1 bad season and you want to cut him loose? Christ the stupidity of some on this website... Where were Vardy, Murray, Zamora, Kane at his age? He needs nurturing you ****wits (and yes I'm quite aware he appears to be one too, but so was Ashley Barnes and most of NSC thinks the sun shines out his arse these days...)
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[Albion] Aaron Connolly - Premier League 2 Player of the Season
- Thread starter AZ Gull
- Start date
1 bad season and you want to cut him loose? Christ the stupidity of some on this website... Where were Vardy, Murray, Zamora, Kane at his age? He needs nurturing you ****wits (and yes I'm quite aware he appears to be one too, but so was Ashley Barnes and most of NSC thinks the sun shines out his arse these days...)
blue-shifted
Banned
If we want to be a club that promote youth we're going to have to accept inconsistent performance. We've been exceptionally lucky with the young players that we've bought through that they've hit the ground running. But a striker's is a very specific position, you need a lot of nous and know how. Hardly any can score goals until they're mid 20s.
Every minute we play Connolly is an investment in his future.
If you watch all the other winners and nominees to the award in the title from the first winner in 16/17 until today, you are going to find that a) very few of them have established themselves in the PL and b) almost all of them are still considered talents by their respective clubs.
Player development simply isnt as quick as some believe it is.
Of course, not all of the winners and nominees are going to turn into great players. But plenty are, and it is too early to tell anything about him. I'm sure there's lots of Arsenal fans who want to ship away Eddie Nketiah or who thinks Will Smallbone didnt show enough for Southampton in his 12 PL games this season. But its simply too early to tell. Same goes for Connolly.
Player development simply isnt as quick as some believe it is.
Of course, not all of the winners and nominees are going to turn into great players. But plenty are, and it is too early to tell anything about him. I'm sure there's lots of Arsenal fans who want to ship away Eddie Nketiah or who thinks Will Smallbone didnt show enough for Southampton in his 12 PL games this season. But its simply too early to tell. Same goes for Connolly.
blue-shifted
Banned
I agree with you that expectations on his output are way too high for a players that age. We can't realistically expect any academy striker (unless we unearth a Rashford, but that's rare) to be a regular scorer until they're mid 20s.
Personally I think we shouldn't use the academy for strikers. For the reason, that you'll probably need to loan them out between say 19 and 23 and even then they might not make it.
Better to wait for a late career bloom for a Championship journeyman or a pluck or 28 year olds from Ligue 1 with hitherto modest records, who've just had their first stellar season. Get a couple of years out of them then go again
Barnes has got into double figures once..........he’s got 3 this season and 6 last season. Prolific, sign him up
severnside gull
Well-known member
Can’t help thinking a season in the Championship (or maybe Belgian League) would be good for him IF he can find/maintain the form needed to get in and stay in a side.
That said I remember saying the same about Gyokeres and he didn’t exactly pull up trees at St Pauli and failed at Swansea and Coventry this season.
That said I remember saying the same about Gyokeres and he didn’t exactly pull up trees at St Pauli and failed at Swansea and Coventry this season.
Learning their trade in the lower leagues ( non league with Vardy )
Not thrown into the deep end of the Premier League, a couple of very good goals against Tottenham and he probably felt on top of the world, I wouldn’t be surprised if his confidence is now shot to bits.
A couple of trends coming through on this thread that I feel probably need to be nipped in the bud.
1). Is that whatever the deal we are having with Hibs, it will not be for them to provide a home for players we just want to dump somewhere to get them (partly) off the payroll.
2). Is that the loan deal we would want for Connolly is one that would help him develop, and give him experience of competitive senior football, so that he can a). learn and develop and b). hopefully come back as ready to go as that PL2 POTS that he was before stagnating on the bench for us. He will not be going out on loan because we want to find somewhere to dump him. Championship, League 1, or SPL - it will be a case of where it is best suited for all parties, not a dumping ground.
If Hibs are happy to take him, and John Morling is happy it is the best step forward for him, fine. Dumping ground? A big no thank you from all parties.
1). Is that whatever the deal we are having with Hibs, it will not be for them to provide a home for players we just want to dump somewhere to get them (partly) off the payroll.
2). Is that the loan deal we would want for Connolly is one that would help him develop, and give him experience of competitive senior football, so that he can a). learn and develop and b). hopefully come back as ready to go as that PL2 POTS that he was before stagnating on the bench for us. He will not be going out on loan because we want to find somewhere to dump him. Championship, League 1, or SPL - it will be a case of where it is best suited for all parties, not a dumping ground.
If Hibs are happy to take him, and John Morling is happy it is the best step forward for him, fine. Dumping ground? A big no thank you from all parties.
I think there is something about him and last Summer I was convinced that we should keep him in the squad. 38 games on, I think his confidence is shot. He's perhaps blotted his copybook a bit (though no evidence). I suspect scoring some goals in the Championship would do him a lot of good - and I do think he will do fine in that league.
Coventry rather like him - think they may well try and make his move permanent. Swansea hardly gave him any game time so we told them to stuff it, recalled him and sent him to a much better loan at Coventry, where it has worked out quite well.
Michael Owen
ANOTHER 4/5 years of good wages? Really? That’ll make him 26. Jeez life is getting even easier as a footballer if possible. And all in the hope that he MIGHT come good.
Not for me, I’m out.
ShandyH
Well-known member
Rather than listening to you lot piling in on him, I will trust the professional opinions at the club to guide his career carefully, patiently and with a lot more care and reasoning than many of you are applying to a 21 year-old. I’m pretty impatient as a person and am made to look like Gandhi by some of you.
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blue-shifted
Banned
Yes. A world class striker like that may be able to score goals as a teenager. Good luck unearthing one though
At best, Connolly is going to be a middling PL striker. They are almost never prolific at his age.
GP clearly thinks that he has shown enough to warrant the investment though. So i'm prepared to be patient.
blue-shifted
Banned
It's entirely normal for a young player not to hit the ground running straight away. We've been very spoilt by the progress of White, Sanchez and Lamptey. That isn't normal.
Bissouma was unable to command a regular place until he was 23. Solly didn't really hit hit straps until 25
I think we need to trust the judgement of those who see more of him that we do. They seem to know which horse to back more often than not
Rinkmaster
Active member
I am not a lover of Ashley Barnes but have seen enough of Connelly to know that either now or in the near future he will not feature for the Albion
albionalex
Well-known member
I am very confident that 4/5 years of Connolly's wages would be a drop in the ocean compared to going out and buying a replacement.
A wasted year. He should have been on loan this season.
Whether it's true he refused to go, or whether the decision to keep him was made before Welbeck and Zequiri were added, I don't know. But it was the wrong call, and it's been blatantly obvious all season.
Hopefully he can be matched to a decent Championship side or similar next year, and get the experience and development he needs.
It might not happen for Aaron, but it still might, and we shouldn't sell yet. The only certainty in this is that another season sitting on the bench with the occasional anonymous cameo is not going to make him into a PL striker.
Whether it's true he refused to go, or whether the decision to keep him was made before Welbeck and Zequiri were added, I don't know. But it was the wrong call, and it's been blatantly obvious all season.
Hopefully he can be matched to a decent Championship side or similar next year, and get the experience and development he needs.
It might not happen for Aaron, but it still might, and we shouldn't sell yet. The only certainty in this is that another season sitting on the bench with the occasional anonymous cameo is not going to make him into a PL striker.
Right so we should what, cancel his contract because he won't play for us in the next year or two? Give up all that money we've spent developing him to this point? Great business acumen...