10 Jan 2026 09:02:30
Reading about Villa's interest in Conor Gallagher, loan with an option to buy of around £40m.
I'm sure many will disagree but I think he would add some much needed energy to our midfield, i've been a fan since his WBA loan days and would be starting him over Macallister. A trio of Gravenburch, Soboszlai and Gallagher in midfield for me would be a success.
10 Jan 2026 09:34:33
I'd sooner start my grandmother before MacAlister lord rest her ?.
10 Jan 2026 09:36:24
A good player Ernest no doubt but imo not what we need, it's more a bruno g, caicedo, Anderson type we need who more defensive minded, high energy and v aggressive.
Would do wonders for us I reckon.
10 Jan 2026 09:51:49
You're right I disagree. If he's not good enough for Chelsea or Athletico he's not good enough for us. Decent player but not Liverpool quality. If we want to meander around fourth from now on then fine, otherwise a hard pass from me.
10 Jan 2026 10:01:31
Still no defensive midfielder though,
10 Jan 2026 10:47:55
Earnest. IMO that's a good shout at that money he would be an excellent addition. People disregarding him out of hand rearly don't see what a good squad player he could be. That guy leaves everything he has on the pitch. Never gives up, has bite in the tackle and can score a goal. I agree he's not world class but, I would have him.
Emery knows a player when he sees one.
Tbh I totally forgot about him, he went abroad at the same time as Mctomeny another underrated player.
10 Jan 2026 10:55:45
Gallagher doesn't play in the DM/ deeper role, IMO. If we need a midfielder with bite to help Grav in the pivot then, not sure Gallagher is that guy. Good player, tho.
10 Jan 2026 10:59:11
I think there is a bit of hang up on the "defensive midfielder' issue. I would say better midfielders and a bit of depth. City and Arsenal don't play with a defensive midfielder as such and do just fine.
Again it's as much down to tactics and our way of playing that doesn't help our issues. Same midfield as last season PL Champs, this season pretty dire! Can't all have just fell off a cliff at the same time?♂️.
{Ed001's Note - City and Arsenal both play with one. Rodri and Zubimendi play that deep lying midfield role.}
10 Jan 2026 10:59:51
After the way villa have dealt with Elliot, I'm not sure any club should enter a loan to buy with them.
10 Jan 2026 11:05:16
Frode Kippers - Salah wasn't good enough for Chelsea mate.
10 Jan 2026 11:16:19
Please god know ? Gallagher is nowhere near good enough mid table quality at best.
10 Jan 2026 11:38:07
We need a passer in midfield who can also tackle if needed. Gallagher is an all action midfielder who does a lot of things decently well and has a good engine but he isn't outstanding at anything, isn't technically great, isn't a passer and isn't a particularly good progressive passer either, he's a good presser and reasonably decent carrier of the ball but also technically a bit limited, which isn't something we look for in midfielders.
I'd say Jones is superior to him in pretty much every aspect.
10 Jan 2026 11:44:04
Chewy "mate" Salah was in his early 20s and was considered a promising talent and only appeared a handful of times. If you're comparing that to Gallagher then you're deluded.
10 Jan 2026 11:50:44
Supposedly its an option to buy after the initial loan so seems pretty risk free, only Villa linked at the minute.
10 Jan 2026 11:27:18
I just can't believe Barry has joined the dark side and become so negative!
Come back to us Barry!
10 Jan 2026 12:22:12
Sean please tell me how you can be positive especially about MacAlister?
10 Jan 2026 13:12:02
Apologies when I said"defensive midfielder " I was referring to a specific type of player, someone who put the boot in as such. As you say Zubi and Rodri both do it for their clubs more technical players . Which sort of proves my point that maybe it's better midfielders we require and also it's a much down to tactics and our style of playing.
{Ed001's Note - Rodri very much sticks the boot in, he has a lot of technical ability with it, but he certainly does not shy away from tackles. Zubimendi tries, but he is just weak, but they have Rice alongside him to provide the bite. I do get what you mean, but no point getting more technical players if they are going to still get bullied.}
10 Jan 2026 13:28:12
I wish he was Gary McAllister.
10 Jan 2026 13:29:23
I never said Gallagher was a world beater. But he would fit in as a squad player. I'd have over Macalister any day. You won't see him rolling around faking injury. He won't sulk either. He's a Stevie Nicole type, never going to be the big cheese, but he knows where the cheese is kept and makes a good sarni.
We could do worse. 40m is good money for the player that left. Don't know if he's improved his game, but a few seasons in Italy won't have done him any harm?
10 Jan 2026 14:03:11
Conor Gallagher is a decent midfielder with tonnes of energy.
However, I don't think that is what we need and nor is he Liverpool level.
We have so many box-to-box 8s - we need specialist DMs and/ or deep lying playmakers.
Could see Gallagher at Spurs, Newcastle or even United.
10 Jan 2026 14:36:48
I suggested Gallagher about 18 months ago but those who know more rubbishd the idea. Personally I see him as a box to box midfielder, good in the press, strong tackler. Would definitely provide more bite than any of our current options, and he seems to be always available. I also think his price tag is about right.
10 Jan 2026 14:58:37
Gallagher would be an improvement on Endo. i like Gallagher, good attitude. If we bought him at that price i wouldn't complain but there are supposed MF targets i'd go for ahead of him.
10 Jan 2026 15:21:13
Florian - replacing a DM with a no8 is the kind of stupid recruitment we should avoid.
We should replace Endo with a DM that the current coach or next coach will play.
10 Jan 2026 16:25:05
Ed01, another example to show that things happen for a reason. Imagine we sign Zubimendi last season and he is this weak, out of position a, d anytime any team gets at him and he is found wanting as he is now? Good grief.
IMO, I always thought Declan Rice is THE Arsenal midfield. Zubimendi does very little without Rice in there even when building play. Grav is levels above him so good thing Slot promoted from within. Hats off to him. Again, things happen for a reason.
10 Jan 2026 16:45:04
I don't mind him but he's a bit rough around the edges. Sometimes his touch let's him down and he can rush things when he's on the ball, he acts like a headless chicken often. He runs a lot which is great, but it doesn't always lead to much. I feel like he's more about effort than real quality at times.
10 Jan 2026 17:22:15
We should replace endo with me granny.
10 Jan 2026 18:01:24
We should replace Slot with your granny too. As for Endo criticising a player who has only played well for us is hilarious. Slot's treatment of him is despicable.
10 Jan 2026 18:40:19
Barry I was against us signing Macca in the first place I just never saw a player there when he was at Brighton.
Last season he happily proved me wrong and was one of our better players.
This season he's been woefully off form but he's far from the only one. I actually thought he did well against Arsenal, particularly in the second half and started to look more like the Macca of last season so I just don't see why there would be so much negativity about him when he's probably just played his best game of the season.
What I will say is I feel people have their biases against players they don't like and so just look for anything they do wrong to confirm their views. I was certainly like that about Thiago when he was here I really couldn't stand the guy.
I also think there's a lot of that going round about Slot right now. Everyone wants to jump on everything he says or every team selection or tactical tweak.
I'm not sold on Slot he's had an extremely poor season but we played well against Arsenal and he deserves credit for that. Or at the very least deserves people to give him a break and stop picking at every little thing he does.
The performance wasn't perfect but it was much better than we've been seeing. I just hope we can take confidence from it and have a decent second half of the season.
10 Jan 2026 19:17:29
SD you base it on his performance on the Arsenal game I'm basing mine since the start of the season. He's been terrible and as for his faining injury every match he's just embarrassing himself. I have absolutely no opinion of him as a person but I do as a Liverpool player and he's been crap.
10 Jan 2026 19:50:57
My opinion is that he is not good enough for Liverpool fc Frode, if someone thinks he is fair play but not for me. I think he would have been gone in the summer but he wanted to stay which was a bad decision.
Slots treatment of him has not been despicable., its obvious he doesn't rate him as a player and Endo knew that as well last summer. Since when is it wrong for a manager not to use a player he does not rate?
11 Jan 2026 01:26:41
I'm not too bothered about the feigning injury thing Barry. Most players in the league do it regularly and it's trained into kids from an early age. It's part of the game now we just have to accept that. I wish it wasn't but it is and other teams gain huge advantages from doing it so if we don't do it ourselves we put ourselves at a disadvantage before we even kick off.
It's fine being holier than thou and dreaming of a world where every footballer is as honest as the day is long but they're not. They will do everything to gain an advantage and managers will encourage it because they need to win games at any cost.
Added to that the PGMOL don't do anything to prevent it, even worse they fall for it every time and so encourage players to do it even more. It just is what it is.
I agree Macca has been poor this season it just seems strange that you are normally a positive poster yet you have recently turned negative after what was a fairly good performance.
I miss the old Barry.
11 Jan 2026 08:22:36
Maybe it's watching this complete dross of football week in week out has turned me.
11 Jan 2026 10:27:05
It must have been hell for you under Rafa and Ged Barry. Thank God for Stevie G is all i'll say.
11 Jan 2026 11:43:36
Despicable ?.
Ooh, so you can criticise Slot but not Endo?
Are them the rules, then?
11 Jan 2026 13:35:04
Is Endo still injured?
He strikes me as being in the same boat as Chiesa.
People harped on about Chiesa not being picked but when he was picked as a starter he lasted for just under an hour before his legs went. Strangely the 'we want Fede' group must be taking a winter break, for the time being.
I think Wataru might be in the same boat - very good at seeing out the last 20 minutes of a game when we are winning but not effective for a full 90+ minutes. Given Slot's reticence in picking Fede as a starter, it might just possibly right about Endo too.
11 Jan 2026 21:20:39
"People harped on about Chiesa not being picked but when he was picked as a starter he lasted for just under an hour before his legs went. ".
That's cos doesn't have enough minutes in his legs that can allow him to play longer.