Conneely - Nearly Man

[Sothall_Blade]

http://www.herald.ie/sport/soccer/conneely-refuses-to-have-dreams-blunted-by-blades-2992939.html

<<< IRELAND U21 cap Seamus Conneely has ruled out a return to the League of Ireland as he tries to find a new club in England.

Conneely joined Sheffield United from Galway United last year, but has failed to make the first team at Bramall Lane. As his contract expires in the summer, Conneely, now 23, admits that his future lies elsewhere.

He had been linked with a move back to the league -- Conneely made his LOI debut with Galway United in 2008 and spent three seasons with the club -- but he's eager to stay in England and find a new club.

"I enjoyed my time in the League of Ireland and I would like to play there again, but at the moment I want to stay in England if I can," says the defender, capped four times at U21 level while at Galway. My contract at Sheffield United is up in the summer and while I haven't completely given up hope of getting into the team here, it's not looking very likely.

"I'd hope to go out on loan in the next while ... if I can play some games and show club managers what I can do, because I still believe I can make it over here," he added.

"It hasn't been easy here, the club have gone through three managers since I joined. But the team are doing well now without me in the side -- they're second in the League One table." >>>


I suspect if he was good enough he would have been given a chance at the end of last season.
At the age of 23 he isn't going to improve much and we have younger players keeping him out of the side.
We might as well get him off the wage bill now to be honest as he's about 4th choice right back at the moment.

 

[Bergen Blade]

Has anyone seen him in the reserves?

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Has anyone seen him in the reserves?

I'll admit I haven't. Neither has anybody else since they last played on the 8th December.
Wilson has gone on the record as saying the lack of reserve fixtures is a major headache.
The current setup of 3 divisions with 7 teams in each means we only have 12 reserve games a season.
I'd like to see them change this to 2 divisions, based initially on league position, with promotion/relegation between them.
This would give each club at least 18 competitive reserve matches a season (2 a month) against teams of a similar quality.

Based on last season's league postitions, the divisions would have been split up as follows:-

Stoke
Derby
Forest
Burnley
Midd’Boro
Hull
Preston
Sheff Utd
Scunthorpe
Oldham

Hartlepool
Tranmere
Walsall
Burton
Port Vale
Morecambe
Wrexham
Macclesfield
Bradford
Rotherham
Gateshead

That's got to be better than the farcical situation we have at present.

 

[Darren]

I'll admit I haven't. Neither has anybody else since they last played on the 8th December.
Wilson has gone on the record as saying the lack of reserve fixtures is a major headache.
The current setup of 3 divisions with 7 teams in each means we only have 12 reserve games a season.
I'd like to see them change this to 2 divisions, based initially on league position, with promotion/relegation between them.
This would give each club at least 18 competitive reserve matches a season (2 a month) against teams of a similar quality.

Based on last season's league postitions, the divisions would have been split up as follows:-

Stoke
Derby
Forest
Burnley
Midd’Boro
Hull
Preston
Sheff Utd
Scunthorpe
Oldham

Hartlepool
Tranmere
Walsall
Burton
Port Vale
Morecambe
Wrexham
Macclesfield
Bradford
Rotherham
Gateshead

That's got to be better than the farcical situation we have at present.

Reserve team football seems to be dying a death generally. A number of PL teams no longer play a team in the PL reserve league and Wednesday have scrapped their reserve team. I am not quite sure why that should be. Perhaps its partly due to the practice of what would have been a reserve team either being one of the 5/7 man sub bench or going out on loan to a lower division club, hence leaving little room for a team between the first and youth teams.

 

[Foxy]

Seen him a few times, looked half decent but nothing stand out. Hard to say without seeing more of him.

 

[Sothall_Blade]

Reserve team football seems to be dying a death generally. A number of PL teams no longer play a team in the PL reserve league and Wednesday have scrapped their reserve team. I am not quite sure why that should be. Perhaps its partly due to the practice of what would have been a reserve team either being one of the 5/7 man sub bench or going out on loan to a lower division club, hence leaving little room for a team between the first and youth teams.

In terms of United, I think regular competitive reserve team matches would be useful to:-

1) First team squad players who aren't getting regular games (e.g. Long, Monty, Williams, Flynn etc)
2) Senior players returning from injury (e.g. Beattie, Ertl, Taylor, Aksalu etc)
3) Development players who are too old for the U-18 team (e.g. Tonne, McAllister, Philliskirk, Conneely, Chappell, Warren etc)
4) Under 18's who would benefit more from playing against seniors (e.g. Harriot, Whitehouse, Kennedy etc)

I find it hard to believe that most other clubs don't also have players who fall into the same categories.
The current reserve league structure is failing to provide enough football for these players and needs to be restructured IMHO.

 

[Pedro Verde]

In terms of United, I think regular competitive reserve team matches would be useful to:-

1) First team squad players who aren't getting regular games (e.g. Long, Monty, Williams, Flynn etc)
2) Senior players returning from injury (e.g. Beattie, Ertl, Taylor, Aksalu etc)
3) Development players who are too old for the U-18 team (e.g. Tonne, McAllister, Philliskirk, Conneely, Chappell, Warren etc)
4) Under 18's who would benefit more from playing against seniors (e.g. Harriot, Whitehouse, Kennedy etc)

I find it hard to believe that most other clubs don't also have players who fall into the same categories.
The current reserve league structure is failing to provide enough football for these players and needs to be restructured IMHO.

Totally agree Ive been saying this for sometime. Surely some form of competetive reserve football is better than training games and behind closed doors friendlies. It would give the younger players chance to play against seasoned pros and give fringe players a competetive game. It seems most of the clubs dont want to do anything about it or some of the poorer lower league clubs simply just cant afford it

 

[Latters]

Is there a reason why teams in England don't do what some Spanish teams do and have a "B" Team that plays in the lower leagues? Is it just down to cost or are there rules against it?

 

[AlienWoodward]

He's on 7.85 in my football manager game and i'm really not sure what i'd do with out him. Just goes to show how little Danny Wilson knows about football

 

[diplomat]

I thought he was supposed to be one we had high hopes for. I suppose it's been hard to give him a chance in our predicament last year as it would have been a risk. If it doesn't work out I hope we keep looking in that league for potential though.

 

[Jostein Flo]

Is there a reason why teams in England don't do what some Spanish teams do and have a "B" Team that plays in the lower leagues? Is it just down to cost or are there rules against it?

I think it's something that's been in place in Spain for a while but would be extremely hard to introduce into English football at this point. Can you imagine the outcry if the Football League turned round and said that there would be no promotion from League 2 this year but instead Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea B teams would be introduced to League 1?

From a fair play point of view it would be a nightmare as well. If you had two promotion rivals Team 1 and Team 2 each playing Man United B team near the end of the season. For the match against Team 2 Fergie drops Berbatov and Vidic into the Man United B team to get some fitness after coming back from injuries. At best there's a lot of complaints of unfairness, at worst there's legal challenges flying about.

 

[stannyblade]

I think it's something that's been in place in Spain for a while but would be extremely hard to introduce into English football at this point. Can you imagine the outcry if the Football League turned round and said that there would be no promotion from League 2 this year but instead Man Utd, Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea B teams would be introduced to League 1?

From a fair play point of view it would be a nightmare as well. If you had two promotion rivals Team 1 and Team 2 each playing Man United B team near the end of the season. For the match against Team 2 Fergie drops Berbatov and Vidic into the Man United B team to get some fitness after coming back from injuries. At best there's a lot of complaints of unfairness, at worst there's legal challenges flying about.

Think they have to be registered for one or the other so as such Messi couldnt suddenly turn out for Barca B.

 

[bricktop]

He's on 7.85 in my football manager game and i'm really not sure what i'd do with out him. Just goes to show how little Danny Wilson knows about football

That's funny, because he played 2 games on mine, was crap in both and got a free transfer.