O'Donnells released..Wed 8 Dec

**Mayo Red** · 08/12/2005, 7:43 PM

Sligo Rovers have announced that both Stephen O'Donnell and Ryan O'Donnell have been released by the club. Ryan has since signed with Galway United. There will be more news on squad developments in the coming weeks

www.sligorovers.com

Shame that Stephen O'Donnell was let go, he offered good attacking options!

I suppose it was on the cards after Sean disciplined him during the season, and both Harps and Galway will be interested in him I'd say. Harps will probably be favourites to sign him though!

**The Stars** · 08/12/2005, 8:03 PM

whoever sings him will have a quality play in there ranks that will both create and score goals.

**redrov2005** · 08/12/2005, 8:09 PM

Yeah i agree. Its a real pity. He has pace,can beat players and has an eye for goal. Think he should be looking to play Premier because he defo has the potential.

**sligoman** · 08/12/2005, 9:20 PM

Very sorry to see Stevie go but it has been coming for the past few months. Sean Connor seriously needs to think about the way he handles the players when they do something wrong. Dropping them from the squad and just waiting til the end of the season to let them go is not good enough.

**Redtop** · 08/12/2005, 9:32 PM

ya stevie was a good player but i suppose we'll sign better players this season

**Redzer** · 09/12/2005, 9:43 AM

Originally Posted by sligoman

Very sorry to see Stevie go but it has been coming for the past few months. Sean Connor seriously needs to think about the way he handles the players when they do something wrong. Dropping them from the squad and just waiting til the end of the season to let them go is not good enough.

�Sean Connor seriously needs to think about the way he handles the players when they do something wrong� Are you for real? What do you want him to do? If you haven�t discipline in a squad, then it�s a free for all. Let them do what they want. If you have a disruptive player then he must be dealt with, and an example must be shown to other players as to what happens if you overstep the mark. We won the league without Steve. That�s a lesson he should never forget. Whether that makes him a better player, only time will tell.
He was dropped from the squad because of indiscipline. That was his choice, not the managers.
He had a contract until the end of season, so if he was released before that, he could sue the club. That would be a smart move.
He is a very good player and I like him alot, but I cant blame the manager for releasing him.

**gustavo** · 09/12/2005, 9:53 AM

Theres discipline Redzer and then theres totally dropping a player like a hot coal after the incident and barely playing him again after it . Unless there are other incidents than the missing the bus one i feel it was very harsh on him . Its a pity . We are down three players now that i feel could have been at least good squad players next year .

**nephin** · 09/12/2005, 1:01 PM

We don't really know what happened between himself and Sean. I don't just think it was the bus incident. Anyway he is gone now. We played witout him for most of the season and we won the league. I think its a shame he's gone but its time to move on.

**sligoman** · 09/12/2005, 1:32 PM

Originally Posted by Redzer

Are you for real? What do you want him to do? If you haven’t discipline in a squad, then it’s a free for all. Let them do what they want. If you have a disruptive player then he must be dealt with, and an example must be shown to other players as to what happens if you overstep the mark. We won the league without Steve. That’s a lesson he should never forget. Whether that makes him a better player, only time will tell.
He was dropped from the squad because of indiscipline. That was his choice, not the managers.
He had a contract until the end of season, so if he was released before that, he could sue the club. That would be a smart move.
He is a very good player and I like him alot, but I cant blame the manager for releasing him.

Yes I am for real. You dont drop a player from the squad completely for something like missing the team bus. He should have been given the chance to make up for it. Just like if your at work and you make a mistake, does the boss fire you straight away? I'd say no, he'd give you another chance and then if you kept making mistakes then you get the boot. If Sean gave Stevie another chance that we dont know about then fair enough, if not, then he was extrememly harsh in dealing with him.

**sligoman** · 09/12/2005, 1:46 PM

Originally Posted by Rogue Trader

I tell you Sligoman Your talking S**T to be fair ! I seen stevo in action at the most important part of the season and i could not believe it turning up for late for a match against Monaghan when he was given another chance again ! you must not have played much football or at least not to that high of a level because if you did you would know you cant get off with that ! HWow many chances do you want to gice him ?

No I'm not talking sh!te. ffs he missed the team bus to Kilkenny and was late for a game in Monaghan. You turn up late for work twice in about 2 years, do you get the sack? No!

**Redzer** · 09/12/2005, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by sligoman

Yes I am for real. You dont drop a player from the squad completely for something like missing the team bus. He should have been given the chance to make up for it. Just like if your at work and you make a mistake, does the boss fire you straight away? I'd say no, he'd give you another chance and then if you kept making mistakes then you get the boot. If Sean gave Stevie another chance that we dont know about then fair enough, if not, then he was extrememly harsh in dealing with him.

He got his chances. He wasn't fired, he was realesed at the end of his contract just like Ryan and Ciaran. And I would say there will be a few more. He wasn't treated any different from anyone else. He was clearly unfit when he came back from army duty abroad, and expected to get straight into a winning team.
I'm confident we'll get a better player in his place. You have to be ruthless if you have responsibility. That's why Sean is manager and the likes of me and you are paying his wages.
If you have weak generals then you have a weak army.

**Redtop** · 09/12/2005, 3:55 PM

Originally Posted by sligoman

ffs he missed the team bus to Kilkenny and was late for a game in Monaghan. You turn up late for work twice in about 2 years, do you get the sack? No!

its a lot different than work at least with work you can afford to be late but not with a football club..when he turns up late or misses a bus then the managers pre-match routine is ****ed up and that is vital at this level..and if he kept letting him away with this then it would rub off on the rest of the players

**Mayo Red** · 09/12/2005, 5:55 PM

Originally Posted by gustavo

Theres discipline Redzer and then theres totally dropping a player like a hot coal after the incident and barely playing him again after it . Unless there are other incidents than the missing the bus one i feel it was very harsh on him . Its a pity . We are down three players now that i feel could have been at least good squad players next year .

Agreed and in fairness Sean didn't seem to give O'Donnell a fair crack of the whip from day one, he is a better player than I think the manager gave him credit for and was used out of position when he did get an opportunity, but I suppose that's football! I'm disappointed as I just think that Sean seems to be a bit vindictive when dealing with the players at times!

One of the reasons O'Donnell was disciplined was because he showed his frustration at being substituted for Rossi midway through the first half of the 3-1 away defeat to Dublin City. I realise it's the manager's call but Rovers were only 1-0 down at the time and there were far worse performances that night than O'Donnells. Rossi didn't offer anything more when he came on either!

**feo123** · 09/12/2005, 10:12 PM

Sad to see Stevie go! very good player, never got his chance last season....when he did get an odd game i.e monaghan away, harps he was probably our best performer! poor Ryan O'donnell was pure unlucky with the injury he got last year......sound man aswell, hope he does well with galway!