So this is the first of a few articles about the fans forum. This one is titled Players. DC spoke very honestly about players, reasons for them not playing, injuries and a lot of other things. Some players, we were given a lot more information on, others very little, nonetheless, I have written up about every player mentioned.
Liam Roberts –
Darrell didn’t talk too much about Robbo, but he did say that Liam has impressed him this season. Throughout the night, DC kept bringing up about a hangover from last season, and said it did have an effect on the boys who were part of the 18/19 season. DC said Robbo has improved throughout the season, and that recently he has been very good, and holding firmly to that number 1 spot.
Jack Rose –
DC spoke about all the loan signings and discussed the possibility of keeping a couple after their loan spell ended. Although he didn’t name those that could stay, he ruled out one or two. Rose was not ruled out. DC said Rose’s training and attitude have been very good, and that it is the form of Roberts, not anything that Rose has done wrong, that has kept him on the bench. It could well be that we see Rose stay beyond the end of the season, but unless Roberts form dips, I doubt we will be seeing him play anytime soon.
Cameron Norman
DC spoke a little about Norman. He said that earlier in the season he wasn’t doing what DC had asked of him, however recently he has been. He acknowledged that playing Norman or Facey changes the dynamic of the team, as each player is different in that RB role. He also said that Clarke offers something different, and that each are picked tactically based on the opposition.
I found the talk about Norman interesting as he has been inconsistent since signing, however I feel whatever chat that DC has had, it has worked, because recently Norman has been brilliant, and long may it continue.
Cameron Pring, Dan Scarr, Matt Sadler and Callum Cockerill-Mollett –
All were mentioned very, very briefly. DC said that tactically he has to consider the pro’s and con’s for each. He said that Scarr and Sadler are both good defenders, but playing them together means they lose a little bit of pace. He also said that CCM and Pring offer different things at Left-Back, with Pring being more of an attacking player, whereas CCM is more of a defensive full back, or more of a left side of a back three. He also said both Pring and CCM have been unlucky with injury.
James Clarke –
DC was asked about JC, and playing him out of position at Right-Back. DC said how JC played over 60 games for him at Rovers and dismissed that it was ‘out of position’. He said that JC is put at RB when DC wants to play with a tighter, less attack minded, defence. DC said that JC isn’t the attacking full-back type and that he wants more attacking full backs when at home. So I would expect to see JC making appearances at RB in away games, whereas he may appear in the middle at home.
Stuart Sinclair –
Clarke did speak about the longevity of Sinclair’s injury, and said that he would be available (hopefully) for the Carlisle game. Clarke didn’t say much else about Sinclair, but he did say that regarding injuries, that he doesn’t reveal injury length details as he doesn’t want to give the opposing teams scouts too much information.
Liam Kinsella –
Darrell was asked about Kinsella’s performances, with the person asking the question, saying he didn’t think Liam’s performances were as good as we are used to. DC said that he felt Kins had a bit of a hangover from last season (like he said about all the players from last season), however DC said that he feel Kinsella has been very good in the last few weeks. DC praised his work-rate and attitude. That was all on Kins, but it seems DC is happy with him.
Josh Gordon –
DC was asked about whether he would consider playing Josh in Central Midfield (yes). DC agreed with the points supporting this, but said he wants Gordon out wide or up top. He praised Josh work rate and said that his attitude is top notch. DC did say that Josh could add more goals, but overall it seems that Josh is in DC’s good books with his effort and energy that he brings to the team.
Rory Holden –
Rory was one of the players that DC eluded to potentially signing at the end of the season. Clarke also said that he feels Holden has been more effective when playing through the middle. I agree with him, and I do think we have seen Holden improve over the course of the season, and that he could be a consistent player for us beyond the end of the season, and clearly Clarke sees it too.
James Hardy –
DC spoke a little about Hardy. He said that Hardy is very technically gifted, and is a good player. DC said he is probably the best player in a 5-a-side, but something is missing when it comes to a starting 11 place. He said that it feels as though there is a lack of experience there, despite his 100+ games. DC said that a loan may give Hardy the chance for some game time, and a chance to get confidence back too. So we may be seeing Hardy heading out the door, not that anyone is surprised by that.
Mitch Candlin –
Someone asked Clarke about some more information about Candlin. Clarke was very open and honest about Mitch, and said that he was struggling to get game time at Nuneaton, and that before and after his spell, Clarke has been trying to get more out of Candlin. He said that there are things he is asking of Mitch, and that when he starts doing them he will get game time.
Alfie Bates –
DC spoke very briefly about Bates, and it isn’t anything dissimilar to what he has said before. Clarke said how he really likes Bates attitude, and spoke of how talented he is. He mentioned again about how he needs to nurture him, and not overload him in his first season.
Wes McDonald –
DC was asked about the length of time it took to get the contact extension sorted. The deal was put on the table 8 weeks before it was signed, and DC joked that after the deal was offered, Wes kept scoring or assisting. There was a question about if other clubs were interested, DC’s reply? ‘his agent would have said so’. Clarke reiterated that Wes was happy and enjoying his time here. DC also revealed why the initial deal was until January. Clarke said that McDonald had suffered with injury, and they were unsure how he would develop and get on whilst here. The deal was offered to make sure the club weren’t left with a player suffering with a lot of injuries. He also said that the reveal of it being an 18 month extension was so the fans were aware of the deal, and to save questions all summer long.
Gary Liddle –
DC openly admitted that he got 50% of his transfer activity wrong, and separately also said that Liddle hasn’t worked out here. He said that Liddle was signed as he could play all across the back-line. However going forward, DC expects Liddle to remain away from the club.
Rory Gaffney –
Here we go. DC was asked about several players, and Gaffney was mentioned. DC spoke about Gaffney’s mental state, and openly said that Gaffney is struggling at the moment. Clarke gave his reasons for signing Gaffney, and that having previously worked together, he knew what Gaffney could offer. DC was honest, and said that he has been disappointing, and that he needs to prove to fans why he is here at the club, and to replicate the effort he puts in on the training pitch.
Then the Darlington ‘shushing’ incident was raised. A fan rightly brought this up responding to Clarke saying Gaffney is feeling the pressure. Clarke was unaware of what had happened between Gaffney and the fans. DC very honestly criticised labelling it a ‘silly’ and that if that’s the case, it’s a ‘rod for your own back’. I was surprised that DC did not know about the incident. In my opinion, it looked like this bit of information pieced together why the fans have been harsh on Gaffney, and that it is not solely performance related.
Zak Jules –
This for me, was probably the most interesting thing Clarke said about any of his players. DC finally gave a reason as to why Jules was dropped from the starting line-up, and matchday squad in general. DC dropped Jules because he was regularly bottom of the training stats. This, along with DC criticising some of his sloppiness in games, led to him being dropped.
Clarke did however, talk about how him and Jules chatted about this, and since the chat, Jules training levels have improved. For me, that is a good enough reason for a player to be dropped, not only because it shows the effort hasn’t been there. But it also sets an example to others who’s levels drop.
That is the end of what turned out to be a much longer article than expected. The forum was informative for a lot of different reasons, but shedding some light on some of the players was a key one for me.
