Clarke very Lazy or just good at preserving Energy Levels

[Iceybabey]

Clarke is our only striker that harasses the oppo for 90 mins.

He did it more so last night because Brooks doesn't do this, so he had to press for 2 players.

Brooks did more on the ball than Clarke.

Brooks set up a goal.

IMO Both contributed to a victory, but should have been more comfortable.

EDIT: Donaldson came on and did his party piece of sticking his arse into the jockeying defender and falling over. Ref never baught it.

Ahh, someone who knows football. We have to understand that there are levels of understanding and some people's levels are very very low.

 

[Scooter_mcgavin]

Ahh, someone who knows football. We have to understand that there are levels of understanding and some people's levels are very very low.

I just fail to fathom how Clarke can be classed as lazy.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Point taken.

But in terms of goal output per minutes played he does.

Not fair to compare any other way. IMHO.

But 17 goals, however they have been achieved, is a solid effort. Here’s hoping he can get to 20

UTB

What's the stat for goals scored per minutes played if you take penalties out?

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

What's the stat for goals scored per minutes played if you take penalties out?

Clarke has played 3062 league minutes & scored 17, a goal every 180 minutes. Sharp has played 2129 league minutes & scored 10 (12), a goal every 212 minutes. They both have 4 assists.

 

[Jon Slinn]

Brooks looked dead.

Clarke looked slightly less dead.

good reply. got me there

 

[Jon Slinn]

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?

So from that, Is it 3 new strikers in the Pre season.

 

[Iceybabey]

I just fail to fathom how Clarke can be classed as lazy.

Some folk don't understand that not every run has to be made. Take Matty Done for example, he ran around a lot but a lot his running was pointless. I remember the last England game and Rashford or someone went to press the ball at the top of the pitch and you could here Southgate or one of the coaches shout him to 'save his legs'. In a game of football you don't have to press for a full 90 minutes.

 

[Beans]

It's 2018. We're playing at the second-highest level of English football. We have a fantastic manager. Our style requires lots of pressing and running. Do we really think Wilder would be leaving any player on the pitch if his effort was "half-arsed"? It's not like a game of five-a-side in the park.

I find it incredible that this is such a recurring discussion point this season when

a) Clarke's easily-measurable stats are remarkable (he is the 3rd top scorer in the league)
b) his less easily-measure stats are also remarkable, if nerdy (see below)
b) he offers so much more to the team than just goals
c) he cost bugger-all and has arguably never played this well throughout his career







This idea that he "never gets subbed" as though that's some kind of favouritism... it's because he's one of the very few who can charge around for 90 minutes and help us get up the pitch. Of course he's going to look gassed at some points - he's 33 and has played more matches than most.

Odds are that Clarke will decline next season and we will find it very difficult to find a like-for-like replacement. Enjoy him while he's in this form...

Right, back to work

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

He's the leading scorer in the division from open play.

 

[Sean Thornton]

He's the leading scorer in the division from open play.

Imagine what he'd be like if he wasn't lazy and shite!

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

Imagine what he'd be like if he wasn't lazy and shite!

Exactly! And the fact he's joint top highest scorer between the 76th to 90th minutes in the league with 6 goals. The lazy bastard.

 

[DronnieBlade]

It's 2018. We're playing at the second-highest level of English football. We have a fantastic manager. Our style requires lots of pressing and running. Do we really think Wilder would be leaving any player on the pitch if his effort was "half-arsed"? It's not like a game of five-a-side in the park.

I find it incredible that this is such a recurring discussion point this season when

a) Clarke's easily-measurable stats are remarkable (he is the 3rd top scorer in the league)
b) his less easily-measure stats are also remarkable, if nerdy (see below)
b) he offers so much more to the team than just goals
c) he cost bugger-all and has arguably never played this well throughout his career







This idea that he "never gets subbed" as though that's some kind of favouritism... it's because he's one of the very few who can charge around for 90 minutes and help us get up the pitch. Of course he's going to look gassed at some points - he's 33 and has played more matches than most.

Odds are that Clarke will decline next season and we will find it very difficult to find a like-for-like replacement. Enjoy him while he's in this form...

Right, back to work

Do one of these, Leon vs Billy

UTB

 

[Sean Thornton]

Exactly! And the fact he's joint top highest scorer between the 76th to 90th minutes in the league with 6 goals. The lazy bastard.

Wilder should be made aware of these things so he can make a proper judgement on his team selections and substitutions.

 

[Houston_Blade]

So do you think he made an effort for their goal Derek ?. I like Clarke, but last night he was, as someone has pointed out half-arsed, whether that was because he was carrying a knock I don't know.

I think he had his head up his arse when it came to Ayala last night. Not lack of effort for the goal just poor marking. There’s a difference.

 

[Nicolaus_Copernicus]

I'll tell him the next time I see him.

 

[cooperblade]

This idea that he "never gets subbed" as though that's some kind of favouritism... it's because he's one of the very few who can charge around for 90 minutes and help us get up the pitch. Of course he's going to look gassed at some points - he's 33 and has played more matches than most.

I think his ability to defend at set pieces is another reason he stays on.

 

[LSF]

Some people just don't like Leon's demeanour and his history, and I can accept that, but failing to recognise what he brings to the team is just weakness and nothing to do with their so called opinion.
One or two have alluded to his suitability as Captain.... A masterstroke by Wilder methinks, it's more what the captaincy can do for Leon rather than what Leon does as Captain.
Captain's are born and there are several captains within our team who chide, encourage and inspire every week, it's in their DNA.
Giving Clarke the captaincy gives him a sense of responsibility and makes him focus on his game more than if he wasn't, a great move by Chris and allows Clarke to toss up, decide which way we kick and be made to feel wanted and not suspect.
The other bit of captaincy is undertook by The Bashams, Stearmans, and O'Connells of this world.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Some people just don't like Leon's demeanour and his history, and I can accept that, but failing to recognise what he brings to the team is just weakness and nothing to do with their so called opinion.
One or two have alluded to his suitability as Captain.... A masterstroke by Wilder methinks, it's more what the captaincy can do for Leon rather than what Leon does as Captain.
Captain's are born and there are several captains within our team who chide, encourage and inspire every week, it's in their DNA.
Giving Clarke the captaincy gives him a sense of responsibility and makes him focus on his game more than if he wasn't, a great move by Chris and allows Clarke to toss up, decide which way we kick and be made to feel wanted and not suspect.
The other bit of captaincy is undertook by The Bashams, Stearmans, and O'Connells of this world.

Squeak .

UTB

 

[Aston max]

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.

I have no logical opinion on Clark wot so Eva

 

[Iceybabey]

Thought Clarke was on 17?

Anyway, them stats though shove that up your arses.

 

[Beans]

Thought Clarke was on 17?

Anyway, them stats though shove that up your arses.

Assuming you mean the ones I posted, Blades_analytic shared them on Twitter on Apr 3, so before the Barnsley game 17 it is.

 

[dc_blade]

Leon is our most complete forward. He can dribble a bit, pass a bit, head a bit, shoot a bit, and hold it up a bit. He's probably not the best in the squad at any of those things but no one we've got combines them all like he does. For a big lad he's not a great target man but he is excellent when he comes deep and links up play. He's surprisingly skillful. Despite the accusations of laziness, he's put an incredible shift in this season and to my eyes never stops closing down opposition defenders.

None of us on here know what goes on in the dressing room or on the training ground so we don't know why Wilder has picked him as vice-vice-captain (behind Billy and Coutts) but I really think we should defer to the boss on this one.

In the interests of balance, it's worth saying that a lot of Leon's goals came during that incredible run in the autumn (4 in one game vs. Hull and 3 in another vs. Fulham are almost half his total). He went about three months without scoring after New Year and he's missed some absolute howlers. Safe to say if his finishing was even slightly better we'd have a handful more points and be sitting pretty in the play offs; we play such good attacking football that our first choice striker *should* be getting loads of goals. I think Leon (and Billy) will have a part to play next year but this would be the main area we need to upgrade.

 

[Pinchy]

Do one of these, Leon vs Billy

UTB

Billy, or the fragment that he has left?

Get rid. No Bladey sentimental crap or wallowing in past glories. Leon is substantially the better striker right here, right now.

 

[DronnieBlade]

Billy, or the fragment that he has left?

Get rid. No Bladey sentimental crap or wallowing in past glories. Leon is substantially the better striker right here, right now.

Then we will substantially have to disagree.

Substantially. Right now.

Which means one of us is wrong !

Check the stats

UTB

 

[blade67]

Clarke must be wilder best signing.

17 goals At this level is unreal. The only other players scoring liked that are £ multi-million signings

 

[Pinchy]

Then we will substantially have to disagree.

Substantially. Right now.

Which means one of us is wrong !

Check the stats

UTB

They don’t matter mate. He’s lost any pace he ever had. He adds nothing to the team effort unless he’s scoring and right now he’s misfiring badly; not for the first time this season. I’m not anti-Sharp at all, but he’s past it and that’s no good for us. He’s no captain either. Stears will have that job next season and rightly so.

 

[spongebobblade]

3rd top scorer in the championship, bettered only by two players who also happen to take there clubs penalties. One cost 8m. Ours cost £150k. He may not be the best finisher at the club ( for those who think stats/goals are the ONLY thing that matters) but he is our most complete forward.
Yet still we have a section of our support that feels the need to slag him. Why not change the record and back him 100% for the rest of the season? Let’s remember, without his contribution our season would be already over unless someone else can point me in the direction of a 17 goal championship striker for £150k. When our budget changes we can revue our options. Until then some need to give it a rest

 

[1889]

Let's face it, neither of them are good enough and are the main reason that we aren't comfortably in the play off position.

They've both been reliable and accomplished strikers in their time, but they are now very much in decline.

Clarke is probably the best of a bad bunch, but he's not first choice on merit, he's first choice out of desperation. Nobody with his form since the new year would still be starting week in week out, were there an alternative option, unfortunately, there isn't

 

[Iceybabey]

Let's face it, neither of them are good enough and are the main reason that we aren't comfortably in the play off position.

They've both been reliable and accomplished strikers in their time, but they are now very much in decline.

Clarke is probably the best of a bad bunch, but he's not first choice on merit, he's first choice out of desperation. Nobody with his form since the new year would still be starting week in week out, were there an alternative option, unfortunately, there isn't

In decline? So, if you get promoted from league one, with a club that has been there for 6 seasons mind, back to the Championship where most fookers are cobbing money about left right and centre, your the third top goal scorer in the league, a league full of multi-million pound strikers, your team are still in the play-off hunt with four games to go but somehow your career is going backwards?

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

In decline? So, if you get promoted from league one, with a club that has been there for 6 seasons mind, back to the Championship where most fookers are cobbing money about left right and centre, your the third top goal scorer in the league, a league full of multi-million pound strikers, your team are still in the play-off hunt with four games to go but somehow your career is going backwards?

Two strikers in double-figures, one's earned 17 points alone and the other is the top scorer in the team and 3rd overall.

But they're the problem apparently. Nothing to do with the inability of those behind them to stop every fucker and his dog from scoring past us.