[Albion] Aaron Connolly - joining Hull permanently

[Jolly Red Giant]

Yeah and I was mainly making fun of JRG taking another opportunity to promote another mediocre striker purely on the basis that he is Irish.

A Swansman dissing on a player who has scored 10 goals (and a bucket load of assists) for the Swans in the last two months.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Talking of Obafemi, while this is, in general, a spammy, ad-filled and short piece of "analysis", it contains a couple of killer lines:

https://punditarena.com/football/rudi-kinsella/aaron-connolly-learn-lesson-michael-obafemi/

Connolly, on the other hand, has not appeared to enjoy his football in a long time.

if one of them are to be named in Stephen Kenny’s Nations League squad, right now, it’s only going to be Obafemi…

 

[GT49er]

Talking of Obafemi, while this is, in general, a spammy, ad-filled and short piece of "analysis", it contains a couple of killer lines:

https://punditarena.com/football/rudi-kinsella/aaron-connolly-learn-lesson-michael-obafemi/

Connolly, on the other hand, has not appeared to enjoy his football in a long time.

if one of them are to be named in Stephen Kenny’s Nations League squad, right now, it’s only going to be Obafemi…

Nice to see tose highlights of the Spurs game, He did look rather good in that!

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

...

Double post

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

Connolly was left out of the Irish squad for the upcoming Nations Cup games (apparently because he had been receiving pain killing injections for the last couple of games for Middlesbrough) - his place was taken by Michael Obafemi.

Irish media are also reporting that Brighton will look for a permanent transfer during the summer and if that is not successful will look to loan Connolly out again next season.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Connolly was left out of the Irish squad for the upcoming Nations Cup games (apparently because he had been receiving pain killing injections for the last couple of games for Middlesbrough) - his place was taken by Michael Obafemi.

Irish media are also reporting that Brighton will look for a permanent transfer during the summer and if that is not successful will look to loan Connolly out again next season.

It’s sad that these promising young Irish players just can’t convert their clear natural talent into a career with a top 10 EPL side. Like Molumby, Connolly is surely destined to player out his career outside the top level.

Let’s hope that our next generation of Irish youngsters (Cahill, Kavanagh, Furlong, Moran, Everett & Ferguson) are able to make the step up but more importantly, make it stick.

 

[Brian Fantana]

If you read comments on articles in the local press in the North East (there was an article promoted via social media yesterday from the Boro Gazette which featured a bit about AC), the overriding opinion was that he is one of the worst strikers they've ever had - both in terms of attitude and ability (both on and off the field).

I think it is a real shame, because the AC that was on the pitch for his debut against Spurs looked like a real player - especially the confidence and composure for his second goal. However, it appears to be unraveling fairly quickly.

 

[Guinness Boy]

It’s sad that these promising young Irish players just can’t convert their clear natural talent into a career with a top 10 EPL side. Like Molumby, Connolly is surely destined to player out his career outside the top level.

Let’s hope that our next generation of Irish youngsters (Cahill, Kavanagh, Furlong, Moran, Everett & Ferguson) are able to make the step up but more importantly, make it stick.

Ferguson looks an absolute beast and one of our under 16 players who my son knows says he's incredible in training. However, we need caution with all these players. I got carried away with the Connolly Spurs performance (and the subsequent one against Everton looked pretty good too), followed by a full call up, but it appears that was the highlight of his professional career and the only way from there was down. Then another false dawn this season when he had a cracker against Swansea in the League Cup that at least suggested he'd score for fun in the Championship, but the Boro spell disproved that too.

How much of this is attitude and how much ability we can't say, but at this early stage Ferguson seems to have more ability but also to be being blooded much more slowly and cautiously. If he chooses his mates and women a bit better than AC then he's the one I see making it.

 

[zefarelly]

As a YTS striker maybe he needed a YTS salary and a 'mum' to keep him grounded

To be fair, If I'd hit the big time unchecked @ 20 I'd probably be dead by now!

 

[BNthree]

If you read comments on articles in the local press in the North East (there was an article promoted via social media yesterday from the Boro Gazette which featured a bit about AC), the overriding opinion was that he is one of the worst strikers they've ever had - both in terms of attitude and ability (both on and off the field). .

They'd better watch out as otherwise our Swedish friend will be accusing them of bullying.

Interesting though that 2 very disparate sets of fans can come to the same conclusion.

 

[Wardy's twin]

They'd better watch out as otherwise our Swedish friend will be accusing them of bullying.

Interesting though that 2 very disparate sets of fans can come to the same conclusion.

also interesting that the manager continued to play him despite the more knowledgeable fans saying he shouldn't. Boro fans went on our board and read the comments and just carried them forward. Don't get me wrong I am not going to defend him as I think he has let himself and the club down badly but equally the club giving him a massive contract did not help.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Ferguson looks an absolute beast and one of our under 16 players who my son knows says he's incredible in training. However, we need caution with all these players. I got carried away with the Connolly Spurs performance (and the subsequent one against Everton looked pretty good too), followed by a full call up, but it appears that was the highlight of his professional career and the only way from there was down. Then another false dawn this season when he had a cracker against Swansea in the League Cup that at least suggested he'd score for fun in the Championship, but the Boro spell disproved that too.

How much of this is attitude and how much ability we can't say, but at this early stage Ferguson seems to have more ability but also to be being blooded much more slowly and cautiously. If he chooses his mates and women a bit better than AC then he's the one I see making it.

I think we can say that he does have a poor attitude and you have to be an exceptional player to get away with that and he's obviously not exceptional. It's something he is going to have to resolve this season by showing he can knuckle down - ditch the night clubs and girls (well chose more discrete ones) and score some goals or face dropping through the leagues like a stone and earn nothing when he i 26 and then he will be come that p*ssed up guy in the corner of the pub with the one (Spurs) story and maybe a few about sh*gging some women.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I still think Connolly will go onto have a decent career. But not in the timescales that we are looking at. I reckon he'll get to 24, 25 and start banging them in down the leagues and might get another tilt a the top league. He has the talent and he has time on his side to get his head right.

I hope we sell him to Coventry, for a nominal fee with a big sell on. He can renew his partnership with Gyokeres at a decent club.

 

[JBizzle]

They'd better watch out as otherwise our Swedish friend will be accusing them of bullying.

Interesting though that 2 very disparate sets of fans can come to the same conclusion.

And yet 2 separate managers also kept playing him... Wilder didn't have to keep starting him or bringing him off the bench, and although Potter did send him on loan he did also give him plenty of opportunities. He must be showing something for two managers to keep picking him

 

[HastingsSeagull]

I still think Connolly will go onto have a decent career. But not in the timescales that we are looking at. I reckon he'll get to 24, 25 and start banging them in down the leagues and might get another tilt a the top league. He has the talent and he has time on his side to get his head right.

I hope we sell him to Coventry, for a nominal fee with a big sell on. He can renew his partnership with Gyokeres at a decent club.

If you substitute ‘top league’ for Championship then I agree with all this. Bounce around L1 till 25/26, big contract in Champ then perhaps be average at that very decent level. For Brighton though we are going in a different direction.

 

[BNthree]

And yet 2 separate managers also kept playing him... Wilder didn't have to keep starting him or bringing him off the bench, and although Potter did send him on loan he did also give him plenty of opportunities. He must be showing something for two managers to keep picking him

I agree he's got a lot of potential but he just needs to make the most of it.

 

[Swansman]

If you read comments on articles in the local press in the North East (there was an article promoted via social media yesterday from the Boro Gazette which featured a bit about AC), the overriding opinion was that he is one of the worst strikers they've ever had - both in terms of attitude and ability (both on and off the field).

I think it is a real shame, because the AC that was on the pitch for his debut against Spurs looked like a real player - especially the confidence and composure for his second goal. However, it appears to be unraveling fairly quickly.

Well, they're idiots just like plenty of people here, pretending that you can know something about someones attitude without knowing them personally or seeing them in training.

 

[Brian Fantana]

Well, they're idiots just like plenty of people here, pretending that you can know something about someones attitude without knowing them personally or seeing them in training.

A couple of the people commenting included photos of themselves with AC from nights out (including one of him passed out on the sofa of what was clearly a student flat). Whilst some people are undoubtedly making biased assumptions, probably based on what others have written, there is some concrete evidence out there of him behaving in a manner that does his (and indeed Boro and Albion's) reputation no good whatsoever.

 

[Jolly Red Giant]

It’s sad that these promising young Irish players just can’t convert their clear natural talent into a career with a top 10 EPL side. Like Molumby, Connolly is surely destined to player out his career outside the top level.

Let’s hope that our next generation of Irish youngsters (Cahill, Kavanagh, Furlong, Moran, Everett & Ferguson) are able to make the step up but more importantly, make it stick.

The unfortunate reality is that only a tiny percentage of underage players go on to have anything approaching a decent professional career - and a huge percentage of those who don't end up dropping out of the game completely. That is the case with any club and any underage international set-up. Saying that there is an increadible amount of talent coming through the Irish underage teams - not least those you mention - and the odds are quite a few of them will become major stars in the game - I would put Ferguson into that catagory (along with Bazunu, Kelleher, Parrott, Omobamidele, O'Shea, JohnJoe Patrick and possibly Nathan Collins, Garcia McNulty, Tayo Adaramola and Johnny Kenny)

I always felt that Molumby was a better player than Connolly - and still think so. I remember commenting on here 4/5 years ago after watching Molumby playing several games for the Irish underage set-up that he was the best passer of a ball that I had seen in an Irish shirt since Liam Brady. I think the loan moves he made were big mistakes - he played as a midfield box-to-box runner at Millwall and I think he got lost in his belief in his own ability getting caught between a rock and a hard place - effectively not knowing what kind of footballer he is. The move to Preston was a disaster because they had seveal players in that mould and Molumby tried to compete with them rather than going back to what he was good at. I still think his can be a PL player - but to do so he will have to go back to what he was good at as a kid, rebuilt his passing skills and his confidence (th big question is whether WBA will give him the time, space and encouragement to do that - and whether Stephen Kenny will encourage it at international level).

Ferguson looks an absolute beast and one of our under 16 players who my son knows says he's incredible in training. However, we need caution with all these players. I got carried away with the Connolly Spurs performance (and the subsequent one against Everton looked pretty good too), followed by a full call up, but it appears that was the highlight of his professional career and the only way from there was down. Then another false dawn this season when he had a cracker against Swansea in the League Cup that at least suggested he'd score for fun in the Championship, but the Boro spell disproved that too.

How much of this is attitude and how much ability we can't say, but at this early stage Ferguson seems to have more ability but also to be being blooded much more slowly and cautiously. If he chooses his mates and women a bit better than AC then he's the one I see making it.

Ferguson is a freak of nature - strong, hard to get off the ball and bundles of talent - with an increadible attitude and maturity towards the game - and he is still a kid. It would be a shock if he didn't develop into a top class player.

 

[Guinness Boy]

The unfortunate reality is that only a tiny percentage of underage players go on to have anything approaching a decent professional career - and a huge percentage of those who don't end up dropping out of the game completely. That is the case with any club and any underage international set-up. Saying that there is an increadible amount of talent coming through the Irish underage teams - not least those you mention - and the odds are quite a few of them will become major stars in the game - I would put Ferguson into that catagory (along with Bazunu, Kelleher, Parrott, Omobamidele, O'Shea, JohnJoe Patrick and possibly Nathan Collins, Garcia McNulty, Tayo Adaramola and Johnny Kenny)

I always felt that Molumby was a better player than Connolly - and still think so. I remember commenting on here 4/5 years ago after watching Molumby playing several games for the Irish underage set-up that he was the best passer of a ball that I had seen in an Irish shirt since Liam Brady. I think the loan moves he made were big mistakes - he played as a midfield box-to-box runner at Millwall and I think he got lost in his belief in his own ability getting caught between a rock and a hard place - effectively not knowing what kind of footballer he is. The move to Preston was a disaster because they had seveal players in that mould and Molumby tried to compete with them rather than going back to what he was good at. I still think his can be a PL player - but to do so he will have to go back to what he was good at as a kid, rebuilt his passing skills and his confidence (th big question is whether WBA will give him the time, space and encouragement to do that - and whether Stephen Kenny will encourage it at international level).



Ferguson is a freak of nature - strong, hard to get off the ball and bundles of talent - with an increadible attitude and maturity towards the game - and he is still a kid. It would be a shock if he didn't develop into a top class player.

There's a big thing with fan perception as well.

My boss in my current role is a WBA season ticket holder. He's been raving about Clarke but genuinely not bothered about Molumby. He's watched them all season and I haven't, but my initial reaction to that was that with Ismael and Bruce in charge this season, my gut hunch tells me that the defence have seen a lot more of the action than the midfield.

You're right about Ferguson from everything I've seen and heard.