And how much of his £25k a week wages do we think they'll chip in for?
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[Albion] Aaron Connolly - joining Hull permanently
- Thread starter Cotton Socks
- Start date
And how much of his £25k a week wages do we think they'll chip in for?
We're going to be paying all or most of that for the next two(?) years anyway. Even if a third division club want to buy him and come up with a suitable transfer fee, he won't sign for them if it means taking a pay cut.
I bet Boro are paying a fair bit of it. I’m sure I read somewhere about a ‘pact’ between PL clubs about loans where the club taking the player were having to contribute most / all of wages
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
I think we'll try and ship him out on loan to USG and hope he catches the eye of a European team. We managed to ship out Locadia so all is not lost.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Is it PotG?
Thrifty non-licker
Never ceases to raise an eyebrow how people defend some players.
It's not their fault, they're not used enough, when they are they are used 'out of position' (whatever that means).
Trust your manager's instincts.....give them a chance to improve as a player/person or bin 'em off. The football merry-go-round moves on.
It's not their fault, they're not used enough, when they are they are used 'out of position' (whatever that means).
Trust your manager's instincts.....give them a chance to improve as a player/person or bin 'em off. The football merry-go-round moves on.
I haven't heard of that, but fair enough, maybe they have. My question then would be, have the Championship and other EFL clubs signed up to agree to it?
Frankworthington
Well-known member
Apart from anything else, he simply does not suit our style of play. Like CMS, he likes the ball played over the top for him to chase. All well and good in the lower leagues but not in the PL.
I would love him to prove me wrong,but.cannot see it happening
I would love him to prove me wrong,but.cannot see it happening
darkwolf666
Well-known member
Sad but true. I’m not sure if he’s simply not good enough for top flight football, or not good enough for US in top flight football. I have my suspicions as to which it is and only time will tell.
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 8,634
I think a foreign loan is the best bet. It might remove some of the distractions and open the lad's eyes to the world a bit.
As for USG, well it fits given we'll be raiding their forward line. It's a possibility
What's wrong with defending a player? FWIW, I do trust Potter's instincts and if he's sold or moved on then fine. Where I will defend him is that the perception of Connolly tends to be driven more by stellar bias against him and tabloid rag rumour mongering, rather than him as a player.
I'll be the first to admit that based on what I see he's been underwhelming, but I also think his fast-tracking harmed his development rather than helped it. What I'll never understand is why we didn't give him the same development pathway that's proved so successful for most of our other players.
I think it was a massive misjudgement to move him straight into the 1st team after the Spurs match, and even more of a mistake to give him the no. 7 shirt and keep him here this season (although that may have been more to do with our lack of striking options). The fact is though, if he's deemed surplus to requirements at the end of this season, then I'll wish him well and focus on who's here as always.
macbeth
Dismembered
this. what's even crazier, though, is people now suggesting we do the same thing with ferguson
Jolly Red Giant
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2015
- 2,615
A quick comparison -
Three years ago I listed Connolly as being behind the following in the Irish underage set-up - Troy Parrott, Adam Idah, Michael Obafemi and Jonathan Afolabi - and it was repeatedly scoffed at. With the exception of Afolabi (who has had a very difficult time with injuries) Connolly is still behind each of these players and is now also behind Chiedozie Ogbene (and arguably Evan Ferguson and Mipo Odubeko).
Over the past couple of years similar issues blighted the progress of Michael Obafemi that inflict Connolly - lots of talk about his attitude and that he was distracted etc (and Obafemi was unlucky with injuries as well). Like Connolly, it was clear that Obafemi needed a change of scenary at the very least. Even after joining Middlesbrough, Connolly has been dogged with off field stuff, and he hasn't shaken off the question marks over his attitude. Last August Obafemi joined Swansea from Southampton and it was immediately commented on that his attitude was terrific, he was knuckling down and working hard. Connolly has played 16 times for Middlesbrough and scored twice - Obafemi scored once in his first 13 games for Swansea and then he hit stride - scoring 9 times in the last 15 games. People in Ireland are no longer talking about whether Connolly should be in the Irish squad - the talk now is about Obafemi.
Unfortunately, I think Connolly is now a bit of a busted flush in PL terms. I hope I am wrong but I think it likely he will play out his remaining contract with Brighton out on loan, will probably get signed by a Chamionship team, but will ultimately end up as a bit of a journeyman in League One (and probably have a long and relatively successful career at that level if he grows up and recognises what he has and where he is at).
Three years ago I listed Connolly as being behind the following in the Irish underage set-up - Troy Parrott, Adam Idah, Michael Obafemi and Jonathan Afolabi - and it was repeatedly scoffed at. With the exception of Afolabi (who has had a very difficult time with injuries) Connolly is still behind each of these players and is now also behind Chiedozie Ogbene (and arguably Evan Ferguson and Mipo Odubeko).
Over the past couple of years similar issues blighted the progress of Michael Obafemi that inflict Connolly - lots of talk about his attitude and that he was distracted etc (and Obafemi was unlucky with injuries as well). Like Connolly, it was clear that Obafemi needed a change of scenary at the very least. Even after joining Middlesbrough, Connolly has been dogged with off field stuff, and he hasn't shaken off the question marks over his attitude. Last August Obafemi joined Swansea from Southampton and it was immediately commented on that his attitude was terrific, he was knuckling down and working hard. Connolly has played 16 times for Middlesbrough and scored twice - Obafemi scored once in his first 13 games for Swansea and then he hit stride - scoring 9 times in the last 15 games. People in Ireland are no longer talking about whether Connolly should be in the Irish squad - the talk now is about Obafemi.
Unfortunately, I think Connolly is now a bit of a busted flush in PL terms. I hope I am wrong but I think it likely he will play out his remaining contract with Brighton out on loan, will probably get signed by a Chamionship team, but will ultimately end up as a bit of a journeyman in League One (and probably have a long and relatively successful career at that level if he grows up and recognises what he has and where he is at).
Jolly Red Giant
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2015
- 2,615
There is no comparison between Connolly and Ferguson - Ferguson is streets ahead of where Connolly was at the same age and is streets ahead of where Connolly is now in relation to his attitude. Everybody who has met Ferguson raves about how level-headed and humble to the kid is - and I know people who worked with him at Bohs - the kid has a terrific attitude. On top of being more talented, he is strong and can play against physical centre-backs (and was able to do this when he was 14 years old and muscling Kurt Zouma off the ball).
Be patient with Ferguson and Brighton will have a superstar on their hands.
Haven't seen anybody suggesting that. Yes, a lot of us would like to see him get the experience of a little game time as the season runs down - if it becomes a sutable option at any time. That doesn't preclude a loan out next season if he is to follow the 'Ben White route'.
The only downside to that might be his age - he is two years younger than White was when he went to Newport - so it is quite conceivable that the management will want to keep him at home for another year before sending him out on loan, playing a mixture of U23 foootball and an occasional 1st. team outing - cup matches mostly, probably.
Nobby Cybergoat
Well-known member
- Jul 19, 2021
- 8,634
There's nothing wrong with giving young players opportunities. If we don't, players like Evan will never come to us in the first place. We've done it with players like Lamptey and Sarmiento
The trick is, how they are managed through this time and whether they are mature enough, like Tariq, to accept that they will be in and out for a while
macbeth
Dismembered
thats all great but there's a lot that could go right or wrong between now and him getting in the first team, so being patient with him is my exact point
we must have been reading different posts then, possibly. I avoided the specifics as I didn't want to derail this thread into another 'we need a new striker' conversation, but some have mentioned on other threads and on twitter that the presence of ferguson means we don't need anyone else in the summer. now, whether we need anyone or not is an entirely different debate (on which I've made my opinions known), but I'd certainly not be expecting ferguson to fill that role next season
obviously I'm not saying don't give him opportunities. but he's still 2 years younger than both of those that you mentioned when they were given their opportunity. so we need to be very careful. over-reliance on a player at too young an age and without the proper experience can cause issues with confidence (connolly) and also cause serious damage to their bodies (rashford)
- May 8, 2018
- 10,654
Maybe he could go to the MLS, if it’s a lifestyle with the occasional football match he is after.
I am sure there are no distractions at LA Galaxy or Miami?
I am sure there are no distractions at LA Galaxy or Miami?
Jolly Red Giant
Well-known member
- Jul 11, 2015
- 2,615
I agree everyone needs to be patient - but Ferguson would be able to handle stuff an awful lot better than Connolly.
You can never have too many strikers in a PL squad
macbeth
Dismembered
you probably know more about irish football and the characters of the kids currently coming through than me, so I'll happily take your word on that. but you absolutely can have too many strikers, and as nobby cybergoat mentioned young players aren't going to come to us to sit on our bench when they can get paid double to do the same at a big club. they come here to play, so they either need to be getting minutes or out on loan. my issue is that I would much prefer ferguson to be given the chance to gain experience before we throw him in at the deep end, regardless of how good a lad he is, simply because it's worked a lot better when we've done it this way, obviously allowing for exceptions like lamptey who were a couple of years older. the context this discussion has happened is that some have stated that there's no need for a new forward as we have ferguson. any new forward we brought in would probably be expected to be fighting to be one of the first names on the team sheet. I'm saying we're still a season or two early to be expecting that from ferguson.