Spurs Youth - 2019/20

[McFlash]

Small-size? Possibly. He's more Winks and Mason than Carroll though.

I wouldn't consider him small though. I'd consider Edwards and Shashoua(both), Clarke, Markanday small players.

Jack Clarke? He's six foot odd, isn't he?

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Fair enough. I've never seen Clarke play as I don't watch Leeds, but just imagine him to be like Bowen a young player that excels in the Championship that catches the eye but ultimately won't be top class.

Usually the England age group coaches know their stuff, and he never made the early sides, and they will have players from all clubs in there.

I just assumed he was one of those late bloomers benefiting from his circumstance. Hope he does show himself to be quality though.

My understanding though is he appeared Bale-esque. A PL club buys him, send him back on loan straight away and he stopped playing. How can he suddenly turn 'bad' overnight? Or is he just proof that a manager won't always choose the best players for a team and there are other factors involved i.e. why continue to develop a player that's not ours

I don’t watch youth to a huge extent like you and others, but I was literally caught unawares by Clarke, I watched the game v Derby after spy gate as that incident made me interested and was immediately surprised by this kid dribbling past people for fun and effortlessly swerving his way in and out of tackles. I was delighted when we ultimately signed him as he had more than skill and pace, he had the verve that made players like Bale, Berbatov, Ginola and Waddle special. He then fell ill towards the end of that season and maybe it’s hit him Dier style, or maybe as you say these loan clubs bring him in just as an emergency option but don’t want to develop another clubs player, but however you slice it, it’s gone a bit poo. That said, time is on his side.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Any of our scouts who saw him as a new Bale must have been drunk and need giving a gold watch and a handshake. He’s a good size and a decent turn of pace, but anyone who saw Leeds game could see he was extremely raw and had loads of work to do. As for what’s happened since, I can only assume his confidence has taken a bit of a battering.

I don’t care what our scouts saw, my opinion is purely based on what I saw of him six months before we were even linked. As above, it wasn’t his pace or skill, it was his flair and the elegant cheek with which he was embarrassing seasoned pros. Sadly now it seems it’ll be a bit uphill for him, but much like our own Harry that might serve to improve his mentality long term. He’s still only 19.

 

[Montalbano]

What's the feeling around Lusala? Is he expected to be the first choice RB for the U23s with Hinds gone?

 

[IGSpur]

Jack Clarke? He's six foot odd, isn't he?

Sorry. Was talking about Rayan Clarke. That's the first Clarke that comes to my mind, I genuinely forget we have Jack Clarke. And that also goes to my comment when I was talking about other wingers we have coming through. I've always been a big fan of Rayan Clarke, but he suffered injuries before he joined at u18s. Got put at RB when he came back. He has started to show some of his old ability and flair, but I think he isn't quite showing enough. Though time is certainly on his side. Hopefully he does well at u23s then goes on loan.

I don’t watch youth to a huge extent like you and others, but I was literally caught unawares by Clarke, I watched the game v Derby after spy gate as that incident made me interested and was immediately surprised by this kid dribbling past people for fun and effortlessly swerving his way in and out of tackles. I was delighted when we ultimately signed him as he had more than skill and pace, he had the verve that made players like Bale, Berbatov, Ginola and Waddle special. He then fell ill towards the end of that season and maybe it’s hit him Dier style, or maybe as you say these loan clubs bring him in just as an emergency option but don’t want to develop another clubs player, but however you slice it, it’s gone a bit poo. That said, time is on his side.

I haven't seen a single minute of the kid but fair enough and obviously we saw something I just think, and I know it's generalised, than any youngster that looks good in the Champ gets overrated pretty quickly as a good player in an average team who's got nothing to lose, not like say Bellingham who is genuine quality. I won't dispute your opinion though, as I can't comment on it. Hopefully he can find that again

What's the feeling around Lusala? Is he expected to be the first choice RB for the U23s with Hinds gone?

@edson will give a better run down of late. I think he's a decent player. One of the better ones in the age group but he's not on Hinds level for me. At the moment anyway

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Sorry. Was talking about Rayan Clarke. That's the first Clarke that comes to my mind, I genuinely forget we have Jack Clarke. And that also goes to my comment when I was talking about other wingers we have coming through. I've always been a big fan of Rayan Clarke, but he suffered injuries before he joined at u18s. Got put at RB when he came back. He has started to show some of his old ability and flair, but I think he isn't quite showing enough. Though time is certainly on his side. Hopefully he does well at u23s then goes on loan.


I haven't seen a single minute of the kid but fair enough and obviously we saw something I just think, and I know it's generalised, than any youngster that looks good in the Champ gets overrated pretty quickly as a good player in an average team who's got nothing to lose, not like say Bellingham who is genuine quality. I won't dispute your opinion though, as I can't comment on it. Hopefully he can find that again



@edson will give a better run down of late. I think he's a decent player. One of the better ones in the age group but he's not on Hinds level for me. At the moment anyway

Fwiw I’ve seen Clarke for Leeds a handful of times, so it isn’t much to go on and it could (and increasingly probably is) be a flash in the pan.

 

[WiganSpur]

I wouldn't write off Jack Clarke just yet, Mourinho hasn't seen him train just yet has he?

 

[mpickard2087]

I remember watching some of Jack Clarke when we signed him and the player he reminded me of most was Ross Barkley tbh. Can carry the ball and take it past someone, technically reasonable in his touch, shooting, and vision, and was comfortable popping up right left or centre.

Not even sure long term he's a winger, if he gets some form/confidence/momentum and gets his career going then wouldn't be surprised if he became a more central player.

 

[beats1]

Any of our scouts who saw him as a new Bale must have been drunk and need giving a gold watch and a handshake. He’s a good size and a decent turn of pace, but anyone who saw Leeds game could see he was extremely raw and had loads of work to do. As for what’s happened since, I can only assume his confidence has taken a bit of a battering.

Im related to alot of Leeds and they laughed when we signed him. They all say he was showing promise until he suffered a concussion and never looked the same and then when we came in with a bid, they bit our hand off as they knew he was struggling to hold a place in their team

 

[Locotoro]

Cirkin really that much highly rated? I have never seen him play.. What is his specialty?

He makes a lovely chicken korma I hear

 

[SecretLemonadeDrinker]

Im related to alot of Leeds and they laughed when we signed him. They all say he was showing promise until he suffered a concussion and never looked the same and then when we came in with a bid, they bit our hand off as they knew he was struggling to hold a place in their team

They would say that, though, wouldn't they? It's quite normal for fans of a selling club to rationalise the sale of a popular or promising player thus.

I believe that it was a virus, rather than concussion, that caused Clarke's collapse on the pitch and subsequent loss of form. It can sometimes take considerably longer to recover fully from a virus than people realise. So the idea that he "never" looked the same afterwards is a tad melodramatic. It would be fairer to say that he hadn't yet fully recovered form and / or fitness. "Never" is too big a word.

Although I have only recently started posting on SC, I have lurked for many a long year. And I have always enjoyed this thread - most particularly the knowledge and passion of those who follow our youth teams closely. I'm very grateful that you share it with the rest of us. However, it does appear to me that some of the criticisms / slights of Clarke on here aren't altogether dissimilar to the kinds of criticisms / slights (that so frustrate the regulars on here) from less knowledgable Spurs fans about our own academy products.

I love the loyalty shown on here to our homegrown players but, given that Clarke is now a young Spurs player too, do we not owe him the same patience that we would rightly expect to be granted our academy products? I confess that I have no idea how good Clarke is or will be, nor how he compares to those already at the club or those who have left to get a chance in senior football elsewhere. But I do know that he needs the club's and our support and goodwill every bit as much as our homegrown players do.

BTW, since I saw it mentioned earlier in the thread, I believe that Clarke's transfer fee was £10m, not £15m. Such price creep comes across to me as a way of making the deal seem worse than it was - which is a tad unfair.

 

[Marty]

I believe that it was a virus, rather than concussion, that caused Clarke's collapse on the pitch and subsequent loss of form. It can sometimes take considerably longer to recover fully from a virus than people realise. So the idea that he "never" looked the same afterwards is a tad melodramatic. It would be fairer to say that he hadn't yet fully recovered form and / or fitness. "Never" is too big a word.

Just look at what's happened to Dier. He had emergency surgery to take his appendix out in December 2018 and it's only now 18 months later that he's looked a good player again. We have to hope for Clarke's sake that he's on a similar trajectory because by all accounts he was looking a great prospect before that game he collapsed.

 

[mill]

'New targetman': Spurs fans want 6'6 striker promoted after training-ground peach

Tottenham Hotspur have a prodigious young striker in the ranks……and it’s not Troy Parrott. Parrott is one of the most exciting teenage hitmen in the...

www.hitc.com

 

[razzmaster]

'New targetman': Spurs fans want 6'6 striker promoted after training-ground peach

Tottenham Hotspur have a prodigious young striker in the ranks……and it’s not Troy Parrott. Parrott is one of the most exciting teenage hitmen in the...

www.hitc.com

I'm surprised Etete doesn't get more hype. Obviously very raw but seems to have all the attributes to be a top striker.

For those who have seen him more, any ideas why he doesn't get talked about much?

 

[he is you know!]

'New targetman': Spurs fans want 6'6 striker promoted after training-ground peach

Tottenham Hotspur have a prodigious young striker in the ranks……and it’s not Troy Parrott. Parrott is one of the most exciting teenage hitmen in the...

www.hitc.com

Is he still growing? I saw a piece on SpursWeb from May which said 6'3

 

[Vincent30]

Is he still growing? I saw a piece on SpursWeb from May which said 6'3

Really, last i heard he was pushing 6'7

 

[chinaman]

Will he be better than Crouchie?

 

[IGSpur]

I love the loyalty shown on here to our homegrown players but, given that Clarke is now a young Spurs player too, do we not owe him the same patience that we would rightly expect to be granted our academy products? I confess that I have no idea how good Clarke is or will be, nor how he compares to those already at the club or those who have left to get a chance in senior football elsewhere. But I do know that he needs the club's and our support and goodwill every bit as much as our homegrown players do.

BTW, since I saw it mentioned earlier in the thread, I believe that Clarke's transfer fee was £10m, not £15m. Such price creep comes across to me as a way of making the deal seem worse than it was - which is a tad unfair.

I haven't been in this thread for ages, and only recently come in and was briefly involved in a discussion about Clarke, so in the event that I may have been included in this, I'll clarify that I've only ever wished him well and to be a success here. Any perceived slight against Clarke, was only purely aimed at our recruitment, general perception of youth players in lower leagues and as usual the use of the academy.

I know it's if the shoe fits, but I've only seen one post critical of Clarke so assume it referred to me. Ignore this if not

 

[beats1]

They would say that, though, wouldn't they? It's quite normal for fans of a selling club to rationalise the sale of a popular or promising player thus.

I believe that it was a virus, rather than concussion, that caused Clarke's collapse on the pitch and subsequent loss of form. It can sometimes take considerably longer to recover fully from a virus than people realise. So the idea that he "never" looked the same afterwards is a tad melodramatic. It would be fairer to say that he hadn't yet fully recovered form and / or fitness. "Never" is too big a word.

Although I have only recently started posting on SC, I have lurked for many a long year. And I have always enjoyed this thread - most particularly the knowledge and passion of those who follow our youth teams closely. I'm very grateful that you share it with the rest of us. However, it does appear to me that some of the criticisms / slights of Clarke on here aren't altogether dissimilar to the kinds of criticisms / slights (that so frustrate the regulars on here) from less knowledgable Spurs fans about our own academy products.

I love the loyalty shown on here to our homegrown players but, given that Clarke is now a young Spurs player too, do we not owe him the same patience that we would rightly expect to be granted our academy products? I confess that I have no idea how good Clarke is or will be, nor how he compares to those already at the club or those who have left to get a chance in senior football elsewhere. But I do know that he needs the club's and our support and goodwill every bit as much as our homegrown players do.

BTW, since I saw it mentioned earlier in the thread, I believe that Clarke's transfer fee was £10m, not £15m. Such price creep comes across to me as a way of making the deal seem worse than it was - which is a tad unfair.

Hey Jack

Firstly saying, "they would say that" is an easy thing to say, however my family go down to Leeds alot, this was a player who didn't play much and they got a fee for, as opposed to their star player. Normally these guys and gals are upset when a player leaves, this was a role player for them. We paid £10m for a Leeds role player, so them being happy at the fee, isn't insane

I think you're being a tad melodramatic with my use of the word never. My point clearly was he didn't look the same player for the rest of the season, Ill be honest I was in a rush when I typed the response. Im not on about his spurs career or his future, I actually haven't seen him play since he left Leeds the first time. Which is why I followed the statement up with, we made a bid after this.

Let me rephrase; he didn't look the same after his illness for the rest of the season and actually never played more than 30 mins for Leeds again with a team that wasn't in the best of form

Worth noting, we payed £10m for a 18 year old is still a lot of money(Jadon Sancho asking price was lower not saying the situations are the same but adding context to the price tag),

Most expensive signing for an 18year old is £29m for Luke Shaw, we paid a third of that for a player who played 90mins once in the championship. In what was a hard year for the championship financially due to FFP, Jack Clarke was the 5th most expensive player to come out of the league having played 6 times in half a season after an injury

Im not saying I'm not supporting him at all, but I think so far its been a bad signing on first sight and for me, I have never seen those family never be bothered by losing a player, especially since they spent the last 20 years losing their best young players

 

[coy-spurs1882]

i wonder if our current first team can beat our U23/U18 team