From @chelseayouth on Twitter, experts on their academy and youth teams:
"Versatile full back/wing back, right sided but can play off the left if needed, effort and commitment never in doubt but work to do in other areas (was a latecomer to the academy game). Be interesting to see if he impacts the first team as he's not played close to that level yet.
And that's not a knock on him, but he wasn't really an U18 regular and didn't play U23s for us, so to make any sort of leap to Wycombe's level is a projection. Would like to see it because he's a good kid but there's work to be done if so."
@StrongestTeam said:
We don't really do signing the finished article, good luck to him.
McCleary, Horgan, Ikpeazu, Bayo, Parker, Stockdale, McCarthy, Tafazoli, Jacobson, Grimmer & Onyedimna I would argue were pretty much the finished articles I would have thought? 1 or 2 needed a few finishing touches and all would have needed to be Wycomised, but on the whole . . .
The interview refers to a private school rather than public but I’m not sure what the distinction is. I went to Maidstone Grammar School. When I mentioned later in life that I’d been to a public school, the response tended to be along the lines of “Ooh, get you, is your dad filthy rich?”. The fact was that it was only designated as a public school on account of the headmaster being a member of the Headmasters’ Conference. I had to pass the 11 plus and did so in summer 1949, joining the grammar school a few weeks before my 11th birthday.
One indication of his positional preference in the various bits and bobs about James Clarke that I tracked down was a picture of him brandishing a No 2 shirt.
Comments
Left or right sided, do you know?
Trying to find out some more on him, but the story says he can play either side.
Last paragraph suggests he might fit in well.....
https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/2019/03/22/teenage-kicks--james-clark
Start in B team set up but if he does well and JJ got an injury who knows.
From @chelseayouth on Twitter, experts on their academy and youth teams:
"Versatile full back/wing back, right sided but can play off the left if needed, effort and commitment never in doubt but work to do in other areas (was a latecomer to the academy game). Be interesting to see if he impacts the first team as he's not played close to that level yet.
And that's not a knock on him, but he wasn't really an U18 regular and didn't play U23s for us, so to make any sort of leap to Wycombe's level is a projection. Would like to see it because he's a good kid but there's work to be done if so."
We don't really do signing the finished article, good luck to him.
McCleary, Horgan, Ikpeazu, Bayo, Parker, Stockdale, McCarthy, Tafazoli, Jacobson, Grimmer & Onyedimna I would argue were pretty much the finished articles I would have thought? 1 or 2 needed a few finishing touches and all would have needed to be Wycomised, but on the whole . . .
Jamie Mascoll didn’t make it so management must have spotted something special in this lad.
Public school educated, according to that Chelsea interview. Our own Patrick Bamford?
If he works half as hard as Bamford then we could be in for a treat
As was Frank Lampard. 10 GCSE’s inc Latin. Went to Forest School in Essex, founder members of the FA in 1863.
I noticed in one picture he’s holding a > @MindlessDrugHoover said:
The interview refers to a private school rather than public but I’m not sure what the distinction is. I went to Maidstone Grammar School. When I mentioned later in life that I’d been to a public school, the response tended to be along the lines of “Ooh, get you, is your dad filthy rich?”. The fact was that it was only designated as a public school on account of the headmaster being a member of the Headmasters’ Conference. I had to pass the 11 plus and did so in summer 1949, joining the grammar school a few weeks before my 11th birthday.
One indication of his positional preference in the various bits and bobs about James Clarke that I tracked down was a picture of him brandishing a No 2 shirt.
The first line of that post is a relic of my original never completed message many hours ago. Distractions, distractions...
Clarke without an ‘e’.
Has this lad even made the bench yet? Forgot we signed him tbh.
Not yet.