JoshVilla Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 For me, just like a couple of other players, his mistakes outweight his good moments. I remember him having a great game against West Ham (although, really, he mainly just did what a defender is supposed to do), but those kind of games are few and far between with him. Small mistakes are fine and only natural, but when they cost us goals, then they really need to be ironed out. Unless he does this soon, then he'll always be a 3rd/4th choice CB for me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpTheVilla26 Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Dunno what has happened to him. I remember when he started getting linked with Manchester United, just after his first 'proper' season. Best I saw him play was when he was being used, here and there, as a holding Midfield player. I swear he scored twice against Arsenal playing that role. Think his head has gone for the time being. Why he keeps trying to dribble the ball out of defense is anyone's guess. Shame really, as I think everyone now watches him just waiting for the mistake to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danceoftheshamen Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Well lots of criticism here for Ciaran, much of it deserved no doubt but it is the dawn of a new season so i'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and trust PL's judgement in giving him a new contract and just put it down to having had way too much pressure put on him last season due to Dunne's "injury", and being under the threat of relegation for so long etc. I think it's rattled his confidence in all honesty & these moments of madness are a sign of that to me... He needs to get his confidence back up & this thread will most definitely not help with that... I also think he is feeling the pressure now that the squad is being strengthened with Okore coming in etc and frankly he is stuck in the headlights whilst low on confidence.. A bad recipe. There is a good player in there somewhere but confidence is a strange thing and can make the very best players play poorly. I just think he needs to be taken out of the firing line for a while & then gradually re introduced with a few sub appearances here and there but i believe that with the new coaches finally in place he can up his game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myko Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Dunno what has happened to him. I remember when he started getting linked with Manchester United, just after his first 'proper' season. Best I saw him play was when he was being used, here and there, as a holding Midfield player. I swear he scored twice against Arsenal playing that role. Think his head has gone for the time being. Why he keeps trying to dribble the ball out of defense is anyone's guess. Shame really, as I think everyone now watches him just waiting for the mistake to happen. Completely agree. I was at that game (think it was under Houllier) and he played brilliant, I remember one of his goals was an outside the box half volley into the top corner... Always have believed CDM is his best position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Macca1888 Posted July 28, 2013 Popular Post Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) When a player suffers a drop in form what is the best course of action for "supporters" to follow? a) Herd together like brainless sheep and form the collective opinion that he is "shit". Make him a bag of nerves so that he has no chance of playing himself back into form and allowing him time to develop as a player? b)Support him, encourage him and give him a positive environment to play in so that he can regain his confidence and fulfill his potential? People who resort to option a) genuinely make me despair. Put yourself in the player's shoes and ask yourself what you would want? Clark has been with the club since he was a very young lad - he deserves to be supported and backed not turned into the latest scapegoat. Scapegoating players does NOT help the club: it creates a horrible vibe in the ground that transfers onto the team. Lift the players don't destroy them. Edited July 28, 2013 by Macca1888 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 When a player suffers a drop in form what is the best course of action for "supporters" to follow? a) Herd together like brainless sheep and form the collective opinion that he is "shit". Make him a bag of nerves so that he has no chance of playing himself back into form and allowing him time to develop as a player? b)Support him, encourage him and give him a positive environment to play in so that he can regain his confidence and fulfill his potential? People who resort to option a) genuinely make me despair. Put yourself in the player's shoes and ask yourself what you would want? Clark has been with the club since he was a very young lad - he deserves to be supported and backed not turned into the latest scapegoat. Scapegoating players does NOT help the club: it creates a horrible vibe in the ground that transfers onto the team. Lift the players don't destroy them. I hear you Macca but you can hardly blame people for discussing his form in this thread. The reason we were in a relegation battle last season was that we couldn't defend, and Clark was a major factor in that. I really thought he'd step up last term but he didn't at all and I feel nervous when he lines up at the back. I think he does as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanO Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 When a player suffers a drop in form what is the best course of action for "supporters" to follow? a) Herd together like brainless sheep and form the collective opinion that he is "shit". Make him a bag of nerves so that he has no chance of playing himself back into form and allowing him time to develop as a player? b)Support him, encourage him and give him a positive environment to play in so that he can regain his confidence and fulfill his potential? People who resort to option a) genuinely make me despair. Put yourself in the player's shoes and ask yourself what you would want? Clark has been with the club since he was a very young lad - he deserves to be supported and backed not turned into the latest scapegoat. Scapegoating players does NOT help the club: it creates a horrible vibe in the ground that transfers onto the team. Lift the players don't destroy them. Great post Macca 100% agree. I hate the shit that Bannan has received and Bennett is currently getting. If Bennett doesn't play much this season then the "rent a gob" fans will be looking for their next victim unfortunately it may be Clark. That doesn't mean I support every player like Hutton although I would not give the opposition the advantage by slating a Villa player at a game. I believe that the young players that have come through the ranks deserve our support even if they aren't quite good enough, Lambert will get rid if he thinks they can't do a job for Villa however it seems not before these mouth pieces have destroyed any confidence the player had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyblade Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Yeah, because it really matters to players what people post about them on message boards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 (edited) When a player suffers a drop in form what is the best course of action for "supporters" to follow? a) Herd together like brainless sheep and form the collective opinion that he is "shit". Make him a bag of nerves so that he has no chance of playing himself back into form and allowing him time to develop as a player? b)Support him, encourage him and give him a positive environment to play in so that he can regain his confidence and fulfill his potential? People who resort to option a) genuinely make me despair. Put yourself in the player's shoes and ask yourself what you would want? Clark has been with the club since he was a very young lad - he deserves to be supported and backed not turned into the latest scapegoat. Scapegoating players does NOT help the club: it creates a horrible vibe in the ground that transfers onto the team. Lift the players don't destroy them. For the first team - he has never been in form. First time I seen him - I liked how calm he was for young lad - with his sky high reputation - I thought yes a couple of years he will be some player. But he has never moved on from that. He had a few better games in midfield - but I wouldn't shoehorn him into the midfield unless he was better than Westwood, Sylla, Delph - which I don't think he is. I don't think anyone has an agenda for him - other than at present he isn't good for the starting 11 or 15. Edited July 28, 2013 by smetrov Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted July 28, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted July 28, 2013 Yeah, because it really matters to players what people post about them on message boards. You're making an assumption that they don't read it or that the things said won't have any effect on them if they did. I'm not convinced those assumptions are true. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanO Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Yeah, because it really matters to players what people post about them on message boards. Sort of agree, if I were a professional footballer i wouldn't read anything on a forum written about me as we all know their are haters out there so I wouldn't want to read it. I'm on about the mouth pieces at games, spouting their hate towards the players of the team they purport to support. It only helps the opposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smetrov Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Yeah, because it really matters to players what people post about them on message boards. You're making an assumption that they don't read it or that the things said won't have any effect on them if they did. I'm not convinced those assumptions are true. I am - a player would stark raving mad to read these forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyVillan Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 When a player suffers a drop in form what is the best course of action for "supporters" to follow? a) Herd together like brainless sheep and form the collective opinion that he is "shit". Make him a bag of nerves so that he has no chance of playing himself back into form and allowing him time to develop as a player? b)Support him, encourage him and give him a positive environment to play in so that he can regain his confidence and fulfill his potential? People who resort to option a) genuinely make me despair. Put yourself in the player's shoes and ask yourself what you would want? Clark has been with the club since he was a very young lad - he deserves to be supported and backed not turned into the latest scapegoat. Scapegoating players does NOT help the club: it creates a horrible vibe in the ground that transfers onto the team. Lift the players don't destroy them. If 40,000 Villa fans were booing and hissing him during a game, I'd see your point. But what you're actually despairing about is fans expressing opinions (many of them considered- not 'brainless') on an internet message board, which players are unlikely to read unless they're masochistic. Don't despair. Come kick off, I like many other VTers shout and scream ONLY support to our players, not criticism. What you should be doing is calling out the people on match day that give the likes of Bennett and Bannan dogs abuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I'd be surprised if after the last 10 games of last season, Clark is still ahead of Baker in the pecking order. Baker was a lot more solid in that spell imo even though he of course has his faults. It's disappointing as this time last year I wanted Clark to get a sustained run at CB. He did....and I know see why other managers were reluctant to play him there other than for the odd game. I really don't see him making it here or elsewhere in the premier league as a centre half, maybe as a defensive midfielder as he did o.k at times there but to me he doesn't have the defenders knack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Honestly think if okore doesn't get fully fit we will be starting against Arsenal with Clark and vlaar. Pl seems to like him ad giving them games together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Really hope not, that partnership is garbage. Has to be Ron and Baker if Okore isn't fit soon. Baker did play well in the run in (apart from the Suarez lunge), I can't be the only one who thinks that? Prefer him in the team just to defend the corners as he's a big unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 Really hope not, that partnership is garbage. Has to be Ron and Baker if Okore isn't fit soon. Baker did play well in the run in (apart from the Suarez lunge), I can't be the only one who thinks that? Prefer him in the team just to defend the corners as he's a big unit. That would also be my choice, but I just think that by playing vlaar, Clark, Luna and lowton together a couple of times so far in pre season PL is attempting to get them playing time together to get used to working with each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praisedmambo Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 (edited) Here are the video highlights for the Arsenal game when he got two goals, in case anyone is interested. WTF was Houllier thinking starting Pires? https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1717731667480 Edited July 29, 2013 by praisedmambo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Webbs Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Bannan and Clark in midfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Bannan and Clark in midfield still not as bad as Hogg, Clark and Ireland a few weeks later in the Anfield surrender Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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