Matt Connolly - I want to play every game this season

Sunday 3rd August 2014

Matt Connolly

Connolly has played a significant role in pre-season after finding himself on the sidelines for much of the Premier League

Cardiff City defender Matt Connolly insists he’s ready to take on the Championship challenge, even if two centre backs come in this week.

Connolly, who marshaled a defence containing, Juan Cala, Fabio and John Brayford against Wolfsburg, in the Bluebirds’s final pre-season run-out is confident he can cut it in the Championship after winning promotion three times previously.

As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his back four with two new signings before Friday’s Championship opener at Blackburn Rovers, Connolly says he will welcome them but he’s ready to make his mark on the first team after missing out for most of last season.

The defender said: “Fresh faces help and every person who has come in this summer has helped the squad to gel.

“I want to play every game after last season’s disappointment and if I’m called upon at Blackburn and I’m ready for that challenge.”

But it was Connolly’s early error against the Bundesliga giants that saw Cardiff chasing the game, as his sliced clearance led to Marcel Schafer netting.

The 26-year-old former Arsenal trainee admitted his mistake and said: “We have to look at each mistake we made and go over it this week and sort it out before we get to Blackburn.

“Wolfsburg were a very good side and when we went 2-0 down, we started relaxing, which isn’t good enough really.

“In the last 20 minutes of the first half we turned it around and I thought we were very good. In the end it was a good test and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Connolly claims the Bluebirds’ summer tour to Austria and wins against Carmarthen Town and Yeovil Town were good preparation for the upcoming Championship season, saying: “We’ve trained very well this summer and we’ve played very well in the games too.

“We are working hard on a pattern of play and everybody is feeling good and sharp. We’re ready for it.

“We have a big squad and we need that in the Championship with games coming thick and fast and everybody will be fighting for their place.”

Praising Solskjaer, the manager who has given him a chance after Malky Mackay froze him out of the Bluebirds’ maiden Premier League voyage, Connolly said: “It’s always difficult for a manager to come in and some times it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But Ole has brought in a few excellent players now and we have worked hard on how to start games and what runs the strikers need to make.

One of our consistent performers In the promotion season. Solid, good on the ball and chips in with goals. No confidence he had 3 promotions in a row with 3 different clubs. I fear he's a new scapegoat though for absolutely nothing. He messed up for a goal yesterday yes but no one points out Le fondre open goal miss because he's a new player and everyone wants to love him.

I hope not don't rate him at all, just hope we get a decent CB in by Blackburn

I meant coincidence not confidence

Rusty. Dont rate him. He was responsible for 2 goals yesterday. New defenders in are necessary.

Not for me, the one position that needed strengthening when we got promoted and an inconsistent central defender.

I'd look to move him on if possible as I doubt he is a low earner.

Did'nt do anything yesterday to warrant regular starts. Hope him and Cala aren't called upon again.

Ability aside, ( personally I think he's decent at this level)that's the right type of attitude you need and want to hear from our players , if everyone of our squad adopted this sort of approach, we won't go far wrong !!!!!

Sorry but I just don't understand how someone can be a good championship player and an awful premier league player.

its only one league apart theres plenty of players in the championship who can put in an average performance in the prem.
and hold down a place in a weak side.

if you cant do that then theres something wrong at this level

give me Connolly before Cala

give me Connolly before Cala

give me neither

You may not have rated him on Saturday but was solid against yeovil. Stop writing off our own players after one or two bad games!

Fantastic attitude from the player.

Better to want to play every game than expect to!

You may not have rated him on Saturday but was solid against yeovil. Stop writing off our own players after one or two bad games!

Fantastic attitude from the player.

Better to want to play every game than expect to!

Not for me.... Personally I'd move him on.

Played like Billy Connolly yesterday.

However I think he's a decent Championship player who will have a role to play this season.

If Connolly wants to play every game, he must not make the mistakes which cost us 2 goals Saturday.

However, I'm a big fan of Connolly and he was one of our best players when we went up. The fact he's achieved promotion from this division with us, Reading and QPR will make him a valuable squad member this season as he knows the division inside out and knows what it takes to succeed at this level.

The number of people saying they would offload him is bizarre to say the least in my opinion, but that's Cardiff fans for you.

If Connolly wants to play every game, he must not make the mistakes which cost us 2 goals Saturday.

However, I'm a big fan of Connolly and he was one of our best players when we went up. The fact he's achieved promotion from this division with us, Reading and QPR will make him a valuable squad member this season as he knows the division inside out and knows what it takes to succeed at this level.

The number of people saying they would offload him is bizarre to say the least in my opinion, but that's Cardiff fans for you.

Barely featured for 2,seasons.. If we sign 2 centre backs he will be well down the pecking order. We have 3 right backs already all in front of him. So in my opinion it would be a better option to get him off the wage bill.

I don't think anyone knows what his current ability is as he has not had the chance to get a sequence of games and get sharp in a long time. He is a CB and it was highly unfair that the last we've seen of him was a RB in the Prem against some of the quickest wingers in the World.

I'm not a Malky basher and I don't know what went on, but it seemed a bad judgement call all round for him to end up playing at RB.

Can't fault the guys temperament. Played loads of DVP games last year without a single complaint. Great attitude.

Hilarious, our supporters don't Mutch to go yet he doesn't wanna be here yet we have an experienced defender who's versatile and could play part this season, decent wage and done nothing wrong in the season we went up, joined and expected to be playing CB and was RB for most games bar Wolves where he got moved to CB.

2B an inconsistent central defender? He hasn't played CB for us so that's a bonkers statement.

Like this attitude, wants to be here, experienced.. been up with 3 different teams.

Nice to have this type of player that can play anywhere across the back.

Hilarious, our supporters don't Mutch to go yet he doesn't wanna be here yet we have an experienced defender who's versatile and could play part this season, decent wage and done nothing wrong in the season we went up, joined and expected to be playing CB and was RB for most games bar Wolves where he got moved to CB.

2B an inconsistent central defender? He hasn't played CB for us so that's a bonkers statement.

Like this attitude, wants to be here, experienced.. been up with 3 different teams.

Nice to have this type of player that can play anywhere across the back.

You put it better (and more forcefully) than me Dando!

Hilarious, our supporters don't Mutch to go yet he doesn't wanna be here yet we have an experienced defender who's versatile and could play part this season, decent wage and done nothing wrong in the season we went up, joined and expected to be playing CB and was RB for most games bar Wolves where he got moved to CB.

2B an inconsistent central defender? He hasn't played CB for us so that's a bonkers statement.

Like this attitude, wants to be here, experienced.. been up with 3 different teams.

Nice to have this type of player that can play anywhere across the back.

You put it better (and more forcefully) than me Dando!

Recently with Mutch and now this, our supporters are baffling.

The guy barely played a game last season, didn't go out on loan yet still wants to be part of this team, speaks volumes of a good player we have on are hands.

Yet people wanted Caulker and Mutch to stay, who don't want to be here.

Hilarious, our supporters don't Mutch to go yet he doesn't wanna be here yet we have an experienced defender who's versatile and could play part this season, decent wage and done nothing wrong in the season we went up, joined and expected to be playing CB and was RB for most games bar Wolves where he got moved to CB.

2B an inconsistent central defender? He hasn't played CB for us so that's a bonkers statement.

Like this attitude, wants to be here, experienced.. been up with 3 different teams.

Nice to have this type of player that can play anywhere across the back.

You put it better (and more forcefully) than me Dando!

I think you've both put it across very well and I 100% agree.

Hilarious, our supporters don't Mutch to go yet he doesn't wanna be here yet we have an experienced defender who's versatile and could play part this season, decent wage and done nothing wrong in the season we went up, joined and expected to be playing CB and was RB for most games bar Wolves where he got moved to CB.

2B an inconsistent central defender? He hasn't played CB for us so that's a bonkers statement.

Like this attitude, wants to be here, experienced.. been up with 3 different teams.

Nice to have this type of player that can play anywhere across the back.

You put it better (and more forcefully) than me Dando!

Recently with Mutch and now this, our supporters are baffling.

The guy barely played a game last season, didn't go out on loan yet still wants to be part of this team, speaks volumes of a good player we have on are hands.

Yet people wanted Caulker and Mutch to stay, who don't want to be here.

Oh c'mon honestly, what did you expect him to say to a journalist.. "I'll be happy to sit it out on the bench or play for the development team, whilst still picking up my nice pay cheque"??? ANY player is going to say pretty much the same, unless of course that player is in demand by other clubs, like Caulker was.
Connolly could probably find himself another Championship club, but why should he when he's probably settled in the area, knows the other team members very well and getting paid handsomely by us?

People go on about him getting promotion with three clubs from the Championship and how he knows this division inside out.. ah, history, eh!

There's a mistake waiting to happen with Connolly all too frequently.

Was poor yesterday, I hope he doesn't play much for our sake. He was even poor the season we went up.

Was poor yesterday, I hope he doesn't play much for our sake. He was even poor the season we went up.

Take it you started watching us last season?

He weren't poor at all in the season we went up.

Was poor yesterday, I hope he doesn't play much for our sake. He was even poor the season we went up.

Take it you started watching us last season?

He weren't poor at all in the season we went up.

His impact on that seasons wasnt huge though, he was injured for a bit of it and his form was poor until the end of the season when MM changed it around.

Whoppers.