Sam Gallagher - Joins Blackburn: Official

[Fitzhugh Fella]

I'm genuinely intrigued as to why someone who has spent much of their life researching the club, writing books about the club and they are very good books, whilst presumably making a reaonable income along the way appears to hate absolutely everything about it.

 

Sorry still genuinely puzzled. Yes I am not the club can do nothing wrong type of fan and I criticise more than praise. But by and large I feel the club has been well run under Ms Liebherr. I shall be sorry to see her go. I do think however the club blows too much smoke up its own arse - one of the reasons expectations are perhaps too high.

[Fitzhugh Fella]

I'm genuinely intrigued as to why someone who has spent much of their life researching the club, writing books about the club and they are very good books, whilst presumably making a reaonable income along the way appears to hate absolutely everything about it.

 

Incidentally over the last 30 years publishing books on Saints I have probably just about broke even. Considering the amount of time invested I would not recommend it as a primary career.

[mrfahaji]

Good news if true, no point letting him leave when he could be a genuine asset to us next season.

 

Gabbiadini

NEW

Long

Gallagher

 

Austin?

[SKD]

Perfect player to replace Jay-Rod in the squad if you ask me.

 

I'd be more than happy if our squad of forwards next season was something like this:

 

Redmond (R/LW)

Boufal (L/RW)

Tadic (L/RW)

 

Gallagher (CF/L/RW)

Gabbi (CF/RW)

Austin (CF)

 

Sell Long and Jay and get a quality no10 in and that's a pretty formidable front 4, if you ask me.

[angelman]

Austin?

 

Or,,,,

 

Gabbiadini

NEW

Austin

Gallagher

 

That lacks a bit of pace maybe.

 

I am a great fan of Long, love the work he puts in, love his speed, but, his goal scoring ain't good enough. I know that he makes the opponents team's back line sit a little deeper so that they don't get caught out by his pace. But goals......!

 

With Gallagher, I heard that he quite often sits in block 29 - is that true?

[SonicBoom]

There are many reasons to offer a player - or at least one that is yet to establish himself - a new deal.

Just because we a giving him a new contract I still wouldn't immediately think it's because we think he is going to break into the first team. It might be to just protect his future value for example for when we do let him go.

I've never seen anything from him that leads me to believe he's going to be PL quality - however I haven't seen much of him since he went out on loan so I really don't know. I genuinely hope he has developed and can step up.

[mrfahaji]

Or,,,,

 

Gabbiadini

NEW

Austin

Gallagher

 

That lacks a bit of pace maybe.

 

I am a great fan of Long, love the work he puts in, love his speed, but, his goal scoring ain't good enough. I know that he makes the opponents team's back line sit a little deeper so that they don't get caught out by his pace. But goals......!

 

With Gallagher, I heard that he quite often sits in block 29 - is that true?

 

True, Long's profligacy is frustrating. I guess the way I see it is that we are likely to play a single striker. Gabbiadini would be that striker if fit. Are we likely to spend huge amounts of money on a top quality striker (and they do cost huge amounts) just for back up? When it comes to our reserves, we have a natural goalscorer who lacks mobility (though I sometimes think this is overplayed) in Austin, then Long offers the opposite, he can change the game but less likely to pop up with a crucial goal. If we were to play two up front, either would be good spoil for Gabbiadini, or indeed for each other.

 

So it kind of feels like we have the different eventualities covered, assuming they all stay fit of course. Wouldn't mind taking a chance on a replacement for Long, but how many pacey players out there for reasonable money have another string to their bow?

[Saint Garrett]

Austin?

 

Not fussed by Austin if I'm honest, too injury prone and doesn't offer enough as a lone striker IMO.

[MarkSFC]

Perfect player to replace Jay-Rod in the squad if you ask me.

 

I'd be more than happy if our squad of forwards next season was something like this:

 

Redmond (R/LW)

Boufal (L/RW)

Tadic (L/RW)

 

Gallagher (CF/L/RW)

Gabbi (CF/RW)

Austin (CF)

 

Sell Long and Jay and get a quality no10 in and that's a pretty formidable front 4, if you ask me.

 

You can add Sims to that group. I would be pleased with Iheanacho plus one more and sell Long and obviously Jrod.

[mrfahaji]

You can add Sims to that group. I would be pleased with Iheanacho plus one more and sell Long and obviously Jrod.

 

Yes, as much as the emergence of Sims was great last season, his lack of involvement once he made the breakthrough was one of the more disappointing aspects of Puel's tenure.

[angelman]

True, Long's profligacy is frustrating.........

 

I do think that we played a strange way with him last season. Many times he was left wanting for the ball over the top so that he could use his speed and get in behind the back line, but it never seemed to com, instead it was played out wide.

[tajjuk]

Well his goals scoring record was not stellar but tough to do well in such a poor team seeing as they went down.

 

And the market is crazy at the moment, fairly average strikers from the Championship seem to cost like £15 million, so getting him to sign a new deal puts value back on him as he's wanted by 3/4 clubs at least.

[mrfahaji]

I do think that we played a strange way with him last season. Many times he was left wanting for the ball over the top so that he could use his speed and get in behind the back line, but it never seemed to com, instead it was played out wide.

 

Yep, let's not forget he did score quite a few the season before when we played more to his strengths too.

[saintwbu]

I know Long is terrible in front of goal at times but for me he has to stay. I loved Austin at QPR, but if he had to go I could live with it. In this day and age pace is such an asset, J-Rod and Austin don't have it so in my opinion are only ever gonna be back up to Gabbi, whereas Long can be an alternative.

[lloydie]

We don't need to sign any strikers. I know for many they'll see lack of goals and think only a big striker signing will do, but we have Gabbiaidni, Austin, Long and Gallagher. I really rate Gallagher, would like to see plenty of time off the bench this season and a few cup games then if he does well enough he can replace Austin the season after.

 

Strikers were all isolated last season and no one else chipped in enough. Our strikers are fine if we set up well and get Redmond, Tadic and Boufal chipping in. With their talent those 3 really should be looking at 25 league goals between them but that, or attacking central midfield is the area we should be investing.

 

I wouldn't worry too much as we haven't seen our best team together, given VVD getting injured coinciding with Gabbiadini signing. I expect plenty of players to be much better this season too, including Forster, Stephens, JWP, Redmond, Hojbjerg, Tadic, Boufal, Gabbiadini.

 

Don't see much point inflating the squad for the sake of it. Need to ditch a few, probably Clasie and Reed on loan to make way for a really decent CM. But even then, wouldn't be against giving Romeu/Hojbjerg a proper run together in a 4231.

 

This. CAM is where we need an improvement.

[tajjuk]

This. CAM is where we need an improvement.

 

Was thinking about this the other day, but there really does seem to be a bit of a dearth of goal scoring central midfielders about these days.

 

Delle Ali, Countinho, Sigurdsson.....

 

Not many guys around in the top leagues who score goals from a centre-mid position.

[S-Clarke]

We got our striking options sorted in January, now if anything we're probably slightly bloated in that area. I can see one going - most likley to be Jay. Then we'll introduce Sam to the fold and he'll give us something different.

 

Gallagher, Austin, Long, Gabbiadini - there are goals in that 4. Plus Redmond, Tadic.

 

As other's have mentioned, the issue is getting an AMC type to link it all together. That's where I'd spend the budget if we kept everyone and just had to make improvements.

[SuperSAINT]

We got our striking options sorted in January, now if anything we're probably slightly bloated in that area. I can see one going - most likley to be Jay. Then we'll introduce Sam to the fold and he'll give us something different.

 

Gallagher, Austin, Long, Gabbiadini - there are goals in that 4. Plus Redmond, Tadic.

 

As other's have mentioned, the issue is getting an AMC type to link it all together. That's where I'd spend the budget if we kept everyone and just had to make improvements.

 

Agree with all that. I'd quite like a partner for Romeu, but we are probably assuming Hojbjerg will step up this season.

[richardc]

We don't need to sign any strikers. I know for many they'll see lack of goals and think only a big striker signing will do, but we have Gabbiaidni, Austin, Long and Gallagher. I really rate Gallagher, would like to see plenty of time off the bench this season and a few cup games then if he does well enough he can replace Austin the season after.

 

Strikers were all isolated last season and no one else chipped in enough. Our strikers are fine if we set up well and get Redmond, Tadic and Boufal chipping in. With their talent those 3 really should be looking at 25 league goals between them but that, or attacking central midfield is the area we should be investing.

 

I wouldn't worry too much as we haven't seen our best team together, given VVD getting injured coinciding with Gabbiadini signing. I expect plenty of players to be much better this season too, including Forster, Stephens, JWP, Redmond, Hojbjerg, Tadic, Boufal, Gabbiadini.

 

Don't see much point inflating the squad for the sake of it. Need to ditch a few, probably Clasie and Reed on loan to make way for a really decent CM. But even then, wouldn't be against giving Romeu/Hojbjerg a proper run together in a 4231.

 

Last seasons lack of goals was not just down to Puel and lack of chances - there were games were it was painful watching Long when he missed so many quilt edge chances (arsenal away in the cup springs to mind) - the same with Jrod

 

Why anyone wants to bin our top goal scorer and replace him with a totally unproven player in the prem league seems a bit of major gamble

[S-Clarke]

Last seasons lack of goals was not just down to Puel and lack of chances - there were games were it was painful watching Long when he missed so many quilt edge chances (arsenal away in the cup springs to mind) - the same with Jrod

 

Why anyone wants to bin our top goal scorer and replace him with a totally unproven player in the prem league seems a bit of major gamble

 

The struggle with Jay and long last season was amplified because they never, ever got a prolonged run in the side. The rotation is what killed them.

 

At the start of the season I wasn't against the rotation and saw it as a way of assuring we had a competitive team throughout the season and towards the end, but it didn't show at all. We were even worse at the end.

 

The Stoke game was just a disjointed mess of players who weren't sure what they were meant to be doing, and that came from poor communication from the coaches and poor cohesion as they haven't played together every week

[mrfahaji]

Last seasons lack of goals was not just down to Puel and lack of chances - there were games were it was painful watching Long when he missed so many quilt edge chances (arsenal away in the cup springs to mind) - the same with Jrod

 

Why anyone wants to bin our top goal scorer and replace him with a totally unproven player in the prem league seems a bit of major gamble

 

It's bad enough when he misses gilt edged chances, worse when they are guilt edged, but once he starts missing the quilt edged chances you know his time here is nearly up

[verlaine1979]

The struggle with Jay and long last season was amplified because they never, ever got a prolonged run in the side. The rotation is what killed them.

 

At the start of the season I wasn't against the rotation and saw it as a way of assuring we had a competitive team throughout the season and towards the end, but it didn't show at all. We were even worse at the end.

 

The Stoke game was just a disjointed mess of players who weren't sure what they were meant to be doing, and that came from poor communication from the coaches and poor cohesion as they haven't played together every week

 

JRod and Long are both ropey finishers, though the former is at least also capable of the occasional strike from distance (B'mouth last season, Fulham away many years ago). However, neither have ever filled you with confidence in a one-on-one with the keeper, and both have a tendency to scuff finishes more often than not. Probably not enough evidence to go on, but looking back at Gallagher's goals for us and a few for Blackburn, he at least strikes the ball more cleanly than either Long or JRod.

[richardc]

It's bad enough when he misses gilt edged chances, worse when they are guilt edged, but once he starts missing the quilt edged chances you know his time here is nearly up

 

Combination of bloody spell check and poor spelling

[Mowgli]

It's a whole new ball game with the new manager. With Austin, Long, JRod, Gallagher, Redmond and Gabbiadini there is plenty of options up front. It's not so much a goal scoring midfielder we are missing as someone who can unlock the killer pass. Boufal, Sims, Redmond, JWP and even Davis can do that. We can criticise and praise performances last season all we like - it counts for nothing in 2017/18.

 

Gallagher will surely get his chance now. Incidentally, anyone following Harrison Reed on social media will be aware that he has been back doing gym work for over two weeks already so showing a lot of commitment and determination to force himself into the reckoning.

[DrunkenSaint]

Perfect player to replace Jay-Rod in the squad if you ask me.

 

I'd be more than happy if our squad of forwards next season was something like this:

 

Redmond (R/LW)

Boufal (L/RW)

Tadic (L/RW)

 

Gallagher (CF/L/RW)

Gabbi (CF/RW)

Austin (CF)

 

Sell Long and Jay and get a quality no10 in and that's a pretty formidable front 4, if you ask me.

 

Really cant see Austin playing in a high pressing style, he could barely last 60 mins under Puels style, long is pretty useless infront of goal but he has the pace and fitness to do the pressing stuff. For me jrod and Austin should be offloaded, keep what we have left and get in a decent ACM who can assist with goals.

[SKD]

Really cant see Austin playing in a high pressing style, he could barely last 60 mins under Puels style, long is pretty useless infront of goal but he has the pace and fitness to do the pressing stuff. For me jrod and Austin should be offloaded, keep what we have left and get in a decent ACM who can assist with goals.

 

The same would have been said about Lambert with Poch's arrival, but he managed. In fact he arguably had his best years.

 

Austin offers something different, get rid of him and we have 4 very similar forwards.

 

I'm a massive believer that the best coaches can get the best out of average players. If Pellegrino is half as good as poch, all of our squad will go up a level or 2 next season, IMO.

[Saint IQ]

I think we'll sell Jay Rod then just promote Gallagher can't see us signing another out n out striker when we already have 4 and got a record signing in that position in January.

[Saint IQ]

Gallagher

Long

Austin

Gabb

 

A good on their day and all completely different strikers

[Dusic]

Long is ****e.

[alpine_saint]

Let J-Rod go (busted flush for me), but keep Gallagher for him and keep the rest until January to see if change of management brings about changes in performance.

[tajjuk]

I reckon Gabbi will have a very good season if we sort out the supply, just seems like a very natural goalscorer to me and easily capable of 20 goals.

 

Also Gallagher coming into the team gives us a target man which we didn't really have last year.

[angelman]

 

Seems, as they say, to know where the back of the net is. Still only 21 so a good number of years for his peak. The question I guess is, if he does sign on, does he stay or go out on loan? I would like the former, but if he will sit on the bench most the time, far better to go our on loan and develop more.

[Toadhall Saint]

I reckon Gabbi will have a very good season if we sort out the supply, just seems like a very natural goalscorer to me and easily capable of 20 goals.

 

Also Gallagher coming into the team gives us a target man which we didn't really have last year.

 

Gabby needs the ball played to him quickly - not like last season which was far to slow hence him being offside on quite a few occasions

[disconnect]

Quite like Gallagher - think he's got a good future ahead of him. He'll offer us something a bit different this season.

 

I was trying to think of the last tall young striker we had and remembered Matt Paterson. Oh jeez he was out of his depth.

[The9]

Gabby needs the ball played to him quickly - not like last season which was far to slow hence him being offside on quite a few occasions

 

11 appearances, 731 minutes, 10 offsides.

 

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/74921/Show/Manolo-Gabbiadini

 

As a comparison with Gabbiadini's 0.9 offsides per game:

Austin 0.5

Redmond 0.4

Rodriguez 0.4

Long 0.4

Tadic 0.3

Martina, Bertrand, Cedric, Stephens 0.1

 

This tells us that... defenders don't get forward much.

 

Tbf we did play a lot more earlier balls through the middle when Gabbiadini first started, which gave the defence something else to think about rather than just defending low crosses at the near post, but soon reverted to type after his injury and when sides had some video of him to watch.

[The9]

Quite like Gallagher - think he's got a good future ahead of him. He'll offer us something a bit different this season.

 

I was trying to think of the last tall young striker we had and remembered Matt Paterson. Oh jeez he was out of his depth.

 

You mean Oxford City's Matt Paterson, most recently of Gosport and Havant&Waterlooville? Has never played more than 40 matches for any club. Best season was 15 goals for Gosport in 14/15, when they came 6th in Conference South and his strike partner won the Golden Boot.

 

Also has spells with Burton, Hamilton, Stockport, Southend, Forest Green and Aldershot on his resumee.

[The9]

There are many reasons to offer a player - or at least one that is yet to establish himself - a new deal.

Just because we a giving him a new contract I still wouldn't immediately think it's because we think he is going to break into the first team. It might be to just protect his future value for example for when we do let him go.

I've never seen anything from him that leads me to believe he's going to be PL quality - however I haven't seen much of him since he went out on loan so I really don't know. I genuinely hope he has developed and can step up.

 

He's young, already has Prem experience and qualifies as homegrown - though not being U21 and therefore having to be named in the squad of 25 to get a game suggests he's still more likely to go out on loan.

 

As for Long, he's fantastic if you want someone to press and work hard, and apparently he had the highest top speed in the whole Prem last season, but his finishing was often dire last season. He's a decent player for away games because of his defensive ability, as long as he's not the lone striker.

[5string]

Let J-Rod go (busted flush for me), but keep Gallagher for him and keep the rest until January to see if change of management brings about changes in performance.

 

I'll go with this. Hard to let JRod go (and he'll definitely score against us at some point), but Gallagher looks good thanks to his time at Blackburn.

[The9]

You can add Sims to that group. I would be pleased with Iheanacho plus one more and sell Long and obviously Jrod.

 

Can't see us signing Iheanacho if City's rumoured "buyback clause" is in effect - though I guess we could just set it for 2 years' time and 5 times what we paid for him and that would still meet the business model.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/06/23/kelechi-iheanacho-move-hits-stumbling-block-man-city-demand/

[The9]

Seems like a player that needs good service. Won't be getting that here.

 

You've misdiagnosed the problem. Our finishing was awful, we created as many chances as Arsenal (though not of as good quality).

[SuperSAINT]

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/saints/15371918.Play_it_again_Sam/

[larry12]

The 9You've misdiagnosed the problem. Our finishing was awful, we created as many chances as Arsenal (though not of as good quality).

 

2 problems. Gash level forwards. Get rid. No 2, midfield who can't score or create assists at all. 17 goals, combined, in nearly 200 games by Prowsey, Davisey and hoybergey. Get rid. Why aren't

we allowed to have good attacking midfielders who don't "Plod" like Prowsey and Hojbergey? Answer In Les we trust. OOOhhhh can't replace my precious "Pwowsey"

[ErwinK1961]

The 9You've misdiagnosed the problem. Our finishing was awful, we created as many chances as Arsenal (though not of as good quality).

 

2 problems. Gash level forwards. Get rid. No 2, midfield who can't score or create assists at all. 17 goals, combined, in nearly 200 games by Prowsey, Davisey and hoybergey. Get rid. Why aren't

we allowed to have good attacking midfielders who don't "Plod" like Prowsey and Hojbergey? Answer In Les we trust. OOOhhhh can't replace my precious "Pwowsey"

 

62 posts, of which 62 are digging out either Les Reed, Steve Davis or James Ward-Prowse.

 

What an incredibly sad life you must lead.

[SuperSAINT]

@patmurphybbc: Gray to @Wolves not a runner,I hear. Too expensive. Trying to land Sam Gallagher on loan,21-year-old striker,from Southampton.

[angelman]

Hope not. Wolves aren't doing things the right way and hope that they do not get promoted.

[the saint in winchester]

@patmurphybbc: Gray to @Wolves not a runner,I hear. Too expensive. Trying to land Sam Gallagher on loan,21-year-old striker,from Southampton.

 

Hope they fail; we need him here.

[suewhistle]

Hope not. Wolves aren't doing things the right way and hope that they do not get promoted.

 

In what way? I know nothing about them.

[SuperSAINT]

He's done his loan season, be very disappointed if he leaves again. He needs to get some game time here, surprised he hasn't figured more in pre season. Given Austin and Gabbiadini are both likely to get injured at some point, Gallagher will be a really useful option.

 

Would love to see him get a chance here, but if we are going with one up top, then I can see the sense in his development being better suited out at Wolves as opposed to being 4th choice for one position.

[angelman]

In what way? I know nothing about them.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jun/19/jorge-mendes-wolves-influence-chinese-owners-signings

 

Agents have become a scourge on the sport.

[SuperSAINT]

Sunderland joining the 'queue' for him too...

Edited 18 August, 2017 by SuperSAINT
Corrected spelling error to make Dangermouth happy