CONFIRMED Alfie Gilchrist joins on season long loan

[GodricBlade]

I doubt any Blades wanted him sent off...
I certainly didn't.
But objectively speaking it looked a red card (on second & third viewing).

I think Wilder knew it as well, which probably contributed to a good bit of management in removing him from the situation.

I said to my mate that we’d have been looking for a red if the tackle had have been on a Utd player & I think deservedly so.
It was only a fraction late but my memory is telling me it was a bit of an out of control lunge too.
And yes, a smart decision to take him off. He was looking a bit tired & one daft foul could have seen him get a 2nd yellow.
Some player though - loves to defend, loves winning a battle & can only see him getting better & better this season.

 

[LondonBlade89]

He made some brilliant tackles last night and overall it was a good performance. But he still makes me a little nervous. A Hull attack in the first half where he committed to the midfielder coming through, leaving completely free his wide attacker who fortunately crossed poorly, was a good example of how he’s still getting used to playing at right back. He’ll keep growing hopefully. Re: your question on ceiling CaptainMorgans, I reckon it’s a long-time captain of a mid-table Premier League side. A Crystal Palace. I am judging him just off his performances at right back which clearly isn’t his favoured position. But I don’t think he has the pace, size or high-end technique to go much higher than that.

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

MOM for me tonight too.

The 'tackle' barely made rumble on the Official Jay McEverley Tackle Scale with a 3/10 at most.

utb

I still don't like watching that J Mc tackle back!

 

[blade too long]

It's night & day from the last Summer window.
Every signing has contributed, including McCallum & Shackleton in helping us see games out... they all seem to have bought in and there seems a good spirit in the squad.

Wilder knew what he needed, was ruthless in letting certain players leave and he's improved us in every area.
He's worked a mini-miracle and I can't say I expected it this quickly.

Refreshing to see the lack of injuries so far too, we had a great run under him and Knill for a few seasons so I doubt it's a coincidence.

Last year we were like an episode of Holby City with the endless calamity of injuries.Shackleton was worry early on but he was fine last night

 

[jono_t2000]

Wilder knew what he needed

Burrows captain at Peterborough at just 22

Gilchrist captain through all Chelsea age groups

Souttar a talker and leader

Moore a talker and leader

Cooper a talker and leader

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

I bet he'll be top of at least one stats table for full backs for tackles, blocks or interceptions. Very few in that position will be as good from a purely defensive point of view. I expect him to grow in confidence going forward as well. He'll be a great signing

 

[Slim Man]

Still think when Seriki is fit he will be starting against teams like Oxford at home, Gilchrist in games like Wednesday away, Burnley at home

But yeah; 1 v 1 I haven’t seen him skinned yet

 

[Oohaah! Bob Bookah!]

I said to my mate that we’d have been looking for a red if the tackle had have been on a Utd player & I think deservedly so.
It was only a fraction late but my memory is telling me it was a bit of an out of control lunge too.
And yes, a smart decision to take him off. He was looking a bit tired & one daft foul could have seen him get a 2nd yellow.
Some player though - loves to defend, loves winning a battle & can only see him getting better & better this season.

You mean like the tackle on Blaster earlier. Both red cards then!

 

[Need4speed]

Is he the finished article, of course not. He hasn't played a lot at right back either. What i have seen is that he is coachable, learning the role. He will make mistakes and was a bit lucky not to get a red but it wasn't that kind of game so fair play to the ref. Wilder right to take him straight off. I have seen enough to know I would try and get him permanently

 

[JohnDenver]

Still think when Seriki is fit he will be starting against teams like Oxford at home, Gilchrist in games like Wednesday away, Burnley at home

But yeah; 1 v 1 I haven’t seen him skinned yet

It was interesting that Seriki was first choice to replace Gilchrist. I know Shackleton soon came on to help out, but I was surprised at the order of preference.

Would be great for Seriki to crack it this season - he’s had such a long and difficult apprenticeship, but the glimpses we’ve seen this season suggest he’s taken a big step forward.

 

[Cappy]

Alfie has 100% hurt his hamstring. Did it right infront of where I was sat for today in the SS

Hurt it in a tackle. Grabbed it straight away. Right below his glute. Hand up straight away signaling to the bench. We had to defend a corner though so he did that, told Cooper to go down to buy time, then wilder made a double substitution, one of which was gilchrist. He looked very very sore on the corner and afterwards

Obviously hope it’s a short term thing, but it’s definitely damaged

 

[Cappy]

Christ man, these loan signings

 

[Blademan18891889]

Christ man, these loan signings

Fucking magnificent

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Every time we don't win Brewster gets slated, JRS gets slated... yet I'm watching Gilchrist get skinned regularly by every left winger he comes up against, cost us goals and for some reason nobody says anything.

He's taking up a valuable loan spot and he's not improving at right back.. he's actually going backwards. I've wanted to be positive about him, but I don't think this loan makes any sense.
We need a better player in there, even more important now Souttar is going to be out.

Personally, I'd send him back. Understand it might seem harsh, but we're heading towards the business end of the season and big decisions are needed if we're going to keep up.

 

[AWetFlannel]

Every time we don't win Brewster gets slated, JRS gets slated... yet I'm watching Gilchrist get skinned regularly by every left winger he comes up against, cost us goals and for some reason nobody says anything.

He's taking up a valuable loan spot and he's not improving at right back.. he's actually going backwards. I've wanted to be positive about him, but I don't think this loan makes any sense.
We need a better player in there, even more important now Souttar is going to be out.

Personally, I'd send him back. Understand it might seem harsh, but we're heading towards the business end of the season and big decisions are needed if we're going to keep up.

I agree that he avoids criticism more than most, but wouldn't send him back.

Is there a right back available that would improve on him and Seriki? How much? Would that money be better spent elsewhere?

 

[andy m]

Every time we don't win Brewster gets slated, JRS gets slated... yet I'm watching Gilchrist get skinned regularly by every left winger he comes up against, cost us goals and for some reason nobody says anything.

He's taking up a valuable loan spot and he's not improving at right back.. he's actually going backwards. I've wanted to be positive about him, but I don't think this loan makes any sense.
We need a better player in there, even more important now Souttar is going to be out.

Personally, I'd send him back. Understand it might seem harsh, but we're heading towards the business end of the season and big decisions are needed if we're going to keep up.

Out of possession he is average, in possession fucking awful.

 

[McGrath]

Gilchrist's a centre half trying to learn his trade at full back.

 

[Tony_Kaufman]

Gilchrist's a centre half trying to learn his trade at full back.

That's pretty much what Chelsea fans say about him. Most I've spoken to rate him as a centre back as that's his favoured position.

Right back has become this season's left back.

 

[McGrath]

That's pretty much what Chelsea fans say about him. Most I've spoken to rate him as a centre back as that's his favoured position.

Right back has become this season's left back.

I think he'll end up as a Jack Robinson type centre half for a championship club, probably be club captain for many years and be a cult hero for their fans.

You can tell he's not really a full back though, although I think he gives it a decent go considering it's not his position

 

[CornwallBlade]

He’s just too slow to play RB, he was getting skinned every time it was 1v1

 

[Keen Blade]

Gilchrist's a centre half trying to learn his trade at full back.

In a side trying for autos ?
No thank you

 

[Keen Blade]

He’s just too slow to play RB, he was getting skinned every time it was 1v1

He's not just slow , he's miles off his man.
He can't help himself driving into CB position - then he'll suddenly look over at the LW , "oh shit ! That's my man about to put in a cross unchallenged , why am I 20 yards away?"
No way on earth is he a RB - just gave them their goal & win today ,
assisted by Souttar & Robbo marking thin air.

 

[Slug]

He's not just slow , he's miles off his man.
He can't help himself driving into CB position - then he'll suddenly look over at the LW , "oh shit ! That's my man about to put in a cross unchallenged , why am I 20 yards away?"
No way on earth is he a RB - just gave them their goal & win today ,
assisted by Souttar & Robbo marking thin air.

For the first goal, the amount of space that their left winger had when he received the ball was criminal. It had been developing for the previous 10 minutes before that as well, with Gilchrist getting sucked in to the middle more and more.

 

[LudlamBlade]

Every time we don't win Brewster gets slated, JRS gets slated... yet I'm watching Gilchrist get skinned regularly by every left winger he comes up against, cost us goals and for some reason nobody says anything.

He's taking up a valuable loan spot and he's not improving at right back.. he's actually going backwards. I've wanted to be positive about him, but I don't think this loan makes any sense.
We need a better player in there, even more important now Souttar is going to be out.

Personally, I'd send him back. Understand it might seem harsh, but we're heading towards the business end of the season and big decisions are needed if we're going to keep up.

"We have a very talented young centre back that isn't playing very well at right back...now our main centre back is injured and we need cover...I know, let's send back the talented young centre back who would provide perfect cover"

 

[Keen Blade]

For the first goal, the amount of space that their left winger had when he received the ball was criminal. It had been developing for the previous 10 minutes before that as well, with Gilchrist getting sucked in to the middle more and more.

Souttar should have been bollocking him for being constantly out of position , but I see little communication
(most folk round me on the kop were screaming at him to no avail)

 

[Stretch]

Souttar should have been bollocking him for being constantly out of position , but I see little communication
(most folk round me on the kop were screaming at him to no avail)

It's a fair point.

But was he getting bollocked from the dugout as well? Not sure I saw that either.

 

[Houston_Blade]

In a side trying for autos ?
No thank you

It’s not his choice, it’s ours. We should have got a right back and not a centre back.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

"We have a very talented young centre back that isn't playing very well at right back...now our main centre back is injured and we need cover...I know, let's send back the talented young centre back who would provide perfect cover"

Or, alternatively, replace the injured centre back like-for-like with similar quality.

In the meantime, why not also bring in an experienced right back... rather than continuing with the Gilchrist experiment?
Hardly the crazy idea your tone suggests...

Gilchrist seems a good kid and I'm not faulting his effort.
But his lack of positional awareness and sub-standard 1v1 defending are exposing us, a team going for automatic promotion.

If he plans on developing into a right back, it's probably best he does that at somewhere like Preston.
I'm not sure a club in our position can afford to be developing young players, that aren't on our books, in such a crucial part of the pitch.

As above, Burnley had got down his side twice before the third goal. They targeted him.
This has been a recurring theme in several of our recent games.

He's our only option for the next few, but - beyond that we need to look elsewhere.

 

[MadDad38]

I’d be happy with Gilchrist at CB for the time being. He’s not a RB and never will be.

 

[FriethBlade]

I’d be happy with Gilchrist at CB for the time being. He’s not a RB and never will be.

I don't think he's big enough or strong enough to be a primary centre back. He could probably play with a Souttar like CB who wins everything in the air and he clears up but we now need a Souttar like CB.

We definitely have to go into the loan market and bring in a big dominating centre back ASAP as I think Souttar is out for a long time.