Leon Clarke

[blade too long]

since hanson started playing
WWDDWDWWWDWW

28 points from 36, makes him a wise buy

 

[Sean Thornton]

He signed him to help get us out of League One, does he rate him for the Championship? I doubt he does personally.

Three year deal.

 

[Sean Thornton]

The thing is he signed a 3 year contract on good money by League One standards. You don't give those sort of contracts to players who are gambles.

For the money he has cost, he has been a poor signing, but no manager will ever have a 100% record with signings.

Did you manage to praise him tonight before you set out posting this kind of thing on several threads?

It's a yes or no answer.

 

[YES Blade]

Three year deal.

He was 31, his last chance at a decent contract, I doubt he would have come for a 1 year deal, also there were no guarantees we would get promoted.

Wilder was building a team to get out of League One, not for the Championship.

 

[YES Blade]

Did you manage to praise him tonight before you set out posting this kind of thing on several threads?

It's a yes or no answer.

Yes, Nice One Leon thread post 18

 

[Sean Thornton]

He was 31, his last chance at a decent contract, I doubt he would have come for a 1 year deal, also there were no guarantees we would get promoted.

Wilder was building a team to get out of League One, not for the Championship.

But you've just told someone what they don't know. Considering Wilders comments on wages and value, it could be said that what you've claimed is simply opinion rather than fact as it contradicts all Wilders statements on players wages.

 

[YES Blade]

But you've just told someone what they don't know. Considering Wilders comments on wages and value, it could be said that what you've claimed is simply opinion rather than fact as it contradicts all Wilders statements on players wages.

Of course it's an opinion/speculation, I haven't seen his contract!

 

[Sean Thornton]

Yes, Nice One Leon thread post 18

Err no. Check the first line of your post. You were glad he scored and couldn't knock him. Said nothing about his performance.

I did ask which came first.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Of course it's an opinion/speculation, I haven't seen his contract!

Didn't stop you telling someone else they didn't know. Which is all I've done to you.

 

[Bladesman]

He was 31, his last chance at a decent contract, I doubt he would have come for a 1 year deal, also there were no guarantees we would get promoted.

Wilder was building a team to get out of League One, not for the Championship.

The fact that Leon Clarke has barely scored more than 5 goals a season in the Championship doesn't seem to bother some people.

Anyway he scored tonight and that is all that matters for now. Well done Leon, a new pair of gloves is on its way to you just in time for summer.

 

[Sean Thornton]

The fact that Leon Clarke has barely scored more than 5 goals a season in the Championship doesn't seem to bother some people.

Anyway he scored tonight and that is all that matters for now. Well done Leon, a new pair of gloves is on its way to you just in time for summer.

If he'd come on and we'd drawn, you'd be blaming him.

Him scoring that first goal really did matter tonight.

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

My biggest gripe with Hanson is his lack of movement and how that means that Billy has to make up for that by running the channels.

The first half was a perfect example of that issue, Billy is hardly in the box whilst Hanson is always in there. To me Billy should be in the goal scoring position because we all know he's more likely to score given half the chance.

I said the exact same at half time. It was glaringly obvious. Unfortunate we couldn't start with Lavery today. Clarke did very well when he came on though, always seems to make dangerous runs.

Hanson in my opinion was a last choice for Wilder and has just about done a job for us. We could have got much better target men at this level.

Can't see him featuring next year. Not enough footballing ability.

 

[YES Blade]

Didn't stop you telling someone else they didn't know. Which is all I've done to you.

Everything I post is my opinion unless I quote someone else or provide evidence to facts such as links to websites.

Hopefully that clarifies things.

 

[Sean Thornton]

Everything I post is my opinion unless I quote someone else or provide evidence to facts such as links to websites.

Hopefully that clarifies things.

Okay. You don't know then. I'm good with that.

Now I'll ask again, did you praise Clarke tonight before you knocked his signing?

Still yes or no.

 

[Grappler]

I said the exact same at half time. It was glaringly obvious. Unfortunate we couldn't start with Lavery today. Clarke did very well when he came on though, always seems to make dangerous runs.

Hanson in my opinion was a last choice for Wilder and has just about done a job for us. We could have got much better target men at this level.

Can't see him featuring next year. Not enough footballing ability.

He changed the game, although I know that a lot of people won't like me saying that, or agree with me. I thought (from where I was sitting), he caused grief, was a lot faster than people think he is, and strong on the ball.

Just my opinion fellow Blades.........

 

[YES Blade]

Okay. You don't know then. I'm good with that.

Now I'll ask again, did you praise Clarke tonight before you knocked his signing?

Still yes or no.

My opinion is that the post I referred to earlier was praise, not huge praise but praise not the less. You disagree and I'm fine with that.

 

[Sean Thornton]

My opinion is that the post I referred to earlier was praise, not huge praise but praise not the less. You disagree and I'm fine with that.

The dig came first. As I thought. You posted it, not me, and then suggested that it wasn't the case. A bit naughty but there you go.

Roll on Saturday.

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

He changed the game, although I know that a lot of people won't like me saying that, or agree with me. I thought (from where I was sitting), he caused grief, was a lot faster than people think he is, and strong on the ball.

Just my opinion fellow Blades.........

He looked to have an unexpected turn of pace. I don't think his fitness was where it needed to be at the start of the season. But it looks to be gratefully improved.

I would start him against Northampton.

 

[YES Blade]

The dig came first. As I thought. You posted it, not me, and then suggested that it wasn't the case. A bit naughty but there you go.

Roll on Saturday.

Sorry mate, I'll make sure I don't do it again.

 

[Grappler]

He looked to have an unexpected turn of pace. I don't think his fitness was where it needed to be at the start of the season. But it looks to be gratefully improved.

I would start him against Northampton.

Don't get me wrong S11, I want Billy to play every game and go for 30 goals this season, a great finish for our Captain. But think Clarkey still offers something,

 

[Sean Thornton]

Sorry mate, I'll make sure I don't do it again.

Okay YB . Touché .....

We all want the same thing, obviously seeing things differently. As I said, roll on Saturday.

 

[YES Blade]

Don't get me wrong S11, I want Billy to play every game and go for 30 goals this season, a great finish for our Captain. But think Clarkey still offers something,

Clarke is not a bad League One striker he has had a poor season due to injuries and not playing in a system that suits him.

Clarke needs to be the main man, the focal point for a team's attack. With Billy here, that was never going to be the case.

Had Clarke played in the role Billy has played all season and stayed fit I've no doubt he would have got at least 15 goals if not close to Billy's total of 26.

 

[Grappler]

Clarke is not a bad League One striker he has had a poor season due to injuries and not playing in a system that suits him.

Clarke needs to be the main man, the focal point for a team's attack. With Billy here, that was never going to be the case.

Had Clarke played in the role Billy has played all season and stayed fit I've no doubt he would have got at least 15 goals if not close to Billy's total of 26.

At the end of the day pal, we all want to see the Blades promoted this season (hopefully as Champions)

 

[Keen Blade]

Our attack is our enigma and its variations divide opinions from one week to the next.
Tonight Billy was anonymous , Hanson played his own role very well - I stress his own role, leading the line with his height & strength , Clarke surprised us all by appearing to be slimmer & fitter than earlier in the season.
We played it a lot in the air from deep , which gives Billy no chance to influence the game but Hanson plenty.
Billy then loses interest and flatly "refuses" to play off the well placed nod-downs from Hanson.
CW can't sub him - he's unsubbable until he's knackered - so he drags him backwards and Clarke makes a better fist of playing off Hanson.
Clarke is not the target-man you infer from his height - he's a taller , faster version of Billy but not as strong in the tussle and without the scoring touch - but he buried his chance nicely tonight.
We should all forget about fighting each other on behalf of Billy, Hanson or Clarke as to who's best.
We haven't spent big money and we can't afford a "compleat" striker (yet).
For the present , we are doing pretty well with the ones who played tonight , plus Lavery and (in the early season) Done.
They have all brought different things to the table at different times.
Henry Kissenger x

 

[Fanny magnet]

Really hope we start Clarke on Saturday and hopefully afterwards too.

He's a better player than Hanson and there's no reason he can't work with Billy at least as well as Hanson playing in this team.

He can run, he can control the ball and make things happen. That's what we need up front. Not just a big stiff lump.

Thought Hanson and Clarke had far more effective games than Billy who did next to nothing and was eased off the ball over and over again with relative ease

 

[SwissBlade]

Well done Leon Clarke, wretched season with injuries and poor form, sounded like bring him and Carruthers on changed the game (like bringing Clarke on at Chesterfield). lets hope he also finishes the season on a high!

 

[HolmesfieldBlade]

The target man tactic didn't work for long periods last night and the first half was a really frustrating watch with Sharp forced to go wide due to lack of service.

Hanson, is our main outlet for that but I can't help but think you need more from a target man, I don't think he's anywhere near good enough at link up play and Clarke's runs looked much more dangerous.

 

[sufcboy95]

I've slagged him off a lot this season when he's played. However last night he was quality and changed the game

 

[super_pig]

our fans are such a fickle lot.. most on here and in the ground have been giving Clarke pelters all season.. he was bound to score thiugh

 

[Grappler]

Leon Clarke is a cagey old pro, he knows the game inside out, he is faster than most people realise, he has an eye for goal. To be fair to Hanson, he does all the rough stuff, gets clattered by defenders all game long, just gets on with the job, which is why CW leaves him on the field and takes Billy off occasionally.