Ciaran Clark D Stoke City b.1989

**Jd2793** · 12/07/2022, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by Snapshot

Did your visual acuity cop Stephen Kenny standing on the sideline like a myopic rabbit caught in the headlights with his simplistic, predictable strategy pulled apart after 10 minutes? By that stage Luxembourg had bottled up midfield leaving our defenders with virtually no passing options. As usual, we had no Plan B. Clark was no worse than anyone else, in fact his completed pass rate was a respectable 83%. Easy scapegoat option.

83% is bad for a cb actually. easy scapegoat, how is that? ireland have enough depth in that position to not need him again.

**Demesne Lad** · 12/07/2022, 10:58 AM

From infogol.net Completed pass rates

Premier League: Duffy 87% Clark 79% Collins 70%

Championship: Egan 80% Dunne 80% Lenihan 66% O'Shea 66%

**tetsujin1979** · 12/07/2022, 11:01 AM

Passing stats from the Luxembourg game from whoscored: https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/15...and-Luxembourg

Code:

Player         Passes %Completed
Séamus Coleman   54      85.2
Ciaran Clark     81      86.4
Dara O'Shea      65      87.7

Not much between them to be honest. Little surprised at Coleman's numbers, but he was playing in an unfamiliar role the right side of a back three

**John83** · 13/07/2022, 9:30 AM

While the stats don't tell you everything, I have long felt that some players with a modest deficiency get absolutely and unjustfiably hammered over it.

**tetsujin1979** · 13/07/2022, 10:05 AM

There is a confirmation bias in relying on stats to prove a point, if you want to prove something, like that Clark is worse than any other option at centre half, then you'll find the stats to prove that.

**pineapple stu** · 13/07/2022, 10:14 AM

And an 86.4% pass rate is no good if, for example, you can't actually head the ball or win an aerial battle.

It's good to see him get a move, and I think it's also good that we have at least one position where we can leave Championship-level players out of the squad. Lenihan, for example, is down the pecking order a bit but was called on in June and did quite well. You could probably say the same about Jimmy Dunne. That's nice to have, squad-wise.

**Demesne Lad** · 14/11/2022, 11:24 PM

Clark (33) played for 80 mins in the away win at Cardiff on 12 November. Because of injury, he had only played for 170 mins in total in the Championship this season before Saturday's game. Even before that game, his manager Paul Heckingbottom was very positive about his influence since his arrival on loan from Newcastle Utd.

'Lads like him' - Newcastle's Ciaran Clark having positive impact amid Sheffield United injury woe - YorkshireLive (examinerlive.co.uk)

**Snapshot** · 15/11/2022, 1:40 AM

Good luck to him. Ridiculously maligned player.

**Kingdom** · 15/11/2022, 12:19 PM

Originally Posted by Snapshot

Good luck to him. Ridiculously maligned player.

I'd agree, one of my favourite players of the last decade. Always thought he got too much abuse for one or two high profile mistakes (Belgium waterslide Euro 2016 comes to mind), rather than praise for consistently solid performances (and he's a serious threat in the opposition box for us).

**Eirambler** · 15/11/2022, 2:22 PM

Good player, but one of those centre backs that you always felt had a mistake in him. Reminded me of Gary Breen in that sense. Both good pros but maybe just lacking the 90 minute concentration needed to step up to a higher level than mid table Premier League.

**paul_oshea** · 15/11/2022, 2:40 PM

Ah breen was much more a liability in a much less assured defence

**third policeman** · 15/11/2022, 3:27 PM

Agree with that. Clark is a cultured footballer who possibly should have remained a defensive midfielder which is where he started out. Is prone to the occasional lapse of concentration which is more likely to have disastrous consequences when playing at CB. Never deserved the abuse he got on this forum.

**Fixer82** · 15/11/2022, 4:54 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Ah breen was much more a liability in a much less assured defence

I actually disagree with that. For the last 4 or so years of his ireland career, Breen barely put a foot wrong iirc.

I was at the Belgium game in Euro 2016 and screaming (along with others beside me) at Clark, ‘don’t jump into that tackle’. He jumped into the tackle and they scored.
If he’d gotten that rashness out of his game he’d have been class.
Never a million miles away from making a mistake unfortunately

**Demesne Lad** · 26/12/2022, 4:17 PM

Clark scored with a headed goal v Coventry City (26 Dec).

**third policeman** · 26/12/2022, 8:12 PM

Could well be back in the PL next season playing alongside Egan.

**pineapple stu** · 07/01/2023, 8:24 PM

Interesting clip of Clark here from last month's game against Wigan. Shirt-pulling in the box from a corner - and in fact Clark's jersey is literally pulled off him, but no penalty and Wigan break from the corner, so he has to sprint back with his jersey in his hand

https://www.facebook.com/sheffieldun...0174569588899/

**Demesne Lad** · 20/01/2023, 6:33 PM

On the injured list at Sheffield Utd but back in training "doing bits and pieces on the grass..." (Sheffield Star, 18 Jan).

**Demesne Lad** · 20/02/2023, 4:27 PM

Played 75 mins today for the Blades in the U-21 derby win over the Owls, as he continues to recover from injury.

**Demesne Lad** · 15/04/2023, 1:36 PM

Scored Sheffield Utd's fourth today, at home to Cardiff City.

**pineapple stu** · 15/06/2023, 10:59 AM

Released by Newcastle, unsurprisingly.

34 in Sept, and didn't really make a huge impression at Sheffield United who are now promoted, so probably unlikely to be making that a permanent move.