Poor old Jack Clarke. He was on the crest of a wave last season after breaking through into the Leeds first team.
He didn’t recover his form after being sidelined with a virus but he’d already done enough to seal a big-money move to Tottenham in the summer.
He was loaned straight back to Leeds for the season where the hope from both sides was that he’d push on under Marcelo Bielsa.
Unfortunately, he seems to have gone backwards.
Clarke has been the victim of Leeds having six loanees in their squad with a Championship limit of five.
He’s been dropped from the last five Championship squads and looks very unlikely to be selected for the Derby game tomorrow after playing for the Under-23s at Hull on Friday afternoon.
Bielsa defended the youngster in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, saying, “He’s at a good fitness level, technically he is complete and his attitude is very good. I’m satisfied working with him and I’m sure he’s going to be important for us.”
Bielsa on Jack Clarke and whether he might go back to Spurs, given his lack of game time: "He's at a good fitness level, technically he is complete and his attitude is very good. I'm satisfied working with him and I'm sure he's going to be important for us." #lufc
— Phil Hay (@PhilHay_) September 19, 2019
However, there were some Leeds fans who were far from impressed at his performance for the Under-23s.
Leeds slumped to their first defeat of the season to Hull, losing 2-1 after taking the lead in the first half.
Even worse, Clarke came in for some familiar criticism – mainly centred around his attitude.
Here are the reactions from Leeds fans:
#lufc Whats happened to Jack Clarke? Every time I watch him play he just seems to run into defenders getting tackled. He was on fire last year before the passing out incident.
— ASB (@asbmot) September 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/DigglerBarnes/status/1175040483745325056
I dunno if Jack Clarke has gone all billy big bollocks and thinks he’s too good to be playing in our Under 23’s but it looks like we’ve had spurs’ pants down by getting £10m for him #LUFC
— Ashley Churchill (@AshleyChurchil1) September 20, 2019
Clarke got a lot of criticism after the Under-23s defeat against Hull but he wasn’t the only player who underperformed, and he certainly wasn’t the worst player on the pitch.
He actually had a good first 45 minutes and could have salvaged a point at the end with a smart volley.
More than one fan questioned his attitude, and this isn’t the first time he’s come under fire for this since he returned from Tottenham.
Some fans will be looking for it. They won’t like the fact that he moved to Tottenham and they’ll take the fact that he’s playing for the Under-23s as proof that he’s not interested.
The other side of the coin is that he’s a young player under immense pressure. He’ll know that his success at Tottenham is connected to how well he does at Leeds this season.
He’s not even getting in the squad – something Bielsa says is not down to him – and that has got to be immensely frustrating for the 18-year-old.
https://twitter.com/Customersfire2/status/1175046016279678976
Not all the Leeds fans were negative.
One said that Clarke was “dominating down the flanks” in the first-half, while another said he showed “flashes of brilliance” while other players were poor.
Irrespective of his form today, we don’t know many first-team players who would like getting dropped from the first-team squad and effectively demoted into the Under-23s.
Bielsa specifically said his attitude was good and we think Clarke deserves a break from the criticism.
Half time 1-1 Leeds way ahead in class here but not rflected in the score yet. Edmondson putting in a good shift up top, Jack Clarke and Stu McKinstry dominating down the flanks. McKinstry was 17yo yesterday but what a prospect. Miazek getting a go between the sticks today
— xxxxxx (@333doc1) September 20, 2019
Brilliant first half. Jack Clarke wonderful play x
— pauline Thompson (@Apothecary2019) September 20, 2019
Bit like watching the #lufc 1st team watching the U23s – we had all the ball but contrived somehow to lose the game! Flashes of brilliance from Jack Clarke but elsewhere too many looked average today, loose passes, poor control, sloppy defending.
— David Watkins (@DaveLUFCWatkins) September 20, 2019