Will Clarke be with us next season?

[baddowblue]

Apparently Clarke is refusing to discuss a new contract and I reckon he will be on his way to another club. Assuming that Dervite and Robinson will not be with us either it sadly means all the good work in the latter part of this season has been to no unvail. Instead of building a team on the recent successes and current first team squad, Tilly will virtually have to start from scratch. Lets hope he has success in the transfer market!! Less loans and more players on permanent contracts for a more stable side through the whole of the season please!

 

[BoyWonder2]

Apparently Clarke is refusing to discuss a new contract and I reckon he will be on his way to another club. Assuming that Dervite and Robinson will not be with us either it sadly means all the good work in the latter part of this season has been to no unvail. Instead of building a team on the recent successes and current first team squad, Tilly will virtually have to start from scratch. Lets hope he has success in the transfer market!! Less loans and more players on permanent contracts for a more stable side through the whole of the season please!

The second half wont be wasted as you suggest. Moussa has established himself in the first team, Herd has picked up valuable experience, and Granty is showing some real form out there as well.

In an ideal would Clarkey would stay with Dervite and Robinson but realistically I can only see Robinson with us next season. If Clarkey goes then you move Barrett infield to centre half. We will still need to sign another centre half anyways.

On another thread I named a team I'd like to see for next season, and of our players we have contracted at the Club it included Mildenhall, Francis, Barrett, Grant, Macca and Barnard in the first 11 which shows we have the making of a good squad here already.

Ideally, we will have a bit more success in the transfer market and have some new players signed up, but its still a market for players out there. The players we are likely to be going for will have other Clubs interested so they can wait and see how the talks develop.

 

[manor15]

Apparently Clarke is refusing to discuss a new contract and I reckon he will be on his way to another club. Assuming that Dervite and Robinson will not be with us either it sadly means all the good work in the latter part of this season has been to no unvail. Instead of building a team on the recent successes and current first team squad, Tilly will virtually have to start from scratch. Lets hope he has success in the transfer market!! Less loans and more players on permanent contracts for a more stable side through the whole of the season please!

Is it a good source that said he is refusing to talk about a new contract? At the beginning of the season I thought he was going but times like Colchester where he showed how much he loved the club and having a baby made me think that there might be a chance he could stay. I think he could easily play at Championship level (with the right partner). This spell has also given players confidence and consequently they have played better (Macca, Barney, etc.) so I don't think the spell since Christmas has given us nothing to build on.

 

[BoyWonder2]

Is it a good source that said he is refusing to talk about a new contract? At the beginning of the season I thought he was going but times like Colchester where he showed how much he loved the club and having a baby made me think that there might be a chance he could stay. I think he could easily play at Championship level (with the right partner). This spell has also given players confidence and consequently they have played better (Macca, Barney, etc.) so I don't think the spell since Christmas has given us nothing to build on.

Its in RM blog, and Clarkey mentioned it a few weeks back if I remember correctly.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

I dont think Clarke will be here next season. For all the passion he shows on the pitch, at the end of the day he's a footballer and if he's offered a better contract by a better club in the summer he'll go. I really hope he stays though.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

I can't see it, to be honest. He's an ambitious boy; he joined us to play Championship football, and he's stuck in League One.

I can see someone like Donny Rovers coming in for him.

Matt

 

[Andy_S]

I've heard a little tidbit that Leicester are keeping an eye on the situation.


I love the fact that this story has been blown up by the likes of ITV. Ron said nothing different in his blog to what we already know and yet suddenly the headline "Clarke rejects contract talks" appears around the net.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

I've heard a little tidbit that Leicester are keeping an eye on the situation.

Makes sense.

Matt

 

[grassroots]

He's a 'seat of the pants' defender that will do a good job for anyone with 'class' partner - as has been seen with Dervite. Football is all about partnerships - Clarke and Barratt looked good, but results prove different. He'll be gone and good luck to him!!

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

I've heard a little tidbit that Leicester are keeping an eye on the situation.


I love the fact that this story has been blown up by the likes of ITV. Ron said nothing different in his blog to what we already know and yet suddenly the headline "Clarke rejects contract talks" appears around the net.

Seems a bit like the 'silly season' in journalism at the moment .....obviously there is not much to write about. Both stories about Robinson and Clarke are pretty much non-events and provide absolutely nothing in information about the likelyhood of either of them playing for us next season. It's general knowledge that the odds are against Clarke staying but there again it depends exactly who is going to come in with an offer ......so at the moment it is all pure conjecture.

 

[class]

Highly unlikely that Dorian will be here next season. His dad was in the Spread at the MK Dons game, and basically said Dorian was 'loving it' at Southend, but he and Tottenham want him to go on loan to a Championship side next season.

Hearing a French man say "Yes he loving it at Southend" made me chuckle!!

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I dont think Clarke will be here next season. For all the passion he shows on the pitch, at the end of the day he's a footballer and if he's offered a better contract by a better club in the summer he'll go. I really hope he stays though.

Exactly, theres nothing more to add, end of discussion.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Maybe I'm being naive, but I wouldn't rule out Clarke beind here next season just yet. I am sure he is ambitious, and wants to play at as high a level as possible, but our stunning about turn in form, and rise up the table may well convince him his future lay with us.

It is clear to most that he enjoys his football here, and I am pretty sure he is settled in the area - his Mum and Dad sit in front of me at EVERY game, and they seem to have an excellent relationship with a lot of the other first team members. Add into that equation the fact he has got married and had a kid in the last 12 months, I'd be surprised if he wasn;t settled here.

If the money is right, I am in no doubt Tilly could convince him he's at a club which could be going places - In fact, I'd go so far as to say Tilly could be a huge factor in Clarke signing a new contract.

Don't give up hope just yet.

 

[shrimpermatt]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11716_5196991,00.html

quotes are taken from rons blog by the looks of it but still, its not looking good

 

[mattytheshrimper]

think he'll be off and missed badly

 

[manor15]

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11716_5196991,00.html

quotes are taken from rons blog by the looks of it but still, its not looking good

Is that the best picture they could find of him? Sorry can't post it but it's an awful picture!
Quotes nicked from Rons blog but I am hoping that he is concentrating on the football and will sign on at the end of the season but I really doubt that. Great service from him and if he plays every game until the end of the season then he will have played 149 games for us, 1 more must be worth it! Thanks for the memories Clarkey but hopefully you will stay and give us some more!

 

[watchtheballboys]

Clarkey

Clarkey really is a very decent guy and the passion he shows on the pitch for Southend is genuine, however as has been said before he is a footballer and though recently married with a young child it could be the main reason why he may stay or conversely leave us.

If there is a better paycheck elsewhere then at 27 with responsibilities he, as most would, must look at the financial considerations, he owes it to his family. A Championship club offer and the associated pay check will, I think, secure his services especially as he is probably nearing his peak and in a couple of years the opportunity may not be there.

The other issue which if I can see it I am sure players within the club can too is that we rely far too much on loan players with the result that almost by default we have stumbled into a good run with the two key players being Dervitte and Robinson who will almost certainly not be here next season.

It may be Tilly's fault, possibly, Ron's fault probably that the almost painful inactivity in the summer with the hope of new players rarely materialises until the last minute with the result that we pick up players of questionable ability such as Betsy.

Many clubs have targets, I know we do but the constant comments in the newspaper is one of 'we are chasing someone' only to find they turn us down according to the club at the last minute. Probably financial reasons I suspect.

So I won't blame Clarkey if he goes, good luck to him and his family, I want him to stay but if I were him I would look at the players most responsible for the great run we have had and realise they are very unlikely to be here next season!

As I said in a previous blog the three or five games we should easily have and were expected to win at home has cost us the play-offs and even the possibility of automatic promotion.

The team has come together nicely, albeit frustratingly inconsistent at times especially when expected to win the game, far too late in the season and I fear unless the mind set changes it will be a similar season to come.

So if I were Tilly I would get the signings lined up now, negotiate to keep Robinson now, get a centre back and a wide man lined up on a promise of decent pay now, tell Clarkey what is going on and that may persuade him to stay.....

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

I think if a championship club comes in he'll be off, but if only league one teams are interested he may well stay here. He may just be making us sweat, thinking we won't be able to keep him, you never know.

 

[Shrimpersunited]

Not sure if this is true, but i heard last week that he has finally sold his house. This gives more beleif that he is off, however, he could be looking for a new place with the new addition to the family.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

Not sure if this is true, but i heard last week that he has finally sold his house. This gives more beleif that he is off, however, he could be looking for a new place with the new addition to the family.

I was told the club had sorted his accommodation when he first moved down to Essex and that they were still living in a rented house. Therefore, not sure we can guess from any property moves, what is happening.