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Jack Clarke


Football is ruthless. I don’t really like this side of it. On both sides. But just the way it is with money involved.
Football has always been ruthless marra. The money hasn't changed that. It was always that way.

As a kid I got so close to realising my dream, but I just wasn't good enough.

And when that hammer hits, football doesn't put it's arms around you, or soften the blow. It just walks away and moves on.

That's why I feel for lads like JC, who have cracked the hard part of getting in to the game, worked so f***ing hard to establish themselves, and then fuck it up with a stupid move.
 
He only really had one really good season for us.

His entire gameplan is run down the left wing, cut inside and shoot. Did he have one good season where he exceeded his usual quality or is he underperforming now?
I'm still a big Clarkey fan but his goal tally was bumped up quite a bit by penalties.

His penalty technique was never great either, usually just rolled it down the middle, but he handled the pressure well which I suppose is half the battle. Still haven't found our penna replacement.
 
I liked Jack Clark as much as anyone, however he is a bit one dimensional, especially for the Premier League.
He gets sussed out cutting inside every time.
A bit harsh calling him a ‘one trick pony’ but he needs to add more to his game.
 
i wont knock the lad one bit.
Had a great attitude, and was excellent for us.
His agent is a bell end.
Could he do a job in our system as a squad player?
Absolutely.
WIll we pay 15m for him?
No.
After yesterdays performance he's not worth £15m.
 
If we could get him for like £5m I'd absolutely love to see it. With Mundle being injured.

He was class for both full seasons he was here. He also started last season with a goal contribution in both games. Obviously the PL is a massive step up but Ipswich haven't helped him by insisting Leif Davis provides the width.
I see both sides the role thing to be honest. Being asked to play slightly narrower (it’s not an entirely different position) shouldn’t have the impact it’s had, at least not for a top player. He’s a one trick pony, albeit he’s mastered that trick, you need more about you to play at the top level.
i wont knock the lad one bit.
Had a great attitude, and was excellent for us.
His agent is a bell end.
Could he do a job in our system as a squad player?
Absolutely.
WIll we pay 15m for him?
No.
I’d rather have adingra and mundle tbh. Clarkes reached his ceiling and I already think those two bring more to the team
 
Le Bris sussed him straightaway and peddled him.

Absolute nonesense. He started the first couple of games for us, was his usual explosive self, and scored.
If he came up with us he'd be relegated to a bench role and be in a Dan Neil sort of conundrum, without the big payday he got. I'm sure he's not too upset by it all. In reality we got the best end of this deal, Jack got the next best, and Ipswich got fucked.

I don't think he's much worse than Adingra in our system like.
 
I think it’s fair to say Jack Clarke on the whole was a huge success here at Sunderland and he played the best football of his career here. A huge part of that success was down to feeling wanted and to have your family close by of which Clarke had both. He was settled and he was genuinely happy here. Football though is a business and players who stand out in the championship as Jack did will always be of interest to a team higher up the good chain. Wether his agent was Ian Harte or someone else I believe the outcome would have been the same and Jack would have left us when he did. The only thing that did surprise me when he left was that apparently only Ipswich showed any genuine interest in the lad and the fee of a reported £18 million which we all thought was shocking on our part. There’s has to be a reason for that especially given the lad went for a pretty low fee at the time based on other lesser players who went for much more. All this said Clarke went there and for whatever reason the Ipswich manager decided to play Jack in a new position and it just has not worked. What will become of the lad now is anyone’s guess but for me the best way for his to get his career going again would be to go to a team such as a Birmingham where there is a big buzz about the place and go and become the player you should be right now and to me that is still with the ability to cut it at the top level.
 
Absolute nonesense. He started the first couple of games for us, was his usual explosive self, and scored.


I don't think he's much worse than Adingra in our system like.
Bit of a crazy statement given we have only seen him in pre-season, he started last year as a started for Brighton until Minteh displaced him
 
If he came up with us he'd be relegated to a bench role and be in a Dan Neil sort of conundrum, without the big payday he got. I'm sure he's not too upset by it all. In reality we got the best end of this deal, Jack got the next best, and Ipswich got fucked.
McKenna fucked Ipswich by not playing him where he can shine.
 
I bet he longs for the days he plays out wide so he can do what he is good at....longs for having that confidence of his team mates and fans loving him.
Mckenna has screwed him in the system Ipswich play.....
 
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…….I think there’s a good chance when his career is over, Sunderland will be the club that meant most to him.
Absolutely!….because, let’s be honest, he has hardly set the world on fire at any of his other clubs.

Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–2019 22(2)
2019–2022 0(0)
2019 (loan)1(0)
2020→ (loan)6(0)
2021→ (loan)14(0)
2022→ (loan)17(1)
2022–202487(25)
2024–33(0)
 
Absolutely!….because, let’s be honest, he has hardly set the world on fire at any of his other clubs.

Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–2019 22(2)
2019–2022 0(0)
2019 (loan)1(0)
2020→ (loan)6(0)
2021→ (loan)14(0)
2022→ (loan)17(1)
2022–202487(25)
2024–33(0)
He set the world as alight here as anyone else has in the last 10 years, and he’s 24 years old.
 
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