Confimred - Paudie O’Connor

[Sutekh]

Some comment from Lincoln fans:

https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/thre ... ng.144237/

Feels like Reading would be a weird and underwhelming move for him, especially with Huddersfield and Stockport being closer to where he lives. To get that deal over the line they must be offering a very, very good wages and contract length.

I thought that O'Connor would prove a bit of a conundrum for us. I'm not doubting his quality by saying this or that I wouldn't like to see him stay here because he's been excellent for us but if we're moving to a back four, does he suit that? He was all over the shop in a four under Kennedy, excellent in a five. I suppose you'd build your defence around him and make sure he's surrounded by pace.

More broadly speaking, the defensive rebuild is going to be interesting because not only are we changing shape, the profile of player will probably have to tweak slightly as well i.e. more pace at the back and then on top of that we weren't tight enough at the back last season. Nowhere near enough clean sheets, so many soft goals. That's where the big improvement needs to be next season for me.

Some thought there for Noel perhaps?

[Greatwesternline]

Does this suggest Strickland won't be moving to first choice..... Which saddens me..... Or that Mbengue is defo off.

Mbengue played the final third of the season with a heavily strapped knee, and if you watched him in the prep for corners he was constantly stretching his knee out and rubbing it.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a chronic knee injury that flares up and is being managed from game to game. I'm sure not he will be a regular player.

Fair chance he won’t get through a medical if that is the case surely.

Why would Mbengue have a medical?

[Winston Biscuit]

Some comment from Lincoln fans:

https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/thre ... ng.144237/

they seem to think he should have gone somewhere better, which is kind of positive tbh as it means they think we have signed someone who is better than our level. Though a number of them comment on how slow he is and that he only plays well when quick defenders are around him.

[Snowflake Royal]

Mbengue played the final third of the season with a heavily strapped knee, and if you watched him in the prep for corners he was constantly stretching his knee out and rubbing it.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a chronic knee injury that flares up and is being managed from game to game. I'm sure not he will be a regular player.

Fair chance he won’t get through a medical if that is the case surely.

Why would Mbengue have a medical?

All players have a medical signing to a new club.

[Royal_jimmy]

Some comment from Lincoln fans:

https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/thre ... ng.144237/

Feels like Reading would be a weird and underwhelming move for him, especially with Huddersfield and Stockport being closer to where he lives. To get that deal over the line they must be offering a very, very good wages and contract length.

I thought that O'Connor would prove a bit of a conundrum for us. I'm not doubting his quality by saying this or that I wouldn't like to see him stay here because he's been excellent for us but if we're moving to a back four, does he suit that? He was all over the shop in a four under Kennedy, excellent in a five. I suppose you'd build your defence around him and make sure he's surrounded by pace.

More broadly speaking, the defensive rebuild is going to be interesting because not only are we changing shape, the profile of player will probably have to tweak slightly as well i.e. more pace at the back and then on top of that we weren't tight enough at the back last season. Nowhere near enough clean sheets, so many soft goals. That's where the big improvement needs to be next season for me.

Some thought there for Noel perhaps?

Maybe he's realised that the north is a bit grimmer and decided to move down south

[Hound]

Some comment from Lincoln fans:

https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/thre ... ng.144237/

Feels like Reading would be a weird and underwhelming move for him, especially with Huddersfield and Stockport being closer to where he lives. To get that deal over the line they must be offering a very, very good wages and contract length.

I thought that O'Connor would prove a bit of a conundrum for us. I'm not doubting his quality by saying this or that I wouldn't like to see him stay here because he's been excellent for us but if we're moving to a back four, does he suit that? He was all over the shop in a four under Kennedy, excellent in a five. I suppose you'd build your defence around him and make sure he's surrounded by pace.

More broadly speaking, the defensive rebuild is going to be interesting because not only are we changing shape, the profile of player will probably have to tweak slightly as well i.e. more pace at the back and then on top of that we weren't tight enough at the back last season. Nowhere near enough clean sheets, so many soft goals. That's where the big improvement needs to be next season for me.

Some thought there for Noel perhaps?

Maybe he's realised that the north is a bit grimmer and decided to move down south

Yes. Not like he’s actually from the north of England originally anyway.

I do think the training facility we have is a big pull, likely to be one of the reasons he chose us. Stockport and Hudders are hardly glamour clubs either

[Greatwesternline]

Fair chance he won’t get through a medical if that is the case surely.

Why would Mbengue have a medical?

All players have a medical signing to a new club.

I'm lost. Is Mbengue joining a new club?

[rabidbee]

I'm lost. Is Mbengue joining a new club?

The speculation has been that Mbengue will reject us in favour of somebody higher up the league. Ian is suggesting he won't make it through a medical, should he try to go down that route.

All of which is, of course, speculation...

[Greatwesternline]

I'm lost. Is Mbengue joining a new club?

The speculation has been that Mbengue will reject us in favour of somebody higher up the league. Ian is suggesting he won't make it through a medical, should he try to go down that route.

All of which is, of course, speculation...

Oh ok. I was replying to someone who said they're not sure Stickland will get much game time with Mbengue and O'Connor as first choice, to which i suggested, I'm not sure Mbengue's knee will be a regular starter tbh.

Oh well, a fun few minutes on here.

[JedMaxwell]

I'm very happy with this signing. As has been said, it's a good sensible signing at this level and let's hope as he enters his prime years he helps us to get up.

If he is a bit slow, maybe that means Mbengue has stayed on and we're going to announce that soon.

[Snowflake Royal]

I'm lost. Is Mbengue joining a new club?

The speculation has been that Mbengue will reject us in favour of somebody higher up the league. Ian is suggesting he won't make it through a medical, should he try to go down that route.

All of which is, of course, speculation...

Crusader is suggesting that, I was adding to it.

If GWL is right about his injury, then you'd have to ask why would we be trying to get him to sign a new contract. And of course, Crusader's point.would be valid, that he wouldn’t pass a medical at Watford, where he is rumoured to be going, and the club wouldn’t be very worried about him finding another club.

[RoyalBlue]

Does this suggest Strickland won't be moving to first choice..... Which saddens me..... Or that Mbengue is defo off.

Mbengue played the final third of the season with a heavily strapped knee, and if you watched him in the prep for corners he was constantly stretching his knee out and rubbing it.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a chronic knee injury that flares up and is being managed from game to game. I'm sure not he will be a regular player.

Like many, thanks to Dai and the EFL, he was clearly carrying on playing at times when it probably wasn't advisable to do so. A good rest over the summer might have done wonders for his recovery,

[Snowflake Royal]

Does this suggest Strickland won't be moving to first choice..... Which saddens me..... Or that Mbengue is defo off.

Mbengue played the final third of the season with a heavily strapped knee, and if you watched him in the prep for corners he was constantly stretching his knee out and rubbing it.

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a chronic knee injury that flares up and is being managed from game to game. I'm sure not he will be a regular player.

Like many, thanks to Dai and the EFL, he was clearly carrying on playing at times when it probably wasn't advisable to do so. A good rest over the summer might have done wonders for his recovery,

He went down 'injured' a lot, but a significant amount seemed strategically feigned. And I rather think Mbengue was the main reason he didnt have longer recovery breaks, because he just wanted to play. It had nothing to do with Dai or the FL, and everything to do with the manager, medical team and player.

[JedMaxwell]

If you have a current injury, that is taken into account when they do the medical, like buying a car when you know you need to replace a brake disc or fix the gearbox.

Of course the injury he was nursing could have got significantly worse or Watford/whoever may see it as too high of a risk to offer him a contract, but generally speaking when they do a medical they look at your overall fitness history as a kind of risk assessment.

[From Despair To Where?]

Some comment from Lincoln fans:

https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/thre ... ng.144237/

Feels like Reading would be a weird and underwhelming move for him, especially with Huddersfield and Stockport being closer to where he lives. To get that deal over the line they must be offering a very, very good wages and contract length.

I thought that O'Connor would prove a bit of a conundrum for us. I'm not doubting his quality by saying this or that I wouldn't like to see him stay here because he's been excellent for us but if we're moving to a back four, does he suit that? He was all over the shop in a four under Kennedy, excellent in a five. I suppose you'd build your defence around him and make sure he's surrounded by pace.

More broadly speaking, the defensive rebuild is going to be interesting because not only are we changing shape, the profile of player will probably have to tweak slightly as well i.e. more pace at the back and then on top of that we weren't tight enough at the back last season. Nowhere near enough clean sheets, so many soft goals. That's where the big improvement needs to be next season for me.

Some thought there for Noel perhaps?

Maybe he's realised that the north is a bit grimmer and decided to move down south

You genuinely think Lincoln is grimmer than Reading?

[WestYorksRoyal]

Some comment from Lincoln fans:

https://forums.vitalfootball.co.uk/thre ... ng.144237/



Some thought there for Noel perhaps?

Maybe he's realised that the north is a bit grimmer and decided to move down south

You genuinely think Lincoln is grimmer than Reading?

Lincoln is one of the UK's hidden gems. Would happily move there if I could find the right work.

The amount of times our fans chant "X is a shit hole" when it really isn't .

[Hound]

Maybe he's realised that the north is a bit grimmer and decided to move down south

You genuinely think Lincoln is grimmer than Reading?

Lincoln is one of the UK's hidden gems. Would happily move there if I could find the right work.

The amount of times our fans chant "X is a shit hole" when it really isn't .

He did just say the north, not Lincoln. Dunno if he lives in Lincoln or stayed more Bradford way

Lincoln is nice. Some pretty rubbish places nearby it though

[From Despair To Where?]

You genuinely think Lincoln is grimmer than Reading?

Lincoln is one of the UK's hidden gems. Would happily move there if I could find the right work.

The amount of times our fans chant "X is a shit hole" when it really isn't .

He did just say the north, not Lincoln. Dunno if he lives in Lincoln or stayed more Bradford way

Lincoln is nice. Some pretty rubbish places nearby it though

Even at Bradford, he will have lived somewhere like Cullingworth or out towards Skipton rather than Manningham.

It's not like all the Reading squad live in Whitley.

Every town and district has it's nice parts and it's no so nice parts. Football grounds tend to be in the not so nice parts so if your only experience of other towns is going to away matches then you get a completely skewed impression of an area.

Luton is the only place I can think of that is universally awful.

[Ascotexgunner]

I'm lost. Is Mbengue joining a new club?

The speculation has been that Mbengue will reject us in favour of somebody higher up the league. Ian is suggesting he won't make it through a medical, should he try to go down that route.

All of which is, of course, speculation...

Looks like QPR from what I'm hearing. So he must be fit.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Lincoln is one of the UK's hidden gems. Would happily move there if I could find the right work.

The amount of times our fans chant "X is a shit hole" when it really isn't .

He did just say the north, not Lincoln. Dunno if he lives in Lincoln or stayed more Bradford way

Lincoln is nice. Some pretty rubbish places nearby it though

Even at Bradford, he will have lived somewhere like Cullingworth or out towards Skipton rather than Manningham.

It's not like all the Reading squad live in Whitley.

Every town and district has it's nice parts and it's no so nice parts. Football grounds tend to be in the not so nice parts so if your only experience of other towns is going to away matches then you get a completely skewed impression of an area.

Luton is the only place I can think of that is universally awful.

Live in St. Albans, Harpenden, Hitchin etc.,

Still plenty of nice places around Luton.