Darren Ferguson hits out at National League club over 'waste of time' loan for youngster

The 20-year-old defender joined the National League outfit on loan at the start of October and has featured just three times, none of which from the start.

O’Connell came off the bench for the final 20 minutes of Woking’s 2-0 defeat at home to Southend on October 7- his first game after joining but that was followed by him being brought on in the 89th and 90th minute in the Woking’s FA Cup qualifying tie and subsequent replay against Hemel Hempstead.

He has not featured since, once being an unused substitute and twice being left out of the squad entirely.

O’Connell spent the end of the last campaign on loan at the Cards- from December 2 onwards- but only appeared 13 times, four of which were starts with nine appearances off the bench.

The lack of playing time for O’Connell, who has featured six times for the Posh first team, has irked the Posh boss.

He said: “I’ve had Charlie O’Connell out on loan and he’s gone to a team that wanted him and they don’t even put him in the squad.

"It’s a waste of time for Charlie.”

The loan deal runs until November 4 and is unlikely to be renewed.

O’Connell’s torrid time has played a factor in Posh deciding not to send Emmanuel Fernanadez out on a similar loan.

The 21-year-old centre-back started his third match of the season for Posh on Tuesday night and scored his first career goal to head Posh level on their way to a 3-1 victory over Spurs U21 in the EFL Trophy.

Ferguson said: “He was very good, his concentration was good. We had a decision to make with him about whether we let him go on loan or keep him with us. We believe he’s better with us, there’s been the whole Charlie situation.

"These things have to be right so we don’t want the same situation with Manny. The right thing if for him to stay with us, he is close, he is around it, no question.”