Wigan buy DAVID CONNOLLY FOR �3million [Archive]

TheJamaicanP.M.

31/08/2005, 3:02 PM

Delighted for him. That's more than Morrison cost Crystal Palace a week ago. From what I can see he's just as prolific as Clinton and Stephen Elliott, and certainly more prolific than Gary "reserve team player at Norwich" Doherty. A lot of people on this forum won't see it that way coz he's not "homegrown". If the likes of Connolly, Kilbane and Holland were born in Ireland, they'd be looked upon differently which isn't right. He was dead right to take a pop at Don Givens a few years ago when he was left out of the squad for Docherty, Barrett and Crowe. Maybe Kerr will sit up and take some notice now. I think he may form a good partnership with Jason Roberts. Really hope it works out for him.

paul_oshea

31/08/2005, 3:04 PM

thats not the reason jm, stop chatting would ye. its cos he has been consistently s*** for ireland everytime, and he has also been extremely tempermental and child like. well done to him, but he aint even worth 1.

and im not on about million.

Peadar

31/08/2005, 3:05 PM

From what I can see he's just as prolific as Clinton

In the Championship though.
The Premiership is a totally different level and goals don't come as easily.
Believe me, I've watched Premiership and Championship in the same week and have been astounded at the drop in class.
Sad but true.
Wish him every success though.

paul_oshea

31/08/2005, 3:06 PM

what age is he?

Cowboy

31/08/2005, 3:12 PM

Not everytime, scored a hat trick on his debut and a goal against England

he has been consistently s*** for ireland everytime,

Stuttgart88

31/08/2005, 3:21 PM

Not everytime, scored a hat trick on his debut and a goal against England
Aren't you thinking of David Kelly?

stickyjoe

31/08/2005, 3:22 PM

david connollys problems are nothingto do with whether he is "homegrown" or not.

his disgraceful red card against belgium was enough to spark my dislike and that was long before many other incidents

thejollyrodger

31/08/2005, 3:28 PM

its �3million too much :D :D :D

Poor Student

31/08/2005, 3:36 PM

Not everytime, scored a hat trick on his debut and a goal against England

He scored a hattrick against Liechtenstein alright. :confused: The third a stoled goal from Townsend if I recall correctly. Connolly has always amazed me. Excells highly at lower levels and disappears when he steps up. There's a remarkable contrast between his performances stepping up just one level.

RiffRaff

31/08/2005, 3:38 PM

Lets give him a chance and see how he gets on though. Funny to think he could be the only Irish striker playing regular premiership football this season!!!!

Yellowbelly

31/08/2005, 3:58 PM

Lets give him a chance and see how he gets on though. Funny to think he could be the only Irish striker playing regular premiership football this season!!!!

I think Breeny is pretty much guaranteed his game at sunderland. I reckon one thing to admire about connolly is his self belief. . If Robbie had half his confidence he would be a great player.

Cheers,

mark.

JimmyP

31/08/2005, 4:03 PM

And Clinton went the other way for �2 million...
I wonder will they have a reverse in fortunes next season.

As lambasted as players like Connolly and Harte may be, these moves to the premiership can only be good for us.
Let's see how Connolly goes; If he actually does find success in the premiership, it'll be hard to justify leaving him out of the squad in favour of more dubious selections.

CraftyToePoke

31/08/2005, 4:08 PM

the jist of it here in leicester today is,the fans are very sad to see him go and its created a fair bit ot pessimism about the rest of the season and the clubs ambition,but.........they cant believe how much the club has gotten for him and it would have been daft to turn it down.

to me it stinks of a panic buy by wigan,but good luck to Connolly,its going to be very interesting to see him at that level and how he does.hopefully he will surprise a few people.

good luck to him.

chippy79

31/08/2005, 4:08 PM

is morrison any better than connolly though

tricky_colour

31/08/2005, 4:11 PM

He was rated the sceond best player in the Championship here:-
http://www.pa-sport.com/products/actim_championship.php

It will be interesting to see how he gets on in the Premiership, literally
as he will be on MOTD.

Looks like Newcastle had to settle for Micheal Owen, tough attracting top strikers when your rooted to the bottom of the table :D

It's good to have another striker playing in the Premiership anyway.

CraftyToePoke

31/08/2005, 4:20 PM

i look forward to the day when Connolly,whatever he does or wherever he plays is surplus to requirements for Ireland,but that day is a fair way off yet i reckon,if he has a half decent season playes regularly and gets the odd goal then i think,looking at the current squad, he has to be considered an option.

paul_oshea

31/08/2005, 4:38 PM

Lets give him a chance and see how he gets on though. Funny to think he could be the only Irish striker playing regular premiership football this season!!!!

good man phil.

thejollyrodger

31/08/2005, 5:04 PM

if he does the business at the EPL level then fair play to him and maybe he can given another shot at International level. I remain skeptical though. I just have all those memories of bad performances

OwlsFan

31/08/2005, 5:13 PM

He did it once, away to Romania 1997. It's been all downhill after that and I shudder when I think of that petulant sending off against Belgium.

Clinton can hold the ball up and has a much more physical presence than Connolly and does score the odd beauty for us. No comparison.

Junior

31/08/2005, 5:28 PM

He did it once, away to Romania 1997. It's been all downhill after that and I shudder when I think of that petulant sending off against Belgium.

What did he do once in that game? we got beat 1-0 afterall, if thats his best performance for a striker............well

Buller

31/08/2005, 5:30 PM

What did he do once in that game? we got beat 1-0 afterall, if thats his best performance for a striker did he not score a hattrick?!

Junior

31/08/2005, 5:57 PM

did he not score a hattrick?!

nah we got beat 1-0, Roy missed a pen.

Cowboy

31/08/2005, 7:35 PM

Aren't you thinking of David Kelly?

Of course you are right, apologies

tetsujin1979

31/08/2005, 10:27 PM

What about his performance against turkey? Scored a decent goal and got MOTM.

brine3

31/08/2005, 10:45 PM

He set up Robbie Keane for the winner. (edit, that was in 1999, I see you're talking about the friendly match a while ago)

David Connolly gets given an awful slating from Irish fans. Yeah, he got a red card 8 years ago in the 89th minute of a match. So what. Some people don't half hold a grudge.... And no, he's not the most polite person in the world, but since when does that matter on the football pitch?

David Connolly, when he gets his act together, is one of the more skillful players in the Ireland squad. He has a better goals per game ratio in an Ireland shirt than Niall Quinn, Frank Stapleton, Tony Cascarino or Liam Brady. Hopefully now he'll take his chance at Wigan and starting knocking on the door of the Ireland team again. It's not like we have loads of strikers.

i look forward to the day when Connolly,whatever he does or wherever he plays is surplus to requirements for Ireland,but that day is a fair way off yet i reckon,if he has a half decent season playes regularly and gets the odd goal then i think,looking at the current squad, he has to be considered an option.

I saw him dismantle Ajax once in the Arena (he got two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win) with Feyenoord. He was fantastic that season, he spearheading the Feyenoord attack and he got them into the Champions League - and then fecked off to Wimbledon on a Bosman, which was frustrating.. I hope he can replecate that form again, because he is naturally talented. He just needs to channel his talent properly. Brian Kerr is good at that kind of thing.

But no doubt the boo boys will be out to get him when he pulls on the Ireland jersey, which will frustrate him and kill his confidence.

Sometimes I do wonder if it's because he's born in England.

tricky_colour

01/09/2005, 12:23 AM

Sometimes I do wonder if it's because he's born in England.

I just say I have noticed a very negative attitude to any players not
born in Ireland, which I think is unfortunate I think some posters would
rather play an Irish born donkey than someone with Irish parents born in
England.
My view is that it is you long term genetic makeup which determines your
nationality rather than where you are born.

I mean look at Wayne Rooney, I don't believe he has a drop of English
blood in him, (might be wrong though), apart from anything else he looks
like a typical Irish 'navvie'. (No offence intended).

gypsydownunder

01/09/2005, 12:36 AM

I think people's dislike of David Connolly is NOT about where he was born - it's all to do with the fact that he's a petulant little fcuker.

Many Non-Irish born players have been well received over the years - Grealish, Waddock, Mancini, Lawro, Hughton, Houghton, Townsend etc etc.

Baker

01/09/2005, 9:38 AM

I've never been as angry with any player as I was when Connolly get sent off against Belgium. However we are not exactly spoilt for choice when it comes to strikers and should he start to knock them in this season he will force his way into the Irish squad which is only right. Its a big chance for him which he must have thought would never come and I hope it goes well for him.

I mean look at Wayne Rooney, I don't believe he has a drop of English
blood in him, (might be wrong though), apart from anything else he looks
like a typical Irish 'navvie'. (No offence intended).
I remember reading when the FAI were trying to get him to declare for Ireland a few months before his Everton debut that all four of his grandparents are Irish.

Donal81

01/09/2005, 9:56 AM

I just say I have noticed a very negative attitude to any players not
born in Ireland, which I think is unfortunate I think some posters would
rather play an Irish born donkey than someone with Irish parents born in
England.
My view is that it is you long term genetic makeup which determines your
nationality rather than where you are born.

I mean look at Wayne Rooney, I don't believe he has a drop of English
blood in him, (might be wrong though), apart from anything else he looks
like a typical Irish 'navvie'. (No offence intended).

I disagree with you there. Who gets debated the most on this site? Robbie Keane, Ian Harte, Shay Given or David Connolly? There is general criticism and questioning across the board on this site, which is generally a good thing. David Connolly doesn't get stick because he was born in England, look at the generally positive attitude towards Clinton who probably has less connection to Ireland than Connolly (not sure about that one, just a guess). Connolly gets stick because he never seems to be up for it.

brine3

01/09/2005, 10:32 AM

Donal81

01/09/2005, 11:12 AM

Clinton gets stick as well. Quite a few people have mentioned that he's not Irish or that he should be playing for England.

As somebody who was born in Ireland but spent 80% of their life living outside of Ireland I find some of those comments offensive. It's as if only people born and bred in a certain country have a right to represent that nationality. I think trying to measure how "pure" somebody is the beginning of a journey down a very dark road...

As someone born of an Irishwoman born in Birmingham, I agree with you completely about measurements of Irishness between those that consider themselves Irish. I have always thought there to be a difference, however, between someone like Breen, Kilbane or Terry Phelan, born in England but who always wanted to play for Ireland, and those who would never have considered it had their places of birth come calling first. This isn't a measurement of Irishness - give Tony Cascarino's book a read. He says himself that he always wanted to play for England growing up and why shouldn't he have? Anyway, sorry, we're getting very much off topic here and this is a topic debated to death anyway.

TerryPhelan

01/09/2005, 11:16 AM

I have always thought there to be a difference, however, between someone like Breen, Kilbane or Terry Phelan, born in England but who always wanted to play for Ireland, and those who would never have considered it had their places of birth come calling first.

God bless you, sir.

Quite fitting you mention Terry in the same breath as those two other world-class giants of Irish football. :D

Donal81

01/09/2005, 11:37 AM

God bless you, sir.

Quite fitting you mention Terry in the same breath as those two other world-class giants of Irish football. :D

You're too modest, Mr. Phelan. The other two chancers should count themselves lucky that they're in the same post as your fine self. :D

Seriously, though, I remember an interview with him done years ago before USA 1994. I don't think his da was ever around, his mother was from, I think, Sligo, and he always told her that if he made it in football, he'd play for Ireland to make the family proud.

Soper

01/09/2005, 12:02 PM

You're too modest, Mr. Phelan. The other two chancers should count themselves lucky that they're in the same post as your fine self. :D

Seriously, though, I remember an interview with him done years ago before USA 1994. I don't think his da was ever around, his mother was from, I think, Sligo, and he always told her that if he made it in football, he'd play for Ireland to make the family proud.
Yeah, your right - she is from Sligo.

TerryPhelan

01/09/2005, 12:04 PM

Take Kilbane, for example. He is born and bred in England, but considers himself Irish. I have no problem at all with people like that representing Ireland.

Kevin Kilbane is like your average Trinity College Arts student.

He's got long hair, says he's Irish but speaks with an English accent, and pretends he's a left-winger so everyone will like him.

:D

Seen by a TCD Arts student on the wall of the Ussher jacks.
Genius.

TerryPhelan

01/09/2005, 12:11 PM

Yeah, your right - she is from Sligo.

Indeed she is, God bless her. Apparently used to knit my socks as well, due to an alleged allergy of mine to some fibres in the normal socks used. What a character.

paul_oshea

01/09/2005, 12:12 PM

Seriously, though, I remember an interview with him done years ago before USA 1994. I don't think his da was ever around, his mother was from, I think, Sligo, and he always told her that if he made it in football, he'd play for Ireland to make the family proud.

did he also say that he would never take any responsibility for anything his fault and also cost ireland ( or as good as ) going to quarter finals in a world cup.

Aldini98

01/09/2005, 12:45 PM

did he also say that he would never take any responsibility for anything his fault and also cost ireland ( or as good as ) going to quarter finals in a world cup.

Spot on mate, his body language in that game was one of "I really don't give a toss"

paul_oshea

01/09/2005, 12:48 PM

ya and his interview afterwards was even worse.

youngirish

01/09/2005, 1:22 PM

Ah some of the Irish fans and their neverending optimism for their players. I'm a massive Ireland fan (I cry when they lose cause I'm also a bit of a p***y) but people some words of advice GET OVER IT Connolly is, always has been and always will be s***e. I don't care if United had bought him for 30 million nevermind Wigan for 3.

You can fool yourselves with the 'maybe he'll now fulfil his potential' line of thinking but its not going to happen. Anyone who knows anything about football can easily understand that Connolly has had more than enough chances for Ireland and been absolutely c**p for the majority of them (particularly when we are playing against decent opposition instead of Lichenstein). HE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

Also anyone suggesting that Connolly should be playing ahead of either Morrison or Elliot should seek urgent medical attention. Morrison is always likely to bang in a goal against the top teams and can be a constant thorn in the sides of defenders due to his strength and energy. Elliot could be a star for the future and deserves the chance to make a name for himself. Connolly, however, is lightweight and is easily pushed off the ball (too easily for a professional footballer). He never looks like he'll score when he gets a chance in a big game and to make things worse he gives the ball away to the opposition all the time. Consign him to the past and leave him there only to resurrect his name along with the likes of Eddie McGoldrick, Paul Butler and Alan Kernaghan when we are picking the Worst Ireland Select XI teams of the future.

Plastic Paddy

01/09/2005, 2:25 PM

Indeed she is, God bless her. Apparently used to knit my socks as well, due to an alleged allergy of mine to some fibres in the normal socks used. What a character.

AFAIK, your ma went to the same school as my mother, Terry; Tubbercurry Technical School. :eek: :D

(And just to keep it on topic, I used to coach David Connolly at u-12 level when at school. It would explain a thing or two... :eek: )

:ball: PP

CraftyToePoke

01/09/2005, 2:28 PM

QUOTE; I saw him dismantle Ajax once in the Arena (he got two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win) with Feyenoord. He was fantastic that season, he spearheading the Feyenoord attack and he got them into the Champions League QUOTE.

yeah,i saw that game as well,i think it could even have been 2 and 2 assists in a 4-2 win.i also watch leicester regularly and he is definately talented,and i believe thats where the frustration towards him stems from,rather than his birthplace.his personality doesnt help on this front.

when dickov was here at leicester,most agreed he wouldnt make the step up to the prem but he hit double figures when leicester were up and got a move to blackburn.and even though dickov is more tenacious,id say connolly is a more natural taker of chances.

heres hoping he does well,i think he could. but he wont ever be an international quality striker.