Is Conor Gallagher a generation too late? In an era when roles are so defined, when most head coaches prioritise finding players to perform within systems over moulding the shape around the talent, it is rare to have a midfielder who can do everything so well and leave analysts wondering what he is best at.
The Chelsea player, thriving on loan at Crystal Palace, is not just surpassing expectations this season but defying contemporary categorisation.
He is an old fashioned box-to-box player in a world of pivots and trequartistas and the benefit of guidance from Patrick Vieira, who must see echoes of his own game in the 22-year-old, is undeniable. It is also irresistible not to imagine what Gallagher would have been like if he was operating when his current manager was in his pomp.
Gallagher is Palace’s top scorer, on seven, and creator, with three assists, but it is the impact beyond the numbers, his energy and commitment, that has left Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel convinced that he can be a plug-in-and-play addition to his squad next season.
That vision should put paid to any slim hope Palace have of making the deal a permanent one and the fact he is a late bloomer coupled with the gradient of his rise to prominence is leading to an abundance of belief and excitement behind the scenes in West London.
But as Crystal Palace host Chelsea tomorrow with their best performer prohibited from featuring against his parent club it is clear that the south London side are currently benefiting from a past mistake.
Gallagher was meant to have spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Crystal Palace. In late August he had completed a medical in south London and the only thing delaying the deal's completion was some paperwork, the dotting of Is and crossing of Ts.
Then Steve Parish, the Palace chairman, heard Michy Batshuayi would be available again. The Belgian was not part of Frank Lampard's plans at Stamford Bridge, had done well at Selhurst Park during a six-month stint in 2019 and there were concerns that Roy Hodgson's squad did not have enough goals in it. So Parish stepped in and decided bolstering the attack was a bigger priority.
Premier League rules allow only one loan deal between its clubs and as a consequence Gallagher momentarily found himself in limbo.
Chelsea's intention had always been to send him on loan, ideally to a Premier League club although there had been firm interest from the Championship, and West Bromwich Albion were next to step up. For the midfielder it represented a steep learning curve as he stood out in an otherwise feeble team that was doomed for relegation with weeks to spare.
In spite of the challenging environment Chelsea were happy with his progress and Dougie Freedman, Palace’s sporting director, was keeping a close eye throughout.
That Batshuayi was a failure, scoring twice all season, had the south London club questioning a misstep but when Vieira became the Eagles’ new head coach last summer, replacing Roy Hodgson, it was decided that they would return for Gallagher who had evidently taken further strides in the intervening 12 months.
Convincing Chelsea was a little harder this time. Tuchel had been impressed by Gallagher in the summer to the extent that consideration was given to keeping him as a fringe member of the first-team squad. But Palace were so persuasive, with Vieira promising that he would be a key component of his young team, that the season-long loan was sanctioned.
No party has looked back since and Palace’s decision to pass 12 months earlier has benefited them now they are availing of a player more wise and impactful than if they had followed through initially.
Perhaps he will even be a part of Gareth Southgate’s squad come November’s World Cup in Qatar. There is an expectation that, following his debut away to San Marino in the autumn, Gallagher will get another opportunity to impress in March's friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast and it is worth remembering that Ruben Loftus-Cheek was part of the 2018 squad having made a less notable impact on loan at Selhurst Park.
Yet there is no trace of Gallagher losing the run of himself. Those close to him speak of a focus and determination to improve, common traits of top prospects but far from a given across the board. That he offers something different to the majority of midfielders makes him stand out further.
There are question marks around his discipline – only Brentford’s Christian Norgaard and Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis have committed more fouls – and coaches feel his finishing and defensive positioning can improve further. His attacking drive, the frequency with which he underlaps on the right inside-channel, has occasionally left him with too much tracking back and one thing being worked on is learning when to commit and to hold.
A couple of months back Vieira said that he had noticed Gallagher’s timing and positioning have progressed since joining but more must follow if he is to "go to the next level".
Gallagher will continue absorbing information from an ideal tutor, Palace are benefitting in the short-term and for Chelsea there is a belief that when the loan ended he could be construed as a new signing in a summer transfer window where links to Aurelien Tchouameni and Declan Rice will populate web pages daily.
It may be difficult to pinpoint a unique selling point but in a league full of refined instruction, being a man for all situations is no bad USP.
