“You can easily fall backwards like Jesse Lingard” – Sam Allardyce warns Conor Gallagher about Chelsea return

Former England manager Sam Allardyce has warned Connor Gallagher about making a return to Chelsea after his loan with Crystal Palace expires.

Gallagher was sent out on his fourth loan spell from Chelsea when he moved to Crystal Palace at the beginning of the season. However, he has enjoyed a stellar start to the current season.

Gallagher has bagged six goals and three assists in 15 Premier League starts for Crystal Palace so far. He has clearly benefitted from working under Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira. However, Sam Allardyce believes the Chelsea midfielder could potentially 'fall backwards' like Manchester United's Jesse Lingard if he returns to Stamford Bridge. Allardyce said about the same:

"I’d want to come back and give it a go, and, I think, on his form at the moment, and you have to bear in mind now he made his England debut, he’s an England international."

"He would want to go back and try and get in the team, but I think if you do that, you’ve got to play enough first team games because if you don’t, you can easily fall backwards like Jesse Lingard.

Allardyce claimed that Conor Gallagher should try and fight for game time next season, but should leave if he doesn't feature regularly. Allardyce, who worked with Gallagher during his recent tenure as West Bromwich Albion manager, said:

“Staying at Man United, I think, has been a bad choice for him (Lingard) because he has not been selected. While at West Ham, he was one of the best goalscoring midfield players in the Premier League in his time there; now he’s sitting on the bench at Man United."

"So you have to be very careful on your choices at the right time, and if you’re playing as much football as Conor’s playing now, and enjoying it more than ever with Palace, then you want to continue that. If that’s not at Chelsea, it can certainly be somewhere else in the Premier League, I’m sure.”

The 21-year old midfielder made his Three Lions debut in their recent FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier win over San Marino.

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Will Chelsea's Connor Gallagher be heading the same way as Jesse Lingard?

Sam Allardyce's opinion seems to make sense. He knows Gallagher has improved a lot since his time at West Brom, and has the right attitude to succeed. Allardyce said about the player:

“That young man I had last year, Conor Gallagher at West Brom, he has upped his game by 25 per cent. I think he’s looking 20/25 per cent better, I mean, of course, he couldn’t show those skills often enough at West Brom because of the struggles we had."

"But certainly that experience last season has stood him in good stead, a fantastic young man as well and a really really great lad; he’s got a terrific smile when you see him on tele!”

Jesse Lingard is only one of many English internationals who have struggled with game time at one of the top English clubs in recent years. Danny Drinkwater at Chelsea, and Jason Sancho, Jack Rodwell and John Stones at Manchester City are some of the other examples in this regard.

Sancho and Jude Bellingham took the less familiar route and established themselves in foreign leagues (Germany). Meanwhile, Chelsea's Gallagher has settled well at Crystal Palace.

In Patrick Viera, he has a manager who believes in his ability. Gallagher has started all but one of Palace's Premier League games this season, scoring twice in their victory over Everton.

Chelsea have an abundance of options in midfield. So Gallagher might be better off looking for a move elsewhere if he wants to make Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad next year.

Gallagher will hope he doesn't tread the same route as Lingard as he seeks to continue his development with club and country.