Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher failed to impress talkSPORT's Mark Goldbridge during the Blues' 2-0 defat to Real Madrid, with the pundit left baffled by Frank Lampard's decision to start the youngster in such an advanced role.
How did Chelsea fare against Real Madrid?
Tuesday's meeting with the reigning European champions proved to be another disappointing night for the west Londoners, as they bowed of the top club competition in the world. Despite creating plenty of chances and actually dominating parts of the match, Chelsea succumbed to Madrid's ruthlessness, with two goals from Rodrygo sending the La Liga giants into the semi-finals.
It means that Lampard has now lost all four matches since returning to Stamford Bridge for a second spell as manager, and he will surely depart at the end of the season. The 44-year-old named a curiously defensive-looking starting lineup to face Madrid, with Gallagher playing off Kai Havertz, and the likes of Raheem Sterling, Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix all left to watch from the substitutes' bench.
Ultimately, it was a team that didn't work in the end, with Gallagher not managing to have a major impact on proceedings and arguably looking out of his depth up against some world-class players.
What has Goldbridge said?
Taking to Twitter, talkSPORT host Goldbridge didn't hold back with his thoughts on Lampard's set-up, questioning why the £50k-per-week midfielder was saddled with the attacking responsibilities:
"Who picks Connor Gallagher at CAM when you need goals and benches Felix…"
In truth, this was an evening that did show Gallagher's limitations, as he came up against the likes of Tony Kroos, Luka Modric and Fede Valverde. That's not to say that he had no impact at all – he played two key passes and made one tackle and interception apiece – but he rarely looked like being the difference-maker in such a high-profile game.
Lampard's use of the midfielder arguably didn't help, with the 23-year-old used to the left of the attack and N'Golo Kante to the right, but it was a further sign that selling him this summer could make the most sense for all parties.
There certainly appears to be interest in him, with the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle United seemingly in the mix, and he could thrive as more of a key man elsewhere, with regular stats unlikely to come his way at Chelsea moving forward.
Gallagher's current Blues deal expires in the summer of 2025, but now could be the best time to earn a healthy amount of money for his services, rather than lose him this time next year when his value may have dropped.
