The Chelsea fanbase was exhilarated to witness another homegrown talent burst into the first team in the summer of '22. An Epsom-born central midfielder had returned after a successful loan stint at Crystal Palace, where he was a mainstay and fan favorite. Scoring 8 and assisting 3 goals, he was named Player of the Season for Palace that year. And that prodigy was Conor Gallagher.
The stage seemed set for the youngster as Chelsea were desperate for reinforcements in the midfield department, and many thought that Gallagher was a suitable fit. However, almost a season on from that expectation and thrill to see him in blue, rumors have started to circulate about the Englishman's future after an underwhelming campaign.
Chelsea has been susceptible in the past and now to criticism for failing to deploy gifted players in their appropriate positions and roles. Be it Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, or Timo Werner, to name a few, it is fair to say the West Londoners are guilty of not retrieving the most out of their players.
But is this the case with Conor Gallagher too? Let us investigate.
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Under Patrick Vieira, Conor Gallagher was mostly stationed on the right of a three-man midfield, licensed to crash into the penalty box. Apart from offering himself as a goal threat, Gallagher was crucial for the team's ball progression through carries after cleverly positioning himself to receive progressive passes. And he certainly met the defensive demands of the French manager by making significant contributions through interceptions, tackles, and blocks - all of which made him an undroppable asset for Palace.
Tactically speaking, Gallagher is more suited to receiving passes higher up the field as he has an eye for finding space and getting involved in attacking sequences, more like a "number 8" than a "pivot" who maintains a deeper position and controls the tempo of the match. And he surely is not suited to solely playing as a "destroyer" that mops up the opposition's attacking opportunities.
To equate a perfect system for him, look no further than Liverpool and Barcelona.
When the Reds lifted the Premier League title during the COVID-stricken 2019/20 season, Jurgen Klopp adopted a heavy metal 4-3-3 'gegenpress' system, relying on two attacking "number 8's" that pressed intensely and were permitted to make runs into the opposition penalty box. One of the midfielders that thrived under Jurgen Klopp was Georginio Wijnaldum.
Under Xavi, Barcelona also operates in a 4-3-3 but with a few tweaks. However, one similarity is that he utilizes an attacking no.8 on the left side, usually Gavi - a player almost indifferent to Gallagher.
And when comparing the Englishman's statistics to the two midfielders, numerous similarities arise.
But how has Chelsea employed him so far this campaign?
The prestigious West London club has endured one of the most turbulent times in recent history. With the fourth manager in charge, at the time of writing at least, Chelsea have lacked stability and consistency for over a year. And that is an environment any youngster would find difficult to cope with, especially at a club with cut-throat standards.
However, more importantly, Gallagher was asked to execute a role that he was relatively unfamiliar with and one that did not radiate his strengths - to play as a pivot in a system with two defensive midfielders.
It tested his defensive steel and restricted his offensive instincts. Sure, Gallagher must be held accountable for below-par performances as a player of his quality should have achieved more, however, fans must be mindful of his relative inexperience in this area. Moreover, it is unreasonable to expect Gallagher to translate his performances from his time in South London to the West when not playing in his preferred role.
And that is evident when digging into the data. To provide some context on the numbers, we must consider that in 16 out of the 27 matches that Gallagher has featured as a substitute, he either entered a game state where Chelsea were defending their lead (47.9% of the minutes played as a substitute has been while the team was leading), thereby asking him to focus on his off-ball duties, or chasing deficits for a side struggling to score goals (the Blues are the 8th lowest scoring team in the Premier League).
So, as a result of a more defensive position, Gallagher is less involved in the attacking third - reflected by the fewer shots attempted in the penalty box and an uptick in defensive contributions despite playing for a possession-heavy Chelsea team in contrast to his time at Crystal Palace.
(Conor Gallagher scored a stunning last-minute winner against Crystal Palace earlier this season)
(Image Credits: The Telegraph)
With over 6300 minutes of experience in the Premier League, Conor Gallagher has had enough exposure to the English top flight. And as proven last season, there is an abundance of talent in the Cobham graduate to cement himself as one of the best midfielders in the division.
Will that be at an everchanging Chelsea? Who knows?
If an A-list manager does arrive at the Bridge over the summer, like Luis Enrique, who preferred a high-pressing system with two attacking no.8s during his spell as the Spain national manager, things may change for the better after all for Gallagher at Chelsea.
Nevertheless, one thing is clear - Conor Gallagher is an excellent midfielder who has not yet played in his best position at Chelsea. Under a suitable manager, he will undoubtedly explode. And if Chelsea moves him on before that happens, the West Londoners can add another name to the list of players they should not have sold.
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