Sam Gallagher’s loan with Blackburn has proven successful with the Southampton striker backed to make it at the highest level by Tony Mowbray.
Mowbray’s only worked with Gallagher for a limited time since his appointment as Blackburn boss but he has already seen enough to know the striker has the attributes needed to be successful.
However, he’s still got some way to go before he’s the finished article. Mowbray told Official Website.
‘The supporters won’t necessarily know his personality but he looks you right in the eye and he wants to work hard, he wants to be a better footballer, he wants to listen and try and improve every day. They are fantastic qualities for a young guy to have really, he knows he’s not the finished article, he’s not sure about when to play deep away from defenders, when to use his physicality up against them, and when to use his speed.’
Gallagher will become ‘a hell of a footballer’ though as far as the Blackburn boss is concerned. He went on to say this loan has not only benefited Blackburn it has also very much worked to the advantage of his parent club Southampton too.
‘But he’s got some fantastic attributes that are going to make him a hell of a footballer in a few years time. A guy who can do everything, out-strength you, out-run you. Hopefully he can become cleverer with his movement, he is going to be some player. I think his club have done right in letting him go and play games otherwise the development is not as fast in the Under-23 league. So we are delighted we’ve got him.’
Mowbray went with Gallagher and Marvin Emnes in the Blackburn win against Derby on Tuesday opting to keep Danny Graham on the bench at Ewood Park.
That wasn’t a reflection on Graham as the boss – also speaking on the Official Website – feels he is a ‘fantastic asset’ for Rovers.
‘I don’t want anyone to think that Danny Graham isn’t a fantastic asset for us. I think in the games where we are going to dominate the ball more, Danny Graham is going to score lots of goals for us.’
Derby wasn’t a game suited to the former Sunderland striker though with Mowbray deciding Gallagher and Emnes were the better options on this occasion.
‘I just felt that against Derby we were going to have to defend, we were going to have to defend deep, and we needed the qualities of an Emnes and a Gallagher to be able to run away and stretch the pitch with the ball. And with respect to Danny, his assets and qualities are elsewhere, and hopefully on the days where were are dominating and we are getting lots of balls into the box he can finish them off.’
