CONFIRMED Alfie Gilchrist joins on season long loan

[sitwell]

I’ve said my bit on him so I’ll leave it after this but I’m judging him based purely on the performances I’d hope to get from a right back in the Championship. I’m comparing him to others I’ve seen at the level. I’m comparing him to George Baldock and Jayden Bogle. I’m comparing him to Seriki. I’m not judging him based on his age nor based on where he’s come from because neither matter when he’s playing 90 minutes week in, week out for us. Especially as a loanee for which any “development” we see will likely benefit another team. He’s obviously the best we’ve got but I just think he’s been poor throughout the season and people are only realising that now because he’s suddenly under more pressure and therefore crumbling a bit and playing even worse. Even when we were winning and keeping clean sheets he’s never looked comfortable in possession. Never been good back tracking. Never good stopping crosses going in. Never good over-lapping. Broken record over here i know but people can feel free to come to me with counter points of things he’s actually done well beyond “been a part of a strong defence” or “done OK for someone learning on the job”. Both of these may be true but neither are things he’s actually good at.

Doesn't matter how many times you say it. It's still crap. Defensively he has been very strong a good tackler and to say he never stopped crosses is simply not true.
To say we carried him while keeping the record we had is just weird.
We haven't been as good down the right as the purely because hamer is so much better than jrs and brooks

 

[LondonBlade89]

Doesn't matter how many times you say it. It's still crap. Defensively he has been very strong a good tackler and to say he never stopped crosses is simply not true.
To say we carried him while keeping the record we had is just weird.
We haven't been as good down the right as the purely because hamer is so much better than jrs and brooks

“Very strong, a good tackler”. Well I’ve been bowled over by that analysis. You think what I’m saying is crap, I think you’re showing yourself as knowing very little about football. Let’s call it there.

 

[sitwell]

“Very strong, a good tackler”. Well I’ve been bowled over by that analysis. You think what I’m saying is crap, I think you’re showing yourself as knowing very little about football. Let’s call it there.

And yet Chelsea ,England and Sheff Utd rate him very highly. London Blade89 knows better than Wilder. Lets call it there.

 

[BrisBlade]

The truth lies between "he's been crap" and "he's been great". Not sure why everything needs to be polarised.

 

[LondonBlade89]

The truth lies between "he's been crap" and "he's been great". Not sure why everything needs to be polarised.

I think he’s been fairly poor all season. It’s not an especially extreme view. I’d love for him to improve.

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

He is a young, inexperienced lad playing out of position in a team which has 60 points (minus 2) after 29 games.

Like other young players, at this stage of the season he probably needs a short break from the continuous, challenging grind of Championship football.

Don`t be too hard on him. All things considered he has done pretty well.

 

[St Annington]

Gilchrist is the right footed Gary Naysmith who was also labelled as crap by some fans because they are not swashbuckling attack minded players. They are/were both very good at what they do, but what they do is not what fans want, or expect, from fullbacks at The Lane.

 

[CaptainMorgans]

And yet Chelsea ,England and Sheff Utd rate him very highly. London Blade89 knows better than Wilder. Lets call it there.

Rates him so much he's been desperate for another right back all window?

We have Gilchrist, Shackleton, Choudhury and Seriki that can all play there.. yet we've just brought in a kid of a similar age to Gilchrist...
Let's see if he holds onto the shirt. I suspect h won't.

I agree with LondonBlade89 .
I wish I didn't, as AG seems a great character.

However, he offers next to nothing going forwards and doesn't compensate for that with good defensive positional awareness or reading of the game.

He's often caught out of position (too narrow) and decent wingers are able to beat him on the outside fairly easily. I've seen the reports re: PL interest in him and it's surprised me.
At the highest level, he lacks the technical ability to play RB and the physical attributes to play CB. Maybe in a 3 there's some potential?

 

[robbiez666]

Rates him so much he's been desperate for another right back all window?

We have Gilchrist, Shackleton, Choudhury and Seriki that can all play there.. yet we've just brought in a kid of a similar age to Gilchrist...
Let's see if he holds onto the shirt. I suspect h won't.

I agree with LondonBlade89 .
I wish I didn't, as AG seems a great character.

However, he offers next to nothing going forwards and doesn't compensate for that with good defensive positional awareness or reading of the game.

He's often caught out of position (too narrow) and decent wingers are able to beat him on the outside fairly easily. I've seen the reports re: PL interest in him and it's surprised me.
At the highest level, he lacks the technical ability to play RB and the physical attributes to play CB. Maybe in a 3 there's some potential?

Perfect RCB material imo. Fairly quick. Comfortable on the ball. Good tackler. His positioning is poor at RB but that's to be expected as played most of his career at CB.

 

[Booker4]

yes noticed he wasnt training was wondering same seing as dunne can also play right back if gilchrist is going back to chelsea and were bringing both dunne and darling in

He was there today of course so i would imagine Gilchrist will stay for the rest of the season.

 

[3Cheers4Ramirez]

The Gilchrist signing is why I assumed we'd go with a back 3. RCB is perfect for him, no other position really is

But if we get Dunne he's also perfect for RCB

With the overlapping CBs buried maybe this is the next Wilder tactical revolution - play with 2 RCBs

 

[Bladesman]

 

[true99blade]

Gilchrist has been very harshly criticised, started brilliantly and had a couple of underwhelming games and made a couple of errors then suddenly quite a few are making out he’s been poor overall. We have some weird fans.

 

[bornablade]

Gilchrist has been very harshly criticised, started brilliantly and had a couple of underwhelming games and made a couple of errors then suddenly quite a few are making out he’s been poor overall. We have some weird fans.

Why is it that some fans on here have a different opinion to others that they should be called 'weird'?

 

[CaptainMorgans]

Gilchrist has been very harshly criticised, started brilliantly and had a couple of underwhelming games and made a couple of errors then suddenly quite a few are making out he’s been poor overall. We have some weird fans.

I don't think it's "weird" to have a different opinion to you.
Some of us have been fairly consistent on our outlook of Gilchrist.

He's been poor from an attacking standpoint and (as you acknowledge yourself) inconsistent defensively.. I don't think he's ever looked comfortable positionally.

If there was an option to offload Gilchrist to QPR (via Chelsea) to support bringing Jimmy Dunne over, I'm really surprised we didn't take it.

As it is, I don't think Gilchrist will make our matchday squads with everyone available. I'd also be picking Seriki on the bench over him, as he's far more impactful.

 

[Bladesman]

Gilchrist has been very harshly criticised, started brilliantly and had a couple of underwhelming games and made a couple of errors then suddenly quite a few are making out he’s been poor overall. We have some weird fans.

People forget despite being a Chelsea youngster, this is his first time out on loan playing first team football. He has made the odd error here and there but for a young lad making his way in the game, overall I think he has done well so far.

Is he a natural RB? No. I do see his future as a CB and I am sure he will develop accordingly.

 

[Frank the tank]

He's been poor for awhile
Going all the way back to the derby when rohl targeted him, every side has since and he has regressed

 

[Charlieblade]

Gilchrist has been an adequate player forthe Blades. Some fans speculated that he might replace Souttar at CB.
Chelsea opinion would be sought on using him in that slot, probably deciding that he’s good enough to keep as a defender, but not at CBas he lacks the power and presence ofour othe loan player, Souttar.
If we have concerns about that move, Chelsea have also seen it. As a replacement for Baldock/Bogle, and for Chelsea to look at his other potential, he has been adequate. Some work out and some don’t.

Few fans wouldn’t welcome Souttar back because he fits in well and does a great job. As a fan base, I don’t think we took too well to Ethan Ampidu, but players develop differently and he is now skipper at Leeds.

I have named 3 very different loan players. Gilchrist could have a future, but it’s not with us, or as a CB. His play at RB can only be compared with Baldock and Bogle. He is still learning as part of his loan deal.

 

[FTPE]

I think Alfie was put under pressure to do more going forward. He's not daft, he'll see how much we like Seriki, he'll hear the groans when he passes back to Cooper, and he'll appreciate the job Burrows is doing on the other side. So to not lose his spot He's tried to become a flying wingback overnight and it's gone to pot a bit. He's a kid learning the game. He's a central defender learning the RB role, and then on top of that he's tried to become a player he's not (just yet) and his fundermentals even started to suffer.

 

[Eric_Brooks]

He's been poor for awhile
Going all the way back to the derby when rohl targeted him, every side has since and he has regressed

People attack his side because he has no protection in front of him. He’s done a great job.

 

[Frank the tank]

People attack his side because he has no protection in front of him. He’s done a great job.

He has t
He gives his a far too much space is slow to react to danger and is weak in the air

He starred off well playing like a third centre back and allowing burrows to get forward more
Was winning all his duels and seemed to k ow his role well but lately his standards have ripped and he isn't getting the basics right
Wouldn't be bothered that he offers nothing going forward except a huge space he can't get back Into
Not sure what his future holds but u Leeds he berfs up he won't be a centra back and doesn't seem to have the power to be a full back

 

[CaptainMorgans]

I think Alfie was put under pressure to do more going forward. He's not daft, he'll see how much we like Seriki, he'll hear the groans when he passes back to Cooper, and he'll appreciate the job Burrows is doing on the other side. So to not lose his spot He's tried to become a flying wingback overnight and it's gone to pot a bit. He's a kid learning the game. He's a central defender learning the RB role, and then on top of that he's tried to become a player he's not (just yet) and his fundermentals even started to suffer.

I don't remember the part where he tried to be a flying wing back. He barely crosses the halfway line, never mind gets to the byline.

 

[ISZA ⚔️]

He’s a CH being asked to play a very attacking right back role. For the first 2 months of the season he was bang at it. He’s dropped off lately and had a mare vs Hull. Might now find game time limited. If we go up I would 100% take him back on loan.

 

[Bladey_blade]

He’s a CH being asked to play a very attacking right back role. For the first 2 months of the season he was bang at it. He’s dropped off lately and had a mare vs Hull. Might now find game time limited. If we go up I would 100% take him back on loan.

If Harry Clarke and Rob Holding are gonna take his game time in a league below why would we even consider him for the prem?
Gilchrist will never be a premier league starter

 

[CaptainMorgans]

He’s a CH being asked to play a very attacking right back role. For the first 2 months of the season he was bang at it. He’s dropped off lately and had a mare vs Hull. Might now find game time limited. If we go up I would 100% take him back on loan.

To play where?
By your own admission, he's not been consistent defensively in the Championship. Its widely acknowledged that he doesn't / can't attack from that position.
You say yourself, its not his natural position.

I think he'd be a disaster in the PL. He's still developing.

 

[SwitchBLADE Smiles]

I get that this is his first proper taste of men’s football and that he had a good start to the season, but you’re kidding yourself if you think he’s been anything but poor for a number of weeks now.

I reckon we now probably have 2 right backs who would be ahead of him in the pecking order and I really don’t see him as a centre half either (even on the right side of a 3). Id like to see how he would get on as a holding midfielder, but certainly not ahead of Souza or Choudhury. I just don’t see where he fits into our side anymore as I’d rather see Clarke as our starting RB (albeit only seeing him for 1 game) with Seriki as the impact sub.

IMO, I think the championship is probably a bit too high a level for his first proper go in pro football & he would have been amazing for a club like Birmingham trying to win promotion from league 1.

 

[Frank the tank]

He’s a CH being asked to play a very attacking right back role. For the first 2 months of the season he was bang at it. He’s dropped off lately and had a mare vs Hull. Might now find game time limited. If we go up I would 100% take him back on loan.

I don't think. He has ever been asked to. Fill an attacking right back role
The system was like last season when wilder first came in aback 3 out of posesssion and a back 4 in

He plays like a third Centre back who occasionally ventures forward but in games where the right winger has not tracked back he's been exposed

Not entirely his fault but I'm. Sure he's not being told to leave the entire right hand side of the pitch unguarded

 

[Thrice]

Gilchrist is only 21. Defenders usually take longer to reach their peak. Only the truly elite manage to play at the top level at that age and even for them it's often a bumpy road.
For me he's shown enough signs at the start of the season to think there's a player there who could become a really good defender. Would be a shame to see it happen somewhere else when he might be available to us.

 

[Nagima]

I really can't understand the negativity on here regarding Gilchrist. Wilders tactics are for overlapping full backs which can be Kamikazi with Anel and Robinson at the back. If they push up too far then we leave big holes. Souttar is a loss in this regard and Vini while out as they read and often cut out the danger.

I am happy enough with Gilchrist. Defensively he is solid, he is committed. Attacking play is not what we would like.
Somebody was posting that he is not up there with Baldock and Bogle. I agree with Baldock. Bogle no. Bogle can't defend, fine going forward but practically no defensive positioning and poor in the tackle.

Gilchrist is on loan and while we won't end up buying I would thank him for his efforts and wish him well. He has been worth having on loan even if he plays less games from now on.

 

[LondonBlade89]

People forget despite being a Chelsea youngster, this is his first time out on loan playing first team football.

I don’t think I’ve seen a single person forget that, let alone people. And yes it’s his first proper football playing right back too, etc etc.

I think people need to accept that there’s a group of fans who think he’s not played particularly well this year. It’s not “weird”, it’s not just “negativity”. We all of course wish him well and want him to do well. I just feel as if people are getting offended on his behalf. Fine, you don’t think he’s been as bad as others say. Maybe you think he’s been good. Great! This forum is about opinions.