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

[GrizzlingGammon]

I suppose when push comes to shove you have to ask: Can he score goals regularly? (No) Does he bring anything different to the team? (No) would we miss him if we loaned him or sold him? (No)
Therefore a new approach somewhere else needs to be applied because as things stand I honestly cant see what the point is....and from reading this thread I am certainly not alone.

I think we can answer with a fair amount of certainty as he hasn't been around the starting 11 for a while. I don't think any difference was noted.

As with all young Brighton players, I would like to see come good as he shown sporadically he has some skill.

 

[Swansman]

I just don't rate him. Age isn't always an excuse - either you've got it or you haven't, and I don't see enough from him to give me a notion that he could be a useful PL striker. He's had enough chances now.

His endless urgency to go down is tiresome and embarrassing, and belies the fact he doesn't have the talent to stay on his feet and do something.

He's like a shit CMS, and thats saying something. Championship striker AT BEST, and will likely end up a journeyman around the lower leagues. He's nowhere near being a PL striker, and we certainly shouldn't be affording him a squad place next season.

I'd be delighted to be proved wrong, in which case you can all bounce this post to kingdom come. But you know I'm right.

So why werent Vardy, Kane and others scoring any PL goals when they were 20-21?

What utter TOSH. We've all watched him. I've seen every minute of him in the last 15 months.

He's not improved one iota. No composure in front of goal, little intelligence in his movement, always looking for the foul. His 2 goal burst v Spurs on his full debut in October 2019 was a freak, a false dawn. He dined off that all season, and has done f-all this season.

He's been afforded game time, and patience. Eventually, you just have to say "he's not very good".

No you have not seen the 150 hours or so of training sessions.

You dont know if he improved. I've had friends playing guitars for years, always improving, but when they are playing in front of a crowd its not the same thing - its psychologically different. So even if they have improved their skills, it might not always be apparent if you only watch them when they perform in highly demanding circumstances. But as they get older and more experienced, it gets easier - and all those hours of improving their skills can be seen by everyone. It just takes time.

 

[Husty]

Don't see why people are piling onto him today? I only half paid attention to the second half but the few times I saw him involved he looked tidy, worked a decent shot. He's VERY young and played little first team football, why the urgency to sell him? 4-5 years time he could well be quality. Worth persevering with but maybe a seasons loan would be beneficial.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Don't see why people are piling onto him today? I only half paid attention to the second half but the few times I saw him involved he looked tidy, worked a decent shot. He's VERY young and played little first team football, why the urgency to sell him? 4-5 years time he could well be quality. Worth persevering with but maybe a seasons loan would be beneficial.

Most are saying a year out on loan will hopefully do him good, which is a good idea and a fair opinion.

 

[herecomesaregular]

It's not been going right for him for some time now..... needs a change. Tbh I'd rather his place in the squad is given to a new player. Not bin him off if he wants to be part of the Albion still but he does need a loan out, I'd say even at Div1 level or Scootland. However, wasn't this offered last season and he refused? If he refuses again then sell him on. I much prefer Zeqiri in terms of what he offers. Also, no offense to Aaron but he does seem to maybe not have the best attitude and while it's good to have confidence his bravado hasn't been backed up on the pitch. At all. However, he must have shown a lot to get PL2 Player of the Season, so how best to get that out of him? His diving is an embaressment, there is clever Glenn Murray- type play and there is blatant cheating.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

So why werent Vardy, Kane and others scoring any PL goals when they were 20-21?



No you have not seen the 150 hours or so of training sessions.

You dont know if he improved. I've had friends playing guitars for years, always improving, but when they are playing in front of a crowd its not the same thing - its psychologically different. So even if they have improved their skills, it might not always be apparent if you only watch them when they perform in highly demanding circumstances. But as they get older and more experienced, it gets easier - and all those hours of improving their skills can be seen by everyone. It just takes time.

Vardy, Kane, DCL, Wilson, Ings, and Bamford, the strikers in and around the England squad at the moment were all playing in lower leagues at 20-21, either loaned or owned. It’s so obvious it’s what Connolly needs too.

 

[Easy 10]

So why werent Vardy, Kane and others scoring any PL goals when they were 20-21?



No you have not seen the 150 hours or so of training sessions.

You dont know if he improved. I've had friends playing guitars for years, always improving, but when they are playing in front of a crowd its not the same thing - its psychologically different. So even if they have improved their skills, it might not always be apparent if you only watch them when they perform in highly demanding circumstances. But as they get older and more experienced, it gets easier - and all those hours of improving their skills can be seen by everyone. It just takes time.

I'll bear all that in mind if I want to see Connolly in the corner of the box on a tall stool softly strumming Kum Ba Yah on an acoustic guitar, but unfortunately we are a bottom-end PL club who can't really afford the luxury of seeing / hoping that he gets better as he gets older. Whatever he does on the training pitch, he has had ample opportunity now to show if he's up to it when its for real.

He's had over 18 months, and its not happened. Not just his failure in goalscoring terms, but in his all-round play. He's simply been piss poor inside and outside the box.

How long are we supposed to wait ?

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I'll bear all that in mind if I want to see Connolly in the corner of the box on a tall stool softly strumming Kum Ba Yah on an acoustic guitar, but unfortunately we are a bottom-end PL club who can't really afford the luxury of seeing / hoping that he gets better as he gets older. Whatever he does on the training pitch, he has had ample opportunity now to show if he's up to it when its for real.

He's had over 18 months, and its not happened. Not just his failure in goalscoring terms, but in his all-round play. He's simply been piss poor inside and outside the box.

How long are we supposed to wait ?

But he hasn't had 18m. He has had a handful of starts and a handful of sub appearances.

 

[London Irish]

He gave us a great sentiment close season last year by clinching the winner in the Burnley game, what a terrible thing he couldn’t paper over the cracks in similar fashion today off the bench

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I thought he did well when he came on, defensive positioning was good, tried to get in behind, created his own chances, was direct and not short of energy. The chance he missed was forgivable given it's his first game back in a while.
However, the throwing himself to the floor at every opportunity irritates me hugely. He's got to be cuter than that.

I've been one who didn't see the value in a loan given our paucity of striking options but if we can get someone in next year, I think he could do some damage in the Championship, SPL or even Belgium.

 

[BNthree]

But he hasn't had 18m. He has had a handful of starts and a handful of sub appearances.

And why might that be?

 

[Swansman]

Vardy, Kane, DCL, Wilson, Ings, and Bamford, the strikers in and around the England squad at the moment were all playing in lower leagues at 20-21, either loaned or owned. It’s so obvious it’s what Connolly needs too.

Sure. But they are also evidence that the whole "either you got it or you dont" thing is dumb. Kane struggled to get minutes in the Championship at Connollys age.

I'll bear all that in mind if I want to see Connolly in the corner of the box on a tall stool softly strumming Kum Ba Yah on an acoustic guitar, but unfortunately we are a bottom-end PL club who can't really afford the luxury of seeing / hoping that he gets better as he gets older. Whatever he does on the training pitch, he has had ample opportunity now to show if he's up to it when its for real.

He's had over 18 months, and its not happened. Not just his failure in goalscoring terms, but in his all-round play. He's simply been piss poor inside and outside the box.

How long are we supposed to wait ?

Nah, its a Premier League club who cant afford to buy expensive players and instead need to develop younger talents in order to compete in the long-run. So you'll get a lot of the "hoping they get better as they get older". Like it or not.

How long? Two more years, maybe three. In a little more than two years he will be the same age Ben White and Rob Sanchez are now, a good age to start establishing yourself as a PL player and compete on a more consistent basis.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

But he hasn't had 18m. He has had a handful of starts and a handful of sub appearances.

And why might that be?

Because he is a young lad trying to build his opportunities and minutes in the Premier League. He isn't going to be a fully formed Premier League striker yet. Very few are at his age. But he was a hell of a player in the Development squad and the club will surely give him time to replicate his early promise unlike half the 'experts' on North Stand Critic. He isn't nicknamed the Bearded Man Child for nothing. Not yet fully matured.

 

[dadams2k11]

I think I'm the English version of [MENTION=38333]Swansman[/MENTION], i tend to agree with nearly all of his posts.

 

[BNthree]

I think I'm the English version of [MENTION=38333]Swansman[/MENTION], i tend to agree with nearly all of his posts.

How often do you eat pizza? How messy is your flat?

 

[Rinkmaster]

Sorry time to cut loose with Connelly. Not good enough as soon as the ball is on its way to him he is working out how and where he is going to dive. Get rid.

 

[blue-shifted]

I was impressed by his movement in behind. He did a lot right for that chance. Though obviously the finish not one he'll want to remember

I think age very much is a factor here. I believe he'll have a decent career at this level. But I don't think it will be next season or the season after. Also remember it's his first appearance for a while. Rustiness is understandable.

He needs an absolute bollocking for the going over though. Just needs to focus on being strong and staying on his feet.

 

[dadams2k11]

How often do you eat pizza? How messy is your flat?

Pizza once in a while, the Mrs keeps the house clean.

I have occasionally been known to have a few sneaky spliffs when in certain company.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I was impressed by his movement in behind. He did a lot right for that chance. Though obviously the finish not one he'll want to remember

I think age very much is a factor here. I believe he'll have a decent career at this level. But I don't think it will be next season or the season after. Also remember it's his first appearance for a while. Rustiness is understandable.

He needs an absolute bollocking for the going over though. Just needs to focus on being strong and staying on his feet.

Not defending his going over, but Smith - Rowe was being praised to the heavens in the first half on Sky and he threw himself to the ground whenever a Brighton player breathed near him.

 

[zefarelly]

I was impressed by his movement in behind. He did a lot right for that chance. Though obviously the finish not one he'll want to remember

I think age very much is a factor here. I believe he'll have a decent career at this level. But I don't think it will be next season or the season after. Also remember it's his first appearance for a while. Rustiness is understandable.

He needs an absolute bollocking for the going over though. Just needs to focus on being strong and staying on his feet.

Completely agree, however the PL is not a training ground, not one single game, even if it is Arsenal or Spuds