Luca Connell D/M Barnsley b.2001

**boynemunich** · 11/01/2021, 6:53 PM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

Its all bit of a mystery! Does the lad have the shin-splints or something like that ?

Nope, Celtic is just the worst place on Earth to go to if you are a developing footballer at the minute as there's no u23 league or any equivalent. I remember Connell played well in a pre-season game and the fans were singing his praises so I'd say the majority would like to see him get a chance. They've nothing else to play for this season also so they should really be giving lads like him game time and see what they have to offer.

And as I submit this I see he has made the bench tonight hopefully gets game time.

**nigel-harps1954** · 11/01/2021, 7:34 PM

One player that just has to get a move in the current window. Even if he went to somewhere like Dundalk or Shamrock Rovers he'd be far better off, but surely a League One club at minimum could be looking at a player with Championship experience and still room to improve.

One of the worst moves we've seen from any young Irish footballer in the past decade.

**Razors left peg** · 11/01/2021, 8:28 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

One player that just has to get a move in the current window. Even if he went to somewhere like Dundalk or Shamrock Rovers he'd be far better off, but surely a League One club at minimum could be looking at a player with Championship experience and still room to improve.

One of the worst moves we've seen from any young Irish footballer in the past decade.

No point going to League of Ireland. Unlikely the league will start until at least April

**Eirambler** · 11/01/2021, 9:40 PM

Celtic bring on an 18 year old (Okoflex), a 17 year old and a 20 year old (central midfielder) but no debut for poor old Luca.

Maybe Bolton could loan him back down in League 2...

**seanfhear** · 12/01/2021, 3:40 AM

There has to be more to this than meets the eye !

**Fixer82** · 12/01/2021, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

There has to be more to this than meets the eye !

Maybe he's not as good as those

**elatedscum** · 12/01/2021, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by Fixer82

Maybe he's not as good as those

They were chasing the game and Oxoflex and Dembele are more attacking players

**seanfhear** · 12/01/2021, 1:43 PM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

There has to be more to this than meets the eye !

I sorta meant the whole situation with Luca Connell rather than this particular match.

**kennedmc** · 12/01/2021, 3:57 PM

Originally Posted by seanfhear

I sorta meant the whole situation with Luca Connell rather than this particular match.

Like what for example?

**sadloserkid** · 12/01/2021, 5:24 PM

His Championship experience is a bit of a misnomer too - he played 10 games for a Bolton side who were relegated very comfortably and pretty much in freefall as a club. Shane O'Connor played 12 games for Ipswich at the same level in his breakthrough season. O'Connor managed 5 more league games at that level before settling into the League of Ireland second tier (with only 10 games with Portadown and 18 in the League of Ireland Premier Division spread across Cork, Rovers and Limerick as a buffer). I'm not saying that Connell is necessarily headed for that career trajectory but it's at least as likely that he's just not good enough for even as mediocre a team as this Celtic one as him getting shamefully overlooked. He's young and I hope he turns out to as important to Ireland as he is in my current Football Manager game (60+ caps and Irish captain in late 2028) but he has proven very little so far.

**seanfhear** · 12/01/2021, 8:20 PM

Originally Posted by kennedmc

Like what for example?

Is Luca is some sort of witness protection scheme. Celtic have virtually made the young man disappear !

**Eminence Grise** · 12/01/2021, 9:30 PM

With Lennon in charge I think you'll find it's a witless protection scheme.

**kennedmc** · 12/01/2021, 9:32 PM

Originally Posted by sadloserkid

His Championship experience is a bit of a misnomer too - he played 10 games for a Bolton side who were relegated very comfortably and pretty much in freefall as a club. Shane O'Connor played 12 games for Ipswich at the same level in his breakthrough season. O'Connor managed 5 more league games at that level before settling into the League of Ireland second tier (with only 10 games with Portadown and 18 in the League of Ireland Premier Division spread across Cork, Rovers and Limerick as a buffer). I'm not saying that Connell is necessarily headed for that career trajectory but it's at least as likely that he's just not good enough for even as mediocre a team as this Celtic one as him getting shamefully overlooked. He's young and I hope he turns out to as important to Ireland as he is in my current Football Manager game (60+ caps and Irish captain in late 2028) but he has proven very little so far.

I feel this is probably a fair assessment of the situation re Connell.

Celtic seemed to have favoured young Irish players recently ( Aged 18 - 20 so not cominng thoough academy) without doing too much due diligence on the quality of player. They signed O'Connor and he is struggling at league 1 level. Even if they hadn't of signed Frimpong, O'Connor was still miles away. Sign of a poorly run club and I'm guessing it is not Lennon doing all the recruiting at that level. Strange one.

**Eirambler** · 13/01/2021, 1:02 PM

I don't think Lennon had anything to do with those lads being signed. If anything it was more likely to have been Damien Duff's influence at the time in the cases of O'Connor, Afolabi and Connell. Rodgers signed Okoflex with personal assurances about first team chances (and then left the club).

It's hard to know for sure if Celtic made the mistake in signing the players or if the players made the mistake in signing for Celtic. Maybe a bit of both. It's noticeable that the best young players at Celtic are leaving these days, they have lost two of their best underage players to Bayern Munich recently and Karamoko Dembele is likely to be leaving this summer as well. Possibly Okoflex also. Similarly Billy Gilmour left Rangers for Chelsea.

There is no structure to the youth setup at Celtic or Rangers, they weren't playing in the Scottish development leagues even before they were suspended. They don't play much football apart from the odd game against each other's youth team. It's hard to see how any player could develop to their potential in that situation. There are also next to no first team opportunities as the cups in Scotland are taken a lot more seriously than in England so the reserves don't usually get a run out in either the League Cup or Scottish Cup.

So I'd say the jury is out on Connell, he has been kept with the first team squad for two seasons now, so they must see something in him, but Lennon is notoriously loyal to his favourite players, so no opportunities for Luca. The concern though is that any opportunities that do come up in his position go to Ewan Henderson and not to him.

The cases of O'Connor and Afolabi are slightly different. The club have obviously looked at them, decided they're not good enough for the first team squad and sent them out on loan. The loans haven't been at a high level but at least they're playing football. Neither has particularly impressed on loan and neither is a regular starter despite being loaned to clubs at a low enough level. Both are a year older than Connell. I wouldn't be at all hopeful for either player at this stage.

**Ol� Ol�** · 13/01/2021, 2:25 PM

O'Connor and Afolabi are both 20. Hardly time to write either off. They have a lot of time.

**passinginterest** · 13/01/2021, 3:44 PM

The O'Connor and Aflolabi signings were strange. I heard from a reliable source that not only did Lennon have nothing to do with them neither did Duff. The first Duff knew of their signing was when he got a knock on his office door to introduce him to the two new Irish lads. Seems to be a bizarre system for signing players and you'd have to question the players, and whoever was advising them, on making that choice to go there when there was no obvious interest from the senior management in the club.

**Eirambler** · 13/01/2021, 5:25 PM

Originally Posted by Ol� Ol�

O'Connor and Afolabi are both 20. Hardly time to write either off. They have a lot of time.

Yes, Afolabi turns 21 this month I think but both currently 20. Their loans haven't been great though - Afolabi got some first team games at Dunfermline but was considerably overshadowed by Kevin Nisbet. Now he's not in the first eleven at Dundee. That's a bit concerning given how weak the Scottish second tier is. O'Connor has struggled on both of his loans - wasn't highly rated at Partick Thistle and is seen as a weak link in the team at Tranmere.

Obviously they still have time to develop but they're not 17 year old kids either. Given the level they are playing at I would have hoped that they would both stand out, but they haven't at all.

**passinginterest** · 18/03/2021, 3:03 PM

Might be about to actually play some football, even if it's miles below the level we'd like to see him at; https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2021...o-queens-park/

**ColourfulPeanut** · 18/03/2021, 3:40 PM

Championship debut at 16 and 10 appearances in his first season. Who would have thought it'd be 3 years until his next senior appearance and it would be in the Scottish 4th tier?

Depressing. Wouldn't advise any young player to sign for Celtic.

**Exgrad** · 18/03/2021, 3:57 PM

Yeah it's not a good look, 4th division of Scottish football, standard somewhere around 1st Division LOI, or maybe Leinster Senior League??? Queens Park were amateur up to last year, but maybe there is something behind them now and are on way up. TBH it will help his fitness levels but that's about it. To be more negative about the move it possibly reduces his chances of getting a loan move to a higher level next year.

Its hard not to question the advice a number of our younger players have got. Lot to be said for having a good agent, can make or break careers a lot more than people realise.