Clarke very Lazy or just good at preserving Energy Levels

[Jon Slinn]

After watching Clarke or LEON as seems to be the Norm tonight i wondered how he manages to keep his spot in the team, when he's so lazy? He only started running about like a headless chicken when the substitutions were happening. He should have gone off instead of Brookes, who in my opinion had a storming game tonight and i would have left him on with the problems he was causing the Boro defence tonight. What exactly did Leon do tonight except miss the one on one with the goalkeeper. Its been brought up before after Clarke signed his new Contract and is it getting close to holiday time and someone has started a little before the others. Only one in the Team tonight who honestly was below par.
Sorry if this upsets the Night of a Fantastic Result, but its all about opinions.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Brooks was knackered.

Simple.

 

[Ricky]

Either way, he's certainly not as quick as he was earlier in the season.

 

[Bladesman]

Brooks looked dead.

Clarke looked slightly less dead.

 

[Esablade]

i wondered how he manages to keep his spot in the team,

Scored 17 goals and at times has looked ‘unpkayable’ In the Championship.

Combine that with us not really having a similar player and generally looking poorer when he hasn’t played and there is your answer.

Don’t mention it.

 

[madeinsheffield]

Clarke should have done better defensively for the boro' goal, looked like he couldn't be arsed, need to try harder Leon

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

After watching Clarke or LEON as seems to be the Norm tonight i wondered how he manages to keep his spot in the team, when he's so lazy? He only started running about like a headless chicken when the substitutions were happening. He should have gone off instead of Brookes, who in my opinion had a storming game tonight and i would have left him on with the problems he was causing the Boro defence tonight. What exactly did Leon do tonight except miss the one on one with the goalkeeper. Its been brought up before after Clarke signed his new Contract and is it getting close to holiday time and someone has started a little before the others. Only one in the Team tonight who honestly was below par.
Sorry if this upsets the Night of a Fantastic Result, but its all about opinions.

Looked like he was limping at the end but his performance was dreadful, his defending for their goal awful.

 

[WhiteHawk]

Clarke has been poor since he signed his new contract, Sharp hasn't done much more though and Donaldson has been mostly diabolical when he's come on, so who do you go with if you're going to drop Clarke?

 

[sitwell]

My biggest problem with Clarke is him having the captaincy ,why ?
When we needed someone inspiring the team tonight he disappears for 10 minutes , Im not one for centre forwards or keepers being captain anyway but what qualities does Clarke have to be captain. Actually watch him after our second ,instead of joining his team mates to celebrate he was off to have a dig at Ayala ,the ref probably saved him a red ,not the best decision as a skipper.

 

[Carlton Blade]

My biggest problem with Clarke is him having the captaincy ,why ?
When we needed someone inspiring the team tonight he disappears for 10 minutes , Im not one for centre forwards or keepers being captain anyway but what qualities does Clarke have to be captain. Actually watch him after our second ,instead of joining his team mates to celebrate he was off to have a dig at Ayala ,the ref probably saved him a red ,not the best decision as a skipper.

Fleck or Bash as captain? Maybe JOC? I'm guessing it may have been a way to try and keep Leons interest levels up

 

[PokerBlade]

Clarke was fantastic against Cardiff. Scored against Barnsley. Didn't get involved enough tonight but given it was against a Pulis side I kind of expect him to get out-muscled a fair bit.

He fluffed a good chance tonight, otherwise he was just a bit anonymous without doing much wrong.

Given he cost us 50k from sodding Bury and he's on 17 goals, I'll give him a break.

 

[sitwell]

Fleck or Bash as captain? Maybe JOC? I'm guessing it may have been a way to try and keep Leons interest levels up

Stearman would be my choice ( we really miss him btw) but any of the 3 you mention ,for what its worth I wouldn't have Sharp either.

 

[Carlton Blade]

Stearman would be my choice ( we really miss him btw) but any of the 3 you mention ,for what its worth I wouldn't have Sharp either.

Good call on Stearman. Just looks so much bigger, stronger, quicker and better than Wright. Great signing and definite captain style player

 

[finlaytheblade]

Can't understand the critism of any player tonight we were far better than them it's just our game management which let's us down .It's time to get behind them not criticism.
The players give everything come on back em

 

[YES Blade]

I just find it odd that he seems to never get subbed, he’s exceeded all expectations this season, but he’s not at a level where he can’t be subbed surely?

Hopefully he’ll have some more competition up front next season and he’ll find it harder to keep his status as Wilder’s main man.

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

So in summary, both Clarke and Evans were wank tonight.

Looks like Billy's got some competition

 

[Mendi]

 

[Jon Bon II]

I miss Done.

 

[Houston_Blade]

As I'm normally the number one advocate of Leon he was poor tonight on the face of it, missed a one on one and poor marking for the goal. After Ayala decked him he seemed more interested in trying to get him back and at one point Ayala was down so I assume he did without anyone seeing it?

I completely disagree with the point about effort though, as a forward he always tracks back and at times he was running for Brooks as well due to how shattered Brooks was. Quality and finishing can be questioned at times but effort certainly not.

 

[highgreenintokyo]

He wasn’t great tonight, true, but I think this “Leon is lazy” or “he doesn’t try since his contract extension” is nonsense basically, and quite a lazy argument.

I think it’s fair to say he isn’t operating at the same level as earlier in the season. But in a few games time, this season will be the season he has played the most game. And considering when he plays, he plays the whole 90 minutes, that’s quite an achievement for a player his age (I think 33?). The reason he doesn’t get subbed is that even operating at a slower pace than earlier in the season, he still puts himself about, and what he does, harrying from the front, is crucial to how we play and to us playing well. That’s why even when he’s not scoring he’s contributing greatly to the team.

I probably agree that he is not best suited to being captain, but can also understand the logic behind it.

 

[blade67]

He wasn’t great tonight, true, but I think this “Leon is lazy” or “he doesn’t try since his contract extension” is nonsense basically, and quite a lazy argument.

I think it’s fair to say he isn’t operating at the same level as earlier in the season. But in a few games time, this season will be the season he has played the most game. And considering when he plays, he plays the whole 90 minutes, that’s quite an achievement for a player his age (I think 33?). The reason he doesn’t get subbed is that even operating at a slower pace than earlier in the season, he still puts himself about, and what he does, harrying from the front, is crucial to how we play and to us playing well. That’s why even when he’s not scoring he’s contributing greatly to the team.

I probably agree that he is not best suited to being captain, but can also understand the logic behind it.

This - some people must watch a totally different game to me. He runs his nuts off every game. One reason he may be captain is that when Wilder talks about him I is clear that he's one of theleaders in the dressing room and is widely respected by the other players. We perhaps don't get that impression just looking at him on the pitch from 50 yards away or in his interviews.

 

[grafikhaus]

Can't understand the critism of any player tonight we were far better than them it's just our game management which let's us down .It's time to get behind them not criticism.
The players give everything come on back em

Agree. Without sounding like Adkins ('You don't see the work that he does'), Clarke - by his very presence - puts pressure on his opponents. Late in the second half last night (at the kop end), he was up against 3 'boro defenders and they were trying to usher the ball back to their goalie and mount another attack. Clarke - without a chance of actually winning the ball - forced them to hoof it out for a Blades throw. Just as a goalie 'gives it the eyes', so does Leon and makes defenders rush their decisions.

In last night's set-up, LC is pretty much ploughing a lone furrow - with no big, physical presence alongside him (I think Donaldson should have replaced Brooks earlier). Also, he gets back to do his share of defending. Should a striker be captain? I don't think so (think Clough making Higdon captain on his debut ). Is Leon perfect? Of course not, but he's easily our top scorer and must be a candidate for 'player of the season'. But he won't be. His, er, 'languid' style will always attract criticism. People like Fleck have increasing 'brain farts' but nothing is said.

If he'd have scored the first-half chance that he 'fluffed' (identical to one that £55m Raheem Sterling fluffed in the Manchester derby), I'm sure we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Until the next game he doesn't score.

I wish we'd cut our players some slack. Last night, we were up against a typical Pulis side - dirty bastards who are told to 'leave a mark' on their opponents (Brooks, in particular, was targetted. Leon was flattened in an off-the ball incident). And where did it get them? The much-vainted Traore was subbed at half-time to be replaced by the equally poor £15m Assombalonga. We haven't got a single stand-out player, it's a 'sum of the parts' team. When the magic triangle of Coutts, Fleck and Duffy was broken up, we haven't been the same team.

 

[mattbianco1]

So in summary, both Clarke and Evans were wank tonight.

Looks like Billy's got some competition

Yeah, and Brooks was awesome because he's young and everybody loves him

 

[Steve.C]

Clarke should have done better defensively for the boro' goal, looked like he couldn't be arsed, need to try harder Leon

He didn't follow his man that he was marking. Shit in both boxes.

 

[jodman]

Fleck or Bash as captain? Maybe JOC? I'm guessing it may have been a way to try and keep Leons interest levels up

JOC does seem to have the mould of a good captain, maybe one for the future. Steadman a good shout also.

I’d suggest that Wilder sees the role of captain as something that extends beyond the 90 minutes of football. He has described sharp as a leader off and on the pitch because he knows and loves the club and is a seasoned pro with a big personality. With an ever changing squad that is vital to make sure new players understand what is expected of them when they arrive. That’s why I think he will maintain the captaincy despite him being out of favour.

Clarke brings some of these attributes too, most obviously his experience but I don’t think anyone can say what he is like on the training pitch.

In terms of performance I think Clarke is a confidence player and that early miss weighed heavy on him for the rest of the game. No other striker gives us the nuisance factor and I’m more than happy with his output this season. Another 3/4 goals and he has to be in the conversation for player of the year for me.

 

[tomtheblade]

JOC does seem to have the mould of a good captain, maybe one for the future. Steadman a good shout also.

Classic Steadman.

 

[Caseh]

It really impresses me how much criticism gets aimed at Clarke, considering he is the leagues third top scorer, and so close to being the 20 goal striker people always rave about...

He has a lazy and lethargic look about him, but at no point does he play lazily.

 

[alcoblade]

So in summary, both Clarke and Evans were wank tonight.

Looks like Billy's got some competition

Hello Tyler!

 

[shrubbery]

I personally haven't had an issue with his work rate. I think he is just pretty efficient of when he chooses to visibly leg it around. He makes plenty of runs and is always available for the pass as he often finds the space.

It's his finishing of late that is driving me around the bend. The number of truly excellent chances that he has managed to forge and then fluff is ridiculous. Half of them have been harder to miss than score (another great example last night). It just can't fathom how he can go from literally everything he hits managing to smash the back of the net as before Christmas to everything he hits bobbling into the keepers arms now. Strange.

 

[super_pig]

ok so he got a bit distracted last night.. cost 50 grand.. 17 goals. runs his knackers off.. can't see the problem