Jump to content

The thoughts of SOD


stewarty66

Recommended Posts

The "fairest" way to end the Scottish Premiership season early is when all pre-split matches have been played, says Kilmarnock defender Stephen O'Donnell.

Ten of the 12 teams are three short of the 33-game mark that sees the league split in half for the final five games.

With football suspended indefinitely due to coronavirus, the rest of the season is in doubt.

"It's a really difficult one," said O'Donnell.

"And there will need to be a lot of empathy shown, because there's not one decision that will make everybody happy. There will be fall-out from it and I just hope everybody can get behind the decision that is made by the powers that be."

 

Celtic hold a 13-point lead at the top and manager Neil Lennon has insisted his side should be crowned champions if the season is not completed.

Second-place Rangers, however, argue that to uphold sporting integrity all league games must be played, while bottom club Hearts will consider legal action if they are relegated as things stand.

"I think the fairest would be if we were able to get to the split, because then everybody has played each other three times," said right-back O'Donnell, whose side sit eighth.

"Kilmarnock are in a position that not much would be affected - we could maybe get into the top six - but no matter happens, you're not going to make everybody happy. You're either going to frustrate Celtic or you're going to frustrate Hearts and Rangers.

"Playing everyone three times is a fortunate situation we can have in Scotland, so maybe call it then. But you are still going to get Rangers and Hearts saying that's not fair."

Uefa want all domestic leagues completed by 30 June, but Scotland defender O'Donnell believes that will be "very difficult" to accomplish.

Scotland's Euro play-off against Israel is also due to be played in June, having been postponed from 26 March, while the Euro 2020 finals have been pushed back to summer 2021.

"It would be a dream to play in European competition and it being delayed is devastating," O'Donnell told BBC Scotland's The Nine.

"But situations like this put everything in perspective. You need to prioritise health, not only of the players and staff, but the fans, who are the most important part coming to watch."

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51943347

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Seems to be the same few guys - SOD, Burke, Donati - who are doing the medIa.

OUT of contract in the summer, former Celtic target Stephen O'Donnell was playing his football at Rugby Park to attract interest from around the UK.

Nowadays, though, earning a deal at a bigger club could not be any further away from his mind. As the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, the Kilmarnock defender is simply happy to be fit, healthy and spending time with his family.

With five-month-old son Cillian and wife Kellie at home, O'Donnell is enjoying his downtime. In the world of football, it's not often players spend more time on their couch than on the training pitch.

And while he admits he does miss the game and his teammates, the 27-year-old is content with being a husband and dad during one of the most difficult and surreal times in our history.

"I think we're still awfully far away from all of this blowing over, you can't imagine anyone signing any players at this time," O'Donnell said.

"It is a unique situation but I've got an agent who I trust. I'm relaxed about it, what will happen will happen. When the world is in a position to discuss contracts, that's when I'll look at it again.

"Hopefully at that stage there will be some good options somewhere and then I'll make the decision. That's where I'm at just now. I've stressed out about a lot in my career but this is actually one of those things that nobody can do anything about, so I'm quite relaxed about it.

"I hope I've done enough to get a couple of good offers but we've obviously had an up and down season, so it might be a wee bit harder than previously.

"I'm fortunate that my wife has a good job and is on maternity leave just now. So she could go back if things were to financially become a strain. But that would obviously be a wee bit down the line or however long this goes on for. I'm enjoying getting to spend a lot of time with my wee boy, we've been floating about the house, really.

"It's great to see him so much because normally you're always thinking about having to train or 'no I can't do that because I need to go to the gym'. It's good just to get time alone where it's just myself, him and Kellie. Everyone has their own worries, their own lives. So in the grand scheme me worrying about a contract when I know my wife has a good job, is not important.

"You see people with big families losing their jobs. I'm in a very fortunate position right now and I know that."

Kilmarnock currently sit eighth in the Scottish Premiership having not had the best of seasons up until this point. Consistently inconsistent, the Ayrshire outfit have left a lot to be desired from their third place finish last term.

O'Donnell, however, would still prefer to finish the current campaign rather than call it quits now. The SPFL have a lot of work to do before a resolution is sorted and the question surrounding how to conclude the season is answered.

But while Scotland cap O'Donnell would want to play to a finish, he understands the potential consequences to that scenario. "I would prefer to finish the season, there's no doubt about that," he added. "If it's financially possible and sustainable to last and finish it, I'd love to finish it.

"I think if you asked any player or manager, they'd want to finish. Then it comes down to what's the best thing, the right thing and what is the safest thing. And it's important to look at what has the least fallout. There's no scenario that's going to keep everyone happy.

"I honestly think, realistically, that it's virtually impossible to finish the season. I don't know what the other options are. Nobody wins from this, no matter what happens. Celtic win the league, you're going to have Rangers fans saying they didn't because it wasn't finished. Sadly this whole situation isn't something anyone has control over, we're in the hands of the Gods!"

Training and maintaining a footballers' level of fitness will undoubtedly be an issue for countless stars around the country during lockdown. Not for O'Donnell. He has found a way to keep himself in good shape. "I don't have a home gym. I made the conscious decision," he laughed. 

"I could make my garage into a wee gym or I could keep it as a garage and join a gym. I chose to join the gym so I've got a nice expensive gym membership! So that's a bit of a pain.

"You can do enough things to keep fit like out and run, you can do enough body weight stuff. One of my pals started up as a personal trainer and I actually set up an Instagram account so I could watch some of his videos to mix things up a wee bit. We had a programme with Kilmarnock but we're obviously now on furlough so we can't do that.

"I've been working hard and treating things a bit like a close season. But instead of managing to get a holiday, I'm stuck in the house."

https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/18378452.kilmarnock-ace-stephen-odonnell-enjoying-lockdown-life-despite-contract-concerns/

Edited by skygod
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, Mclean07 said:

Nice to see his only thoughts are offers elsewhere with the club standing by him! 

Yip! s**te performances for 75% this season. Hope you end up back at Thistle if your thoughts are elsewhere. 

Should be offered a take it or leave it contract during this. 

His attitude towards the contract situation has angered me.

Edited by Ngonge88
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Cheviotstag said:

I would love for you to be right. 

It's not based on anything factual.I just think he is sensible enough to see he bigger picture and if he has another good season there is the potential for a bigger move at the end of it. Also who knows what the comings and goings will be at both Killie and other clubs. We do know that ideally he would not move away from Lanarkshire so not may options for him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Cheviotstag said:

I would love for you to be right. 

You'd now want to be out of contract at Euro 2021, in SOD's position - if Scotland do make it.  Plenty big teams sign players on the basis of a couple of good games at international tournaments.  The English transfer market will go into absolute meltdown over the summer, £1.6bn owed in transfer fees by English teams.  Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts don't have the cash to sign new players at present. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, RAG said:

You'd now want to be out of contract at Euro 2021, in SOD's position - if Scotland do make it.  Plenty big teams sign players on the basis of a couple of good games at international tournaments.  The English transfer market will go into absolute meltdown over the summer, £1.6bn owed in transfer fees by English teams.  Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts don't have the cash to sign new players at present. 

Good point re- Euro 21 and next summer being a better time to be out of contract .

SOD will be very hard to replace so really hoping he does sign a contract. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...