Mug us in January with the Benson/Clark swap? Benson couldn't even get on the bench for us yet Clark seems to be there every game? Why? Also Benson's contract was up in the summer so if we get into the Champ we could have let him go for nothing yet Clark has a contract for 2012-13 season and seems a liability and a waste of salary resources to me, why do we need another lump up front anyway? Was Clark a panic signing to get Benson out? AllHell
Clarke has always been rubbish. It's unfortunate Haynes is injured though, as I'm sure it is he who would have come on.
I would have been happy if we had swapped Benson for a box of used jockstraps. He remains, in my humble opinion, one of the worst Charlton players ever. This title, however, will always belong to Pavel Abbott - he made Benson look like Alan Shearer! Clarke is hopeless. Complete and utter crud. I dread to think what Paul Hayes must be thinking when he sees Clarke getting the nod. The guy's morale must be at rock-bottom. Terrible, terrible purchase from CP.
Benno scored 10 in 27 last season in a team that didn't play to his strengths - John Still even told us that if you cross it too him he'd score - and yet we never did. It's very harsh to call him one of the worst ever. As someone else said and as I've said in the past, he should have been kept as a cheap and decent benchwarmer knowing his contract would be up by the time we reach the Championship anyway (I admit he could never play in the championship)
IMO i think it was a bad deal, after seeing Benson play last season, and clark a few times this, i'd be more confident of Benson scoring in this side. Best way i can describe Clark....meh. How he scored so many in this league before coming to us i'll never know!
The first time Clarke came on the bloke behind me said "He's Akpo" after about 5 minutes, which I liked. The case of Benson is a strange one alright. In his last game he played well scored a clever goal but had to go off at half-time with a broken finger, after which he was never seen again. By all accounts he is a model professional so no issues there. He was also said to have a great understanding with Green, but we never saw this. Something not quite right.
I'm with Ponders on this one. I think Clarke is pretty useless based on the 40 odd minutes I've seen in play this season, but Benson wasn't much better. At least Clarke has a few years on Benson and could improve (doubtful, but you never know), Benson is past it. Not a particularly good deal, but certainly not a bad one.
Benson top bloke and just for that reason alone some of us are going to the JPT final to support him, hopefully meet his brother for beers too. Had my doubts about Clarke which I think are being proven, but will give the lad time.
I always thought one of the main reasons Green chose us over other clubs was the prospect of linking up with Benson again. Strange that he'd then only feature in one cup game this season for us. Whilst Benson may be poor on and off the ball, he still scores goals, he scored on average, better than 1 goal in every 3 games last season, quite impressive considering how poor the service was. Clarke on the other hand has done nothing in every game I've seen him in. The closest I've seen to him scoring was when playing for Chesterfield earlier in the season, he hit the ball from two yards out and it went miles over the bar. Okay, not entirely true, he had a shot on target the other week, but that first shot I mentioned should have been enough of a warning to Powell to not touch him with a barge-pole. The only striker I've seen who I think is worse than him so far is Frank Nouble - and our season was practically over when we signed him so I didn't mind as much. In short, there really is no contest between the two.
I think BWP saying at the end of last season something along the lines of 'get me a decent strike partner' never helped. Thats one of the reasons why even if BWP scores and scores and scores I won't warm to him. He is a spoilt brat.
I must say there is something about him that I can't take to despite his (temporarily lost) prowess. Always looks as though he has an attitude problem. But I've never met him so unfair to judge.
Ybabobmij, McLeod used to go down for penalties which allowed other players to score at least. Playing with Clarke is like playing with 10 men. I know what you mean about BWP to some extent, he doesn't quite seem 'one of us' or seem to appreciate and get along with the fans the way previous goalscorers have. That said, I've never cared too much as long as he scores and helps get us out of this league. For all I know he may love us fans, just the impression that sometimes I get.
Read BWP's Q&A page in last night's VR. He comes across (to me) as a bit of a plum. He likes basketball. The only bad part of the Benson/Clarke swap is the fact that we have lumbered ourselves with another dodo. We should have let Benson go for nowt and saved the wages for new vending machines that produce quality Ethiopian coffee. That would certainly enhance my enjoyment of the game. Basically, I am saying that Benson and Clarke are worth just 46 cups of coffee. And I am being generous!
