Paudie O'Connor signs | Vital Football

Paudie O'Connor signs

Sounds encouraging, 6 ft 3, 24 (25 next month) with some experience but plenty of room to grow.

Played regularly for Bradford over the last two seasons getting their player of the season award. Reading some comments, sounds like he has picked up the odd red card and also that the question marks were pace and distribution- the latter seems interesting based on the profile of defenders we have signed over the last few seasons. A solid head it and kick it centre half sounds good to me though.
 
Rasenimp said:
Sounds encouraging, 6 ft 3, 24 (25 next month) with some experience but plenty of room to grow.

Played regularly for Bradford over the last two seasons getting their player of the season award. Reading some comments, sounds like he has picked up the odd red card and also that the question marks were pace and distribution- the latter seems interesting based on the profile of defenders we have signed over the last few seasons. A solid head it and kick it centre half sounds good to me though.
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Ditto. Given that we won't be passing back and forth, between the defence, for the sake of it, he'll probably be ok.
 
Also interesting that Hortin suggested we were close to signing an attacking player and another might follow. This must be the latter - wonder if it'll be the Bradford double with Vernam.
 
Wasn't expecting a CB through the door with having 5 who can play there already. Hard to imagine him displacing them (injury records aside).

A quick scan around suggests his strength is in the air. Played 100 games over the last two seasons, which is obviously a plus given our appearance rates over the last season or two!

Comes across as a signing you can rely on to be fit and do a job if needed.
 
Luke Imp said:
Wasn't expecting a CB through the door with having 5 who can play there already. Hard to imagine him displacing them (injury records aside).

A quick scan around suggests his strength is in the air. Played 100 games over the last two seasons, which is obviously a plus given our appearance rates over the last season or two!

Comes across as a signing you can rely on to be fit and do a job if needed.
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Could it be Poole back to right back for this season, more solid side in general? Or not even here?

Or even three centre halves...
 
Bradford fans don’t seem too bothered about him leaving.

Although his track record is quite promising. Played for Leeds as a kid, been a captain as a young player and is their player of the year for the last 2 years so seems a solid signing. Especially if those rumours of competition from Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth.
 
Will be interesting what it means for the team. Gives us Eyoma, Poole, Montsma, Jackson, Walsh, Roughan and O’Connor all capable of CB.

Expecting that may means us going to 5 at the back.
 
Great to see someone through the door. A new name to me but a quick Wikipedia check shows regular action with the Bantoms over the last couple of seasons and their player of the year too. Another Irishman too so may have already been known to Kennedy.
 
If as suggested he's left sided, I wonder what that suggests for Walsh and Roughan in terms of pathway for the coming season.
 
My only real concern is the comments about his poor distribution.

However, as has been pointed out already, we aren’t likely to be passing it out as often as we were last season.

Every team needs to have a CB who is a bit of a bastard, and he seems to be ours.

I suspect this does lean towards 3 at the back, even if a defender (probably Walsh) leaves.

As always, got to give him a chance. Good start to the window.
 
hulloutpost said:
If as suggested he's left sided, I wonder what that suggests for Walsh and Roughan in terms of pathway for the coming season.
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I wouldn't be shocked if we were looking for a way out with Walsh, if a decent L2 side etc was willing to take a risk with the injuries and would take over his contract (or some of it?) for example?

It just seems too risky to have a centre half like that you can't count on. Roughan I thought might be involved though, just the way Kennedy suggested that there were a couple of youngsters actively ready to play a part this season. He seems one of the most developed in terms of his game from what I've seen...
 
I don't think some people get it.
We flirted with relegation and finished 17th last season

This will be just the start of building a new squad by a new manager, they all do it.

It's not a case of who from last season plays where. A lot of them will be gone and rightly so. They're either permanently injured or just not good enough.
 
Roughan could play games at left back if Kennedy doesn't fancy Bramall as a defender?

For Walsh I think it is get fit or get out.
 
He says he wants to play 40 games a season for us, I hope he realises this is not the pattern for our centre backs , welcome and good luck to him. UTI
 
clanfordimp said:
I don't think some people get it.
We flirted with relegation and finished 17th last season

This will be just the start of building a new squad by a new manager, they all do it.

It's not a case of who from last season plays where. A lot of them will be gone and rightly so. They're either permanently injured or just not good enough.
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I think this is sort of true, but we still have more serviceable options at say, centre back than holding midfield or even wide. I'm of course more than happy we've made a move here for a robust type CB, especially with the injury issues last season, and I think we might just see some of those other positions come in across the next few weeks. Was just surprised this was the first move.

I think as much as it would be nice to completely clear the decks and build an almost entirely new squad, the contractual situations and budget probably don't make that easy to do across one or two windows. I'd be looking to fill the glaring gaps in this one!
 
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