What’s the difference between that and signing a 16/17 year old and Brighton putting them up with a host family
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[Albion] Aaron Connolly - joining Hull permanently
- Thread starter Cotton Socks
- Start date
- Oct 17, 2008
- 10,722
Might be worth paying up his contract.
drew
Drew
I suspect lodgings will be part of the negotiations and that other clubs will have already met childcare and safeguarding issues already.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 10,722
Yeah. He’s not even in Italy at the moment, and to my knowledge hasn’t been for weeks or longer
If he is back I assume he is training with us
GT49er
Well-known member
According to JJJJShabadoo (post 1473), my question was valid, except that although there is a minimum age at which loan moves are allowed, it is 17, not 18.
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Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Same age as Mac, and all washed up. What a contrast.
Pity.
Pity.
Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo
Waxing chumps like candles since ‘75
- Oct 4, 2003
- 11,123
Shows how important a players mentality is when it comes to making it. Connolly is no doubt a talented footballer but he seems to prefer the footballers lifestyle over being a footballer and dedicating himself to training, improving etc and ultimately it's going to cost more him as he tumbles down the leagues.
Psychobilly freakout
HellBilly
My worry is, it will all drift away from him, obviously he will have to already drop down, possibly too league one or two even.
The money will be substantially less, and the lifestyle will suffer, the Charlie big time bollox will suffer, friends will drift away, possibly the ladies too (let's face it he is no Freakout
). He could very will spiral out of control, and the sad thing is he had the talent.I can see his contract terminated in the summer if not before, we do not need bad influences or attitudes upsetting the dressing room, I do not want him anywhere near the up and coming youngsters, with his tales of woe.
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Agreed, a classic case of too much, too young. In hindsight that 2 goal salvo against Spurs turned out to be something of a curse. Caps for Ireland soon followed, it all went to his head, he probably felt he'd "made it", and took his eye off the ball, so to speak. You're right, there's no doubt he had the talent, but its gone totally unfulfilled thus far and I don't see much evidence of him having the mentality to turn it around now.
The club isn't blameless in this. He was pitched in at the deep end due to our chronic lack of striking options at the time, but he just wasn't ready to lead the line regularly in the EPL. I had hoped that playing and training regularly with a wily old campaigner like Murray would've brought through his talent, but for one reason and another it wasn't to be. He's one of the biggest ever disappointments I can remember at BHA.
GT49er
Well-known member
Sadly, it's not looking good. How much longer does his 'Life-of-Riley' level contract last - until this summer, or June 2024? Must be a League 2 loan now, surely - preferably somewhere a bit grim and unglamorous - or maybe League of Ireland. Wherever, we'll still be paying most of his wages I suppose.
Braggfan
In the beginning there was nothing, which exploded
- May 12, 2014
- 1,837
I think that's very unfair. By the very nature of how football works, at some point players have to be drafted into the first team if they are going to make it. He was the Premier League 2 player of the year 18/19, and had scored a healthy return of goals. It wasn't a poor idea to start putting him the first team, in fact it seemed like the absolute right time.
The truth is, as has been discussed, he was too easily distracted and thought he'd already made it. Its such an age old story.
I don't know what the club could have done differently. And arguably if there is anything, you could only determine it with hindsight.
Optimistic thought; That game v Spurs we went at them from the first whistle. We played positive attacking football that day. We didn't often do that afterward. Potter was definitely more positive and forward thinking than Hughton. But De Zerbi is more forward thinking and attacking than Potter. Could Connolly benefit from that?
B-right-on
Living the dream
My friends son is 16 and in the QPR youth setup near Heathrow. He stays with a host family and goes to college etc..
- Oct 17, 2008
- 10,722
I think it’s very unlikely we’ll see him play again for the Albion. It’s all very unfortunate for everyone, but my loyalty is with the club, not Aaron, and back whatever the club decides.
- May 8, 2018
- 9,297
Potentially
I wonder if he learned any Italian whilst out there to break the ice with the new gaffa?
Easy 10
Brain dead MUG SHEEP
We've all seen the benefit of young players initially going out on loan, and being introduced gradually into the first team. Thats not what happened with Connolly though. He was pitched in at a young age, started with a blast, and from then on he was playing pretty much week in, week out. As I say, our lack of alternative options at the time was a factor in that, but after the Spurs game (Oct 5th), he didn't find the net again until the last game of the season.
Many of us thought we had an irish Michael Owen on our hands, me included, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. We all wanted him to flourish here, but his career path was handled badly by the club IMO, and his off-field issues just ended up compounding it.
He’s with the perfect club for a young talent, nurturing and patient. Yet he blew it.
Psychobilly freakout
HellBilly
That is extremely unfair, if your good enough your old enough as far as football goes, he was called upon to start after impressing in the background.
Then as we all know things went south quite quickly, how do you know, his attitude or application did not drop, it is common knowledge we tried to line up a loan, and he simply refused and opted to fight for a first team spot. If we are to believe sources the manager at the time was impressed by that, that is not the clubs fault, we then loan him out several times, hoping for some kind of sign that he is back on track or improvement. We have had no sign, that is not the clubs fault, they have done everything they could to help Aaron, maybe things could have been done slightly differently but the outcome would be the same I fear.
The club did not handle his career badly, he has let himself down as far as I can see.