Leon Clarke

[Sean Thornton]

Maybe we did get an extra £7m....and I would suggest that amount of money has already been spent. Now I realise some might not like that dose of reality, but there it is. This club will have lost somewhere between £4-7m last season. We have gone up, and will gain some extra income through match day revenues and TV money.
But wages and costs have also gone up.
So instead of us balancing the books and selling some of our younger talent like last season with DCL, Adams, Ramsdale...this seasons bumper sell on monies might mean we can hang on to some of the players we already value by paying them more.
We have brought 6 players in so far, some had no fee, while others did. I suspect in transfer fees we have spent around £3m so far, and that by the end of this window we will have spent nearer £5m with loan and transfer fees.

So even though we went up, the increases of revenue from promotion alone will NOT cover the monies spent so far. Hope that clears that up and puts this mythical pot of sell on millions into perspective for some of you.

Surely we get a bigger money tree in this division?

 

[Sean Thornton]

Little injury or not, he still missed sitters and just walked around all afternoon

 

[sufcboy95]

Deary fuckin me! That passes as your opinion on Leon?
Very balanced.

If you read further up the thread that's my opinion on him before he was out injured. After the injury I said he was quality and hope he replicates that form

 

[Pedro Verde]

Little injury or not, he still missed sitters and just walked around all afternoon

He also wore gloves

 

[Pinchy]

If you read further up the thread that's my opinion on him before he was out injured. After the injury I said he was quality and hope he replicates that form

But there wasn't a time when he wasn't injured until the last few weeks of the season. That's the point.

Leon in fact works very hard at the pressing game. Does Sharp "just walk around all afternoon"? Leon works just as hard as the skipper, if not more.

 

[northsomersetblade]

He also wore gloves

I think we can safely conclude that he would have been wearing a pair of ladies knickers under his shorts as well

 

[Mickey Jupp]

Can't see them not playing Billy and Ched when he's back fit though

 

[Houston_Blade]

I didn't see many games at all last season so might be wrong but the 2 games I saw him in before he got a run in the team he changed the game (Ches away and Oldham at home). When he got a run he proved he was a decent player. Too many fans wanted him to fail as like me they remember him as a "fat pig". However as we've seen in the past it's not "once a pig always a pig" particularly when they move over to the better half of Sheffield.

 

[BushBlade]

I didn't see many games at all last season so might be wrong but the 2 games I saw him in before he got a run in the team he changed the game (Ches away and Oldham at home). When he got a run he proved he was a decent player. Too many fans wanted him to fail as like me they remember him as a "fat pig". However as we've seen in the past it's not "once a pig always a pig" particularly when they move over to the better half of Sheffield.

Jeff King, Wilf, Quinny, Geary. Even Bromby were r8.

 

[Liaminho9]

If a that volley against Port Vale was in the Premier League, we'd have been seeing it all summer. Clarke will score goals if he can stay fit and he gets good supply.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Can't see them not playing Billy and Ched when he's back fit though

This will answer the $64,000 question as to whether Wilder bought Evans under his own volition or whether he was foisted upon him. Should be interesting.

 

[Alfreton14Blade]

Can't see them not playing Billy and Ched when he's back fit though

Don't really think there is an ideal combination. Seems like there's genuine competition amongst very different types of centre-forwards.

 

[Working Class Hero]

"Clarke, who scored six goals in as many appearances during last season’s League One title-winning campaign"

That's a bit misleading isn't it? "Six goals in his last six games" would be true, and so would "seven goals in twenty three appearances during last season’s League One title-winning campaign". Sorry for being a pedant.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

and the quality of the his finishing when he was finally up and running last year

That is the KEY phrase with Leon - he is a quality finisher - GIVEN opportunities.

Any forward is only as good as what team mates provide. If we create chances then Billy and Leon will put them away. It seems to me that as good as Lafferty and Duffy were last season, Stevens and Carruthers will be better at this level with Brooks being a 20/25 minute cameo when defences tire. Not Sure if Duffy will get much of a chance in Sami/Brooks take off this season. If these lot plus Freeman/Coutts and Fleck can't create even at this level then we have real problems.

We are going to surprise plenty of teams this season.

UTB

 

[LJBlade]

That is the KEY phrase with Leon - he is a quality finisher - GIVEN opportunities.

Any forward is only as good as what team mates provide. If we create chances then Billy and Leon will put them away. It seems to me that as good as Lafferty and Duffy were last season, Stevens and Carruthers will be better at this level with Brooks being a 20/25 minute cameo when defences tire. Not Sure if Duffy will get much of a chance in Sami/Brooks take off this season. If these lot plus Freeman/Coutts and Fleck can't create even at this level then we have real problems.

We are going to surprise plenty of teams this season.

UTB

The best finish out of all our goals last season was Clarke's against Chesterfield.

 

[I should coco]

Jeff King, Wilf, Quinny, Geary.

Agreed and assuming you mean Alan Quinn?

Even Bromby were r8.

Suffered from an incurable case of Nesh-itis which he presumably picked up at S6. Far too lightweight in my book,

 

[BushBlade]

Agreed and assuming you mean Alan Quinn?



Suffered from an incurable case of Nesh-itis which he presumably picked up at S6. Far too lightweight in my book,

Yes, of course I mean Alan. Stephen came from an Irish club and was known as Squinny.
Agree Bromby was nesh, hence only r8.

 

[I should coco]

Yes, of course I mean Alan. Stephen came from an Irish club and was known as Squinny.

'Quinny' has come to mean Stephen so I was just checking, but apology accepted as I'm that kind of guy.

Agree Bromby was nesh, hence only r8.

If you agree he was nesh, then he can't be 'r8'. With Morgs' 'presence' alongside he just about coped, but any half physical striker bullied him like a girl. No way is that 'all right/reet'.

 

[BushBlade]

'Quinny' has come to mean Stephen so I was just checking, but apology accepted as I'm that kind of guy.



If you agree he was nesh, then he can't be 'r8'. With Morgs' 'presence' alongside he just about coped, but any half physical striker bullied him like a girl. No way is that 'all right/reet'.

R8 as in meh, OK.

tbh, I don't really care.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

The best finish out of all our goals last season was Clarke's against Chesterfield.

Port Vale away perhaps?

UTB

 

[Hague Blade]

Can't see them not playing Billy and Ched when he's back fit though

This is what I'm worried about - not sure it's when Ched's fit, so much as if Ched's fit. I know it's niggling injuries, and maybe they're all unrelated, but hasn't he been unfit now for the best part of eight months (and pretty much missed out on a decent pre-season)? Even if Wilder's going to pick him, it's going to be a few more months before he's ready to start.

 

[LJBlade]

Port Vale away perhaps?

UTB

That was definitely up there but I loved how easy he made the one against Chesterfield look

 

[Bladezz]

Clarke at the start of the season was carrying an injury and was poor.

Towards end of season he wasn't carrying an injury and looked too good for league one. Does too good for league one mean he'll be an average striker in the championship?

I think we all hope so, as that stands for pretty much all of our team!

 

[Sheffsteel]

This will answer the $64,000 question as to whether Wilder bought Evans under his own volition or whether he was foisted upon him. Should be interesting.

Sorry about this but I disagree.

Sharp is a great finisher but a poor support striker, he likes to play right up top as number 9 and doesn't like to pass and set others up.
From what I've seen of Ched he's also prefers to play as number 9, as main striker and doesn't like to pass.

I think back to the Sharp-Beattie combo which never worked because Sharp was playing a support role for Beattie.

Both Sharp and Ched perform better when they have a support striker with them willing to set them up.

 

[Sheffsteel]

That is the KEY phrase with Leon - he is a quality finisher - GIVEN opportunities.

Any forward is only as good as what team mates provide. If we create chances then Billy and Leon will put them away.

UTB

I must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed because I disagree with this too.

For me Leon is the best all round striker who is able to play the support striker and main striker role.
He's decent at virtually every facet of forward play but not great at anything.
Since he's been fit he has decent speed, decent physicality, reasonably intelligence and able to set players up around him,
he has the ability to show some class and score a goal from nothing but I'd say his finishing isn't reliable. Setting him up with 50/50 chances and some days he struggles to score. In fact it's the easy chances he'll miss but then he'll score the odd difficult chance.
Leon has always been known for his talent and potential. He's underachieved in his career and now is his time to make a name for himself at a higher level.

Sharp doesn't have as much to his game, not as fast or as physical.
Sharp struggles when played as a target man or asked to play the support striker role.
He doesn't have a trick and not able to score goals from nothing.
However Sharp is definitely the best finisher at the club, also more selfish and focussed on scoring.
Set him up with a good chance and he's the man more likely to score.
However he's the striker the most reliant on being set up by his team mates.
I'm really open minded regards Sharp this season. If he manages to find space and our players set him up then it wouldn't surprise me if he scores 20+, however conversely if we don't set him up them it wouldn't surprise me if he struggles like he did under Blackwell.

Ched is or was like a more dynamic version of Sharp but not quite as reliable in front of goal.
Prefers to play as out and out striker, no good as support striker, quite selfish and always wants to shoot.
My memories of Ched were his powerful shot, must be the hardest shot at the club.
Ched has a point to prove so will be interesting how he copes but I think he'll have a similar season to Leon last season where he's OK but underwhelming in the first half of the season and never up to full fitness, fans will write him off but I reckon he'll start firing towards the end of the season.

Hanson is an unusual one and doesn't look comfortable trying to score.
However he's possibly the best support striker at the club, his first thought seems to be to look out for his fellow striker to set them up.
He also has the best physicality and height amongst our strikers but he looks ungainly with the ball.

As well as physical attributes there's also the mental side to the game.
Leon has a reputation for letting his head drop when the going gets tough and can be lazy.
Where as Sharp always seems to have a great hard working attitude which can inspire his team mates.
In fact to be fair, thanks to Wilder EVERY player at the club seems to have a good attitude and gives 100%.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Sorry about this but I disagree.

Sharp is a great finisher but a poor support striker, he likes to play right up top as number 9 and doesn't like to pass and set others up.
From what I've seen of Ched he's also prefers to play as number 9, as main striker and doesn't like to pass.

I think back to the Sharp-Beattie combo which never worked because Sharp was playing a support role for Beattie.

Both Sharp and Ched perform better when they have a support striker with them willing to set them up.

Just to even things up I'll disagree too.

You're assuming that if we play two up front one of them has to play in a support role, as if one of them has to create all the chances for the other. Seeing as most of the "assists" come from midfield, then it all depends on which of the front two get on the end of them. In addition to this, after the midfielders, Billy was the highest "assister" last season. No reason why Billy and Ched can't be dynamite next season if the latter rediscovers his form. Think Deane & Agana.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I think we can safely conclude that he would have been wearing a pair of ladies knickers under his shorts as well

It was the Stilletto boots that were the problem. Once he stopped wearing them he looked a different player.

 

[Cerberus Blade]

Can't see them not playing Billy and Ched when he's back fit though

I think we may never see this combination. Something to do with Ched's injury keeping him out of the team and something to do with Billy being like the old farmyard rooster and not wanting any other young Cock to come and take his perch.

 

[I should coco]

something to do with Billy being like the old farmyard rooster and not wanting any other young Cock to come and take his perch.

I don't see that. Billy dropped a division and supposedly took a pay cut to come back to his club (that had sold him twice).
If Ched gets an unlikely 25 goals, Billy will be the first to buy the Peroni at the end of the season.

He may be selfish in front of goal, but that ends on the pitch.
​

 

[Cerberus Blade]

I must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed because I disagree with this too.

For me Leon is the best all round striker who is able to play the support striker and main striker role.
He's decent at virtually every facet of forward play but not great at anything.
Since he's been fit he has decent speed, decent physicality, reasonably intelligence and able to set players up around him,
he has the ability to show some class and score a goal from nothing but I'd say his finishing isn't reliable. Setting him up with 50/50 chances and some days he struggles to score. In fact it's the easy chances he'll miss but then he'll score the odd difficult chance.
Leon has always been known for his talent and potential. He's underachieved in his career and now is his time to make a name for himself at a higher level.

Sharp doesn't have as much to his game, not as fast or as physical.
Sharp struggles when played as a target man or asked to play the support striker role.
He doesn't have a trick and not able to score goals from nothing.
However Sharp is definitely the best finisher at the club, also more selfish and focussed on scoring.
Set him up with a good chance and he's the man more likely to score.
However he's the striker the most reliant on being set up by his team mates.
I'm really open minded regards Sharp this season. If he manages to find space and our players set him up then it wouldn't surprise me if he scores 20+, however conversely if we don't set him up them it wouldn't surprise me if he struggles like he did under Blackwell.

Ched is or was like a more dynamic version of Sharp but not quite as reliable in front of goal.
Prefers to play as out and out striker, no good as support striker, quite selfish and always wants to shoot.
My memories of Ched were his powerful shot, must be the hardest shot at the club.
Ched has a point to prove so will be interesting how he copes but I think he'll have a similar season to Leon last season where he's OK but underwhelming in the first half of the season and never up to full fitness, fans will write him off but I reckon he'll start firing towards the end of the season.

Hanson is an unusual one and doesn't look comfortable trying to score.
However he's possibly the best support striker at the club, his first thought seems to be to look out for his fellow striker to set them up.
He also has the best physicality and height amongst our strikers but he looks ungainly with the ball.

As well as physical attributes there's also the mental side to the game.
Leon has a reputation for letting his head drop when the going gets tough and can be lazy.
Where as Sharp always seems to have a great hard working attitude which can inspire his team mates.
In fact to be fair, thanks to Wilder EVERY player at the club seems to have a good attitude and gives 100%.

I think that's the best assessment of our strikers that anyone has ever posted on here. Spot on to a tee about Clarke and Sharp imo. Be interested how you view Lavery? And the potential of Brooks?

I like both but I have some slight doubts as to whether Lavery can cut it at this level. I think Brooks will be a sensation if he gets regular game time.