Leon Clarke

[Deadbat]

I think too much has been made of Sharp and Clarke. Both have been so-so. the latter better but they have had no service whatsoever. How about getting the ball into the box rather than 40 yards from goal and expecting them to do something? Getting some crosses in from wide? We signed this Duffy lad as a winger who was supposed to be the creator, to get wise and get balls in. We seem to have one type of cross, the drilled cross to the near post. It has been awful service really. I agree that the tactics are poor and lumping it up to them is helping noone. However, these 2 have proven to be goalscorers at this level. Both of them. The partnership may work. It may not but we need to give them some decent balls and chances to score goals.

There are far bigger worries than these two for me. The defence is still utter shit. The keeper a shambles and the midfield is powder puff and does not create, score or carry the ball. The wide men cannot cross and dont get to the byline. All these issues are more significant than Sharp-Clarke I believe.

As Warnock and many of the other managers who know what they are doing, you build from the back. Even if we had been dour and drawn a few 0-0's so what. We need to be far more solid and have not addressed this. Teams simply walk through us. He has not signed a goalkeeper and signed two unproven centre backs and not brought in an enforcer in midfield. These 3 players should have been the first 3 he signed, before a left back, two wingers, a little neat and tidy midfielder and a target man.

Like Adkins he has not seen the major weakness in that in short we are a soft touch, that have no spine and are as weak as piss in key positions.

The Clarke-Sharp discussion of course has merits but really is that the major weakness in the side?

 

[Tyler Durden]

Some people like "target men"

I like players who put the ball in the net.

It's all a matter of preference of course, but the rules of football seem to be in my favour.

 

[Stafford Blade]

Do you really think that Sharp is capable of doing that?

If he's not then he should be on the bench. Like or loathe the style, that's what we've got for the forseeable

 

[Fraggle Blade]

Totally disagree with that pal, thought the idea was for strikers to score goals, Sharp isn't going to score many thirty yards from the opposition penalty area - he's supposed to be a striker not a midfield player. Play Done or McNulty up front, the type of forwards who will take advantage of Clarke's excellent work and heading ability.

Yeh if they're playing 2 up top in 442........but they're not are they.
Clarke is up top with Duffy Sharp and done behind.
Clarke 's supposed to hold the ball for the three following in....not flick it on to no one.

And that's not Clarke's fault....it's the crap balls that are being played up to him.

 

[YES Blade]

Should be used like that, but most balls were drilled at his head. And he did very well to win plenty of them. As his partner, it is Sharp's responsibility to be running on anticipating flick ons

But winning a header isn't good enough if Usain Bolt wouldn't be able to get on the end of it.

 

[him behind you]

Should be used like that, but most balls were drilled at his head. And he did very well to win plenty of them. As his partner, it is Sharp's responsibility to be running on anticipating flick ons

So if Sharpe runs right and he flicks it left??

 

[wizadry]

For someone who is shit target man, he won a hell of a lot of balls

Just because you win some balls doesn't mean your a good target man. He was heading or flicking the ball anywhere, anywhere where we had no players. Now, I'm not saying he can't be effective or it's his fault but a good target man will the majority of time bring players into the game, so for those that like facts lets calm it down a bit eh.

 

[Stafford Blade]

But winning a header isn't good enough if Usain Bolt wouldn't be able to get on the end of it.

Many of the balls he won were dropping 5-10 yards behind him. More than reachable for a striker gambling on the flick

 

[wizadry]

But winning a header isn't good enough if Usain Bolt wouldn't be able to get on the end of it.

So if Sharpe runs right and he flicks it left??

Thank fuck for you two, i thought i was going mad.

 

[Stafford Blade]

So if Sharpe runs right and he flicks it left??

Every chance of that happening. But when he flicks right and the runner goes right you're in behind. Its a very crude system, which is why plenty of bad teams employ it, often effectively

 

[YES Blade]

If he's not then he should be on the bench. Like or loathe the style, that's what we've got for the forseeable

Why not make Sharp the target man and play it to his feet to hold the ball up with someone like McNulty, Done or a new pacey striker to support him?

Sharp didn't make himself captain, so Wilder has to eat a bit of humble pie and either drop his captain or his new striker.

 

[Stafford Blade]

Why not make Sharp the target man and play it to his feet to hold the ball up with someone like McNulty, Done or a new pacey striker to support him?

Sharp didn't make himself captain, so Wilder has to eat a bit of humble pie and either drop his captain or his new striker.

Playing to feet is a very viable option, but many managers (including CW I bet) are too stubborn \ arrogant to adapt

 

[wizadry]

Why not make Sharp the target man and play it to his feet to hold the ball up with someone like McNulty, Done or a new pacey striker to support him?

Sharp didn't make himself captain, so Wilder has to eat a bit of humble pie and either drop his captain or his new striker.

Or carry on playing them both in the same style.

 

[wizadry]

Playing to feet is a very viable option, but many managers (including CW I bet) are too stubborn \ arrogant to adapt

I see where you are coming from but i am so hoping you're wrong mate, in the stubborn stakes anyway.

 

[YES Blade]

Or carry on playing them both in the same style.

I think we've got at least another month to suffer of that!

 

[lingsbord]

Why not play football instead of "who can kick it highest or farthest"?

We're discussing the minutiae of an approach to the game that a 5-year-old would be able to counter.

Another point is this: why, if we're playing with wingers, do we re-draw the touchlines so narrow that both of them could hold hands with each other?

 

[Stafford Blade]

I see where you are coming from but i am so hoping you're wrong mate, in the stubborn stakes anyway.

My guess is that for the majority of his managerial career this has been his style of choice. So far, he's had some success.... Can't see him changing overnight. Right or wrong, I reckon that's the way he'll go

 

[Stafford Blade]

Why not play football instead of "who can kick it highest or farthest"?

We're discussing the minutiae of an approach to the game that a 5-year-old would be able to counter.

Another point is this: why, if we're playing with wingers, do we re-draw the touchlines so narrow that both of them could hold hands with each other?

Don't disagree with you! Chapman was obviously told stay as wide as possible when he came on..... On probably the narrowest pitch in the division!

 

[wizadry]

Some people like "target men"

I like players who put the ball in the net.

It's all a matter of preference of course, but the rules of football seem to be in my favour.

Offside Ref!

Sorry mate they've all been disallowed, I hope you didn't put much on it? Rules eh.

 

[wizadry]

My guess is that for the majority of his managerial career this has been his style of choice. So far, he's had some success.... Can't see him changing overnight. Right or wrong, I reckon that's the way he'll go

If indeed you are correct then we're struggling, i'm hoping and praying for a change of style to see us challenge towards the top. I'm going for a lie down, the nurse is here.

 

[Fraggle Blade]

I thought Sharp last season was really good at having the ball played into him and holding it up before laying it off again and then getting into the box.
I assumed when Clarke came that it would take all the workload off Sharp and he could concentrate on just getting into the box and working between the goal posts...and this would be a great move.
This to me had been on the assumption that Clarke and Sharp were played as a proper partnership up top in a 442, but it's just not happening. Sharp is being played behind Clarke, clearly not suiting him and the balls into Clarke have generally been crap. we've not got hold of the ball up top and we're not bringing Duffy and Done either into the game.
For me, we either move to a 442 and use Done / Chapman and Duffy as traditional wingers with Clarke / Sharp up front.......or we need to lose one of Clarke or Sharp if we keep the same formation and play an attacking midfield player behind the remaining CF. Where that falls down for me is, I dont think we have anyone ideally suited to fill that position yet and I think McNulty is better suited than anyone else atm to play there.

 

[wizadry]

I think we've got at least another month to suffer of that!

Ahhhhh shit!

 

[Pinchy]

Right. I'll supply the common sense and benefit of over 50 years Blading.

Hoof is shite. It has no merit whatsoever. Ugly, ineffective, discredited, redundant.

The best centre-forwards thrive on balls played precisely to their feet or lower torso. Aimless head-high punts make the big defenders strong favourites every time.

There is no doubt that Billy Sharp has been lethargic so far. It isn't heresy to acknowledge that obvious fact. He isn't entitled to dictate how the team should set up or the tactics. He ain't that good that we've made him player-manager just yet. He also seems to have borrowed McNulty's first touch for some reason. He isn't alone in disappointing, of course, but disappointing he has been, and worryingly so. He certainly should not be captain. That's a job for your key centre-back or central midfielder, neither of whom have arrived yet.

Matt Done has contributed nothing so far. It's up front or nothing, because we play with [a maximum of!] ten men when he "plays" wide.

Basham is admirable but inadequate. Meet the lanky Montgomery...

Tufty (as I call you), where is the quick pass and move that worked so spectacularly for you at Northampton? Where is the high up the pitch pressing game that you say is how we should play? Have you been on the phone to Bassett a bit too much?

I could go on, but that'll do far now...

 

[Tyler Durden]

I could go on, but that'll do far now...

Tippy tap fundamentalism - check

"Bassett" - check

"Montgomery" - check

Yes you've fulfilled your daily quota of oafishness for today. Run along.

 

[Pinchy]

Playing to feet is a very viable option, but many managers (including CW I bet) are too stubborn \ arrogant to adapt

A viable option?? It's how the game should be played! Whether the pass is short, long or medium, the idea is to keep the ball, not turn the game into a series of 50/50 challenges! Ask the teams who win things....at any level of the game, including division three. Bournemouth and Norwich, to name but two, footballed their way out with some ease. As recently as last season, passing Barnsley outclassed Hoofwall in the play-off final.

There is a 'right way' to play the game. It's a phrase in common usage amongst players and managers and, trust me, they ain't talking about Hoofball! Only the S2 Bassett Generation, who've never seen proper football, think otherwise.

Not disagreeing with you Stafford, just a convenient post to hang mine on...

 

[Tyler Durden]

Oh...he did "go on" after all.

Great.

 

[Iceybabey]

Blackman used to get the lazy jibe from one or two fans as well.

I remember watching Blackman for the first time. It was a home game. He didn't play particularly well but the lad ran his bollox off for 90mins. Right at the end of the game he won a penalty after brilliantly cutting across the defender who then brought him down. He scored the penalty and got the goal his EFFORT deserved. Everyone has different levels of understanding when it comes to footie.

 

[Pinchy]

Why not play football instead of "who can kick it highest or farthest"?

We're discussing the minutiae of an approach to the game that a 5-year-old would be able to counter.

Another point is this: why, if we're playing with wingers, do we re-draw the touchlines so narrow that both of them could hold hands with each other?

Right idea; Wrong place, mate....

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

There is a 'right way' to play the game. It's a phrase in common usage amongst players and managers and, trust me, they ain't talking about Hoofball! Only the S2 Bassett Generation, who've never seen proper football, think otherwise.

Think you meant "Only the S2 Bassett generation,who are the only one to see meaningful excitement and sustained top flight football"

The right way as you put it was John Harris preserve and sadly a very distant memory.

 

[Caseh]

I think both Sharp and Clarke are being made to look like idiots with the style of play we seem to have adopted. Neither of them are very good at it, but because Clarke is tall and relatively strong, he is doing a little better than Sharp.

If we go back to playing actual football, not this whatever it is, I think the 2 can work well. They're both pretty switched on, they can assist, hold the ball up, and are both high end finishers for this league. We just need to play in a way that suits them. Balls to their feet, or crosses into the box. No longer it up top, trying to know Clarke's head off.