Lee O'Connor

amolbhatia50k said:
Wasn't he the one everyone was gushing about, since he was such a natural footballer and similar to Lahm?
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Yeah, but you know what people are like when it comes to youngsters. They believe they are all fantastic and can all make the first team here.

He is a genuinely good player. Fast, intelligent, comfortable in possession. Perhaps there's a stylistic comparison to made with Lahm but if he was anything like as good as that he'd be staying. In truth he was unlikely to make it here with the likes of Shaw, AWB, Dalot, Laird, Williams ahead of him.

Playing CB for our reserves was the last thing he needed for his development. At this stage he needs to be playing first team football. Really looking forward to following his progress as he is definitely one of Ireland's best prospects.
 
Best move for him. Didn’t have much of a chance of breaking through here.
 
Best of luck Lee. I thought you would make it here, but now you have a chance to prove yourself.
 
Ramshock said:
Wasn't clear to.everyone
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Yea I know, but I think it should have been. There seemed to be a lot of will for him to make the step up, which I get, but in reality, there was absolutely no indication that he was close to the first team from the club itself. Never mentioned by the hierarchy, never called up in an injury crisis, never made a pre-season squad despite a host of his age group and younger being called up. Then there was the fact that he never even played at RB for the reserves, but many wanted him to get put into the first team to play as one.
 
Rozay said:
Yea I know, but I think it should have been. There seemed to be a lot of will for him to make the step up, which I get, but in reality, there was absolutely no indication that he was close to the first team from the club itself. Never mentioned by the hierarchy, never called up in an injury crisis, never made a pre-season squad despite a host of his age group and younger being called up. Then there was the fact that he never even played at RB for the reserves, but many wanted him to get put into the first team to play as one.
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He was included in the Champions League squad last season, regularly trained with the first team, and travelled to a few games. So no indication he was close to the first team is just plain wrong. He's just since been replaced by Laird and Williams in priority.
 
Shame, being Irish I was hoping to see him come through. There were a lot of big hopes for him a few years back but it seems he hadn't quite kicked on enough. I would have like to have seen him get a loan first, but obviously this is the route he chose. From an Irish point of view, hopefully he gets some games at Celtic so he can develop. But that's far from guaranteed.
 
Somehow fell down the pecking order with Williams and Laird being the prefered options in his position so it's a good move for him. Hope we've inserted a buyback clause in the deal though.
 
limerickcitykid said:
He was included in the Champions League squad last season, regularly trained with the first team, and travelled to a few games. So no indication he was close to the first team is just plain wrong. He's just since been replaced by Laird and Williams in priority.
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I think it was more a case of the will of some posters on the caf personally, seemingly Irish fans in particular. I didn’t get the impression that he was close to breaking into the squad personally, regardless of whether he trained with the squad. I remember many situations where, mainly the same group, were calling for him to make a squad where we had injuries or whatever in his position, but it never seemed to be really considered, never name dropped, mentioned by the local journos etc. With players like Axel, it was a different mood around him before he made the squad. It was a matter of time.
 
Well that's a surprise, fingers crossed he actually gets some game time there, and it turns out to be a good move for him.
 
A lot of people likes his character as well. He was captain of a the youth sides wasn't he?
 
I am a big fan of O'Connor. He was genuinely the second best player in his u18s group behind Angel Gomes. He was very mature for his age and was a leader in the group but seemed to play most often where the team needed him rather than in a role to help him develop.

He didn't play enough football at full back in those key development years when he needed to develop the attacking side of his game and became a good steady player rather than a standout.

I hope he gets lots of game time at Celtic but I am not confident it's a great move for him. Fingers crossed he'll have a really successful career there.
 
Kostov said:
Selling this kid without giving him a chance is laughable. He is only a part of a great group but the kid is quality nonetheless. We should loan him out first, he will turn out to be a very good player.
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We won't play him at CB ahead of Tuanzebe, nor at right back ahead of Ethan Laird. We should not block his career because that'll discourage top youth talent coming our way in future.
 
limerickcitykid said:
Feyenoord and I believe PSV made offers. Likely a bunch of other clubs interested too but Feyenoord was the main one reported.
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Cheers. I take it thus the club would have been fine with it but Chong believes in himself and wants to grab his chance this season. Hope he's successful in doing so.
 
meamth said:
Logical move from Celtic to replace Tierney..or not.
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Possibly but Celtic have already signed Bolingoli, who had a very good game v Rangers after a few dodgy games. They also just signed Taylor another left back from Killie. O' Connor is versatile so maybe Lennon is planning on using him elsewhere.
 
Sean_RedDevil said:
Bayern Munich too
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Now that's tasty. But would he really have played games there? Given the Europa League, I think he'd be more likely to play here. All he'd get at Bayern is a feel for a winning culture :wenger:
 
Bastian said:
Now that's tasty. But would he really have played games there? Given the Europa League, I think he'd be more likely to play here. All he'd get at Bayern is a feel for a winning culture :wenger:
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A Bayern Munich youth/academy ITK has said that and then two weeks later there was a article in the german press that Bayern Munich are interested in Chong.

Well they only have Gnabry as real right winger in the team and they are looking for a right winger but yeah Chong's chances to play first-team football are much higher with us because Kovac would play rather Müller, Coman or Perisic as right-winger than Chong (Kovac doesn't give youth players a chance for various reasons).

Edit: I found the article (Only in german) https://www.tz.de/sport/fc-bayern/f...h-chong-Man Utd-talent-im-fokus-12938236.html

But now we should end the topic here because it's the wrong thread to talk about Chong ;)
 
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I think he will develop well and become a quite decent premier league level player. Just my uneducated opinion.
 
Bastian said:
Quite surprised by that. Did he play at right back and in the centre of defense for Ireland? He would probably have been involved for us had he stayed.
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I think he only played right back in that game. And it's just the one game he's played for the senior team.
 
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Bastian said:
Quite surprised by that. Did he play at right back and in the centre of defense for Ireland? He would probably have been involved for us had he stayed.
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He's been brilliant for Irelands under 21's . Celtic signed 3 different right backs last summer and O'Conner is the only one who hasn't played yet . Frimpong is playing regularly atm
 
stu_1992 said:
I think he only played right back in thsg game. And it's just the one game he's played for the senior team.
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Tel074 said:
He's been brilliant for Irelands under 21's . Celtic signed 3 different right backs last summer and O'Conner is the only one who hasn't played yet . Frimpong is playing regularly atm
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Cheers. I had high hopes for him as a United player. Hope he starts breaking into that Celtic team. Shows good mentality too to back yourself and go to Celtic, I'm sure he could have stayed if he wanted to.
 
He ended up signing for Partrick Thistle in the Scottish Championship. Can't understand who's advising him. Miles better than that. Celtic are completely mismanaging him.
 
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