Clayton

[maltaseagull]

T

That is my view. I think that he is over hyped , potentially he is good, remains to be seen if he actually reaches that potential consistanly

I think he has gone backwards in terms of development since Gus left. He didn't get many chances to show but looked to have a real goal scoring threat. Now he seems to be getting more negative.

 

[TSB]

I think he has gone backwards in terms of development since Gus left. He didn't get many chances to show but looked to have a real goal scoring threat. Now he seems to be getting more negative.

He was a goal threat for the U21's. One of the best English players at the tournament, infact.
Blame both Poyet and Garcia for playing him in the wrong position.

 

[Bladders]

He was a goal threat for the U21's. One of the best English players at the tournament, infact.
Blame both Poyet and Garcia for playing him in the wrong position.

Far too deep under Garcia, spent most games making 5 yard sideways passes

 

[WATFORD zero]

JFC won't get a look in

Looking at the amount of game time he got in the championship last season as a teenager, i suspect you may be a little way wide of the mark.

 

[Bladders]

Looking at the amount of game time he got in the championship last season as a teenager, i suspect you may be a little way wide of the mark.

Crofts injured , Spanish Dave woefully out of form, Orlandi out injured and Kemy out in the cold, who else was going to fill the position?

Picked by default in the end

 

[bhawoddy]

JFC won't get a look in

Has he done enough to warrant a place?

IMO its a huge no

 

[TSB]

Far too deep under Garcia, spent most games making 5 yard sideways passes

Entirely agree. Though think losing Liam didn't help as the midfield got deeper and deeper.
Hopefully Toko will prove to be just as good as Liam (no pressure there then, Congo man) and we can 'flood forward' with Jake and Clayton at the helm.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Crofts injured , Spanish Dave woefully out of form, Orlandi out injured and Kemy out in the cold, who else was going to fill the position?

Picked by default in the end

Fact still remains that he was one of very few teenagers who clocked up a lot of time for a top 6 Championship side. You think it was down to luck, given the number of professional footballers after that position, I tend to think otherwise.

 

[Bladders]

Entirely agree. Though think losing Liam didn't help as the midfield got deeper and deeper.
Hopefully Toko will prove to be just as good as Liam (no pressure there then, Congo man) and we can 'flood forward' with Jake and Clayton at the helm.

I hope when he does get his chance he's not just brought in to plug gaps but played higher up the pitch behind the strikers.

Think his confidence and natural game got wiped away under Garcia being made to play defensively minded

 

[Kevlar]

Looking at the amount of game time he got in the championship last season as a teenager, i suspect you may be a little way wide of the mark.

depends on crofts and Stephens fitness I think
if Clayton joins as well as Tonko I suspect
both Ince and JFC will not play as much as last year
Certainly midfield is well covered

 

[Bladders]

Fact still remains that he was one of very few teenagers who clocked up a lot of time for a top 6 Championship side. You think it was down to luck, given the number of professional footballers after that position, I tend to think otherwise.

I never said luck, and who was after the position who wasn't injured or well out of form?

Just because I don't think he's one of the best 3 midfielders we have doesn't mean I think he's rubbish.

Hopefully under Sami he'll get a chance to play his natural attacking game.

 

[TSB]

I hope when he does get his chance he's not just brought in to plug gaps but played higher up the pitch behind the strikers.

Think his confidence and natural game got wiped away under Garcia being made to play defensively minded

Seems to me his confidence is just fine, but definitely needs to be given the chance (in his best position) to sink or swim.
Should have a surplus of CM's this year so any hole-plugging will likely be short-lived.

 

[We're the Stripes]

perhaps his house got flooded?

judging from what your HT mate said though, he doesn't sound like anything different to what we already have. defensive midfielders are not what we need

You do realise just because a manager may choose to deploy a midfielder in a deeper role it doesn't automatically make them a specialist defensive midfielder?

 

[WATFORD zero]

I never said luck, and who was after the position who wasn't injured or well out of form?

Just because I don't think he's one of the best 3 midfielders we have doesn't mean I think he's rubbish.

Hopefully under Sami he'll get a chance to play his natural attacking game.

To be fair, he hasn't developed at the rate I had hoped, but I also think that could be down to the role he was asked to play. I do think, however, that given his age and experience already, he could be a big player for us in the future.

 

[bhawoddy]

You do realise just because a manager may choose to deploy a midfielder in a deeper role it doesn't automatically make them a specialist defensive midfielder?

guess we'll have to see

 

[sydney]

perhaps his house got flooded?

judging from what your HT mate said though, he doesn't sound like anything different to what we already have. defensive midfielders are not what we need

from what the ht lad said he sounds a lot like bridcutt , perhaps sammy can get him proper fit like , the prospect of picking a midfield from a fit and motivated kemy , crofts , ince , clayton, march , jfk, kaz , buckley , stephens and toko .......with two up front cms , o'grady + plus the next mammoth signing of a striker...oooh wer vicar ...in fact i would say that if we can get a decent striker in and a versatile defender who can play across the back as cover for greer and the frequently injured bruno that we are looking not too shabby ...!!

couple of prem loanees on topof that lot and we should do o.k. as long as sammy knows what he'd doing and has that all important plan B.

 

[Rod Marsh]

T

That is my view. I think that he is over hyped , potentially he is good, remains to be seen if he actually reaches that potential consistanly

If anything he's under hyped and doesn't get the credit he deserves. Look at west ham showing off poyet with limited league experience and a very similar England pedigree. If we signed jfc now from a league rival. An England U21 international, this board would go into meltdown.

Sure he's not a world beater yet. With every game he plays he'll get better and better. I know who I'd play if it was a choice of him or crofts. Jfc should be playing the attacking role as he does for England.

 

[Paris]

I've just seen a bearded gentleman entering The Grand.

 

[Bladders]

I've just seen a bearded gentleman entering The Grand.

Front or back door?

 

[Finchley Seagull]

If anything he's under hyped and doesn't get the credit he deserves. Look at west ham showing off poyet with limited league experience and a very similar England pedigree. If we signed jfc now from a league rival. An England U21 international, this board would go into meltdown.

Sure he's not a world beater yet. With every game he plays he'll get better and better. I know who I'd play if it was a choice of him or crofts. Jfc should be playing the attacking role as he does for England.

I agree. I think he's a victim of initial over hype so now he's not a £20 million player already, he's not good enough. What the play offs and the under 21s showed is that in a midfield three, he needs to be at the front of the three, not one of the more defensive players.