View Full Version : Luca Connell (D/M Barnsley b.2001)
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pineapple stu
05/12/2022, 9:31 PM
I think we need to be careful as to how effective he was at Championship level. He played in a Bolton side that was falling apart - in his 10 appearances they got 1 point and scored 3 goals. I'm not sure how effective anyone in that team was. That's an appalling run of form.
(Bolton did win three games after the New Year, but Connell didn't play any of them)
third policeman
05/12/2022, 9:57 PM
I think we need to be careful as to how effective he was at Championship level. He played in a Bolton side that was falling apart - in his 10 appearances they got 1 point and scored 3 goals. I'm not sure how effective anyone in that team was. That's an appalling run of form.
(Bolton did win three games after the New Year, but Connell didn't play any of them)
Effective enough to get a call up to train with the international squad and was highly rated by Bolton fans at the time. Let’s see what happens, but he’s currently playing in a team that’s above Jason Knight’s Derby.
pineapple stu
06/12/2022, 9:07 AM
We've called up some dross before in fairness - Alan O'Brien, Joe Ó Cearúill, Joey Lapira. Looking at the start of this thread there's a suspicion he was given an early call-up to test his allegiance too (which is fair).
Was he highly rated by Bolton fans? There's been plenty of players highly-rated on here before don't forget. This thread is fairly empty around his time at Bolton, an assist on his debut aside. Not surprising given they lost all their other games and barely scored.
It was good exposure at the time but I wouldn't read too much into it. He seems to be doing well for himself this year as you say, and that's more interesting, albeit that I still don't like seeing third tier players in the national squad.
Jd2793
06/12/2022, 9:10 AM
he needs to play at a higher level alright. celtic mismanaged him but facts are he wasnt doing a whole pile at an awful level in scotland. we are creeping into "hes better the longer hes not called up " territory here with him. let him enjoy his football for the year and see what level he lands at next year. agree with stu though , calling up more L1 players isnt a good thing and should be avoided as much as possible IMO.
third policeman
06/12/2022, 10:09 AM
he needs to play at a higher level alright. celtic mismanaged him but facts are he wasnt doing a whole pile at an awful level in scotland. we are creeping into "hes better the longer hes not called up " territory here with him. let him enjoy his football for the year and see what level he lands at next year. agree with stu though , calling up more L1 players isnt a good thing and should be avoided as much as possible IMO.
I’d actually agree with all of that, I have a hunch about Connell but I agree he needs to be playing at a higher level and demonstrating consistency before he becomes a viable option. He’d been written off on this forum when he was in the wilderness at Celtic. The move to Barnsley was a bit of a surprise and their confidence in his seems to be paying dividends at the minute. He’s the type of player we’re missing, but I agree it’s still promise at this stage.
Totally agree about not being ready for a call-up at this point in time. Great to see him trucking along and finding a consistent game time and performances but he is not the answer to any of the questions we are asking at the minute.
Pineapple Stu - - take this for what its worth but a very good friend of mine here is a staunch Bolton fan and well connected to those back there and he still remembers him and the buzz around him at the time. Said he was a bright spot in a really poor season and that he was one that the fans felt a future team could be built around. They were really gutted when he left for Celtic. The hard stats you shared mightn't back it up but i'd trust this guys take on it.
tetsujin1979
18/01/2023, 9:41 AM
Named as Barnsley's December Player of the Month
https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/20232/january/connell-named-player-of-the-month/
Eirambler
18/01/2023, 10:42 AM
Absolutely crazy that Celtic sent him to the fourth tier of the Scottish league to play football.
Stuttgart88
18/01/2023, 11:26 AM
Looks like Barry Cotter will be joining him.
Fee in the region of a Premier League player's bar bill
https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/league-one-outfit-barnsley-swoop-for-shamrock-rovers-defender-barry-cotter-42295580.html
I loved watching Cotter at Rovers. He added a bit of dynamic chaos in flat games.
seanfhear
18/01/2023, 12:24 PM
Absolutely crazy that Celtic sent him to the fourth tier of the Scottish league to play football.
Might have been the making of him.
Eirambler
18/01/2023, 12:42 PM
Doubt it to be honest. Cost him a couple years of development at an appropriate standard more likely.
MancIrishWolf
22/01/2023, 6:48 AM
Another good performance in Barnsley’s win yesterday, with glowing comments linked at the bottom.
Takes them in to the play-offs. Great to see some young midfield guile emerging for us from the top six, alongside Knight, in him and Azaz (3 assists in 70 minutes), who looks really impressive.
https://barnsleyfc.org.uk/threads/the-best-individual-performance-of-the-season.319120/
SkStu
01/02/2023, 11:51 PM
More positive reviews and a MOTM performance for Luca tonight. Seems to be thriving. Good to see.
One of the fans on the match thread at the forum MIW linked above said “he’s been our best player this season by miles”.
Having a good season is Luca and fans are loving him at Barnsley.
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Adds an assist from a set piece. Lads on fire.
Too good for League 1?
Some will say he only played ten games and got his game because Bolton were a mess but he showed some quality during those games in the Championship.
Curtis Flemming was bigging him up on OTB after Mick called him up as Bolton's best player when they played Boro. Pity he had to waste his time playing at a **** level Scotland for a couple of seasons.
Agree all round.
Nice hit
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Exgrad
16/02/2023, 8:19 AM
Its pretty impressive he's gone from the level he was playing at to standing out in League 1. It does show the natural ability he has and hopefully he'll be a championshop level player at least in the next couple years. Hopefully he's got himself a new agent at this stage.
Olé Olé
16/02/2023, 10:42 AM
Its pretty impressive he's gone from the level he was playing at to standing out in League 1. It does show the natural ability he has and hopefully he'll be a championshop level player at least in the next couple years. Hopefully he's got himself a new agent at this stage.
In the next couple of years? Barnsley are in contention for play offs so that's an outside chance of promotion. But he's still only 21 and there are very few midfielders of his type doing very well at League One level. Surely there's a good chance he moves on in summer if they don't go up?
liamoo11
16/02/2023, 9:34 PM
In the next couple of years? Barnsley are in contention for play offs so that's an outside chance of promotion. But he's still only 21 and there are very few midfielders of his type doing very well at League One level. Surely there's a good chance he moves on in summer if they don't go up?
I think he could do a job at celtic
Eirambler
17/02/2023, 10:47 AM
I saw this article about Evan Ferguson and Andrew Moran floating around on twitter this week.
https://trainingground.guru/articles/john-morling-ferguson-moran-and-different-approaches-to-development#.Y-zuUZw2e1U.twitter
To be fair, Ferguson was always likely to come good anyway, but it was interesting to read the work they have done at Brighton to get the best possible outcome for Moran.
"Talent management was really important though - where he played, how long for, who he played with, what his strength and conditioning programme was going to be like, what psychology support he needed.
The club put together a bespoke programme for the midfielder, overseen by Morling, which covered S&C, sport science, psychology, nutrition and coaching. Communication between the different departments was key, to ensure everyone was working towards the same goal.
“We had multi-disciplinary meetings and information went daily and weekly across the departments, so that everyone knew what they’re doing," Morling remembered. "Then it comes to a stage where you dip him into the 23s, he has a bit of first team training, and all the while you're careful about how much game time he gets where.
“The talent management of 18s to 23s to first team has to be fluid and you have to have people in between each, with someone on top to make sure each stage is being done in the right way for the right reasons."
Quite a contrast to the "chuck him in the B team and then send him to Queen's Park for two years" approach used by Celtic with Connell.
Read that last night and enjoyed it. As Morling said it's no surprise that Brighton have had the most homegrown minutes of any team in the premier league in recent seasons.
The part about Will Clark asking Morling to look at Moran because no on will look at him because he's tiny hits home as we had young lads playing for us that even got overlooked for district teams and Limerick fc at the time because of their size but technically they were very good. Hopefully Moran makes it because he's the type of 10 that we've been crying out for. Similar would add Vata into that because he's the one that's impressed me most from that 2005 group along with Ferizaj.
third policeman
17/02/2023, 8:03 PM
In the next couple of years? Barnsley are in contention for play offs so that's an outside chance of promotion. But he's still only 21 and there are very few midfielders of his type doing very well at League One level. Surely there's a good chance he moves on in summer if they don't go up?
I think Barnsley deserve a lot of credit for taking a chance with a player who had been cast into the wilderness at Celtic. Good to see that it's paying off. Always had a good feeling that Connell would come good. Would be very surprised if he didn't get full caps in due course.
MancIrishWolf
07/03/2023, 10:29 PM
Connell being lauded once again in the Barnsley fan forum’s MOTM poll after beating Portsmouth to go fourth. Great experience gained this season at just 21. At this rate, him and Azaz could progress to pair with Cullen in our future midfield three…
https://barnsleyfc.org.uk/threads/gaz-lovett-bbs-player-of-the-season-pompey-chimes.319992/
SkStu
08/03/2023, 12:12 AM
Some seriously positive comments on there alright. Hard to believe so many people were quick to shout down anyone who questioned Celtics judgement or shared what they had observed of him in The Championship and L1 player for Bolton as a 17 year old. Either way, hope he keeps progressing as he has been over the last 9 months. Great ceiling with this guy.
third policeman
08/03/2023, 7:51 AM
Some seriously positive comments on there alright. Hard to believe so many people were quick to shout down anyone who questioned Celtics judgement or shared what they had observed of him in The Championship and L1 player for Bolton as a 17 year old. Either way, hope he keeps progressing as he has been over the last 9 months. Great ceiling with this guy.
He should be, but won’t be, selected for the squad. He’s excelling in a League where Knight is hardly pulling up trees.
BOOMSHAKALAKA
08/03/2023, 8:09 AM
Apart from pace, he has the tools to be a top player. He reminds me a bit of Andy Reid. Not weight related. Andy played in a deeper midfield role for a while and was able to make space for himself to spread the ball with his left and pick out some great passes. Hopefully Luca keeps progressing. He's in the frame for a call up.
Eirambler
08/03/2023, 8:30 AM
Great to see him going well, but I'd say he's a good bit off a senior callup all the same. Just too many others ahead of him and playing at a higher level at this point in time. Hopefully he can get himself up to the Championship before long and then he'll have a better chance to make his case for selection.
third policeman
08/03/2023, 3:26 PM
Great to see him going well, but I'd say he's a good bit off a senior callup all the same. Just too many others ahead of him and playing at a higher level at this point in time. Hopefully he can get himself up to the Championship before long and then he'll have a better chance to make his case for selection.
So who is ahead of him? Browne, Hendrick, Hourihane, McGrath, Brady? Hardly an all-star cast. Connell is making more impact in League 1 than Knight, and apart from Cullen and maybe Molumby he is a more promising prospect than the mediocrities and has-beens who have been squad regulars. He also offers something completely different, the kind of guile and creativity that we lack and that could feed Ferguson and Obafemi with the supply that might otherwise be lacking from our midfield artisans.
Eirambler
08/03/2023, 3:32 PM
Depends where you're planning to play him, but as a 6 he'd be behind Cullen, Coventry and Hodge. Molumby can drop back there too.
If you're looking at him as an 8 he's probably behind Knight, Molumby, Smallbone, Browne and Sykes. Most of those are established Championship players, he's down in League 1. If he can step up a division successfully he could come into contention alright. But, right now, he's a long way off.
Razors left peg
08/03/2023, 3:38 PM
I don't think he's in contention for the squad right now, but by this time next year he absolutely could be. With his form this season I'd be shocked if he's not playing in Championship next season
Depends where you're planning to play him, but as a 6 he'd be behind Cullen, Coventry and Hodge. Molumby can drop back there too.
If you're looking at him as an 8 he's probably behind Knight, Molumby, Smallbone, Browne and Sykes. Most of those are established Championship players, he's down in League 1. If he can step up a division successfully he could come into contention alright. But, right now, he's a long way off.
I wouldn't be looking at him as an 8 but could maybe play his as the 6 and play Cullen as an 8 with an out and out 10 like Azaz.
Though think he's a good bit off the squad until he plays regularly in the championship again. Even then you'll hopefully have Coventry playing regularly and think Hodge could go on loan next season. Might actually get a decent set piece taker if he can break into the squad though.
third policeman
08/03/2023, 7:53 PM
He's a more natural 8 than any on that list with the possible exception of Smallbone. I agree that Sykes is worth having a look at. Personally I think we have to move on from the Hendrick, Brady, Hourihane era and Browne is manifestly below par for international football. Coventry is at best an understudy for Cullen. We need to be overhauling our midfield. If Cullen and Molumby are the only automatic picks and we're moving on from the old guard, then there's scope for bringing in more than one new player. Fully appreciate that Connell is playing in League 1, but someone who is making an outstanding impact at that level, with a team heading for promotion, may be a better option than a Championship journeyman or has been.
liamoo11
08/03/2023, 9:21 PM
He's a more natural 8 than any on that list with the possible exception of Smallbone. I agree that Sykes is worth having a look at. Personally I think we have to move on from the Hendrick, Brady, Hourihane era and Browne is manifestly below par for international football. Coventry is at best an understudy for Cullen. We need to be overhauling our midfield. If Cullen and Molumby are the only automatic picks and we're moving on from the old guard, then there's scope for bringing in more than one new player. Fully appreciate that Connell is playing in League 1, but someone who is making an outstanding impact at that level, with a team heading for promotion, may be a better option than a Championship journeyman or has been.
Hour inane tore it up with Barnsley to get his villa move
pineapple stu
08/03/2023, 10:29 PM
Brady was one of the best players on the pitch v Armenia at home. Browne is flexible position-wise and chips in with the odd goal too. Wouldn't be too quick dispensing with them for a guy playing in League 1. Obviously if he can carry that form into a Championship season next year then things change a lot.
liamoo11
09/03/2023, 8:57 PM
He's a more natural 8 than any on that list with the possible exception of Smallbone. I agree that Sykes is worth having a look at. Personally I think we have to move on from the Hendrick, Brady, Hourihane era and Browne is manifestly below par for international football. Coventry is at best an understudy for Cullen. We need to be overhauling our midfield. If Cullen and Molumby are the only automatic picks and we're moving on from the old guard, then there's scope for bringing in more than one new player. Fully appreciate that Connell is playing in League 1, but someone who is making an outstanding impact at that level, with a team heading for promotion, may be a better option than a Championship journeyman or has been.
Lads used to be on here saying he couldn't run now he is a dynamic powerhouse all action 8
third policeman
09/03/2023, 9:25 PM
Lads used to be on here saying he couldn't run now he is a dynamic powerhouse all action 8
More of a playmaker 8 than a box to box 8. Plays deeper than a 10 but advanced than a 6.
Eirambler
10/03/2023, 12:47 PM
I think he'd have to be a 6 for us if he ever makes it to the senior setup. From what I've seen of him he's not mobile enough to play any further forward than that at international level. Can probably get away with it in League 1 alright.
Razors left peg
10/03/2023, 5:26 PM
I think he'd have to be a 6 for us if he ever makes it to the senior setup. From what I've seen of him he's not mobile enough to play any further forward than that at international level. Can probably get away with it in League 1 alright.
From what Ive seen of him Id agree with this, hes a bit one paced but good distributer of the ball. I dont think he would be a box to box player but could be a very good deep lying distributor
Was also named young player of the season by Barnsley at the weekend.
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Watching this game. Connell playing so so well. Two great shots on target early on and now just provided the most delicious cross from deep on the left to provide an assist for the Barnsley goal. He’s really good.
Someone before said he’s too slow. He’s not really. He not fast but he’s definitely not slow and he seems to have a short burst in him.
Peach of a cross from Luca and Barnsley take the lead. Lad has a wand of a left foot as they say.
Kitching, Barnsley goalscorer, is Ireland eligible too I think. Seen his name round these parts I’m sure.
Into the final and named motm too.
Jd2793
19/05/2023, 10:43 PM
stunner of a pass for the goal
tommy_c12000
19/05/2023, 11:20 PM
Delighted for him, he has had a great season and seems like a good guy. Until the destination is definitely championship, I wouldn’t be saying he’s a must have in the squad for a look. Hopefully he will continue to go from strength to strength, but needs to be playing championship football at a minimum next season. Still only 22
tommy_c12000
19/05/2023, 11:24 PM
Watching this game. Connell playing so so well. Two great shots on target early on and now just provided the most delicious cross from deep on the left to provide an assist for the Barnsley goal. He’s really good.
Someone before said he’s too slow. He’s not really. He not fast but he’s definitely not slow and he seems to have a short burst in him.
He surprised me in Scotland in the few games I saw him play in, seemed to have a bit of bite in him, tough in tackle etc. originally I thought he was the second coming of Stephen McPhail. Definitely not quick thought but not a complete slug either, will be interesting to see if he can sustain it at a higher level
elatedscum
20/05/2023, 12:28 AM
Watching this game. Connell playing so so well. Two great shots on target early on and now just provided the most delicious cross from deep on the left to provide an assist for the Barnsley goal. He’s really good.
Someone before said he’s too slow. He’s not really. He not fast but he’s definitely not slow and he seems to have a short burst in him.
*coughs eirrambler in silence*
CraftyToePoke
20/05/2023, 12:35 AM
Stark contrast here, and a direct comparison with Taylor for Peterborough last night in a second leg pressure cooker, Taylor started 4.0 up having looked like a footballing God few days earlier when cruising to a home win, but was found badly wanting last night when it started to crumble & didn't take a pen either. Connell assisted the winner in a much tighter overall tie and fair play to him, great stuff, delighted for him after the disheartening time at Celtic.
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