Sam Gallagher's Strong Statements After Stoke City's Defeat

The forward, who arrived during the recent transfer window, made his return to the pitch after suffering a preseason injury with Stoke City.

Gallagher finally saw important minutes in Stoke’s recent match, unfortunately ending in a defeat against Middlesbrough. The striker came on in the 55th minute, but his impact was minimal. Nevertheless, his return as Stoke City's striker is a positive sign for the team.

READ MORE: Stoke City's Current Position in the EFL Championship

Sam Gallagher's Post-Match Comments After Stoke's Defeat

The 29-year-old striker, who joined Stoke City from Blackburn Rovers, was initially seen as a significant signing expected to contribute goals for the club. Gallagher had important minutes during the preseason match between Stoke City and AZ Alkmaar, even starting that game.

However, during that match, he sustained an injury that forced him to exit early and required treatment. That was back in early August, and now he has returned to action at the end of September. In the match against Middlesbrough, Gallagher replaced Million Manhoef in the 55th minute, who himself seems to have picked up a worrying injury.

Gallagher expressed that there’s no time to waste, and the team needs to get back to work in training to improve their tactics and fix the defensive errors that have plagued them. Stoke’s defense has been particularly weak, allowing opponents to find the back of the net too easily, as seen in the recent performance of goalkeeper Viktor Johansson.

Gallagher stressed that this game is now in the past, and the focus has shifted to their next match against Portsmouth on October 2nd. He emphasized the importance of bouncing back at home, at the Bet365 Stadium, against a Portsmouth team sitting in the relegation zone.

Stoke City will be looking to avoid any surprises and instead use this game as a turning point, aiming for a much-needed victory and breaking their recent goal drought, as they haven’t found the back of the net since their 5-0 win against Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup on August 27th.