Clark was solid and has been good all year. I'm probably biased as a Newcastle fan but he's always done great for the club and his new deal reflects that.
If he's fit then he's our best centre back. It's a no brainer to start him with the injury and form problems to consider.
It's an unproven duo but I'd go for O'Shea and Clark. With Doherty/Coleman and Stevens, then that's a legit Premier League back 4.
I agree. Best case scenario for me would be three CBs (O'Shea-Egan-Clark). But that's a no-no for Kenny. So, if Egan is out, it should be Clark-O'Shea. I feel sorry for Shane Duffy, but on current form and strategy his inclusion could backfire badly. If Kenny had the balls to drop Coleman he'll surely drop Duffy. We'll be under the pump in Belgrade - the last thing we need is a slow CB with the wobbles.Originally Posted by ColourfulPeanut
Starts today against Aston Villa. Jeff Hendrick on the bench. Surely, if fit, Clark must start against Serbia?
Completely. But you never know. He might stick with duffy and go with o shea as he knows what he gives etc
Nightmare own goal for Clark, who failed to close down Watkins and ended up scoring a bizarre own goal from a header that went off his knee and into the top corner.
A bit harsh on Clark. Excellent otherwise.
He did lose Watkins to be fair, but it was great movement.
Strong game for Clark. I’d call the own goal unlucky as much as anything.
Interesting/provocative blog (14 March) on NUFCBlog.co.uk 'The unsung heroes of the Mike Ashley era', i.e. the last 14 years. Manager, starting 11 plus subs.
Manager = Chris Hughton (NUFC were 14th in the PL when he was sacked), Centre-back = Ciaran Clark, Leon Best and Daryl Murphy among the 5 subs.
Clark seems the fall guy for poor distribution against Luxembourg. I disagree - he was constantly forced into poor-percentage passes by static and predictable midfielders easily covered by Luxembourg. And, dutifully, he avoided the hoof.
Yeah, I know, 24 hours to provide stats. Pass.
Here you go: https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/15...and-Luxembourg
WhoScored say Clark completed 86.4% of his 81 passes
Stevens at 76.3%. That was where I felt the blame should be.
Thanks for that. So you agree?
Left on the bench for today's draw with Spurs. Same with Hendrick.
It wouldn't surprise if Clark retired from international football after the qualifiers (if we don't qualify!). Egan looks a walk-up start and Kenny is likely to favour O'Shea alongside. Nathan Collins will also be a factor. Clark is experienced, dedicated and a proven PL defender. He's (in my always humble opinion) surprisingly undervalued by Irish fans.
It'd be a pity to have to lean on the younger lads too much in the short term, as good as O'Shea seems to be and however promising a few others may be. At a minimum, Clark's experience is important in a squad. Egan won't necessarily be fit for every game as we've seen.
Every right to be disappointed at squad omission. EPL player, experienced and reliable. Other than defence it's a threadbare panel but desperate situations beget desperate measures - I would have considered O'Shea or Clark for a defensive midfield role, especially in Portugal. Unfortunately, lateral thinking is foreign to the manager.
Maybe clark is the anti vaxer. Who knows
Can't understand the logic of bringing two uncapped centre backs ahead of him for these games, it feels like Kenny is trying to get fired sometimes. Realistically I can't see both Collins and Omobamidele playing, so why not leave one with the Under 21s and bring in Clark's experience as cover in the senior squad in case any of our first choice centre backs get injured.
Keane O'Shea Given Best Smallbone
If he isnt vaccinated he cant come. Kenny was clear that someone has chosen not to get the jab. It might not be Clark but his exclusion is bizarre even for sk
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