Sold 2022, now better than Brennan: Conte made a mistake on fruitless Spurs flop

Tottenham may have made a mistake with this one; he’d thrive under Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham Hotspur’s advantage slipped at home, allowing West Ham United to win the Premier League; it was Ange Postecoglou’s team’s fourth loss in five matches.

The 2022/23 season began some months ago, and Postecoglou’s initiative took off with unrivaled ease, eight wins and two draws, putting Spurs at the top of the league and comfortably ahead of plan in the early days of a new era.

The ebb and flow of results and performance this season is nothing new at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the key difference is Postecoglou’s unique vision, with each transfer market signing adding to the squad’s total strength.

That is not to suggest that many established players were not up to par, with Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, and Heung-min Son rebounding from last year’s struggles.

Much deadwood has been cleared out, but one sale before to Postecoglou’s arrival in Jack Clarke may be regarded with regret, since the Sunderland winger is surely capable of earning accolades down the N17.

Why did Tottenham sign Jack Clarke?

In 2019, Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur signed young prodigy Clarke from Leeds United for about £10 million, with the player continuing on loan at Elland Road for the 2019/20 season.

Clarke, who was just 18 years old at the time, made his debut for the Whites under Marcelo Bielsa in 2018 and excelled with two goals and two assists in four Championship starts.

Pundit Noel Whelan had undoubtedly recognized the teen’s brilliance, extolling his qualities and saying: “He has a great ability to glide past players.” I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a winger as brilliant as him, who makes it seem so easy to take someone on, and he really keeps you on the edge of your seat; he’s one of those thrilling guys.

“He’s only going to get better but once again a player we can only enjoy if we go into the Premier League because there’s teams sniffing around him.”

Tottenham’s decision to recruit Clarke was not a mistake, as he has many appealing natural characteristics and has shown production via both direct threat and playmaking.

Former Tottenham Hotspur player Jack Clarke

However, Clarke’s recruitment was just one of many young talents who made the step to a side at the forefront of English football too soon; may he have been better situated in a stable environment for a few more years, rather than itinerantly bouncing from loan stint to loan stint?

Antonio Conte looks to have made a mistake in letting Clarke to go in 2022, as the wide player is currently thriving and establishing his value as a winger brimming with natural skill and confidence.

Clarke was once praised for his “undoubtable talent” by QPR’s former director of football Les Ferdinand during one of his several loan spells while on Tottenham’s books. He only made four senior appearances for Spurs before completing a final loan move to Sunderland midway through the 2021/22 season, impressing during the Black Cats’ League One promotion push and earning a permanent transfer the following summer.

Jack Clarke’s Sunderland Career
Clarke, 23, has settled nicely at the Stadium of Light and established himself as a key member of a squad vying for promotion to the Premier League.

Last season, his first full year in Tyne and Wear, the 23-year-old scored 11 goals and assisted 14 times in 50 games across all competitions, helping Sunderland reach the play-off semi-finals before succumbing to Luton Town.

According to FBref, the 6’1″ attacker ranks among the top 15% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions and tackles over the last year, the top 1% for progressive carries, the top 5% for successful take-ons, and the top 2% for attacking box touches per 90.

Such stats indicate a breakneck speed and a deft and progressive talent that enables him to sprint into favorable situations down the left wing and unleash his ingenuity.

Clarke has been in amazing form this season, with 13 goals and four assists in the second division, averaging 2.5 crucial passes, 1.7 tackles, 4.6 ball recoveries, 3.7 dribbles, and 8.2 successful duels per game.

It’s a fantastic level of performance that implies he’s ready for a second chance at the big time; in fact, West Ham and Serie A club Lazio both attempted to sign him in January but were turned down.

Clarke, who is destined for success, may be playing better than Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson, who joined the club from Nottingham Forest for £47.5 million last summer.

Better than Brennan Johnson

Johnson had just two goals and four assists in 19 appearances for Spurs, but he was essential to the Tricky Trees’ Premier League survival last season, scoring 10 times.

Of course, Clarke currently plays in England’s second tier, and Johnson barely struggled in the Championship last season, scoring 16 goals and assisting nine times as Nottingham Forest won promotion, but the Sunderland star is displaying newfound maturity, and if he could transfer his form to Tottenham right now, he would be set for success.

While Johnson is a sharp dribbler and has been praised for his “frightening” quickness by colleague Joe Allen, there’s an argument to be made that Clarke provides everything Johnson, 22, does and more.

This notion is highlighted by the fact that top tier players average just 0.7 dribbles, 1.1 crucial passes, and 2.8 critical passes per game.

Johnson is young and will hopefully continue to grow under Postecoglou’s tutelage, but if Spurs had managed Clarke’s time at the club better, a large sum could have been saved on Johnson, and a truly dynamic and effective phenom could now be making their mark in the capital.

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