Harry Clarke - rumoured to be released by Ipswich (p18)

CAFCsayer said:

Harry Clarke on a free is an absolute nobrainer if we can make it happen

Allowing for Ahadme (also from Ipswich), it's like buying an air freshener for £20,000 and then getting the car free!

CAFCsayer said:

Why is everyone saying he is shit going forward all of a sudden? He's good going forward and put some great balls in, he is just shit at shooting.

I agree, his two weaknesses, in my opinion, are his inability to score, and a bit more recklessness than I would like.  But if Ramsey is behind him, he has protection for that latter. 

He can cross and has pace, but we need more trickery in the squad - players who can beat players in tight spaces and attract opponents which creates space for others.

Clarke can drive into space but he doesn’t offer that dribbling ability like TC and Fevrier do. Wing back is an obvious position to add a player on each side to add more of that to the squad.

That’s not saying there isn’t a place for Bree or Clarke in the squad, it’s more that we can’t only have wing backs like them and Edwards in the squad. We also need more goals in the squad, including from wing back.

I wouldn’t want our wing backs to only be attacking players, we need both types in the squad as we’re unlikely to sign players who do attack and defend equally well.

Leuth said:

ElfsborgAddick said:

bobmunro said:

Redhenry said:

Would be a great signing on a free

It would, assuming the wages are sustainable. There will be a lot of competition from clubs with bigger budgets than us. The other big factor, as others have said, is our style of play and Harry didn't seem as happy towards the end of the season as he was when he came in in January - that's an observation which may be very wide of the mark.

He is a good footballer and very versatile - started off as a midfielder and can play right back or central defence - but I don't think he's a wing back.

If true that Kaminski is on around 15k, I'm sure that 20k a week would tempt Clarke to come.

Let's break our wage structure for a wing-back who can't cross or finish, yes 

I get the sentiment, but I do think you are being a tad harsh on Clarke, he’s primarily a defender and thought he did well enough over the whole loan period to not be a bad signing if we got him.

Covered_End_Lad said:

Leuth said:

If we're planning on playing a back four, offer him a deal. 

If we're not, don't. 

That simple for me

Agree with this, think Clarke would be a very good right back but he doesn’t offer enough going forward as a wingback especially if we play Edwards on the other side 

This is the crucial thing. Clarke in a four or Mills. I think NJ was four at the back until Edward's injury. 3-5-2 was attritional football. I wouldn't be surprised to see 4-3-3 next year, giving TC a boost and possibly Apter a chance. 

It would need a midfield clear out, Iorpenda and De Keersaeker in, and a decent big striker, maybe Miles or perhaps an expensive upgrade. Dykes, no thanks.

AberystwythAddick said:

Personally I’d hope we would be after both Bree and Clarke especially if we offload Ramsay 

Why would we offload Ramsay? 

Its a team game and there were occasions where Clarke was only as good as the Right Centre-Back that he'd work alongside.

Take the Hull game for example, with Sichenje alongside him for those first 28mins he was able to get forward and cause problems - The problem for Clarke and us, was when Sichenje was subbed off and had to be replaced by Burke, Clarke then couldn't get forward and was also looking less effective in defence as a result because he was having to help cover RCB... Same would happen in games where Ramsay would have an off day.

Yes there were times when Clarke himself would have a poor match, and was easily handled by Johnston (?) in the game at West Brom... But find me a player who has a perfect game each and every week

ForeverAddickted said:

Its a team game and there were occasions where Clarke was only as good as the Right Centre-Back that he'd work alongside.

Take the Hull game for example, with Sichenje alongside him for those first 28mins he was able to get forward and cause problems - The problem for Clarke and us, was when Sichenje was subbed off and had to be replaced by Burke, Clarke then couldn't get forward and was also looking less effective in defence as a result because he was having to help cover RCB... Same would happen in games where Ramsay would have an off day.

Yes there were times when Clarke himself would have a poor match, and was easily handled by Johnston (?) in the game at West Brom... But find me a player who has a perfect game each and every week

Or was nothing to do with sichenje defenfensive ability and all to do with his positive passing. Literally the only player who consistently played positive passes into space for our players to run on to

MuttleyCAFC said:

And his throws are a massive weapon in our Arsenal. He did actually score a goal which was wrongly disallowed, against Leicester.

Sounds painful. Go to see a doctor immediately

Clarke would be an excellent free transfer, hard to see how we could do better than him.

Would definitely sign him but only if he’s willing to take a pay cut, not worth the 15k a week he was on at Ipswich 

bolloxbolder said:

_MrDick said:

I like Clarke and hope we sign him. But he’ll have plenty of other suitors willing to pay him more money. Don’t think he’ll end up coming to us.  

Get him in sharpish. I don't think there will be many suitors personally 

Of course there will. Anyone looking for a Championship proven right back who can match his wages will at least be paying attention to his situation.

I get the impression that he'll want to move to  a  bigger club than come back to us