Under Chelsea's close watch, Crystal Palace's young midfielder Gallagher made his first start for the Three Lions in a friendly match between England and Switzerland last weekend. The 22-year-old Cobham College graduate has performed well throughout the season at Crystal Palace and thus secured a chance to be selected for the national team. Garach became the nucleus of Crystal Palace's 4-3-3 system under Vieira. In England, he had the opportunity to show Tuchel what he looked like in the Chelsea manager's favourite squad.
Like Tucher, Southgate also used the three-back system as a common formation and chose a 3-5-2 formation last weekend. Gallagher played on the right side of the midfield trio, controlled by Henderson, with Both Mount and Gallagher in the No. 8 position. With two forwards, Phil Foden and Harry Kane, come forward, Gallagher qualifies to join the attack. In the game, he advanced with the ball, long shots, and passed the ball, showing excellent talent and self-confidence. England were once behind due to Embolo's header, but Gallagher was involved in England's equalising goal, where he took a good spot in set-piece tactics and then assisted Luke Shaw. Just after half-time, he almost completed another assist, he successfully broke the ball in the Swiss half, but Harry Kane's shot was saved by the opposing goalkeeper Jonas Omlin. Gallagher was replaced by Declan Rice in the 60th minute, but got a hug from Southgate, who at a critical time in the season focused on managing the player's playing time.
Southgate said after the game: "Gallagher is an infectious player with a lot of energy and aggression. "I think he could have played the ball more comfortably." I think he sent a great second pass for Harry Kane in the second half. It's the first time in a long time that we haven't had Rice or (Calvin) Phillips in midfield, and that's important in terms of defensive solidity and team balance. By the time he came off, Gallagher had already completed six possessions – four times at the opponent's half – more than any of his teammates. He is also the player with the most tackles and breakouts among England players. Kane used a penalty in the 79th minute to reverse the score, and the Three Lions won 2-1 that night.
Gallagher, who has contributed eight goals and five assists to the club this season, showed himself his best role as a No. 8 player for the first time in an international competition, a role that allowed him to devote his energy to the game. Speaking at Wembley after the game, Gallagher said: "The role I played today is very similar to the one I played all season. I think the manager did that on purpose. Today I feel very comfortable and happy. It's great to be able to play alongside Jordan Henderson – he's obviously a great leader, and he's been talking to me and giving me permission to push forward and create pressure in the penalty area when I can. This is definitely for me. I feel great, it's my first time playing at Wembley. Playing in front of all the fans was a huge excitement and it felt great under the gaze of my parents. ”
Asked about his prospects for a World Cup squad, he added: "Of course, that would be amazing, but it will take a few more months. I need to focus on my football and enjoy every game. Hopefully, if I do well enough to impress the coach, then I'll get a chance. 'It's this passion that makes the young midfielder a goal-scoring threat because of his ability to get into the box again and again with his huge running ability. Crystal Palace is a real family, you'll get a lot of help and Vieira is great for both of us," England international club team-mate Mark Gei told the British media before kick-off, "They gave us a lot of responsibility and helped us improve our game and help the team move forward." ”
Since Tuchel usually prefers to use two ball-handling players in a 3-4-3 system, he abandons Mount or uses Kante or Kovacic as the No. 8 player, which allows him to replicate the system with Gallagher's involvement. In fact, everyone at Tuchel and Chelsea is happy with the growth of the player on loan at Selhurst Park. The Blues have told clubs interested in signing the midfielder that they will not be discussing his sale as almost all of the big clubs are interested in the midfield rising star, who is currently valued at £50m.
Tuchel is keen to recall the energetic midfielder in the summer to increase his options, and he is full of doubts about Jorginho's future due to Juventus' interest and entry into the final year of his contract. It is also possible for Saul to return to Atletico Madrid after a season on loan, although he has the option of buying it out for £30 million. This leaves some room for Gallagher to grow at Stamford Bridge, and while Tuchel was happy to keep him, he pushed for Gallagher's deal to lease Crystal Palace last summer. Now, Gallagher is not only trying to join the England squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but also giving Tuchel a glimpse of what Chelsea's midfield might look like next season.