Clarke Gone

[valiant_593]

6 hours ago, LancyTony said:

It may sound a bit harsh, but he lost one first-teamer*, and 2 rarely-played squad players, gaining a loanee with some potential, and a proven Lge 1 scorer?

*who many opined was not up to the demands of this League?

Who’s the loanee with potential. Or do we just say that about every young lad we sign on loan? January was an embarrassment 

[philpvfc]

6 hours ago, LancyTony said:

I certainly said it as my opinion - your disagreeing with it will not change my mind! Kept us in the League first season; promotion in the 2nd...not sure which of your opinions have had such dramatic success over 2 seasons? But - it's all personal opinion!

That’s fair enough, I’ll give my opinion then. I think Clarke is the most overrated manager we have had at the club by the supporters.

• Never had a full season at the club
• 1st season, we didn’t look like going down but we were performing very poorly under Askey (who was sacked after the season before finishing 2 places lower than we did last season, cur short because of Covid when we were on a fantastic run). A poor start for DC but then went on a decent run which made sure we were safe that season
• 2nd season, Great rebuild of the squad and did very well in the transfer market but backed by our new owners more so than I have seen for a very long time. Performed excellent all season, decent cup run before being knocked out by Brentford but then went on a bad run, dropping out of the play offs and then tragedy struck within the family, DC takes time off (quite rightly), AC comes in, steadies the ship, gets us to the play offs, DC comes back and helps us get over the line.
• 3rd season, Very poor recruitment starts off the season but despite this, DC has the backbone of the squad that got us promoted and we perform above expectations for half the season in the league and get to the new year 6 points off the play offs and 17 points above relegation but terrible performances in the 2 major cups sees early exits. Another bad recruitment window and for reasons unknown on here we go on a horrendous run where DC loses his job without competing a full season (again) with a lower points tally than Bruno/ Brown.

I think overall DC did a good job for the first 2 seasons but was he great manager? I don’t think so.

• He’s had fantastic backing and support from the best owner our club has seen, where others have had to do it under Bell, Bratt and Smurf
• Im not sure we would have been promoted last season had AC not taken charge for a while
• He gets the credit for a really good transfer window beginning of last season but the blame is shifted elsewhere for our very poor 2 transfer windows this season
• His one dimensional tactics have been shocking this year, unable to change anything to improve result, some of his team selection and substitutions have been very questionable 
• We will end up with less points this season than the last time we got relegated under Bruno and Brown who were pretty awful and they had Smurf backing them

So if you think DC is the best manager since Rudge just consider these points. Better than Adams? I don’t think so.

[philpvfc]

15 minutes ago, valiant_593 said:

Who’s the loanee with potential. Or do we just say that about every young lad we sign on loan? January was an embarrassment 

Very true but he does have a point, we did only lose 1 first teamer. This alone should not have put us in the position we have ended up. I said at the time, add 2 or 3 first teamers and we can have a good go at the play offs, after the window closed I said well we ain’t going to make the play offs now but never thought for one second we will struggle to stay up. But I am with you on Donnelly, I will be very annoyed if we sign Donnelly or Taylor for that matter.

[JohnJames]

10 hours ago, philmpv said:

10 hours ago, Guitar Ray said:

What I wouldn’t give right now for a few of the players he signed.

He didn't think Marcus Bent was a striker. Says it all

Marcus Bent couldn’t hit a brontosaurus’s arse with a double bass when he played for us. 

[valiant_593]

35 minutes ago, philpvfc said:

Very true but he does have a point, we did only lose 1 first teamer. This alone should not have put us in the position we have ended up. I said at the time, add 2 or 3 first teamers and we can have a good go at the play offs, after the window closed I said well we ain’t going to make the play offs now but never thought for one second we will struggle to stay up. But I am with you on Donnelly, I will be very annoyed if we sign Donnelly or Taylor for that matter.

Agree on that part, i just don’t get the notion that every young lad we sign from a bigger side regardless if they have played or not is considered a high potential player. 

For me the issue wasn’t letting players go, it was the fact we didn’t replace them (namely Hall) and we needed to strengthen in Jan even before the window. 

I hope like you we don’t sign even of those two. 

[Doha]

56 minutes ago, philpvfc said:

AC comes in, steadies the ship, gets us to the play offs, DC comes back and helps us get over the line.

That’s one way of putting it. An unfair, incredibly dismissive way. 

[Brian Johnson]

9 hours ago, LancyTony said:

 - I think this will be just a horrible lie? 

Not DC but Steve Speed

[Brian Johnson]

8 hours ago, LancyTony said:

The reply to Keiron Viggers would suggest he's not totally pissed off at the Vale?

He's not pissed off with the fans 

[darren1810]

54 minutes ago, valiant_593 said:

Agree on that part, i just don’t get the notion that every young lad we sign from a bigger side regardless if they have played or not is considered a high potential player. 

For me the issue wasn’t letting players go, it was the fact we didn’t replace them (namely Hall) and we needed to strengthen in Jan even before the window. 

I hope like you we don’t sign even of those two. 

It's utter tosh mate we fall for it every time.

Oh Toby Edser great signing, proper upbringing at Forest.

Oh Callum Whelan, must be cracking he's from Man Utd.

I could go on.

Men's football is completely alien to academy football hence loads struggle. 

At least Plant and McDermott are ours to nurture and if they make it then brilliant. 

Bringing the likes of Donnelly Small etc is just nurturing someone else's player and they end up toss 9 times out of 10.

 

[Brian Johnson]

2 hours ago, Hoppers said:

I don't think he was talking about DC there mate, not sure but think it was someone else being discussed at the time 👍

My point was aimed at Steve Speed and Tony Lacey or whatever his name is, picked up that it was aimed at DC

[Rocky]

That LinkedIn profile doesn't seem like Clarke at all. It honestly reads like someone has set it up in his name for attention or to stir the pot. 

I don't think it is Clarke's style to post things like that.

[Walka003]

That LinkedIn profile doesn't seem like Clarke at all. It honestly reads like someone has set it up in his name for attention or to stir the pot. 
I don't think it is Clarke's style to post things like that.

I've been connected with him for a long while. He also followed by load of fellow managers and Claire Hallket amongst others. I'd be amazed if it wasn't him.

[Rocky]

Just now, Walka003 said:

9 minutes ago, Rocky said:

That LinkedIn profile doesn't seem like Clarke at all. It honestly reads like someone has set it up in his name for attention or to stir the pot. 
I don't think it is Clarke's style to post things like that.

I've been connected with him for a long while. He also followed by load of fellow managers and Claire Hallket amongst others. I'd be amazed if it wasn't him.

Ah fair enough. The Internet has made me sceptical of everything. 

[Guppys left peg]

Yeah it’s definitely DC. Think he’s made a reply to pretty much every comment that’s been left for him wishing him well, shows just what a great bloke he is to do that.

[Phantom Lord]

No mention of his promotion with us in his achievements which is strange though