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

[Hampster Gull]

I would be telling him to put in 100% effort and concentrate on his football career because a player the same age from the Swiss second division is currently getting picked before him.

Indeed. Many on here saying he’s a 21 year old kid so we need to be understanding, and to some extent thats true, but he is trying to be an elite sportsman. Time as an elite sportsman is so short compared to other careers and, well, 21 is not that young in that peer group. If you want it you have to dedicate yourself to it. And part of being an elite sportsman is putting yourself in the window and the public will form opinions on your sporting talent, has always been the case. We all know when someone crosses the line on commenting on players, not sure I've seen much of that on NSC on Connolly, the general theme is he needs a loan in the Championship to get more time and some goals. And thats where I’m at. I saw him in the U23s, he was brilliant, and he’s shown the odd glimpse in the EPL but its the toughest league in the world and he’s in the toughest position on the field as a striker in a bottom 6 team. Tough gig. I would love him to succeed, and i think that means a break elsewhere for a year. #teamconnolly #uta

 

[Justice]

Doubt all of it.

you’ve obviously never worked on a party island.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Funnily enough when I was 21 I was club DJ and had girls throwing themselves at me literally.

https://youtu.be/ciMdo-rCISk

 

[paulfuzz]

I believe that the education of the younger players falls on the club.
Out of the thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of young lads who dream of playing football for a living, only a few achieve it even fewer get to play at the elite level. Young players should be educated in lessons in both accepting failure and how to handle success.
That said he would have more game time if he demonstrated to the manager during training that he is too good to be left out of the match day team/squad this includes both playing and attitude toward training and accepting you do not get there by right..
Like many on here I wish him well in accepting his privileged position and his future playing career either with the Albion or elsewhere.

 

[Justice]

https://youtu.be/ciMdo-rCISk

 

[BN9 BHA]

Where did it all go wrong?

 

[Justice]

Where did it all go wrong?

My lovely lady started working in the same club still together 30 years on.

 

[London Irish]

I think he had an incredible breakthough in that Spurs game and it raised expectations stupidly. He was pushed into becoming one of our front line options because of our failure in the transfer market, he should have been doing the hard yards in the Championship working on his craft. I think he's been badly served by the club in that regard and we must now show a bit of patience, for me his pace and movement still makes him an interesting player but we need to develop him properly, in and out of the team while getting just limited time hasn't worked, so let's try something else

 

[BN9 BHA]

My lovely lady started working in the same club still together 30 years on.

 

[Guinness Boy]

My lovely lady started working in the same club still together 30 years on.

That is quality.

Just when you think an NSC thread can't surprise you.......

 

[vagabond]

He needs to drop down a level or two and prove he can play regularly, score regularly and give 100% every time.

I keep thinking of David Bentley had a couple of good games and got a big move, thought he was Billy Big Bollox and threw it all away and Connolly is no where near as good as Bentley was!

But Bentley was 27 or so when he went off the rails.

Connolly is still only 21.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

If the link to Hibs ever happens he could well be off up there for a loan.

 

[Swansman]

If the link to Hibs ever happens he could well be off up there for a loan.

I dunno... thats more of a league to send the billyarces and janmlakars. Championship or Belgium would probably be better.

 

[GT49er]

If the link to Hibs ever happens he could well be off up there for a loan.

Could do worse.

 

[dennis]

But Bentley was 27 or so when he went off the rails.

Connolly is still only 21.

Which is why it would be a good time to straighten him out

 

[GT49er]

I dunno... thats more of a league to send the billyarces and janmlakars. Championship or Belgium would probably be better.

SPL is more physical than the Belgian league (and most other European leagues) would be a good test for him. Championship would probably be a bit better though - it depends on who we can find that will give him the game time he needs.
TBH, even League 1 wouldn't be that bad - it might hurt his ego a bit, but the object of the exercise is to get him game time and getting his goal-scoring mojo working again.

 

[Swansman]

SPL is more physical than the Belgian league (and most other European leagues) would be a good test for him. Championship would probably be a bit better though - it depends on who we can find that will give him the game time he needs.
TBH, even League 1 wouldn't be that bad - it might hurt his ego a bit, but the object of the exercise is to get him game time and getting his goal-scoring mojo working again.

The Belgian league might not be as physical (Im not sure tbh) but it is a lot better.

League One would be fine. Anything but the joke that is the Scottish league.

 

[GT49er]

The Belgian league might not be as physical (Im not sure tbh) but it is a lot better.

League One would be fine. Anything but the joke that is the Scottish league.

At the top level it's not as bad as all that; Hibs would be an OK option.

 

[Insel affe]

At the top level it's not as bad as all that; Hibs would be an OK option.

Oh it is, there are only two decent teams and one of them is utter tosh at the moment, most of the Scottish Premier league teams would struggle in league one, never mind the championship.

 

[amexer]

He goes down to easily in PL so goodness knows how he would cope with physicality in Div 1 and 2