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Ciaran Clark


TheSufferingVilla

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With a competent manager who was also a defender, Clark should start to play with much more consistency. Last week's debacle was largely due to the fact that the entire defense was out of position. Why the CB was defending way out on the wing like that with no other defenders even near him was shocking.

Fair to say that will never happen again with Garde here.

Garde wasn't a CB.

He was a defender who is now a manager, so if speculating about a hypothesis, one comes to the conclusion that his combined knowledge will help structure the defense far better than it was under Sherwood, who wasn't a defender (or a manager!)

Micah Richards has already said as much.

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Funny how well he plays when you put him on his favourite side. Was my MOTM today and, imo, the main reason Sterling struggled and was replaced.

 

Wasn't he on that side against Sunderland?

He was. Despite that shocker, he's more comfortable on that side and plays better there.

Never looked settled at all when played on the right on his last outing.

And against Palace if I recall.

 

Richards has made some howlers this season as has Lescott and Avamai.  Given Clarks performances last season, which alot of people seem to forget may i add, i have a tenancy to sway towards the inept tactics and players out of position that Sherwood employed in front of them is mostly to blame.  I'll go out on a limn here and predict that we will see allot more clean sheets now with a lot fewer individual errors if Garde keeps the midfield he started with yesterday!

Yes all players make mistakes. The point I was making is that Clark's can't be dismissed as being the result of which side of the CB pairing he was on or who he was alongside.

 

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I wasn't trying to dismiss his mistakes as being because of who he plays next to by the way, I was just saying that he's generally much much better when played next to certain players.

Similarly, he plays better on the left. On the occasions he played on the right, he has looked uncertain and unsteady (which is one reason he never did well partnered with Baker, who always took the left). Still has the odd stinker, mind.

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Funny how well he plays when you put him on his favourite side. Was my MOTM today and, imo, the main reason Sterling struggled and was replaced.

 

Wasn't he on that side against Sunderland?

He was. Despite that shocker, he's more comfortable on that side and plays better there.

Never looked settled at all when played on the right on his last outing.

And against Palace if I recall.

 

Richards has made some howlers this season as has Lescott and Avamai.  Given Clarks performances last season, which alot of people seem to forget may i add, i have a tenancy to sway towards the inept tactics and players out of position that Sherwood employed in front of them is mostly to blame.  I'll go out on a limn here and predict that we will see allot more clean sheets now with a lot fewer individual errors if Garde keeps the midfield he started with yesterday!

Yes all players make mistakes. The point I was making is that Clark's can't be dismissed as being the result of which side of the CB pairing he was on or who he was alongside.

 

It certainly can, when it comes what side of the field they are on, but I would agree with your comment about his center back partner was.

A player accustomed to playing on the left side of a center back pairing, and being left footed will position himself differently to a right footed player if positioned on the right side of the center back pairing. They will naturally want to push a player onto their own strongest side. Clark tried to do that, and he left too much room on the right hand side, and that's how the scorer got through.

If Dembele, had been attacking down the left hand side, I would be pretty confident he wouldn't have got through. Clark's instinct would have been right, and he would have positioned his body in the right position. Most right foot players would have a similar issue if asked to play on the left of center.

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No I'm sorry I'm not buying that, as I've already pointed out some of his costly mistakes have come while being on the left side. 

I agree I'm sure he would be more comfortable on one side rather than the other but when he is making mistakes on that very side it can't be used as an excuse.

He just isn't able to play at this level on a consistently good enough basis.

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I actually think Pellegrini subs helped out our team and Clark immensely.

We know that Clark struggles against a physical presence... When Bony went off Kelechi Iheanacho should've been a like for like replacement, giving city a focal point. As it was though, he moved De Bruyne and Sterling into the middle (swapping positions). This was easier for us/Clark to handle.

 

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No I'm sorry I'm not buying that, as I've already pointed out some of his costly mistakes have come while being on the left side. 

I agree I'm sure he would be more comfortable on one side rather than the other but when he is making mistakes on that very side it can't be used as an excuse.

He just isn't able to play at this level on a consistently good enough basis.

Disagree, and we've seen that he is able to in any case.

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No I'm sorry I'm not buying that, as I've already pointed out some of his costly mistakes have come while being on the left side. 

I agree I'm sure he would be more comfortable on one side rather than the other but when he is making mistakes on that very side it can't be used as an excuse.

He just isn't able to play at this level on a consistently good enough basis.

I wasn't talking about other games, I was talking about the game against Spurs, when he played on the right. The positioning issue still stands.

I would agree that he hasn't been consistent enough this season, but nobody has really. Even Richards, who has probably been our best players has been horrible at times, when it comes to players running off his shoulder. It happened a number of times Sunday, and nearly cost us goals. Clark, showed enough last season, he is capable enough play in this team. I'm not saying we shouldn't be looking for better, but he is good enough.

With better organization, and a stable back four, the team and individuals will improve. Sherwood's chopping and changing of players didn't help anyone. The team, and individuals will improve over time, if Garde gives them confidence they won't be dropped if they make a mistake. Playing under that sort of pressure will lead to more unnecessary mistakes.

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I actually think Pellegrini subs helped out our team and Clark immensely.

We know that Clark struggles against a physical presence... When Bony went off Kelechi Iheanacho should've been a like for like replacement, giving city a focal point. As it was though, he moved De Bruyne and Sterling into the middle (swapping positions). This was easier for us/Clark to handle.

 

Agree, I remember Victor Anichebe giving him a horrible time at Goodison Park one season

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No I'm sorry I'm not buying that, as I've already pointed out some of his costly mistakes have come while being on the left side. 

I agree I'm sure he would be more comfortable on one side rather than the other but when he is making mistakes on that very side it can't be used as an excuse.

He just isn't able to play at this level on a consistently good enough basis.

I think you're suffering from short term memory loss. He was easily one of our best players last season along with Benteke and Delph. He was easily our best defender last year as well with Vllar and Senderos always being injured and Okore hit and miss.

One awful game against Tottenham now you're on his case. Ridiculous.

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With a competent manager who was also a defender, Clark should start to play with much more consistency. Last week's debacle was largely due to the fact that the entire defense was out of position. Why the CB was defending way out on the wing like that with no other defenders even near him was shocking.

Fair to say that will never happen again with Garde here.

First game back as well wasn't it against Spurs so he was bound to be a bit rusty

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I like Clark as he is very much no nonsense in the tackle. He is though capable of a rick every now and again mainly due to decision making, ie his positioning with the goal in the spurs game, also the fact that instead of trying to wrestle with Dembele(which he would never win once he was goal side), he was close enough to comfortably get the tackle in and chose not to. Fair enough he wasn't on his strongest side but imo he didn't do enough. That being said I don't completely blame him as KMac should be held accountable for playing him in an unfamiliar role on the right side, especially with Crespo on the bench who would've been a better partner than Lescott and allowed him to play his natural position.

Clark isn't top draw by any stretch yet he has become vastly improved in the last 12 months imo and at 26yrs would expect him to improve further. Until we have resolved our keeper, rb and striker positions I wouldn't even consider replacing him as the left side CB. All I know is thank the Garde he came back in for Lescott last Sunday.

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No I'm sorry I'm not buying that, as I've already pointed out some of his costly mistakes have come while being on the left side. 

I agree I'm sure he would be more comfortable on one side rather than the other but when he is making mistakes on that very side it can't be used as an excuse.

He just isn't able to play at this level on a consistently good enough basis.

I think you're suffering from short term memory loss. He was easily one of our best players last season along with Benteke and Delph. He was easily our best defender last year as well with Vllar and Senderos always being injured and Okore hit and miss.

One awful game against Tottenham now you're on his case. Ridiculous.

Actually you seem to have forgotten the mistakes against Palace and Sunderland that cost us goals and points.

I'm not 'on his case' I just don't think he is very good, I never have and I don't buy the various excuses used to justify his mistakes the latest being which side of the CB's he is played.

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Was MOTM last Friday night by a country mile.  Dont know how he didnt get it.

Ciaran Clark’s coming of age an embodiment of Ireland’s never-say-die campaign

The defender has grown into a central figure for Martin O’Neill and is set to play a key role again tonight.

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Clark at yesterday's press conference.
Clark at yesterday's press conference.
Image: Donall Farmer/INPHO

AS HE SAT cold-faced beside his manager, it was almost as if Ciaran Clark couldn’t quite believe the situation he found himself in.

The Aston Villa hasn’t so much been thrown in at the deep end but after only a couple of appearances during this qualifying campaign, he has been forced to come of age.

It was perhaps fitting, and revealing, that, in John O’Shea’s absence, it was Clark tasked with addressing the media at the pre-game press conference.

It was the second time in a week he had been put in-front of the cameras – an indication of his growing stature within this Irish squad.

“It’s not a position I expected to be in,” he said. “It comes from working hard and trying to get games at club level. Only then if you’re doing okay, the boss and staff will be watching.

“But I never expected to be here at all and very privileged to be here and happy to be involved.”

Although O’Shea returned to training at FAI HQ on Sunday morning, all indications would suggest O’Neill will stick with the same combination which served him well in Zenica.

Richard Keogh may have been named man-of-the-match in the first-leg but Clark played an equally significant role in nullifying the potent threat of Dzeko and Pjanic, albeit until the 85th minute.

Ciaran Clark Clark has started just three games this campaign but has developed into an able deputy. Source: Donall Farmer/INPHO

“Everyone did well on the night,” he continued. “It’s hard for me to say whether it was my best game or not. We just all went out to do a job on the night to get the best possible result and we were quite happy at the end, although we were quite disappointed to concede late on.

“As the boss said, at the start of the campaign we would have taken the position now and we’re all looking for to this game on Monday.”

The 26-year-old has been in-or-around the set-up for a number of years now but has failed to establish himself, largely due to form and fitness.

Having developed into a natural leader at Aston Villa, Clark’s qualities shone through the fog in Zenica on Friday night. The job is only half done, however, and Clark and his team-mates will need to replicate that performance again tonight.

“Obviously it would be a massive honour for myself and all the lads to get to France but there’s still a job to be done here and it will be a tough task,” he added.

“It was a good result out there but it’s nowhere near finished but it means nothing if we don’t get that result tonight.”

 

http://www.the42.ie/ciaran-clark-ireland-bosnia-2447398-Nov2015/

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