Ian Wright has praised Conor Gallagher for his energetic and industrious performance on debut for England, though he says the Chelsea starlet needs to add more precision to his final ball.
The 22-year-old worked tirelessly in Saturday’s 2-1 friendly victory over Switzerland at Wembley, harassing and harrying the opposition, and assisted the Three Lions’ equaliser when his cross into the box evaded everyone and fell to Luke Shaw, who fired home emphatically.
Although Gallagher received plenty of plaudits for his performance, Gareth Southgate felt there were some defensive ‘vulnerabilities’ as a result of playing both the Crystal Palace loanee and Mason Mount, while he also highlighted a slight wastefulness.
Speaking to ITV after the game, the England boss said of Gallagher: ‘I thought he did very well. I think Conor’s pressing is infectious. I think a couple of times with the ball he could have been a little bit tidier.
‘But to go into a game against quality opposition like that, I like the fact that when he presses he turns the ball over. He doesn’t just go and stop short and put people under pressure, he actually goes and wins the ball back.’
ITV pundit Wright very much enjoyed Gallagher’s all-action display, though, like Southgate, felt there was room for improvement when it came to his passing and precision in the final third.
‘He was fantastic,’ said Wright. ‘You heard Gareth say that he loved the pressing, it’s infectious. Patrick Vieira talks about it all the time.
‘And when you watch the way he plays, he can get himself forward. Once he [intercepts], he’s off. That’s what Gareth said, he’s not just winning the ball, he’s off [running in behind].
‘But I think this is what Gareth is saying about the bits he might need to tidy up….
Source : metro
