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Preston look set to sign 22-year-old full-back and former under-21 international Kevin O'Connor from Cork City along with Sean Maguire: http://www.lep.co.uk/sport/football/...mmer-1-8579363
Further info on O'Connor from ExtraTime.ie: http://www.extratime.ie/player/11115202/kevin_oconnor/Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam Lord
And from TransferMarkt.com: https://www.transfermarkt.com/kevin-...spieler/228778
Would Cunningham be moving on?
If Mcguire Delaney and o Connor all move on in July it surely will be big blow . Will give young Griffin a chance to play left full
Bit of circular reporting here. Lancashire Post is reporting he's moving based on the Irish Sun report, now other Irish papers are reporting it as done because the Lancashire Post are reporting it.
From what I've read, Cunningham will stay and O'Connor's signing would be to provide squad depth.Quote:
Originally Posted by liamoo11
Not ideal though. He looks a cracking player. Disapppinted to hear that he's only going to be second choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
If Williams stays at Champ level and Stevens is coming up, as well as Doherty and Cunningham we have a lot of LBs at that level.
Does anyone know if O'Connor has a release clause in his contract?
In terms of up-and-coming left-backs in the League of Ireland, Trevor Clarke also looks an exciting prospect. He's only 19 and came through the Middlesbrough academy before moving back to Shamrock Rovers, but he could be one for the future.Quote:
Originally Posted by Olé Olé
He doesn't apparently.
Clarke's a winger really. He was playing left back because Luke Byrne was injured for a year and has moved forward since he came back.Quote:
Originally Posted by DannyInvincible
And then scored two fantastic goals in the firSt few games up front.....
Kilbane was once again outted as PNE's LOI scout. He says he tipped Grayson off to O'Connor about 18 months to 2 years ago having seen him for City and our under 21 side.
He also stated that it's a no brainer for Grayson as he's picking up these lads at what he knows to be good value. This has been demonstrated by the quality of Horgan and Boyle in both matches and training, he says. And Grayson is "delighted" with them.
Kilbane reckons that Grayson has such flexibility in terms of the system he plays that he can see O'Connor and Cunningham both playing left back when it shifts to 3-5-2, he can see Cunningham slotting in at the left of the 3 and O'Connor at the left of the 5.
They also made a point of the training that O'Connor did in the off-season to bulk up so it's really a prime time for him to move into the Championship as a result.
Not sure if this is the right thread to make the point or not but it's one worth making nonetheless in the week that's in it.
There has been discussion about the strength of the PL. I think it was Newstalk over the weekend that reference was made to the fact that the top clubs in Spain get stronger as the players can rest up more to perform in Europe as not every game is a dogfight like the PL can be.
Horgan and Boyle performed admirably in Europe against top flight opposition. The net result was that they ended up at Championship sides (initially). We will see this summer how O'Connor and Maguire fare in Europe.
It goes to show, I think, that the standard of player we have at PL and Championship level, even if they aren't at top 4 clubs like may have been the case in years gone by, is still very high compared to both previous generations of Irish teams but also to the other international sides that we would have been warned about over the years e.g. Austria and Bosnia. Serbia away springs to mind as well.
It's a point I've made before so I'm probably harping on. However, when you take into account that Jeff Hendrick was in and out of the Derby team for a bit of 15/16 and was brilliant against top flight European players against Italy and Sweden then it gives a good measurement of my point (albeit an isolated measurement).
Of course, we can point to an unwillingness from our players to play in European clubs which can be a valid point for certain players (could Jack Byrne be with an Ajax now had he stuck at it there in Holland?).
However, Wes plays in the Championship........
What about second-string WBA winger McClean absolutely blasting past the acclaimed Atletico defender Gimenez?
I don't think it's worth looking at the Championship at the same level as what the old Division 1 was under the Premier League. The Championship is rated higher than some most divisions across Europe these days outside of the top 4 or 5 nations. There's no shame in having Championship players in any squad if they're up in around the top 6 teams. Players are constantly swapping between Premier League and Championship clubs now.
O'Connor on signing for Preston:
O'Connor will continue to play for Cork up until the 24th of July and will be available for the Europa League second qualifying round games if Cork knock Levadia out tomorrow.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin O'Connor
Cork manager John Caulfield said the following about O'Connor's departure:
Quote:
Originally Posted by John Caulfield
O'Connor came on for Preston against Villa last night. I know he played for Preston before against Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup but pretty certain last night was his Championship debut.
were there 5 ex LOI players on the pitch for PNE in that game?
yep, Maguire, O'Connor, Boyle, Horgan and Browne. Second time this season after Accrington-Preston had Seamus Conneely, O'Connor, Browne, Maguire and Boyle on the pitch at the same time in August
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