But the basis you use to draw comparisons to back up your claims are weak.Īnyway I’m sure in the time you’ve taken to read this you will have lost precious time from Championship Manager so I’ll leave it there……. You make it sound like he wasn’t cut out for York City, let alone Arsenal and that by that stretch he’s a poor player. It didn’t make sense for him to stay at the loan club when it’s clear that he wouldn’t be getting any game time. O’Connor sustained a long term injury during Dec/Jan period which the prognosis was a long term recuperative spell. Again you are speculating like you actually have any idea of what actually happened. Second: As you state “York City couldn’t get rid of him quick enough”. A bit unfair to expect a young prospect to go to a struggling side and miraculously lift them above the mire they got themselves into.

Your comment shows you haven’t got a handle on what the reality is.įirstly: York City had a shocking defensive record before Stephan O’Connor got there. He is effective at bringing the ball out from the back but remains prone to lapses in concentration, and can ill afford any slip-ups next season. Now time is starting to run out for O’Connor, and the youngster will know that if he is still at Arsenal next season then it will be a crucial campaign as far as his future at the club is concerned. It seems rather strange, however, that the youngster finds himself in this situation considering that he established himself as a key player for the second-string in the first year of his scholarship. With Julio Pleguezuelo likely to go on loan at some point next campaign, O’Connor could well reclaim his place in the side at U21 level.

It has been an extremely frustrating time for the youngster and now, whilst Bielik is on the cusp of the first-team squad, O’Connor finds himself isolated- too old for the U18s, not really under consideration for the U21s and nowhere near the senior side. Taking into account how little he has played this campaign, it is difficult to make a fair judgement on whether O’Connor has progressed over the past year. It is true that the Hale End product has struggled with injuries at times this season, while he also had a short loan spell at York City, but O’Connor has been restricted to just four UEFA Youth League and two U21 Premier League appearances for the Gunners this season.

The Poland youth international was initially seen as a defensive-midfielder, but he has featured increasingly frequently at centre-back, which has hampered the progress of O’Connor. Just a month after that game against Galatasaray, however, an incident occurred that would alter the course of O’Connor’s Arsenal career, at least in the short term, as the club signed the talented Krystian Bielik from Legia Warsaw. The defender made his Arsenal first-team debut last season, in the Champions League no less, and was training frequently with the first-team squad. Ovie Ejeheri (On loan at SJK Seinajoki, until May 2023)Įverything was going so well for Stefan O’Connor. Arthur Okonkwo (On loan at Sturm Graz, until May 2023) Folarin Balogun (On loan at Stade de Reims, until May 2023)

Krystian youth with you