Connolly

[Naughty Fox]

Happy New Year to everybody, first day back at work and spent the first hour on here
Thought I would get my first new topic in early.
David Connolly, IMO a player that is suffering because of the team rather than being sh*t as many people around me kept spouting yesterday:?.
O.K he is paid to score goals and that is not happening, but yesterday just showed why, he is being asked to win the ball himself in midfield then run through 3-4 defenders before sticking it in the back of the net, firstly I do not think he is that type of player and second a striker full of confidence would struggle to do week in week out. His strike partner has been as effective as a chocolate fire guard and the midfield just have not been giving the forwards the service. I admit that his frustration is showing and should not be kicking two bells out of the other team (silly boy), but at least it shows that he is trying. His past record is good, so we know he can score goals.
CL has got a massive job ahead of him and so have we. I heard CL say that there is a nervousness at the whole club not just the players and how true is that, the fans have got to start making some noise no matter how grim things are so that we can lift this doom and gloom at home, yes it is chicken and egg, we would like something to cheer about, but heres a thought, if we show some support maybe the message will get through to the players.
Also replacing Scowy with De Vires will help Connolly no end .

We are all entitled to our opinions and this is mine, so lets here some others.

 

[homer]

You could have a point, as IMO our midfield has been the problem all season. Seeing him on the half way line or wide on the flank all game shows how piss poor they really are. He also has not had a decent striking partner since he joined.

BUT, I have to say I've seen nothing yet to make me believe that he has the qualities to be a top notch stiker. His positional sense is poor, he does not make many intelligent runs, and his finishing (when given the opportunity) has been woeful

People keep saying it's a confidence thing, that he will come good eventually, that it's because the team around him are playing shite

Could be. But it also could be that he's just not good enough

Jury is still out for me, and he's got it all to prove

 

[kam]

Just submitting my agreement with Homer

I've posted before about the ineffectiveness of Connolly and have seen nothing to change my opinion

I've also posted a breakdown of his goalscoring record to prove that he is not a prolific scorer.

He had two good seasons with MK Dons scoring, I think, 19 and 24. In these seasons the team was scoring and conceding a lot of goals so IMO any striker should have scored.

With West Ham and good players around he didn't score so many.

 

[kam]

Reiterating previous post:

David Connolly - proven goalscorer?

In the 2003/04 he played 48 games for West Ham and scored 14 goals as follows: Preston - 2, Rushden - 2, Ipwich, Crewe - 2, Millwall, Burnley - 2, Wigan, Wolves, Coventry, Stoke.

Only 35% of goals were scored against a side in the top twelve of the table and only 1 goal scored against a top 6 side.

He also had the luxury of quality supporting strikers

Apart from two seasons at MK Dons he has done nothing

 

[kam]

Also, he loses the ball too easily, can't compete aerially, positional never in the right place at the right time.

It's easy to blame Scowcroft and the midfield, but he has been the same with everyone else who has been his striking partner.

He's an expensive mistake!

But I would like to be proved wrong by him scoring 20 to 25 goals

 

[BighandJon]

I have to admit that Connolly has missed a few sitters and IMO should go on soccer AM as he can certainly hit the cross bar! But I agree we are asking a lot from him as he has little support from the midfield or scowcroft, I think he's currently one of our best players and deserves the chance to prove himself. Even if he doesnt work out as a striker I think he would be great in midfield.

 

[kam]

I have to admit that Connolly has missed a few sitters and IMO should go on soccer AM as he can certainly hit the cross bar! But I agree we are asking a lot from him as he has little support from the midfield or scowcroft, I think he's currently one of our best players and deserves the chance to prove himself. Even if he doesnt work out as a striker I think he would be great in midfield.

He cannot tackle / pass

 

[Lboro fox]

The poor bloke has had nothing to work with, scowcrofts flick on's/knock downs have been so rare this season. He has had no quality through balls to work with, any chances he has missed may be because he has the pressure of knowing he may not get another clear cut chance for another 3 matches. Also when he does something positive himself, he rarely gets intelligent support from scowcroft and the midfield. IMO he has done really well with what has been on offer this season.

 

[Naughty Fox]

So you do not like him then Kam
I do agree that Connolly still has alot to prove to us, but I think you can say that about every player at the moment.
The whole team just does not seem able to click, I hope that CL can bring in these couple of players just to add something new and break this rut we are in, because I think that when we do click again it will be smiles all round.

 

[kam]

The poor bloke has had nothing to work with, scowcrofts flick on's/knock downs have been so rare this season. He has had no quality through balls to work with, any chances he has missed may be because he has the pressure of knowing he may not get another clear cut chance for another 3 matches. Also when he does something positive himself, he rarely gets intelligent support from scowcroft and the midfield. IMO he has done really well with what has been on offer this season.

A good striker will score even with rubbish around him

The fact that a good player has rubbish around him can make him play better... the old big fish small pond

 

[Lboro fox]

The poor bloke has had nothing to work with, scowcrofts flick on's/knock downs have been so rare this season. He has had no quality through balls to work with, any chances he has missed may be because he has the pressure of knowing he may not get another clear cut chance for another 3 matches. Also when he does something positive himself, he rarely gets intelligent support from scowcroft and the midfield. IMO he has done really well with what has been on offer this season.

A good striker will score even with rubbish around him

The fact that a good player has rubbish around him can make him play better... the old big fish small pond

Like i say, feel quite sorry for him, IMO we are lucky he is still giving 100%, alot of players would have got pissed off by now.

 

[Durham Fox]

Must agree with Lboro's comments on this.

 

[BighandJon]

I have to admit that Connolly has missed a few sitters and IMO should go on soccer AM as he can certainly hit the cross bar! But I agree we are asking a lot from him as he has little support from the midfield or scowcroft, I think he's currently one of our best players and deserves the chance to prove himself. Even if he doesnt work out as a striker I think he would be great in midfield.

He cannot tackle / pass

He should fit in well then!

 

[homer]

I love this forum

Taylor plays out of his skin, and saves yesterday's game single handedly

But he is not good enough for our team and must go

Connolly plays like a complete twat all season, but surely he is a great player really. It's just bad luck and it's everyone else's fault that he couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo

Marvellous

 

[Durham Fox]

I love this forum

Taylor plays out of his skin, and saves yesterday's game single handedly

But he is not good enough for our team and must go

Connolly plays like a complete twat all season, but surely he is a great player really. It's just bad luck and it's everyone else's fault that he couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo

Marvellous

 

[kam]

Homer, agree entirely

As I said in my ratings, without Taylor and the referee we would have lost
5-0

 

[Steven]

I love this forum

Taylor plays out of his skin, and saves yesterday's game single handedly

But he is not good enough for our team and must go

Connolly plays like a complete twat all season, but surely he is a great player really. It's just bad luck and it's everyone else's fault that he couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo

Marvellous

That's football, everyone has their own opinion. :roll: However I have to agree with you about the relative merits of Connolly and Taylor. Connolly is another MA signing based on reputation.

 

[BighandJon]

Homer, agree entirely

As I said in my ratings, without Taylor and the referee we would have lost
5-0

I agree shame he's not playing for us on Saturday (both Taylor and the ref)

 

[monafox]

Connolly would be better if he had more support and a decent strike partner.

However, if you watched the last few home games, the support from the midfield is woeful. Nobody gets up and down the pitch, there is always a huge gap between the midfield and the forwards. I wonder who CL has in mind for the midfield area as at the moment the lack of quality is alarming.

Second, why do we need 11 behind the ball at free kicks and 11 in the box at corners? When we win the ball there is no outlet and it comes straight back.

Comments?

 

[highland fox]

I'd imagine that we will be able to get £500,000 back for Connolly in the summer if CL wants to sell him.However reading his comments I doubt he will,Levein seems to rate Connolly.I don't know what to make of him having not seen him play that much.He doesn't seem to spend enough time in the oppositions Penalty area, whenever I've seen him play he's going out to the flank or picking the ball up from midfield.Saying that he seems to miss 'sitters' so perhaps he's better out of the Box.He doesn't seem an out and out Striker and might be better off as part of a front three or behind a front two.Saying that he can't help having Scowcroft along side or our shite midfield behind you.How did Williams do yesterday? does he get forward i.e like Izzett did?