Chris Sumpter blog: Have Scunthorpe United been represented by one of the best strikers in League One this season - Leon Clarke, of Coventry City
IN AN almost poetic finale to eight months of individual brilliance, Leon Clarke's season of scoring has drawn to a close at the place where it all started.
The 77th minute header that earned Coventry City a 2-1 victory at Glanford Park last weekend will be the striker's final goal of a comely campaign.
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Leon Clarke shakes hands with former Scunthorpe United strike partner Karl Hawley during his return to Glanford Park with Coventry City last weekend, shortly after an embrace from his one-time Sheffield Wednesday team-mate Akpo Sodje. Clarke scored the winner as the Sky Blues put a dent in the Iron’s League One survival hopes. Picture: Carl Gac.
The Sky Blues announced this week that Clarke, 28, will undergo surgery on an ankle problem that he has been struggling with for a couple of weeks.
Such treatment will end his season, a week after he downed the Iron. Typical. Facing a Clarke-less Coventry is a much more appealing prospect for opposition teams.
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It's hard to see his absence not ending his club's season too, especially given their chances of sneaking into the top six, put politely, were already pretty slim.
Such was Clarke's contribution during that laudable three-month loan stint with the Iron prior to Christmas, his return to Glanford Park seemed to overshadow that of a club legend, who for five years had been one of Scunthorpe's biggest characters as as well as influences - Joe Murphy.
His header against United ensured he was also still being talked about after the game.
It's been said that there was an air of inevitability about a Clarke goal last weekend.
I can't argue with that. Not though because he was coming up against a former club. Simply because he's proved himself to be as big a threat as you'll find at this level.
I worked out a telling stat in advance of his return trip to Glanford Park - Clarke had scored against 13 of the 19 different League One clubs he's come up against this season, be that with the Iron or the Sky Blues.
Now of course that is 14 in 20 and he has 21 goals in all competitions.
At first glance it's difficult to really pinpoint why Clarke has been such a revelation - particularly when you attempt to compare him to the sorts of strikers Scunthorpe have had in the not too distant past.
Three of whom who've been sold-on for seven figure sums, something that could never happen to Clarke, even he had have been United's to sell.
He doesn't bring much of an all round game to a team, indeed, for long spells he doesn't actually appear to be in a game.
But there-in lies his biggest asset. When a chance comes his way, no matter what has gone before, he more often than not puts it away.
Clarke is a chancer, too. He gets himself into good positions, but gambles on what the opposing centre half might not do rather than trying to beat him at his own game.
Just ask David Mirfin, who let him off the leash just once last weekend - and paid the ultimate price.
For all his undoubted talent, how many times were the Iron frustrated by a Gary Hooper miss, particularly when through one-on-one? Rarely did Clarke squander a chance in claret and blue.
As well as being a good player, Clarke is also a good person, free of the reported attitude problem that seems to have stifled the early part of his career.
It is not a theory I particularly buy into, but his decision to resist celebrating after scoring at Glanford Park showed respect in an almost apologetic fashion so as to not to offend the fans who used to chant his name.
Clarke has scored his 21 goals in just 31 games - and has failed to notch in just 12 games (which to add some perspective, is the same amount as Scunthorpe), a ratio his new Sky Blues boss Steven Pressley says is 'incredible'
It was interesting to hear Brian Laws refer to Clarke as 'one of the best strikers in the division' during his post-match press conference last week.
That wasn't something that had crossed my mind until then, but on reflection I've not seen any better.
In terms of his finishing - and the way he can generate thumping power from the simplest flick of a boot - he's also as good as any that have earned the Iron big bucks.
Coventry say surgery now will ensure Clarke's 'long-term fitness' and he is certain to be ready for the start of next season
Hopefully the Iron are around to welcome him back again to Glanford Park, even though, as Sky Blues fans took great delight in reminding their Scunthorpe counterparts on Saturday, 'he scores when he wants'.
Had he not done so with those 11 goals in 15 games between September and December, the Iron would already be dead and buried.
9 Comments
by ironite
Friday, March 15 2013, 6:33PM
“Ok, so it WAS just me and apparently I'm not alone. But you're typically missing the point, we already got the point, so just let it go.
If you and your anti-Wharton cronies all share the same philosophy, I'd imagine you don't all congregate regaling stories of everything he did wrong because presumably since you're all mingling on common purpose, that particularly penny has already dropped.
It's nothing to do with which side of the fence you line with regarding Wharton, but at one point in our future can a line in the sand be drawn allowing us to change the damn record!?!?!?”
by rainman999
Friday, March 15 2013, 3:51PM
“Not sure how you extrapolate that I will be pleased to be in league 2. That makes no sense. I am just agreeing that saying the same thing ad nauseum is becoming - well actually has become - very tedious. I feel any regular reader could stand in for you and nobody would know the difference.”
by FHall
Friday, March 15 2013, 3:37PM
“I am pleased you clap. Ironite does so hard he has calluses, I assume from that anyway.
As I say I have met one from many people with tour views. Now I know of two. Keep up the good work Rainman. You will be one of the few happy ones in League Two next season. Keep buying the tickets and pies.”
by rainman999
Friday, March 15 2013, 1:52PM
“I'm with Ironite. Can we just assume, in any given situation, that you blame the chairman for not investing in the club when he should have and we are now reaping the results of this short sightedness.
Save us all a lot of bother.”
by ironite
Friday, March 15 2013, 12:46PM
“We all know exactly what you think, it never changes.
This isn't a popularity contest, you have nothing to back up your claims of support. Very nature of the internet. Quit wanting everyone to agree with you, you've made your choices and rigidly stick with them. Let everyone else have there's.”
by FHall
Friday, March 15 2013, 9:07AM
“So poor a response you had to do it twice. I talk to many fans past and present and I'm afraid you stand virtually on your own with your views. I have heard some that share some of your views but you can count them on one finger. The point is we were there with 5800 gates and it seems you are in denial of this. We did have 2000 more home supporters through the gates but you are in denial of this. We did have exciting and real football played at Glanford Park but you are in denial of this.
Ironite, quite frankly your stance is an insult to a) the fans and b) the players we had that gave us our Golden Era. If it can be done it should be done. You are also obviously in denial that we are losing millions, during the whole period we left League Two and until two years ago we lost just short of £500k. During your Golden Era i.e. since Bara and Knill we have lost over £2m.
Keep on saying you are right, keep on sticking up for the gutless and incompetent chairman who has now, through his actions, starvation and short termism burdened our club for many years to come.”
by ironite
Friday, March 15 2013, 8:55AM
“Yeah yeah, we all get the message....you think Wharton lost his nerve and that has paradoxically contributed to both our league position and financial peril. I suspect most are bored of hearing it and have lost the inclination to make the counter-argument, myself included.
I personally would like to see an end to players refusing to celebrate against their old clubs for essentially doing their job because it's basically insulting the fans of your present employers. Don't rub their nose in it of course, but players move around so often nowadays that the whole charade is just one big cliche. As is always the case, I'll remember fondly any player who gives their all for the club while they pay their wages. If they make a substantial contribution to the benefit of the club, I'll remember it more affectionately than the lack of celebration when he scores against us.
But best of luck to Clarke and thank goodness he got over his attitude problems with us. Without his goals we'd be long-since doomed.”
by ironite
Friday, March 15 2013, 8:54AM
“Yeah yeah, we all get the message....you think Wharton lost his nerve and that has paradoxically contributed to both our league position and financial peril. I suspect most are bored of hearing it and have lost the inclination to make the counter-argument, myself included.
I personally would like to see an end to players refusing to celebrate against their old clubs for essentially doing their job because it's basically insulting the fans of your present employers. Don't rub their nose in it of course, but players move around so often nowadays that the whole charade is just one big cliche. As is always the case, I'll remember fondly any player who gives their all for the club while they pay their wages. If they make a substantial contribution to the benefit of the club, I'll remember it more affectionately than the lack of celebration when he scores against us.
But best of luck to Clarke and thank goodness he got over his attitude problems with us. Without his goals we'd be long-since doomed.”
by FHall
Friday, March 15 2013, 7:48AM
“It amazes me that 6 years ago we had a similar player on loan, Beckford. We bust a gut to sign him after Leeds went pear shaped. That was when the chairman seemed to have some guts and ambition.
6 years ago Leon Clarke would now be a fully signed Scunthorpe United player either fighting for Championship survival or getting back up there from League One.
The unproven fear of losing millions made the chairman pull away from the Championship and now it seems League One. As a result we have lost millions. A quiet through the back door loan means he must have acknowledged his failings but he has now set the course and our destiny is mapped out.
I would like to thank Leon for his contribution this season, him being THE only brightness in yet another dour season. I would much have preferred to see him in claret and blue last weekend and not the yellow that he was. Coventry are a bankrupt club, not paying their way. You deserve to be here and we as the suffering fans deserved you. Someone else put pay to that.”