When we bought him I thought he looked like an energetic but limited all-purpose back up at the Championship level, who chipped in a few goals by getting into good positions in the box. This year he has been a revelation and his performance against Arsenal was outstanding, combining a hard-tackling defensive performance with some amazingly accurate long passes out to the wings. MOM and best player on the field IMO. What a difference a year has made. I remember Bruce saying he was first name on the team sheet a year ago. This year he may well be. Well done Sam.
I'm sorry, but if you thought he looked 'limited' at Championship level, then you must have been watching a different player to me.
I think he did, at least as a winger. Slow, fairly weak, no ability to get past someone (indeed his attempts at stepovers often looked as if he was having a seizure). He's almost a carbon copy of Stephen Quinn, a little taller, but actually with a brain and the balls to try something every now and then.
I said "when we bought him". In the first half of the Championship season he actually stood out..."first name on the team sheet" said Bruce. He was that good.
He has played well, but let's not go too OTT! It's the usual overhype, calls for England & then he has a drop in form. Same as Davies, Hudds & Jake! Give it the season, if he's still impressive by the end, then give it all the hype!
As a winger I always thought he looked solid, dependable but not exactly explosive or creative. Same as Elmo basically. Never going to beat a man but did everything well if not exceptionally. Could cross pretty well and obviously had a scoring knack. It makes sense really that those skills are better used in the centre, doing the simple things and feeding the likes of Snodgrass to do more attacking work. I'm always a little surprised by your appraisal of Quinn though. There are similarities; left sided, ginger, but I thought Quinn was always much more nippy and dynamic. You wouldn't have ever fancied Quinn at the base of the midfield where Clucas is playing now, but Quinn was very good slightly further forward and got loads of assists for us.
Disagree about Clucas' crossing, it was probably his weakest area as a winger and probably the biggest part of why I don't think he's suited to playing out wide. He must have attempted 10000 crosses last season and maybe 5 total actually made it past his marker? With regards Quinn, very similar imo, although Clucas is bigger, more intelligent and has the guts to pass further than 5 yards. Quinn could have been a lot better if he had the brain and confidence Clucas has to see a move and actually try it. As it was he did a lot of running around and achieved very little. He wouldn't have performed as well as Sam in the holding role because he was just far too small and generally quite poor in the challenge. As for getting loads of assists, I can't remember how or how many he notched in the championship, but in the premier league he amassed a grand total of 3 assists from 42 appearances. Two were corners he took and the third was one of his trademark super safe 5 yard passes deep in midfield to Diame, which Mo went on to run up to the edge of the box and hammer into the top corner away at Newcastle.
Quinn got a fair few in the Championship season, second only to Brady, and that total of 3 actually made him one of our highest assisters in 2014/15 too despite barely playing. Playing in the middle he didn't cross a lot, but when he did, we nearly always seemed to score.
you're right was released at end of last season - hadn't realised that - disappeared into somewhat obscurity having made a name for himself here
