Clarke Oduor

Did he dream we played him up top last season ?

 

Struggles to make any impact, but then again so does Josh Martin so may as well put our own player on the bench.

 

We don't need a footballer than can come off the bench and make zero impact. We have Josh Martin for that.

 

Read what Keith Curle has said about him.

I’d say it sums him up perfectly.

 

Agree with most that there's a gifted player in there but the lad really needs a toughening up course..think if anybody could do it Duff could but we don't have the luxury of time and resource to support him on the field so it looks like it's over in the EFL..maybe the USA or a country where the pace and aggression is less...

 

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/sp...eeds-united-man-to-return-to-barnsley-3966564

Fair assessment by Curle. Lots of skill but doesn't impact games.

 

Spot on by Curle. All the talent in the world but doesn’t impact games & doesn’t have a position.

Frustrates the life out of me. He can turn a man inside out but it’s took him 10 seconds to beat him & in that time they’re all back in position & the space has gone.

 

A fair weather footballer,very talented very lazy.

 

For me he lacks strength & confidence. Jude Bellingham tore him a new arsehole vs Brum a few years back as a 16 year old, up to that he had looked promising. He never seems to have turned the corner since then. I hope he makes it as a player, as there is a footballer in there.

 

Talented player but lacks commitment, think it was Fulham at home opening game where he looked world class , never played like that again , he’s 23 now , can’t see him changing , hope he does

 

He needs to be taken in hand and taught how to be a left back properly and stop being used as some kind of inside forward. Then he would be solid championship full back

 

Soft as piss. That’s his problem.

 

Let Duff work with him could be all down to confidence

 

Luke Thomas wa doing better under duff,leg 1 I know,was performing better for us than Barton, big Val just wanted him out.long contracts,right manager,who knows,I'd give him a try,if he can fetch players towards him opens gaps.

 

I often hear things like "lazy" and "attitude problem" bandied about when it comes to professional footballers, but in reality this is rarely likely to be the case. The amount of commitment and sacrifice it takes to make it through the system at a club like Leeds, then make 48 first team appearances for a club of Barnsley's stature while representing your country is in a different stratosphere to what most of us can ever imagine. Every year from schoolboy level, the odds are stacked heavily against any young player making the cut. It's well known that less than 30% of academy players make it pro in any capacity, so those that are lazy or have an attitude problem are likely to have been weeded out long before they reach Oduor's age. Yes, there are exceptions who are so insanely talented that clubs continue to take a punt on them even if they are mentally not cut out for professional football for whatever reason. Ravel Morrison, Jacob Mellis, even Paddy McCort. But that's not what I see in Clark Oduor. I see a young lad, who is by pro standards a very good but not exceptional player who tries his best every game, but so far it's not quite come off for him. Whether that's due to lack of confidence, not knowing his best position, having ball skills that are much better than his positional skills I have no idea, or a myriad of other reasons I don't know about. Of course he could be sitting around doing nothing in training and out on the lash round Hartlepool five days a week, but on balance of probability I'd say that's unlikely.

 

Problem is modern football requires players to defend and get forward , he doesn’t do both , it’s a mystery why he doesn’t bust a gut to get back into position when he goes forward , frustrating because if he had that in his mentality he would still be playing for Leeds

 

I agree, but I don't think it's lack of effort. More likely to be lack of awareness?

 

The kid is a winger, pure and simple. Great feet and can beat a man with ease. Would be a real asset especially against tiring defenders if we played a system which involved wingers. Sadly for Odour neither us nor Hartlepool play wingers so he's underutilised and probably needs to move on.

There's definitely a player in there though. I remember the first half against QPR last season when he absolutely terrified them.