Andy O'Brien expecting to leave

[Lofthouse Lower]

Shame. Nice bloke, good beard. Was immense when he first signed.

Leeds United loanee Andy O'Brien admits he does not expect to be offered a new contract at parent club Bolton.

The 31-year-old defender has played in Leeds' last seven matches and had his loan deal extended into the new year.

O'Brien told BBC Radio Leeds: "I won't be surprised if they didn't offer me another contract.

"Although I feel I'm playing hard and well here I don't think my progress here will have any bearing on my future at Bolton."

The former Bradford, Newcastle and Republic of Ireland centre-back joined Bolton in 2007 and went on to make 68 Premier League starts for the Trotters.

However he had managed just three games for Owen Coyle's side this season before his move to Elland Road and his deal expires in the summer.

He has made seven appearances for Leeds, scoring once, and they have not lost in any of his games.

United chairman Ken Bates has already stated publicly that Leeds will do their best to keep O'Brien until at least the end of the season.

"On the one hand people say you're out of contract and things are rosy, but on the other I feel I've proved some people wrong with my performances here," he said.

When I played at Bolton I suffered a few injuries and people start writing about you that you can't do it anymore.

My staying here will obviously be dictated by results and if I'm playing my part in good results then hopefully something can be sorted.

"I'm doing this for myself and for Leeds United because they are my employees.

"I'm grateful to be here and to Leeds for giving me the opportunity.

"We are on a good run and I'm just playing my small part in that."

"I'm just working hard to stay in the team and others are working hard to get into it, so that's a good recipe for success."

[hisroyalgingerness]

Best player for us in the Sammy Lee-leaving year, and certainly yon man's best contribution to the club.

Feel sorry for him in a way, but if you gonna want regular football it's not with us sadly

[TKIZ!]

Met him, nice bloke.

[Tombwfc]

There's a fair chance we might need him if Cahill goes. We could spend a lot of money without finding someone better than he is.

[Lord Kangana]

If we sell Cahill, and get in a Ricketts standard player whilst still making a profit (I believe Caps made this point on the other thread) then frankly I think AOB is a gonner. Its hypothetically doable. We got Ricketts for a start.

Thanks an all that, but he's a bit of a relegation fodder defender.

[Tombwfc]

And Sam Ricketts being first choice centre half isn't relegation fodder?

Honestly, I must have slept through the period when he was in the team and playing like Cannavaro.

[Lord Kangana]

I think if you're trying to argue that O'Brien is a better defender than Ricketts, then I'm sure you'll get a small cabal of supporters, but most people would admit that to be just plain wrong.

Which doesn't make him Cannavaro (or Pele if he was a striker, Messi if its criticising Megson's transfer policy, or Maradonna for as yet undiscussed reasons).

Nevertheless, he is better than O'Brien, therefore, well he's better than O'Brien. So's Cannavaro, but then he's also better than Ricketts. Amazing that, if you think about it.

[Eire_Trotter]

Nice bloke and was a good servant but I just don't think he's up to the standard anymore. European football that is .

[Tombwfc]

Elsewhere people are suggesting that exchanging Ricketts for Cahill in our team will improve us.

I'm just suprised that the 29 year old career lower league full-back has turned out to be better than both Andy O'Brien and England International Gary Cahill. And all this based on about 10 games that he's played there.

[Lord Kangana]

Very few people are calling him better. They are merely applying logic, in that Cahill will probably leave sooner or later. In that scenario, Ricketts looks the better bet than AOB. In fact, a couple of Ricketts looks better than Ricketts and AOB. I can't make this any simpler.

[H. Pedersen]

Whatever happens with Cahill, I don't think Coyle will go with an O'Brien/Knight partnership as his first choice so I think AOB will want to leave anyway.

[officer_dibble]

Elsewhere people are suggesting that exchanging Ricketts for Cahill in our team will improve us.

I'm just suprised that the 29 year old career lower league full-back has turned out to be better than both Andy O'Brien and England International Gary Cahill. And all this based on about 10 games that he's played there.

Bergsson started as a fullback...not sure when we first used him as a centre half......Charlton, Whitlow as well

Just saying like

Tell you what, reading that AOB interview he's a decent bloke - no moaning, accepts it and gets on. I'd be happy with him round the squad, but I think he deserves first team football - and if we were to sell Cahill I'd like to see us buy someone that bit better than him (AOB) to replace Cahill. We won't get someone better value for money than AOB on a free I doubt though.

[Tombwfc]

Elsewhere people are suggesting that exchanging Ricketts for Cahill in our team will improve us.

I'm just suprised that the 29 year old career lower league full-back has turned out to be better than both Andy O'Brien and England International Gary Cahill. And all this based on about 10 games that he's played there.

Bergsson started as a fullback...not sure when we first used him as a centre half......Charlton, Whitlow as well

Just saying like

Varying degrees of club legends, but did any of them play as first choice centre half for a team that wasn't relegation threatened? Charlie might have the strongest case for 03/04, but Big Sam still saw fit to bin him off at the end of the season so we could progress.

Not that it's impossible to convert, just that I think Ricketts is far from proven in that position.

Very few people are calling him better. They are merely applying logic, in that Cahill will probably leave sooner or later.

Plenty have suggested that we'd be better off with Ricketts than with Cahill, because of the now accepted idea that Zat Knight plays better with Ricketts and consequently we play better with Ricketts. This has zero to do with Cahill leaving or not.

[Lord Kangana]

Very few still means very few. Plenty is not an indicator of a majority opinion. Your plenty might be, say, 4 or 5 people. Nevertheless, its not "plenty" by any stretch.

[Tombwfc]

Well, I've not been counting so I wouldn't know, though in the context of this board and how many have posted on the subject, four or five is a fairly significant amount. If you have polled the entire BWFC fanbase to get exact numbers of who thinks what, I'd be interested to hear the results.

[BWFC_Insane]

Elsewhere people are suggesting that exchanging Ricketts for Cahill in our team will improve us.

I'm just suprised that the 29 year old career lower league full-back has turned out to be better than both Andy O'Brien and England International Gary Cahill. And all this based on about 10 games that he's played there.

Bergsson started as a fullback...not sure when we first used him as a centre half......Charlton, Whitlow as well

Just saying like

Varying degrees of club legends, but did any of them play as first choice centre half for a team that wasn't relegation threatened? Charlie might have the strongest case for 03/04, but Big Sam still saw fit to bin him off at the end of the season so we could progress.

Not that it's impossible to convert, just that I think Ricketts is far from proven in that position.

Very few people are calling him better. They are merely applying logic, in that Cahill will probably leave sooner or later.

Plenty have suggested that we'd be better off with Ricketts than with Cahill, because of the now accepted idea that Zat Knight plays better with Ricketts and consequently we play better with Ricketts. This has zero to do with Cahill leaving or not.

Tom I think the point is that when Cahill has been out and Ricketts in both this season and last we haven't looked any worse defensively. I think everyone accepts that Cahill is a better player than Ricketts but a back four is more than the sum of its parts and we have had far better defenders than Cahill who were inferior as footballers. Gudni being a prime example. He wasn't going to stride out of defence and hit a curler into the top corner ala Cahill, but he was IMO a better defender when you needed to defend and keep a clean sheet.

Nobody wants to sell Cahill but do you think it would be the end of the world if a big offer came in? If we were defensively "tight" and kept clean sheets I'd probably be with you, but we aren't and the evidence so far is when Cahill is out we're no worse off even with a makeshift fullback at centre half!

[Lofthouse Lower]

Well, I've not been counting so I wouldn't know, though in the context of this board and how many have posted on the subject, four or five is a fairly significant amount. If you have polled the entire BWFC fanbase to get exact numbers of who thinks what, I'd be interested to hear the results.

I'll get back to you

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Best player for us in the Sammy Lee-leaving year, and certainly yon man's best contribution to the club.

Well, that and getting Anelka to sign a contract with a £15m release clause where none existed thereto. You could say that money (and Lee's successor) bought Cahill, Muamba and CYL. But obviously it's arguable.

[Il Pirate]

Just been reading that soon to be out of contract Bradley Johnson of Leeds, could join Bolton as part of a deal which would make AOB's transfer permanent. But it was in 'the Sun'. And WTF is Bradley Johnson?

[truewhite15]

Elsewhere people are suggesting that exchanging Ricketts for Cahill in our team will improve us.

I'm just suprised that the 29 year old career lower league full-back has turned out to be better than both Andy O'Brien and England International Gary Cahill. And all this based on about 10 games that he's played there.

Bergsson started as a fullback...not sure when we first used him as a centre half......Charlton, Whitlow as well

Just saying like

Varying degrees of club legends, but did any of them play as first choice centre half for a team that wasn't relegation threatened? Charlie might have the strongest case for 03/04, but Big Sam still saw fit to bin him off at the end of the season so we could progress.

Not that it's impossible to convert, just that I think Ricketts is far from proven in that position.

Very few people are calling him better. They are merely applying logic, in that Cahill will probably leave sooner or later.

Plenty have suggested that we'd be better off with Ricketts than with Cahill, because of the now accepted idea that Zat Knight plays better with Ricketts and consequently we play better with Ricketts. This has zero to do with Cahill leaving or not.

Tom I think the point is that when Cahill has been out and Ricketts in both this season and last we haven't looked any worse defensively. I think everyone accepts that Cahill is a better player than Ricketts but a back four is more than the sum of its parts and we have had far better defenders than Cahill who were inferior as footballers. Gudni being a prime example. He wasn't going to stride out of defence and hit a curler into the top corner ala Cahill, but he was IMO a better defender when you needed to defend and keep a clean sheet.

Nobody wants to sell Cahill but do you think it would be the end of the world if a big offer came in? If we were defensively "tight" and kept clean sheets I'd probably be with you, but we aren't and the evidence so far is when Cahill is out we're no worse off even with a makeshift fullback at centre half!

Didn't he score a pearler from 50yds vs Barnsley?