[Albion] Aaron Connolly - Premier League 2 Player of the Season

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Its the obvious reason he missed the game on Saturday, but there seem to be a lot assuming its for a different reason.

'Not very good' ?

Nothing obvious at all.

5 goals in 40 odd games suggests I'm right. If you're happy for someone who chucks himself to the ground at every given opportunity and misses simple chances that's your right.

 

[Justice]

Glad you were never my line manager!

Try running a business and come back to me. When your employees start costing rather than earning you have to make tough decisions.

 

[Stato]

Out of interest why would any championship team want him? Bad attitude, hardly setting the world on fire with his football, it would probably be another disruption they don’t need.

Let's have a bit of perspective. Connolly hasn't been prolific, but he's a 21 year old striker with EPL experience. He scored only 2 goals and got one assist in the league last year, but that was the same as fellow 21 year old Eddie Nketiah in the same number of games and there is a thread on here with messages hoping that we sign him. Dominic Solanke, who produced a similar return in the top division in 2019/20 when he was the same age scored 15 goals in the Championship last season.

The list of players aged 21 or younger who scored more than one goal last season would have Championship clubs queuing around the block:

Foden, Neto, Greenwood, Torres, Saka, Havertz, Willock, Silva, McNeill, Smith Rowe, Odoi, Gallagher, Martinelli, Nketiah, Connolly & Bogle.

That's only 16 players. Seven of those played for clubs outside of the big six. Greenwood, Foden, Martinelli, Connolly, Neto, Nketiah & McNeill are the only seven on the list who have done it for two seasons running.

We'd all like to see Aaron on the back pages rather than in the gossip columns, but let's consider the company he is in and not undervalue him because of our frustration that he hasn't kicked on and become Michael Owen since those two goals against Spurs.

 

[Kosh]

I’ve always felt he’s a few inches away from exploding into form, he’s a clever little player but he does fall over too often… I can’t make my mind up about him… he’s a bit of an enigma.

He really needs to have a proper breakout season this year, otherwise I see a pathway to lower league former PL starlet mediocrity… to be fair, it’s a well trodden path.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Let's have a bit of perspective. Connolly hasn't been prolific, but he's a 21 year old striker with EPL experience. He scored only 2 goals and got one assist in the league last year, but that was the same as fellow 21 year old Eddie Nketiah in the same number of games and there is a thread on here with messages hoping that we sign him. Dominic Solanke, who produced a similar return in the top division in 2019/20 when he was the same age scored 15 goals in the Championship last season.

The list of players aged 21 or younger who scored more than one goal last season would have Championship clubs queuing around the block:

Foden, Neto, Greenwood, Torres, Saka, Havertz, Willock, Silva, McNeill, Smith Rowe, Odoi, Gallagher, Lamptey, Martinelli, Nketiah, Connolly, Reece James, Curtis Jones, Bogle, Ait Nouri, NathanTella, & Tyrick Mitchell.

That's only 22 players. Eleven of those played for clubs outside of the big six and with Connolly and Lamptey we have two of them. Greenwood, Foden, Martinelli, Connolly, Neto, Nketiah & McNeill are the only seven on the list who have done it for two seasons running.

We'd all like to see Aaron on the back pages rather than in the gossip columns, but let's consider the company he is in and not undervalue him because of our frustration that he hasn't kicked on and become Michael Owen since those two goals against Spurs.

Totally agree with all of this.

Also worth posters reflecting on whether they got everything right in their personal lives at the age of 21.

I'm not saying he'll definitely be a PL player, but he's a significant asset to the club.

 

[Swansman]

Let's have a bit of perspective. Connolly hasn't been prolific, but he's a 21 year old striker with EPL experience. He scored only 2 goals and got one assist in the league last year, but that was the same as fellow 21 year old Eddie Nketiah in the same number of games and there is a thread on here with messages hoping that we sign him. Dominic Solanke, who produced a similar return in the top division in 2019/20 when he was the same age scored 15 goals in the Championship last season.

The list of players aged 21 or younger who scored more than one goal last season would have Championship clubs queuing around the block:

Foden, Neto, Greenwood, Torres, Saka, Havertz, Willock, Silva, McNeill, Smith Rowe, Odoi, Gallagher, Lamptey, Martinelli, Nketiah, Connolly, Reece James, Curtis Jones, Bogle, Ait Nouri, NathanTella, & Tyrick Mitchell.

That's only 22 players. Eleven of those played for clubs outside of the big six and with Connolly and Lamptey we have two of them. Greenwood, Foden, Martinelli, Connolly, Neto, Nketiah & McNeill are the only seven on the list who have done it for two seasons running.

We'd all like to see Aaron on the back pages rather than in the gossip columns, but let's consider the company he is in and not undervalue him because of our frustration that he hasn't kicked on and become Michael Owen since those two goals against Spurs.

Indeed.

I dont get how people who have watched football for 30+ years still fail to understand that players are not, with very few exceptions, going to perform immediatly in the best league in the world at this age.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Let's have a bit of perspective. Connolly hasn't been prolific, but he's a 21 year old striker with EPL experience. He scored only 2 goals and got one assist in the league last year, but that was the same as fellow 21 year old Eddie Nketiah in the same number of games and there is a thread on here with messages hoping that we sign him. Dominic Solanke, who produced a similar return in the top division in 2019/20 when he was the same age scored 15 goals in the Championship last season.

The list of players aged 21 or younger who scored more than one goal last season would have Championship clubs queuing around the block:

Foden, Neto, Greenwood, Torres, Saka, Havertz, Willock, Silva, McNeill, Smith Rowe, Odoi, Gallagher, Lamptey, Martinelli, Nketiah, Connolly & Bogle.

That's only 17 players. Eleven of those played for clubs outside of the big six. Greenwood, Foden, Martinelli, Connolly, Neto, Nketiah & McNeill are the only seven on the list who have done it for two seasons running.

We'd all like to see Aaron on the back pages rather than in the gossip columns, but let's consider the company he is in and not undervalue him because of our frustration that he hasn't kicked on and become Michael Owen since those two goals against Spurs.

I normally like your detail but....


Nketiah - 1 goal every 225 PL minutes.
Connolly - 1 goal every 410 PL minutes.

 

[Stato]

Totally agree with all of this.

Also worth posters reflecting on whether they got everything right in their personal lives at the age of 21.

I'm not saying he'll definitely be a PL player, but he's a significant asset to the club.

I edited my post because I realised that the stats I was reading were awarding points for goals and assists, rather than just listing goals. The list of 21s and under who scored more than a single goal turned out to be even smaller.

 

[Stato]

I normally like your detail but....


Nketiah - 1 goal every 225 PL minutes.
Connolly - 1 goal every 410 PL minutes.

Nketiah did play for a team that scored a lot more goals, but that's not really the point. I'm not saying that the stats say that the two are equivalent, just arguing with the reactionary suggestion that no Championship team would want Connolly.

 

[Wozza]

I dont get how people who have watched football for 30+ years still fail to understand that players are not, with very few exceptions, going to perform immediatly in the best league in the world at this age.

The problem is, AC has failed to deliver on the pitch AND is getting in the wrong social media posts/tabloid pages.

Those issues are almost certainly feeding each other in his head/actions - and leading to significantly more negative comments from fans.

I think most of us what him to have 'reset' elsewhere so he can sort himself out.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Bosses don't improve players. Only the players themselves can do that. Bosses can only help.

So bosses do improve players? Also why do we have a coaches if they can't improve players?

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Try running a business and come back to me. When your employees start costing rather than earning you have to make tough decisions.

Funnily enough, I have run a business over several years. So I'm fully aware of the benefits of supporting my staff to resolve issues in their personal lives to maximise their potential at work, sometimes with amazing results. Often a lot more cost effective than releasing them to start again from scratch with someone else.

 

[Pinkie Brown]

Can Derby loan players? Would be a fantastic move for him.

Rooney as manager. The likes of Kazim-Richards and Ravel Morrison as team mates. Throw our resident problem child into the the mix. Maybe there are safer options.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

He needs 3-5 quality players or he'll get sacked. What happens with those kiddos if he gets additions to the squad?

You are correct - he inherited a bloated squad and a lot of players were dumped during the summer and not replaced. Forest are going to face a tough season if they don't get some quality signings (and I suspect they are struggling to sign players) - but Hughton played the kids last season - Mighten was a fixture in the first team - and Johnson will be one of their key players this season (if Hughton can stop the club selling him). The Forest squad is a lot younger now after Hughton culled a lot of the older deadwood.

Now there is a good chance he could get sacked - but that would be a whim of the owner because given the squad that the club have given him to work with any manager would struggle.

 

[JBizzle]

Whenever I see this thread bounced, I always think "Oh God, what's he done now".

And the answer is, as always: Nothing.

Some unsubstantiated tabloid nonsense maybe? Perhaps an unverified Twitter account stating a rumour as fact perchance? An Albion fan that just thinks he's s*** spouting off about the same? Or how about just adding 2 + 2 and coming up with a disciplinary triggering 9?

 

[GT49er]

And the answer is, as always: Nothing.

Some unsubstantiated tabloid nonsense maybe? Perhaps an unverified Twitter account stating a rumour as fact perchance? An Albion fan that just thinks he's s*** spouting off about the same? Or how about just adding 2 + 2 and coming up with a disciplinary triggering 9?

Sadly, it's a rather noisy alive and kicking 'nothing'.

 

[BN9 BHA]

And the answer is, as always: Nothing.

On and off the pitch

 

[JBizzle]

On and off the pitch

True. Although against Getafe, he had literally no support. Run after run in behind the defence was followed by March playing a ponderous ball back to Webster.

I genuinely think that he has the pace to really trouble defenders in the Premier League, but only if his team mates are looking out for him

 

[dazzer6666]

True. Although against Getafe, he had literally no support. Run after run in behind the defence was followed by March playing a ponderous ball back to Webster.

I genuinely think that he has the pace to really trouble defenders in the Premier League, but only if his team mates are looking out for him

The way we played the last 30 mins on Saturday with Lallana, Biss and Mac controlling everything would have suited him……..

 

[Justice]

Funnily enough, I have run a business over several years. So I'm fully aware of the benefits of supporting my staff to resolve issues in their personal lives to maximise their potential at work, sometimes with amazing results. Often a lot more cost effective than releasing them to start again from scratch with someone else.

What happened to it? Out of interest