What do we do with Clarke ?

['Doc' Pace my hero]

I hear all the platitudes and desires about signing quality players to improve our chances of automatic promotion,the reality is that we have to find a way to achieve this on a very tight budget.We have had a fair amount of success so far,but the small squad that has been assembled means that we can't absorb any failures,even temporarily.It is inevitable that some of this seasons signings will fail,but the one that has really 'cocked' things up is Leon Clarke.At this level,the 3rd division,a strong,big,physical presence up front who can assist and score goals is an absolute necessity and in a side otherwise small in stature a pre-requisite to help defend set pieces.It looks as though Hanson is on his way to us and if he can do what Clarke couldn't then it will be an excellent signing.The problem is,what do you do with Clarke,the 3 year contract he was given will be a millstone and make him virtually impossible to move on.

 

[Pierre's PC]

We have him proof-read posts on here. He can then edit great walls of text in to more readable snippets.

 

[BigBed]

Skin him n roll him in salt.

 

[knowsnowt]

We don't set up to his strengths so its a lose lose situation really.
He hasn't failed here by any means but he should move on.

 

[Bladesman]

Get him cleaning out the bogs on the KOP.

 

[Houston_Blade]

No one is going to buy him so the best we can hope for is either that he starts playing well and helps out or that someone wants him on loan, the other option is that we use him as a makeweight in a deal for someone else.

 

[SwissBlade]

No one is going to buy him so the best we can hope for is either that he starts playing well and helps out or that someone wants him on loan, the other option is that we use him as a makeweight in a deal for someone else.

Why would nobody buy him? An extremely effective goal scoring striker in this division, picks up a few injuries and/ or lack of form and you believe no one will be interested in him?

 

[Houston_Blade]

Why would nobody buy him? An extremely effective goal scoring striker in this division, picks up a few injuries and/ or lack of form and you believe no one will be interested in him?

I didn't say nobody would be interested in him, I said no one would buy him, there's a difference. If we cancel his contract and allow him to move then I believe we will get rid, if we ask for a fee for someone in his 30's with a handful of games this season I don't believe we will get one.

 

[grafikhaus]

No one is going to buy him so the best we can hope for is either that he starts playing well and helps out or that someone wants him on loan, the other option is that we use him as a makeweight in a deal for someone else.

Possibly Hanson?

 

[wizadry]

An extremely effective goal scoring striker in this division

A year or two ago I would've agreed Swiss but I think the ship has well and truly sailed.

 

[seanbeenstattoo]

He was a bad signing by Wilder who obsessed over getting him.
There. I've dared to say it.
No point buying a player who a child could see wouldn't work in the very successful system we employed.

Bit like Warnob and his pathetic obsession with Akinbadbye.

Just shows Wilder isn't perfect as some on here want to believe.
He isn't,but I think he might get us up.

 

[finlaytheblade]

A year or two ago I would've agreed Swiss but I think the ship has well and truly sailed.

He's another option upfront who's to say he can't play off Hanson,,he's a poacher not a target man and another who might feed off Hanson

 

[Large Mendonca]

 

[Kenilworth]

A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!

 

[Houston_Blade]

A year or two ago I would've agreed Swiss but I think the ship has well and truly sailed.

I actually agree with Swiss, I would like to keep him and play him as the limited times I've seen him this season he's impressed. However the majority who go to the games say he's not up to the task and doesn't fit with our system.

If that's the case then we need to move him on as we don't have the luxury of having the budget for loads of wages sat on the bench like in the days of Allison, Shipperley et al.

 

[kennyblade]

I actually agree with Swiss, I would like to keep him and play him as the limited times I've seen him this season he's impressed. However the majority who go to the games say he's not up to the task and doesn't fit with our system.

If that's the case then we need to move him on as we don't have the luxury of having the budget for loads of wages sat on the bench like in the days of Allison, Shipperley et al.

i think he could still be handy in the run in but ive a feeling he will be sold

 

[ChipButtyBlade]

Play him upfront with Hanson.

 

[cooperblade]

No point buying a player who a child could see wouldn't work in the very successful system we employed.

What was the "very successful system we employed" when Clarke signed in July?

 

[Sheffsteel]

There's uproar when there's no player loyalty
Poyet at West Ham keeps accepting pay rises by signing contracts but just after signing he's now refusing to play.

What about fan loyalty?

We have a player who's proven quality at league 1 level
He's hardly played for us due to injuries and generally been disappointing.
I think it's morally wrong to just discard a player out with the rubbish when he's been given no chance.
Also if we cancelled his contract it would cost us at least £500,000.

Ahhh but it doesn't matter because it's someone else's money so some of our fans aren't bothered about writing off a few million quid or getting into a few million debt.

Clark is stilll a valued squad member and better than McNulty
We should keep him unless we get a good bid which is unlikely

 

[Sheffsteel]

What was the "very successful system we employed" when Clarke signed in July?

Now that is an excellent question.
Up until we July we had no system and were absolute dire.
We needed to show intent and ambition by buying a "tried and tested" at league 1 level top quality striker. If we hadn't bought Clarke then many would have accused the club of lacking ambition.

The problem for Clarke is that he seems to prefer the Billy Sharp role. So if Sharp loses form or needs a rest then Clarke could be a good replacement.

 

[South Bucks]

Get rid together with a couple of other ineffective players like Scoogs and McNulty (as Woodward fan mentioned yesterday) then bring in one player of better quality.

 

[The Crab]

Play him upfront with Hanson.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Get rid together with a couple of other ineffective players like Scoogs and McNulty (as Woodward fan mentioned yesterday) then bring in one player of better quality.

When you say get rid
Do you mean pay off their contracts and lose a few million?

If you mean sell then usually it's the age old problem.
Clubs only want to buy your best players
Players you want to sell no one is interested unless the transfer fee is very low
Also you would imagine that Scoogs and McNulty won't be in any rush to leave the club
They'll want to stay and fight for a place at a club that is going places.

 

[wizadry]

He's another option upfront who's to say he can't play off Hanson,,he's a poacher not a target man and another who might feed off Hanson

Can't disagree with that finners as I haven't seen them play together and he has done a decent job of coming off the bench for us a few times this season but evidence to me suggests his time as a starter, in our side anyway, is up.

 

[wizadry]

I actually agree with Swiss, I would like to keep him and play him as the limited times I've seen him this season he's impressed. However the majority who go to the games say he's not up to the task and doesn't fit with our system.

If that's the case then we need to move him on as we don't have the luxury of having the budget for loads of wages sat on the bench like in the days of Allison, Shipperley et al.

For me he's not a starter mate and I don't think Clarke will want the role of coming off the bench so I can see him leaving. This is very hard to get across to some people, luckily CW will know what he's doing.

 

[South Bucks]

When you say get rid
Do you mean pay off their contracts and lose a few million?

If you mean sell then usually it's the age old problem.
Clubs only want to buy your best players
Players you want to sell no one is interested unless the transfer fee is very low
Also you would imagine that Scoogs and McNulty won't be in any rush to leave the club
They'll want to stay and fight for a place at a club that is going places.

Take your point but if a player is rumbled and unlikely to do much in the future a contract is "sunk" money anyway so might as well move them on for small transfer fees with the main objective being to get someone else to pay most or all of their wages.

With a wage bill of £7 million getting them off the wage bill is more important than taking a hit on a smll transfer fee.

Quality not quantity in my book. Can't see why we need a first team squad of 25 plus reserves plus the academy. That big wage bill means we never have much left to bring a few good uns in for a few hundred thousand and it becomes self perpetuating. Accept that some purchases become good gambles and others bad but don't keep the bad ones for long or it blocks progress.

 

[crucialkneeligaman]

Get rid together with a couple of other ineffective players like Scoogs and McNulty (as Woodward fan mentioned yesterday) then bring in one player of better quality.

Cannot agree SB. Scougs has improved considerably under Wilder, scored and made a few. Handy to have on the bench IMHO.

 

[blade too long]

so lets get this straight , unless a forward scores every other game for us

we get shot as they are inadequate

very progressive thinking

 

[Blade for Sale]

The masochist in me slightly yearns to see us 0-1 down in a match with 10 mins to go just for the absolute beast-fest of Clarke, Hanson and Eel in a 3 pronged attack with Fleck, Coutts, Duffy et al pinging in precision long balls. Obviously we need to be 10 points clear of 3rd place before this little episode of shits and giggles takes place.

 

[wizadry]

so lets get this straight , unless a forward scores every other game for us

we get shot as they are inadequate

very progressive thinking

It's not always what we want though, what Clarke wants to do will have a big bearing on our transfer activity.