Andy Dawson wasn't quick enough but he managed. I don't know why being fast is such a requirement for being a left back. It's not like he's getting skinned every week is it.
I think the game has moved on since Dawson. Pace is almost a pre requisite for any full back now as the emphasis is as much about attacking as it is about defending. They need pace and stamina to get up and down the pitch.
Even if Meyler has been rubbish for us this season - I don't think he has but let's go with that - he's been excellent for us in the past and is only 28. More pertinently, do you honestly expect us to replace him with better? We've been here before. We could do better than an 'underperforming' Huddlestone, a past it Davies, an uninterested Elmo. Each player would walk into our current team. We keep shipping out experienced players who have provided quality in the past and go on to provide it ro varying degrees for other teams, all the while replacing them with loanees who couldn't seem to care less about the club, or underwhelming Lee Darnborough signings. With Clark, he's finding his feet at this level and he's doing OK. He's making mistakes, but if you want to support a club that brings its youth team players through you're going to have to put up with that (within reason). We released Liam Cooper and Scott Wiseman at early stages of their careers because they weren't of Championship level. They went on to prove that they undoubtedly are/were. The reasons for us failing to produce youth players over the past 25 or so years are numerous, but one must be the manner with which the fan base jumps on the back of any one of them coming through at the earliest opportunity.
I honestly dont get the upset on here. Yes he's been at the club a good few years now but I dont think his performances during his time here deserves this kinda outcry. He's been average to poor whenever ive seen him play, the odd good game here and there but every player has those. Thanks for everything David but we move on.
please log in to view this image He really did - he got us in a good position in our first season back in the Prem - the Allams gave him a big war chest to push on - he ****ed up and got us relegated - after that they never trusted him with anymore money, so he left, not pushed out, he left - and at the end of the day, we're still suffering from that season - **** negative tactics that saw us constantly surrendering leads because he thought the best tactic was to take all the attackers off and hang on for grim death
All you’ve done there is entirely prove my point. So thanks for that. Or do you really think the entire Stoke squad was put together for £3.4m? I’ll again await you showing me how he assembled the 7th most expensive squad in the division, rather than one summer’s spending as you showed above.
It might help if you learnt to read - I said he had the 7th highest spend in the PL that season - we were already in the PL the previous season - in those circumstances our owners would rightly expect us to push on - we didn't because Brucie got us relegated - it ain't difficult
Dawson was as good attacking as he was defending, despite not being quick. Ivanovic, Zabaleta and Baines were some of the best PL full backs of recent years and weren't fast.
The main issue I have with Clark is that he can’t pass, and yet his best position is supposed to be central midfield...
And this stuff about not supporting youth is nonsense. Tymon was fully supported, because he was capable at the level we were at. Tymon is also 4 years younger than Clark so has plenty more excuses to underperform.