Luca Connell (D/M Barnsley b.2001)

[Razors left peg]

This is a much better move than I expected for him. Im delighted. Its up to him now to show if hes good enough

[liamoo11]

Hondermarsh athleticism might complement him nicely in a midfield 3. Intersecting that he mentions following in hourihane s footsteps . If he can bring them the number of goals hourihane seemed to get when there I'd say they will be well happy

[irishfan86]

I still hold out hope this guy will come good. I just don't see how you go from what he was doing in his teens at Bolton to his situation now. I maintain the view that Celtic mismanaged him.

[Fixer82]

I think Celtic was the wrong club. They’re a massive club with so many players, it’s easy to get swamped and left in limbo.

Maybe he chose with his heart rather than his head

[seanfhear]

If he comes good now, Celtic can claim that they were the making of him.

[Olé Olé]

I bet he won't be in League One after this season.

[pineapple stu]

In a good way or a bad way?

[Trequartista20]

I bet he won't be in League One after this season.


In a good way or a bad way?

Well, Barnsley are joint-fourth favourites for promotion, so maybe that's what he means.

Oddly enough, Derby are third favourites, despite being in administration and only having five players on their books.

Anyway, it's a good move for the lad and it'll be interesting to see how he gets on next season. It's three years now since McCarthy (belying the stereotype) called 18-year-old Connell into the Ireland squad for the games against Denmark and Gibraltar after just 12 first-team appearances for Bolton.

[JR89]

Wasn't it the training camp he was named in rather than the squad for the games. Mick named a training squad for a camp in Portugal and then named his squad after that.

Didn't rule out Connell, or might have been Curtis Fleming that said if Connell impressed enough that Mick wouldn't think twice of keeping him around the squad. Dropped out mid camp with an injury in the end.

[Trequartista20]

Seems he made the final squad:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48341989

[Olé Olé]

In a good way or a bad way?

In a good way. I think he goes up with or without Barnsley. I just get this feeling he goes well under Michael Duff and uses the experience from the last couple of years in the lower tiers in Scotland and pushes on. He is still so young.

I'm optimistic for him. Maybe too much so.

[Eirambler]

I'd still be concerned that his lack of pace will limit how far he will go in the game. He really is quite slow for a lad his age. He's a lovely passer of the ball, but without the engine to go with it I could see him maybe being good enough for League 1 or League 2 but then struggling with the step up to the Championship, which is a very physical league.

It's a shame because he seems a likeable lad and has a passing game that, as a standalone attribute, is top level. But I don't think he has enough all round to ever be a serious option for us at senior level. I hope I'm wrong but I suspect I'm not.

[JR89]

Didn't really hinder him when he first played with Bolton but after his move it seemed like he spent quite a bit of time in the gym and bulked up. Since then he hasn't been as agile as he was before his move.

Even in last summer's U21s games thought he looked a bit awkward at times on the pitch and even looked bottom heavy. Must have spent most of his time bulking up focusing on his lower body.

[liamoo11]

I'd still be concerned that his lack of pace will limit how far he will go in the game. He really is quite slow for a lad his age. He's a lovely passer of the ball, but without the engine to go with it I could see him maybe being good enough for League 1 or League 2 but then struggling with the step up to the Championship, which is a very physical league.

It's a shame because he seems a likeable lad and has a passing game that, as a standalone attribute, is top level. But I don't think he has enough all round to ever be a serious option for us at senior level. I hope I'm wrong but I suspect I'm not.


A clone of hourihane so

[JR89]

A clone of hourihane so

Bit unfair I'd say to describe him as a clone of Hourihane. When he got called up Curtis Fleming was talking with Kevin Kilbane because he would have watched him up close when Boro played Bolton and one thing he mentioned which marks him out as the opposite of Hourihane was his willingness to get on the ball.

CF: “And when the crowd turned a little bit at Bolton as they did, because there was so much going on off the pitch, he was the one player who kept going to get it, and get it, and I think that's the bravest part of football going and getting the ball when things are not going right.”
https://www.otbsports.com/soccer/can-shift-spray-50-yards-former-international-luca-connell-862507

If that was Hourihane probably be hiding behind a player marking himself out of the game.

[liamoo11]

Bit unfair I'd say to describe him as a clone of Hourihane. When he got called up Curtis Fleming was talking with Kevin Kilbane because he would have watched him up close when Boro played Bolton and one thing he mentioned which marks him out as the opposite of Hourihane was his willingness to get on the ball.

CF: “And when the crowd turned a little bit at Bolton as they did, because there was so much going on off the pitch, he was the one player who kept going to get it, and get it, and I think that's the bravest part of football going and getting the ball when things are not going right.”
https://www.otbsports.com/soccer/can-shift-spray-50-yards-former-international-luca-connell-862507

If that was Hourihane probably be hiding behind a player marking himself out of the game.

In fairness if he has the career of hourihane he will have had a fine career.

[sadloserkid]

To be fair Hourihane had a fairly indistinguished record at 21 as well and carved out a solid club career.

[liamoo11]

To be fair Hourihane had a fairly indistinguished record at 21 as well and carved out a solid club career.

And really used his time at Barnsley to make the breakthrough to his big move

[JR89]

In fairness if he has the career of hourihane he will have had a fine career.

Oh if his career reaches the high that Hourihane's career did he'll be doing very well for himself.Two different types of players though as Hourihane played more as a ten for Barnsley and Connell more of a six.

From some of the glimpses he showed at Bolton thought he'd be someone that could have made it at PL level or at a yo-yo club. Hopefully for us Connell, Coventry, Kilkenny, and Smallbone can all get decent moves and playing time next season.

[samhaydenjr]

Well, Barnsley are joint-fourth favourites for promotion, so maybe that's what he means.

Oddly enough, Derby are third favourites, despite being in administration and only having five players on their books.

Anyway, it's a good move for the lad and it'll be interesting to see how he gets on next season. It's three years now since McCarthy (belying the stereotype) called 18-year-old Connell into the Ireland squad for the games against Denmark and Gibraltar after just 12 first-team appearances for Bolton.

Before I start this rant, I'm not saying you subscribe to this view of Mick, trequartista. But that stereotype is utterly, utterly dumb and has no basis in reality at all when you look at how many youngsters Mick has given a shot to in his years as Irish manager. I've noted before that even in his truncated second tenure, he still gave debuts or first call-ups to about one-third of "Kenny's Kids". He also seriously considered Idah after his FA Cup Hat-trick, only for Farke to continue giving the lad garbage minutes (except for that 4-0 defeat at Old Trafford where the ball barely crossed the half-way line all game). And in his first tenure, his willingness to trust in talented youth was even more pronounced - look at the age he gave debuts to members of the 2002 squad:
Given-19; Harte-18; Duff-19; Robbie Keane-17; Kilbane-20; Connolly-18; Breen-22; Dunne-20; Morrison-22; Andy O'Brien 21/22; Steven Reid-20; Stephen Carr would have gone, but for injury - he was 22 when Mick gave him his debut) (yes, I know, he didn't bring 20-year-old Wes Hoolahan :rolleyes:)
In the 1996 US Cup he gave caps to Keith O'Neill (age 20), Gareth Farrelly (20), Dave Savage (22) and Alan Moore (21)
In the 2000 edition, he played Barry Quinn (21), Gary Doherty (20), Stephen McPhail (20) and Alan Mahon (22)
It's ridiculous to imply that Mick didn't give young players a shot and it's what annoys people like me about some Kenny fan-boys. If Mick was still in charge, of course Kelleher, Travers or Bazunu would be in goal, of course Parrott, Obafemi, Nathan Collins, Dara O'Shea, Idah, Knight, Omobamidele and Ogbene would be playing, of course Mick would have used the last Nations League to blood in a bunch of youngsters - he would have loved to have that sort of opportunity. The only question is whether he would have used their talents better in the last campaign - I personally still believe he probably would have.

[Eirambler]

I get what you're saying but I think you almost have to completely separate the two Mick eras. Mick 1.0 was a young up and coming manager, his Irish teams played good football compared to what had come before and a lot of what came afterwards.

Mick 2.0 was a grizzled veteran with a very different and much more conservative approach to the game. I was very disappointed with the way he set us up second time around. Granted he didn't have the same quality of players available to him but he really had changed as a manager in the time between when he left and when he came back, and not for the better. It was conservative almost beyond belief.

I'm very much on the fence in terms of Kenny, but I do appreciate what he's doing in terms of blooding the younger lads, I don't think it's a given that Mick or another manager would have done it to the same extent. My concern with Kenny remains his match day abilities - formation and in game changes - he seems slow to learn on both.

[JR89]

Don't think Kelleher or Bazunu would be playing but Travers was in Mick's squad and would have taken the no.1 jersey from Randolph.

Randolph and Kelleher would be second and third choice with Bazunu probably starting for the U21s last year.

Similar I think Omobamidele would have mostly played with the U21s but Mick is definitely bringing him to that training camp last summer. Going on the fact he had us playing four at the you had Clark, Duffy, Egan, O'Shea. Don't think he would have pulled Omobamidele out of the U21s last season as he didn't play much at club level. Kevin Long had more minutes in the league.

I would be in the fanboy club for my views regarding Kenny and the job, but it is silly to suggest Mick wouldn't have used the young players, and has given more minutes to the likes of Jack Byrne even. The big stat from the Scotland game was it was 25 years since two players aged 21 or under scored in a competitive game for Ireland. The last two being Mark Kennedy and David Connolly in a WC qualifier I believe. I'm sure Tets could provide it but believe that happened again earlier in Mick's first reign too.

[pineapple stu]

. The big stat from the Scotland game was it was 25 years since two players aged 21 or under scored in a competitive game for Ireland. The last two being Mark Kennedy and David Connolly in a WC qualifier I believe. I'm sure Tets could provide it but believe that happened again earlier in Mick's first reign too.

Keith O'Neill and Ian Harte away against Liechtenstein maybe?

Or was O'Neill that bit older?

Have to remember McCarthy's task was to get to Euro 2020, not blood new players.

Also, many of the guys we have now weren't really ready when they started playing senior internationals (which partly explains our dire qualification campaign) and would have been even less so under Mick.

I don't buy into the "Randolph would still be around" argument, but it can never be proven either way, so it's great forum material

[JR89]

Mick 2.0 was a grizzled veteran with a very different and much more conservative approach to the game. I was very disappointed with the way he set us up second time around. Granted he didn't have the same quality of players available to him but he really had changed as a manager in the time between when he left and when he came back, and not for the better. It was conservative almost beyond belief.

I'm very much on the fence in terms of Kenny, but I do appreciate what he's doing in terms of blooding the younger lads, I don't think it's a given that Mick or another manager would have done it to the same extent. My concern with Kenny remains his match day abilities - formation and in game changes - he seems slow to learn on both.

The quality of player was very much lower, so much lower from 20 years ago but blame Delaney for Mick possibly going very defensive. Think it's a given he had changed as he wasn't working with the same calibre of players at club level as he had with his first stint and club football is more ruthless and cut throat managers do become more conservative when the quality is lower.

Man was brought in to do one job and one job only which was try qualify for the Euros and the fact he got an extra million quid for just seeing out his contract I can only picture the bonus in his contract had we actually made it. Wouldn't blame the lad for trying to draw his way to the tournament with the money he was getting.

Had he been giving a longer contract he would have given younger players games for definite. Not to the extent Kenny has rushed lads through but young players playing regularly wouldn't have been ignored.

[JR89]

I don't buy into the "Randolph would still be around" argument, but it can never be proven either way, so it's great forum material

I think Randolph would have still been around. He's not playing fair enough but do think Mick would have wanted an experienced keeper in the squad as back up to Travers and Kelleher. O'Hara was the other keeper in Mick's squad and can't think of any other senior keepers that would have acted as back up over him.

If he wasn't injured in last year for Marches games there's a good chance he would have started again in September.

[tetsujin1979]

. The big stat from the Scotland game was it was 25 years since two players aged 21 or under scored in a competitive game for Ireland. The last two being Mark Kennedy and David Connolly in a WC qualifier I believe. I'm sure Tets could provide it but believe that happened again earlier in Mick's first reign too.

Keith O'Neill and Ian Harte away against Liechtenstein maybe?

Or was O'Neill that bit older?

Have to remember McCarthy's task was to get to Euro 2020, not blood new players.

Also, many of the guys we have now weren't really ready when they started playing senior internationals (which partly explains our dire qualification campaign) and would have been even less so under Mick.

I don't buy into the "Randolph would still be around" argument, but it can never be proven either way, so it's great forum material
I checked it out a few days after the Scotland game. Two players aged 21, or less, have scored in competitive games for Ireland in only five games. Strangely enough, the Scotland game was the first time it happened in a home game

(PS in case you're wondering why there's no "days" value after Harte against Liechtenstein in 1996, it's because it was his birthday!)
1536660353056227332

[mark12345]

Don't think Kelleher or Bazunu would be playing but Travers was in Mick's squad and would have taken the no.1 jersey from Randolph.

Randolph and Kelleher would be second and third choice with Bazunu probably starting for the U21s last year.

Similar I think Omobamidele would have mostly played with the U21s but Mick is definitely bringing him to that training camp last summer. Going on the fact he had us playing four at the you had Clark, Duffy, Egan, O'Shea. Don't think he would have pulled Omobamidele out of the U21s last season as he didn't play much at club level. Kevin Long had more minutes in the league.

I would be in the fanboy club for my views regarding Kenny and the job, but it is silly to suggest Mick wouldn't have used the young players, and has given more minutes to the likes of Jack Byrne even. The big stat from the Scotland game was it was 25 years since two players aged 21 or under scored in a competitive game for Ireland. The last two being Mark Kennedy and David Connolly in a WC qualifier I believe. I'm sure Tets could provide it but believe that happened again earlier in Mick's first reign too.

Mention of Kelleher and Travers in the same sentence and it got me thinking that 3 months ago I would have said Travers was way ahead in that particular duel for the Ireland number two shirt (both behind Baz). But now I feel quite comfortable with Kelleher starting. The lad is brilliant with his footwork and distribution of the ball

[third policeman]

Mention of Kelleher and Travers in the same sentence and it got me thinking that 3 months ago I would have said Travers was way ahead in that particular duel for the Ireland number two shirt (both behind Baz). But now I feel quite comfortable with Kelleher starting. The lad is brilliant with his footwork and distribution of the ball

It’s a really important point that has been missed by one or two referencing Kelleher’s “ok” performances in the last two games. He’s so much more than a stopper of shots. What he offers and has learned at Liverpool is a different role for the goalkeeper as an integral component in retaining possession and initiating moves and attacks. He’s a footballer as well as a goalkeeper. I think Bazunu could well develop similar attributes, but that isn’t what he’s been coached or expected to whilst at Rochdale and Portsmouth. Being comfortable with the ball and productive with the ball aren’t the same thing.

[Fixer82]

I get what you're saying but I think you almost have to completely separate the two Mick eras. Mick 1.0 was a young up and coming manager, his Irish teams played good football compared to what had come before and a lot of what came afterwards.

Mick 2.0 was a grizzled veteran with a very different and much more conservative approach to the game. I was very disappointed with the way he set us up second time around. Granted he didn't have the same quality of players available to him but he really had changed as a manager in the time between when he left and when he came back, and not for the better. It was conservative almost beyond belief.
.

Mick’s brief was to try and qualify us. Kenny was to come in after and try to put his stamp on the squad

[SkStu]

Starts today for Barnsley. Great to see!

[Eirambler]

Assisted both of their goals as well I think. If not playing football at an anyways serious level for about three years is the Celtic effect then this must be the leaving Celtic effect.

[tommy_c12000]

Good to see, hopefully he will have a good season

[tommy_c12000]

Flicking through the Barnsley forum confirms what many of us thought about him, nice player, can pick a pass, but lacks pace and dynamism to be a top midfielder. Always reminded me of Stephen McPhail, I suspect he will carve out a reasonable lower tier career but won’t become a player of note for our international side

[liamoo11]

Flicking through the Barnsley forum confirms what many of us thought about him, nice player, can pick a pass, but lacks pace and dynamism to be a top midfielder. Always reminded me of Stephen McPhail, I suspect he will carve out a reasonable lower tier career but won’t become a player of note for our international side

Stephen mcphail was an exceptional player. Illness and injury unfortunately we're the issue

[third policeman]

McPhail was unlucky to be an old fashioned playmaker in an era when the game was all about box to box all action midfielders. Connell may well suffer the same fate but there again he might become the next Thiago Alcantara.

[JR89]

Pity he moved to Celtic when he did. Played no senior football until March 2021 when they sent him to League Two in Scotland. Also saw him bulk up and whether that was his personal training or not he's looked awkward since. Might have been scrawny while at Bolton but could move about the pitch at ease. Looked like a duck waddling around the pitch when called up to the 21s last year.

[SkStu]

With the WC happening you tend to forget about the games still going on. This goal from Luca in Barnsleys 2-1 win over Peterborough is well worth a watch. Jack Taylor scored a tidy header too.

Ml1dlm3ywck
https://youtu.be/Ml1dlm3ywck

[CraftyToePoke]

With the WC happening you tend to forget about the games still going on.

Not me Stu, collected a nice few bob on an away win there last night ;)
Taylors late arrival run was very well timed. Him and his midfield partners are under scrutiny again as both Barnsley shooters had time for a nice cup of tea before lining up their shot in this one & this isn't the first time.

[third policeman]

With the WC happening you tend to forget about the games still going on. This goal from Luca in Barnsleys 2-1 win over Peterborough is well worth a watch. Jack Taylor scored a tidy header too.

Ml1dlm3ywck
https://youtu.be/Ml1dlm3ywck

Still have a feeling Connell my yet prove Celtic wrong in their assessment of his potential

[SkStu]

Not me Stu, collected a nice few bob on an away win there last night ;)
Taylors late arrival run was very well timed. Him and his midfield partners are under scrutiny again as both Barnsley shooters had time for a nice cup of tea before lining up their shot in this one & this isn't the first time.

Did you go? Pie? Bovril?

Does Taylor have it in him?

[SkStu]

Still have a feeling Connell my yet prove Celtic wrong in their assessment of his potential

It’s a real hope of mine that he does. That move to Celtic was a complete disaster. Wasted 4 years. He looked bloody good at Bolton as a 17 year old in the Championship.

[CraftyToePoke]

Did you go? Pie? Bovril?

Does Taylor have it in him?

No, I'm in Limerick toes to the fire here, couple of days only. But both if I was there, go big as they say.

I don't see it, no. Inconsistent, still waiting for him to grow into his shoulders and find his voice, very quiet on the field. Definitely the odd nice pass & eye for goal though too. Maybe he'd fare better in a better side. Rumours of players leaving in January, bills to pay so let's see if he's one of those. He wasn't when the club got relegated.

[JR89]

Great to see Luca Connell have a good start to life at Barnsley after a few wasted years at Celtic.

[third policeman]

Barnsley in 4th at the minute with a decent chance of sustaining a promotion challenge. If that happens he's already be playing at a higher level than SPL.

[Stuttgart88]

I'd love to see a ballsy managerial move promoting a guy like Connell to the senior squad so the senior squad can be the making of him, not his club. Not very likely given that players not getting PL minutes or getting very close to it are being iognored when we play Malta in a friendly.

[Diggs246]

I'd love to see a ballsy managerial move promoting a guy like Connell to the senior squad so the senior squad can be the making of him, not his club. Not very likely given that players not getting PL minutes or getting very close to it are being iognored when we play Malta in a friendly.

Can he play in the hole ( 10) ? then yes

[Kingdom]

With the WC happening you tend to forget about the games still going on. This goal from Luca in Barnsleys 2-1 win over Peterborough is well worth a watch. Jack Taylor scored a tidy header too.

Ml1dlm3ywck
https://youtu.be/Ml1dlm3ywck

Super finish and well-confident. Looks to be on set-piece duty too, set up a beauty of a cross which the cb somehow stuck wide.

The worry though, was that the Posh equaliser (as pointed out by Crafty above). If Luca was a sitting midfielder (i.e. protecting, tracking runs) then he failed badly, as tailor covered the entire middle third and got onto the end of the cross for lovely finish in the same time it took Luca to get from the centre circle to the edge of the box without ever looking behind him once. really bad awareness there - or effort - hard to tell which.

[third policeman]

Super finish and well-confident. Looks to be on set-piece duty too, set up a beauty of a cross which the cb somehow stuck wide.

The worry though, was that the Posh equaliser (as pointed out by Crafty above). If Luca was a sitting midfielder (i.e. protecting, tracking runs) then he failed badly, as tailor covered the entire middle third and got onto the end of the cross for lovely finish in the same time it took Luca to get from the centre circle to the edge of the box without ever looking behind him once. really bad awareness there - or effort - hard to tell which.

We have plenty of legs in our exiting midfield options. It’s guile we’re lacking and that appears to be what Connell offers.

[Eirambler]

Much as it's nice to see Connell doing well again after his disastrous Celtic move I still wouldn't be rushing him into the senior squad any time soon. We know he's a lovely ball player and has a decent shot as well, but we also know that he's seriously lacking in other areas of his game.

I don't think he has the engine to be a serious player at senior international level - he'd be the equivalent of playing with a man short off the ball against anyone decent. Worse still, I'm not sure some of his issues are fixable with good coaching - if he doesn't have the pace and engine to play at a high level there isn't much that he or anyone else can do about that.

[third policeman]

Much as it's nice to see Connell doing well again after his disastrous Celtic move I still wouldn't be rushing him into the senior squad any time soon. We know he's a lovely ball player and has a decent shot as well, but we also know that he's seriously lacking in other areas of his game.

I don't think he has the engine to be a serious player at senior international level - he'd be the equivalent of playing with a man short off the ball against anyone decent. Worse still, I'm not sure some of his issues are fixable with good coaching - if he doesn't have the pace and engine to play at a high level there isn't much that he or anyone else can do about that.

There’s a lot of surmising about Connell’s lack of pace and stamina on not a great deal of evidence. He’s been an effective player at both Championship and League 1 level and is still young enough to develop. ‘Engine’ is a bit of a vague concept. Does it mean pace or stamina / fitness. The latter is certainly fixable with training, the former is an issue, but there have been players over the years who’s technique and awareness made up for lack of pace. How many times have we cried out for the clever pass, the lateral vision, the little bit of guile required to unlock the low block. Abilities that those endowed with engines simply don’t posses. Even as an option of the bench, it would add to a squad whose midfield options are depressingly monochrome and predictable.