Barrett and Clarke

[graysblue]

personally i think these lads are decent at this level.

makes me chuckle when fans in the stands moan and groan regarding these guys clearing their lines ect.

2 things i will point out

1/ football is damn easy to play from the stands

2/if these guys were more composed with quicker speed of thought they would not be playing for us.

 

[Jam_Man]

Id rather we had a commanding Sodje type in there but think they do a decent job at this level.

When the team is playing with confidence no one notices them which is a good sign, its just when we have a bad day people want a nice easy reason to pin it on, and Flahavan has left so....

 

[graysblue]

during saturdays game te ball was pinging around the box when clarky leathered it up the pitch,an idiot yelled out "thats fecking useless play it on the deck" either this guy has played very high standard football ie top 2 divisions or has never played.

blimey we see 100k per week defenders at times launch it away,remember the old football saying

if in doubt launch it out.

 

[Angell Delight]

They seem a lot more solid with Fed in goal, personally I feel they're very good at this level. The lack of cover though is very worrying indeed, Sankofa looks poor. If only we still had Garry Richards!!!

 

[Joolz]

I think they are both decent players, but I'm not convinced the partenrship always works.

As for Clarke's distribution, I haven't got a problem with it not being all that as that isn't really his game. What I don't understand is why in light of this he takes it upon himself to keep trying to play the killer ball - lay it off to someone more talented in that department I say.

 

[leeblue]

Its a funny thing the Barrett/clarke pairing I lean towards the side that says they can not play together.......then we keep a few clean sheets and win a few matches and you think mmmmmm maybe they can play together..........then we concede some sloppy goals thanks to a couple of ricks from said duo and you think mmmmmm they cant play together, would like to see a sodje/prior type in there with barrett(legend) failing this Id like to see clarke take goal kicks cos he can alf kick the ball really far, please clarkey pass it short to a team mate pleeeeeeeeease

 

[haveaguiness]

They are both good defenders, what worries me is there lack of comfort on the ball. Barrett just looks uneasy every time he gets the ball, and often a little awkward. Clarke seems to look far to relaxed sometimes and far too panicy other times. As for the distribution, it is not just the long balls up field but even there short passing is disgraceful. it's behind players, too hard, not hard enough, everything you can think of except right! They really need to work on it because we keep giving the ball away far to sloppy, and as a team that likes to get the ball down and play we cant be doing that!

 

[turkishm]

Its a funny thing the Barrett/clarke pairing I lean towards the side that says they can not play together.......then we keep a few clean sheets and win a few matches and you think mmmmmm maybe they can play together..........then we concede some sloppy goals thanks to a couple of ricks from said duo and you think mmmmmm they cant play together, would like to see a sodje/prior type in there with barrett(legend) failing this Id like to see clarke take goal kicks cos he can alf kick the ball really far, please clarkey pass it short to a team mate pleeeeeeeeease

Think leeblue got it about right, they are bit in and out. But if our aim is to get into the Champ, then one or both need replacing.Having said that big decent centre halfs,are not just there for the taking,otherwise im sure Tilson would have got someone in a long time ago.

 

[Jam_Man]

Think leeblue got it about right, they are bit in and out. But if our aim is to get into the Champ, then one or both need replacing.Having said that big decent centre halfs,are not just there for the taking,otherwise im sure Tilson would have got someone in a long time ago.

I think they are good enough to get us to the Championship but not good enough to keep us there (which applies to most of our team).

 

[philtalkin]

I think they are both decent players, but I'm not convinced the partenrship always works.

As for Clarke's distribution, I haven't got a problem with it not being all that as that isn't really his game. What I don't understand is why in light of this he takes it upon himself to keep trying to play the killer ball - lay it off to someone more talented in that department I say.

Just what I was about to say. He bypasses the centre midfield, who have got much better distribution than him. I think it must be a bad habit he's got into. He would even be better off giving it back to Federici.

I sometimes wonder if he thinks he's Glenn Hoddle!

 

[Jam_Man]

Yes Clarke does need to know his limits as we lose posession a lot from him. However on a positive note his "killer passes" do often result in throw ins in the last third which can actually be useful.

 

[Ljubljana Branch]

On the Clarke topic, I was wondering when people will start to turn on him for not signing his new contract and just walking out on the club to profiteer on a signing-on fee?

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

I like Barrett and Clarke. They're old-fashioned, skinhead black boots centre halves. They're good defenders at this level. They have limitations like most defenders (Clarke can't pass but hey that's him, it's not going to change) but they're generally solid and they chip in with a few goals too.

 

[DTS]

I think the biggest problem is neither is good enough in the air and too many times we end up chasing the 2nd ball.

 

[graysblue]

I like Barrett and Clarke. They're old-fashioned, skinhead black boots centre halves. They're good defenders at this level. They have limitations like most defenders (Clarke can't pass but hey that's him, it's not going to change) but they're generally solid and they chip in with a few goals too.

agreed 100%


true they have their faults,as i said if they were better they sure as hell would not be playing here,both guys sweat blood for the cause and take knocks and bumps,watch them challenge for 50/50 balls they normally are the guvnors.

 

[haveaguiness]

agreed 100%


true they have their faults,as i said if they were better they sure as hell would not be playing here,both guys sweat blood for the cause and take knocks and bumps,watch them challenge for 50/50 balls they normally are the guvnors.

I do love their 100% on every block, tackle and commitment, but seriosuly, the weakest part of there game is probably the easiest to work on in training. Neither is playing at a higher level because of various reasons, ie size, pace, reading of the game but at this level that doesn't matter so much.
But there passing is inexcusable. I know people saying "they are payed thousands a week so they should be able to do it all" are maybe asking a little too much, but do you really think that it is acceptable, that our 2 highest paid players at the club, (probably bar freedman) can't pass the ball? the first thing you are ever taught when playing football?

 

[graysblue]

I do love their 100% on every block, tackle and commitment, but seriosuly, the weakest part of there game is probably the easiest to work on in training. Neither is playing at a higher level because of various reasons, ie size, pace, reading of the game but at this level that doesn't matter so much.
But there passing is inexcusable. I know people saying "they are payed thousands a week so they should be able to do it all" are maybe asking a little too much, but do you really think that it is acceptable, that our 2 highest paid players at the club, (probably bar freedman) can't pass the ball? the first thing you are ever taught when playing football?

having watched them in training they are talented players...no question.

however training and matches are chalk and cheese,little time on the ball panicking brain ect often means sliced clearances or wayward passes.

take ashley cole ,he achieved what schoolboys would be ashamed of.

 

[BoyWonder2]

In my opinion, both Clarke and Barrett are solid League One defenders, nothing more and nothing less but they can't play together successfully.

Neither is dominant in the air, both lack positional sense, neither have pace. Whilst some of their defending looks brilliant with the last ditch tackles and goal saving blocks its because of their inability to deal with the first ball. Its similiar with Mildenhall and Flavs. Flavs looks better because he pulls off brilliant saves, whereas Mildenhall would come and collect the first ball meaning he doesn't have to pull off the save. Its the same with the defenders Prior and Sodje used to win the majority of the first balls meaning they didn't have to make superb blocks therefore Clarke and Barrett look better than Prior and Sodje in that sense.

Either one of Clarke or Barrett could play with a taller, commanding, more experienced centre half like N'Gotty at Hereford or Lucketti at Huddersfield and that would make a decent pairing but not Clarke and Barrett together.

Clarke is prepared to let his contract run down and try and generate interest in the Jan transfer window, I'd look to flog him then and get in two more centre halfs like N'Gotty etc.

But what do I know, I'm no wiggy or TTK.

 

[Suffolk Blue]

In my opinion, both Clarke and Barrett are solid League One defenders, nothing more and nothing less but they can't play together successfully.

Neither is dominant in the air, both lack positional sense, neither have pace. Whilst some of their defending looks brilliant with the last ditch tackles and goal saving blocks its because of their inability to deal with the first ball. Its similiar with Mildenhall and Flavs. Flavs looks better because he pulls off brilliant saves, whereas Mildenhall would come and collect the first ball meaning he doesn't have to pull off the save. Its the same with the defenders Prior and Sodje used to win the majority of the first balls meaning they didn't have to make superb blocks therefore Clarke and Barrett look better than Prior and Sodje in that sense.

Either one of Clarke or Barrett could play with a taller, commanding, more experienced centre half like N'Gotty at Hereford or Lucketti at Huddersfield and that would make a decent pairing but not Clarke and Barrett together.

Clarke is prepared to let his contract run down and try and generate interest in the Jan transfer window, I'd look to flog him then and get in two more centre halfs like N'Gotty etc.

But what do I know, I'm no wiggy or TTK.

What he said ...

If we did have a big string CB then I'd play him alongside AB rather than PC. Of course this'd probably mean we'd have to let Clarkey go as he doesn't seem to be the type of guy happy to sit on the bench and play in the stiffs.

 

[haveaguiness]

having watched them in training they are talented players...no question.

however training and matches are chalk and cheese,little time on the ball panicking brain ect often means sliced clearances or wayward passes.

take ashley cole ,he achieved what schoolboys would be ashamed of.

thats a load of rubbish. and if that is the case then the training clearly isn't hard enough. when teams train they will try to recreate match intensity as close as possible, i mean how can you expect to train at one pace and play matches at another? ok things like emotion don't play a part in training, but then they should also be able to control their emotions in games.

as for refering to ashley cole, just shows your lack of knowledge on the subject because people are concerned about there distribution everytime they get the ball not a complete freak incident once in a blue moon.