 capacity (including terracing). Its the equivalent of a reasonable League One stadium.

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By a clear margin it is the most impressive under 21/youth team stadium in the UK, but saying it wouldn't look out of place in the Championship is pushing it as it only has a 7,000 capacity (including terracing). Its the equivalent of a reasonable League One stadium.

 

Damn! I forgot about you! I ought to know better than to get my facts wrong. Alright then, wouldn't look out of place in League 1.

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  • 1 month later...
No, of course not,an 18 year old leafing the line? Are we saying he is better than Lambert or the departing Osvaldo? If so he would have been introduced before.

 

Imagine if we already had a regular 18 year old full-back that people go into meltdown over if he is unavailable.

 

What is the point of bringing someone in just for the sake of it?

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Given our league situation, we have a great opportunity to give him plenty of playing time at this level with no huge risk. Rather than the question is he ready for the Prem right now, we should be asking can we get him enough experience in for next season?

 

Totally agree. If you're good enough you're old enough!!!!

 

Do you really think Osvaldo was that good?

 

Probably scored the goal of the season, but then went on to miss two easier chances. Didn't lead the line as good as Rickie or Gallacher (against Arsenal)

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Given our league situation, we have a great opportunity to give him plenty of playing time at this level with no huge risk. Rather than the question is he ready for the Prem right now, we should be asking can we get him enough experience in for next season?

 

This

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Given our league situation, we have a great opportunity to give him plenty of playing time at this level with no huge risk. Rather than the question is he ready for the Prem right now, we should be asking can we get him enough experience in for next season?

 

Agree.

 

Lambert , Jay Rod , Lallana and Gallagher whenever the coach decides...

 

What I have seen of Gallagher......he is here now and will be played/sub appearances etc.

 

Good position for the club and for Sam.

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Agree.

 

Lambert , Jay Rod , Lallana and Gallagher whenever the coach decides...

 

What I have seen of Gallagher......he is here now and will be played/sub appearances etc.

 

Good position for the club and for Sam.

 

Gallagher's from down your way isn't he ?

 

Although we signed him from Plymouth I read somewhere he's from Exeter. Has there been much interest in his rise down there ?

 

No need to rush to answer - finish the hoovering first if you wish !

Edited by Badger
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Pochettino obviously thinks his performance against Arsenal took him up a level. I thought he looked promising in his short appearances but against Arsenal he looked a proper centre forward.

 

It would be helpful if people who are judging him could say whether they have actually seen him live as opposed to the tunnel vision tv broadcasts. His work off the ball is outstanding. He needs to improve in the air and be more aware of the offside line.

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Pochettino obviously thinks his performance against Arsenal took him up a level. I thought he looked promising in his short appearances but against Arsenal he looked a proper centre forward.

 

It would be helpful if people who are judging him could say whether they have actually seen him live as opposed to the tunnel vision tv broadcasts. His work off the ball is outstanding. He needs to improve in the air and be more aware of the offside line.

 

I think you could see against Arsenal some of his runs in behind were clever and he clearly has pace, needs to be a bit sharper in the box though and obviously get fitter as he visibly tired second half but that would all come with game time. Could be one who once he gets a goal goes on a run but as has been said lets give him game time and see how he does, were under no pressure, he can spell SRL who we can save for the cup

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Pochettino obviously thinks his performance against Arsenal took him up a level. I thought he looked promising in his short appearances but against Arsenal he looked a proper centre forward.

 

It would be helpful if people who are judging him could say whether they have actually seen him live as opposed to the tunnel vision tv broadcasts. His work off the ball is outstanding. He needs to improve in the air and be more aware of the offside line.

 

This is the key thing for me. A lot of what I was impressed with on Tuesday was done off the ball and away from the camera's. He was always on the move...always on the shoulder making clever runs. He pulled 2 international CB's all over the show, you have to have something about you to be able to do that.

 

He needs a bit of refinement in terms of his touch and hold up play, but I love his attributes. Strong, powerful, quick....

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Gallagher's from down your way isn't he ?

 

Although we signed him from Plymouth I read somewhere he's from Exeter. Has there been much interest in his rise down there ?

 

No need to rush to answer - finish the hoovering first if you wish !

 

Crediton Devon.......just outside of Exeter.

 

Few local papers re move to Saints and scoring for youth and first team etc.

 

Plymouth Academy has supplied a few youngsters to various clubs.... apart from Stephens and Gallacher to us....

 

LLoyd Jones...centre back looks good ...but gone to Liverpool.

 

Just finished hoovering now getting dinner ready for my boss:p

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Crediton Devon.......just outside of Exeter.

 

Few local papers re move to Saints and scoring for youth and first team etc.

 

Plymouth Academy has supplied a few youngsters to various clubs.... apart from Stephens and Gallacher to us....

 

LLoyd Jones...centre back looks good ...but gone to Liverpool.

Just finished hoovering now getting dinner ready for my boss:p

 

Thought our scout in Ottery might have been a bit wiser to that one, and directed him along the coast.

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Thought our scout in Ottery might have been a bit wiser to that one, and directed him along the coast.

 

LLoyd Jones has always been a Liverpool fan.....Saints were second choice.....6' 3" and looks good.

 

Not sure how he is doing at Anfield now???

 

I always thought Gosling would make the grade...but mistakenly chose Everton instead of Saints.

 

We are a BIG club now....and even loan our lesser strikers to Juventus:rolleyes:

 

Maybe more of the YUF down this way will listen and see the mighty Saints as the true mecca of footer.:D

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He better be ready and he better have some pretty strong shoulders, with the weight of every saints fan, the team and Pochettino's expectations resting on them.

 

Better start putting away some of the easy chances he's spurned too!

 

With Lambert looking totally disinterested and whining for a move to West Ham and Rodriguez swinging from looking world class one minute to not being able to hit the Chapel or Northam stands let alone the back of the net with the ball the next, a lot is going to be asked and expected from him.

 

But hey, because he's not foreign didn't cost a lot of money and hasn't been playing for lower league clubs for a few years without having worked his way up to the premier league, i'm sure we can all cut him just a little bit of slack!

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It's always difficult for new YOUNG players coming in (and especially strikers) who are mainly judged by the names on the scoresheet every week.

 

Looking back at our " greats " who started in their teens; Martin Chivers, Mick Channon, Alan Shearer and even MLT all made " explosive debuts " but took a couple of seasons before becoming regulars.

 

Sam G. looks a very exciting prospect; a sort of Peter Crouch - but with pace. I only hope fans have a lot of patience with this 18 year old who looks good - on the basis of 2 games.

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im guessing its argyle to thank for him then. not our academy?

 

well maybe?.....but you might also ask yourself the question....where would he have been ...if he was still at Argyle?

 

and it's our Academy that have helped develop him in the recent past, otherwise he might have moved on from Plymouth to a league club in a higher division ...like Bristol City ...

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