Matt Clarke 10:19 - Jul 21 with 5003 views | ThatMuhrenCross | Could he end up being Mick's "Jordan Rhodes". Reading a Portsmouth FC forum, this was their assessment of his season: "Finishing top of the league, here's a run down on the men who got us there: Matt Clarke. DEFENDER Matt Clarke (Played 33 (0 as Sub) Scored 1): What a steal this guy was. We had him on loan last season and saw just how good he was, to have him come in on a permanent deal at the start of the season was music to everyone's ears. Once he recovered from his pre-season injury he took his place in the team and there was no moving him. An old fashioned, hard hitting centre back, built like a train and so good in the air. If we can keep hold of him he will continue to be an asset in League One." | |
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Matt Clarke on 10:20 - Jul 21 with 4975 views | ElderGrizzly | Not really, as we got a better player as part of the deal. A shame we couldn't keep him, but i'm happy with what we have in Webster | | | |
Matt Clarke on 10:23 - Jul 21 with 4920 views | BlueNomad | We got Webster | | | |
Matt Clarke on 10:23 - Jul 21 with 4923 views | Westcountryblue | Webster will be playing in the premiership in a couple of seasons time. That said, Clarke would have been good to have with Chambers in the twilight of his career. | | | |
Matt Clarke on 10:23 - Jul 21 with 4937 views | PhilTWTD |
Matt Clarke on 10:20 - Jul 21 by ElderGrizzly | Not really, as we got a better player as part of the deal. A shame we couldn't keep him, but i'm happy with what we have in Webster |
I know Pompey watchers who believe Clarke is the better of the two and they were expecting interest from clubs higher divisions this summer. We have a decent sell-on clause from what I gather. | | | |
Matt Clarke on 10:26 - Jul 21 with 4893 views | ElderGrizzly |
Matt Clarke on 10:23 - Jul 21 by PhilTWTD | I know Pompey watchers who believe Clarke is the better of the two and they were expecting interest from clubs higher divisions this summer. We have a decent sell-on clause from what I gather. |
Certainly at the time, it was the better deal for us? Back to my point about short-termism on the other post about younger players. Mick needs to win games to keep his job and Webster would have more of an impact on that last season. I would have preferred a loan to Pompey, or at least a first refusal on a buy back, but that's not always realistic. | | | |
Matt Clarke on 10:34 - Jul 21 with 4819 views | ThatMuhrenCross |
Matt Clarke on 10:26 - Jul 21 by ElderGrizzly | Certainly at the time, it was the better deal for us? Back to my point about short-termism on the other post about younger players. Mick needs to win games to keep his job and Webster would have more of an impact on that last season. I would have preferred a loan to Pompey, or at least a first refusal on a buy back, but that's not always realistic. |
I'm surprised we don't ever insert a buy back clause into contracts when we sell a player on. You see the big foreign teams doing it all the time. At the point of selling him, we could easily have said we want a buy back clause of £1.5m, watched him climb the leagues, then swoop in after a couple of seasons and get a bargain. If Pompey go up next year and he has another season like he's had, in the current market he could be pushing £5m in value. | |
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Matt Clarke on 10:37 - Jul 21 with 4789 views | PrideOfTheEast |
Matt Clarke on 10:26 - Jul 21 by ElderGrizzly | Certainly at the time, it was the better deal for us? Back to my point about short-termism on the other post about younger players. Mick needs to win games to keep his job and Webster would have more of an impact on that last season. I would have preferred a loan to Pompey, or at least a first refusal on a buy back, but that's not always realistic. |
Agree. We got the deal over the line quickly and obviously Clarke ensured that happened. Bigger clubs than ITFC wanted Webster last summer but were not as quick off the mark. Can't say I saw a huge amount of Clarke but he always impressed me. I'd be surprised if Webster wasn't a premier league player relatively soon. | | | |
Matt Clarke on 10:38 - Jul 21 with 4784 views | PhilTWTD |
Matt Clarke on 10:26 - Jul 21 by ElderGrizzly | Certainly at the time, it was the better deal for us? Back to my point about short-termism on the other post about younger players. Mick needs to win games to keep his job and Webster would have more of an impact on that last season. I would have preferred a loan to Pompey, or at least a first refusal on a buy back, but that's not always realistic. |
I suspect Mick probably viewed Webster as well ahead of Clarke at that point and also, of course, Smith and Berra were ahead of him as left-sided central defenders. I know some in the academy were disappointed to see him move on. Time will tell whether the right decision was made. | | | | Login to get fewer ads
Matt Clarke on 10:40 - Jul 21 with 4735 views | Herbivore | Clarke was behind Smith and Berra in the pecking order at the time, we really wanted Webster who is likely the better player and also more of what we needed at the time (right sided and can play out from the back) so it wasn't a bad deal. It's good we've got a decent sell on should Clarke continue to do well at Pompey. | |
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Matt Clarke on 10:43 - Jul 21 with 4710 views | christiand | It is all about opinions and what the team needed at the time. Regarding Clarke he never let anyone down at Ipswich, however he would've been a long line of defenders at the club who wholeheartedly defend, but aren't comfortable with the ball at his feet . At the time, we needed someone that could do more and actually get the ball from the goalkeeper and build from the back, which Webster does. I feel sure that both sets of supporters are happy with the deal. Very pleased Clarke is doing so well at Portsmouth, but feel sure that Webster is going to have a very good season this year. | |
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Matt Clarke on 10:54 - Jul 21 with 4634 views | SWGF |
Matt Clarke on 10:38 - Jul 21 by PhilTWTD | I suspect Mick probably viewed Webster as well ahead of Clarke at that point and also, of course, Smith and Berra were ahead of him as left-sided central defenders. I know some in the academy were disappointed to see him move on. Time will tell whether the right decision was made. |
A little short-sighted given Berra's age and the distinct possibility that last season would be his last. Now we find ourselves short of left-footed centre halves and the potential scenario that Clarke could be better than Smith. Could it be that Pompey demanded Clarke as a permanent part of the deal rather than loan, and MM was so keen on Webster that he saw it as a deal worth doing? | |
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Matt Clarke on 11:15 - Jul 21 with 4529 views | itfcjoe |
Matt Clarke on 10:37 - Jul 21 by PrideOfTheEast | Agree. We got the deal over the line quickly and obviously Clarke ensured that happened. Bigger clubs than ITFC wanted Webster last summer but were not as quick off the mark. Can't say I saw a huge amount of Clarke but he always impressed me. I'd be surprised if Webster wasn't a premier league player relatively soon. |
I'd hope that the only way we could get Webster was by losing Clarke, because otherwise it's a bit galling. That's obviously never been confirmed but doesn't feel too far wide of the mark as no Mick was a big fan of Clarkie | |
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Matt Clarke on 11:22 - Jul 21 with 4484 views | PhilTWTD |
Matt Clarke on 10:54 - Jul 21 by SWGF | A little short-sighted given Berra's age and the distinct possibility that last season would be his last. Now we find ourselves short of left-footed centre halves and the potential scenario that Clarke could be better than Smith. Could it be that Pompey demanded Clarke as a permanent part of the deal rather than loan, and MM was so keen on Webster that he saw it as a deal worth doing? |
I would guess the situation was as you outline. | | | |
Matt Clarke on 11:51 - Jul 22 with 3896 views | Pilgrimblue |
Matt Clarke on 11:22 - Jul 21 by PhilTWTD | I would guess the situation was as you outline. |
That's possible but we've got young Smith coming through and I think he could be better than Clarke | | | |
Matt Clarke on 12:46 - Jul 22 with 3765 views | Coco |
Matt Clarke on 10:38 - Jul 21 by PhilTWTD | I suspect Mick probably viewed Webster as well ahead of Clarke at that point and also, of course, Smith and Berra were ahead of him as left-sided central defenders. I know some in the academy were disappointed to see him move on. Time will tell whether the right decision was made. |
It is possible Clarke is a better defender at that level. | |
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Matt Clarke on 12:49 - Jul 22 with 3759 views | Vic | We seem to be talking at though maybe Clarke is now better than Webster - I very much doubt he is. That's a matter of opinion I guess and time will decide. But of more significance is that the Pompey supporters describe him as a 'hard hitting, old fashioned, good in the air, Nikita like a train.' We had and have players like that - what we needed and still do is the ability to play on the ground that Webster brings us. The two may turn out to be equal in ability, but our greater need is the skills and style that Webster should bring. I'm confident MIck made the right call. | |
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