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Billy Clarke

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  • clive said:

    “A long eleven months for me. I’m over the moon to be fully fit and back involved. I couldn’t wait to be back on the pitch.”
    https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/billy-clarke-glad-as-eleven-month-battle-to-regain-fitness-culminates-in-appearance-during-charltons-fa-cup-tie-at-mansfield/

    This made me smile...

    I’ve had cup runs before where they’ve really lifted the whole city and the whole club

    Just couldnt imagine London solely getting behind Charlton if we made it to the Quarter-Finals.

    Guessing he's referring to those cup runs he went on with Bradford though
    Getting past the third round once in a while would be cause enough.

  • edited November 2018

    clive said:

    “A long eleven months for me. I’m over the moon to be fully fit and back involved. I couldn’t wait to be back on the pitch.”
    https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/billy-clarke-glad-as-eleven-month-battle-to-regain-fitness-culminates-in-appearance-during-charltons-fa-cup-tie-at-mansfield/

    This made me smile...

    I’ve had cup runs before where they’ve really lifted the whole city and the whole club

    Just couldnt imagine London solely getting behind Charlton if we made it to the Quarter-Finals.

    Guessing he's referring to those cup runs he went on with Bradford though
    Getting to the third round once in a while would be cause enough.
    Havent managed it since the Fulham defeat (apart from being in the Championship)
  • With Aribo now added to the injury list we could really do with Clarke being at least in the squad. Anyone know why he's not even making the bench yet?
  • edited December 2018

    With Aribo now added to the injury list we could really do with Clarke being at least in the squad. Anyone know why he's not even making the bench yet?

    @Henry Irving reported earlier that Clarke has a thigh injury.
  • With Aribo now added to the injury list we could really do with Clarke being at least in the squad. Anyone know why he's not even making the bench yet?

    He’s been injured for about 1,000 years. I liked him when we first signed him but I wouldn’t put too many eggs in the “he’ll be our saviour” basket, he’ll need ages to come back from this, indeed if he ever really can.
  • I’d be disappointed if true.

    https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlton-athletic-attacker-clarke-could-make-permanent-exit-in-january-transfer-window/

    He’s been out for a very long time, so surely can’t expect to walk back into the team and would also be disappointed if he wasn’t willing to fight for his place?

    Thoughts?
  • I’d be disappointed too. Surely if and when fit, he goes straight into our side ?
  • Would be a good signing for Mansfield.
  • edited January 2019
    cafc4life said:

    I’d be disappointed too. Surely if and when fit, he goes straight into our side ?

    The 10/AM position at the tip of the diamond is his natural position. He’s not going to start up front ahead of Taylor and Grant. He’s not a DM or CM.

    In his positions Williams looks the better player, while Fosu gives us a different type of option there. Reeves and maybe even Morgan or Lapslie will cover there if needed.

    If we can get a decent striker on loan I’m happy for Ajose and Clarke to go. It’ll give us a more balanced squad.
  • Scoham said:

    cafc4life said:

    I’d be disappointed too. Surely if and when fit, he goes straight into our side ?

    The 10/AM position at the tip of the diamond is his natural position. He’s not going to start up front ahead of Taylor and Grant. He’s not a DM or CM.

    In his positions Williams looks the better player, while Fosu gives us a different type of option there. Reeves and maybe even Morgan or Lapslie will cover there if needed.

    If we can get a decent striker on loan I’m happy for Ajose and Clarke to go. It’ll give us a more balanced squad.
    Yeah, I don't think he's a centre forward - shows how strong we are in that AM position now with Williams and Fosu (and Reeves maybe?). Clarke probably only just about makes the bench, and I think he's pretty good player at this level.
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  • Not the kind of player Bowyer ideally wants at the tip of the diamond. The space Clarke likes to work in isn't there with two strikers on the pitch meaning the role requires coming deeper and being more of a midfielder and less an attacker. It's a shame as he's a classy player and signed specifically for the formation Robinson wanted to play so it must be a bit of a kick in the nads for him to be unable to break back in after his injury. Still, no point hoarding players who we can't use as well as we'd like, just as long as we can bring in the ones we want as replacements.
  • Thus far we have had a particularly good transfer window (for us), Ajose was a no brainer, Clarke out of contract in the summer, why not let him go to get some game time, so long as we (well RD that is) sell our real assets then the kids are just as good replacements, fingers crossed we steer clear of injuries, we've surely had our fair share already this season.
  • Would be a good signing for Mansfield.

    Dont think he will go Mansfield they already have Ajose
  • He looks a fringe member of the squad, not been used from the bench at all in recent weeks even when we haven't used all our subs, it's hard to see him getting much game time

    He does partially offer some striker cover though, so would like to get a new forward in before he leaves
  • Not sure about all this,

    I know he wouldn’t dislodge Taylor and Grant but might be a reasonable back up now that we only have Igor at the moment and who isn’t back yet!

    Reeves, constantly injured.

    Williams, has a sick note history, so can’t be sure if he’ll remain fit.

    Fosu, unable to replicate last seasons form?

    What we don’t know is what plans Bows has. He has got Ajose of the books and presumably freed up at least some wages. Clarke would free up more wages, so maybe he plans to use the money to bring in a striker.

    In Bows and Gally we trust.
  • It appears as though the outgoings are Boywer's decisions, in which case i'm more than happy to trust his judgement with Clarke
  • I agree with @Covered End There is no guarantee that Billy is the player he was before his long injury, especially given his age. Even if he is, things have moved on and we now have upgrades (albeit a bit fragile) and a different system. It’s a real shame for him as he was terrific for us in his brief active spell in the team and he seems like a really good lad. But I’m afraid them’s the breaks and that’s how football works. I’d wish Billy all the very best wherever he ends up. My one worry is that if we end up stuck with Roland and the entire squad disappears in the summer then we might be crying out for Billy and more like him. But that’s speculation and at the moment LB has his plans and Billy is clearly not in them.
  • edited January 2019
    Just speaking as I find, he never left a lasting impression on me at the mainly away games I've been to. Not saying that he wasn't decent, because he must have been with all those on here that waxed lyrical about him. I also saw him in the cup game v Donny last month, admittedly on his return from injury and understandably he was very average.

    A very unfortunate lengthy spell out and he now finds him self down the pecking order when desperately in need of game time. It therefore makes sense for all concerned for him to move on especially if it frees up wages to bring in a striker. If and when he goes he'll have my best wishes.
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  • We have about ten or so players who could play quite comfortably in midfield at the moment. I think we sometimes forget we are, under Roland, a club that is losing money hand over fist and in those circumstances it is highly likely that some of them are going to have to go.

    Sadly, for Billy Clarke, the future probably lies more with young talent like Lapslie, Morgan and Maloney rather than players who are the wrong side of 30 and may never get back to full fitness after a long spell out injured. It therefore seems inevitable that his time here is coming to an end.

    I wish Clarke well. Hopefully, he can get a move back up north where I think his family still resides and get a contract with another club for another couple of years. And it frees his wages up for us. A win/win all round.
  • Good luck Billy, very nasty injury to come back from. Personally feel he was touch overrated by most on here, don't think it was be a big loss really.
  • I'd have a fit Billy Clarke in the squad ahead of Fosu and certainly ahead of Reeves.
    His absence from the squad hasn't been his fault, nor is his a loss of form, confidence, whatever. He's just been unlucky.
    Neither Reeves or Fosu has taken the chance they've each had so far this season to cement a place, their much vaunted 'potential' has thus far remained unfulfilled.
    Cullen is better than all 3 added together, so he's straight back in when he's fully fit.
    If Cullen or Williams were to break down, we'd need not just to replace their skill sets but also their experience and maturity, especially at the sharp end of the season; Reeves and Fosu offer neither.
    To be fair to BC, if he really wants game time, then we can't begrudge him seeking that and if a loan or move opportunity comes his way that better suits him, then he goes with our best wishes.
    Selfishly I'd want to keep him, we'll be measurably poorer without him.
  • We have about ten or so players who could play quite comfortably in midfield at the moment. I think we sometimes forget we are, under Roland, a club that is losing money hand over fist and in those circumstances it is highly likely that some of them are going to have to go.

    Sadly, for Billy Clarke, the future probably lies more with young talent like Lapslie, Morgan and Maloney rather than players who are the wrong side of 30 and may never get back to full fitness after a long spell out injured. It therefore seems inevitable that his time here is coming to an end.

    I wish Clarke well. Hopefully, he can get a move back up north where I think his family still resides and get a contract with another club for another couple of years. And it frees his wages up for us. A win/win all round.

    Agreed. While it's nice in theory to have 10 midfielders to cover all eventualities, it's unrealistic and all you end up with is players who get rusty sitting on the sidelines and never playing. Last Saturday we had Clarke, Fosu, Lapslie and Marshall all on the bench, with Cullen and Reeves returning this week and Aribo due back within a few weeks.

    There's little chance Clarke would get a new contract here anyway, for his sake he needs to be out there playing, either with a deal for next season sorted (say an 18 month deal) or at least some games on loan to earn himself a contract somewhere.
  • Sad news this as he is a class player when on it. We just have no luck with these windows, mark my words when that window slams shut someone will get injured and he will be needed.

    Williams and Reeves are made of glass.
  • It would be an error to let Clarkie go. There will be games where we need to change formation, so it is better to have him available.
  • It would be an error to let Clarkie go. There will be games where we need to change formation, so it is better to have him available.

    He fits our current formation perfectly, but we have several players that could play in his position.

    If Taylor or Grant get injured we don't have that cover, but will hopefully get a striker in by getting Clarke (and Ajose) off the wage bill. Without a new striker we'd be relying on either Igor staying fit, RHF stepping up or someone like Fosu playing out of position.
  • Back to Bradford maybe
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Roland Out Forever!