Ketsbaia Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 He's played for Souness, Keegan and Tigana . . . now Lee Clark is showing what he’s learned It is 8.30am in Lee Clark’s Huddersfield Town office. Laptops are open, statistics are being analysed and an unnamed non-League striker is being discussed. The mail includes DVDs from hopeful players asking for trials — it’s no longer just a letter. The mood is businesslike; serious. Then Clark’s experienced backroom staff get to work. There is a lunch request for a plate of lettuce with gravy around it — ‘like Gordon Ramsay does it’ — followed by a brief discussion on the effect on the digestive system of eating sand. It is less serious now. Finally, news of Chris Coleman’s demise at Coventry City begins to come through. Heads are shaken. Clark and Coleman were team-mates at Fulham. Clark scored the winner in Coleman’s first match as manager, against Newcastle. ‘It just shows you how precarious it is,’ Clark said of his profession. ‘When it’s someone you know well, and Chris is a very good friend of mine, it makes it tougher. 'But when I got this job a lot of the managers who rang up said not to expect anything other than one day getting the sack. They didn’t mean it in a bad way, they were just being realistic. ‘But you have to be optimistic, too. You have to see how long you can stay. Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, they’re changing the rules.’ A morning in Clark’s company and it becomes clear that such balance is a theme. At 37, he is the youngest manager in the three divisional play-offs — Huddersfield host Millwall on Saturday in the League One semi-final first leg — and he is unchanged physically from the midfielder who played Barclays Premier League football for Newcastle and Fulham until three years ago. He was Glenn Roeder’s assistant at Norwich and Huddersfield is Clark’s first manager’s job. Alongside him, though, are men such as Derek Fazackerley and Terry McDermott, who have seen it and done it. The banter they produce was taken on to the training pitch, yet the session was long and intense. For all his comparative youth, Clark has been planning to coach for a long time. A product of Wallsend Boys Club, he was 17 when he made his Newcastle debut under Jim Smith, the first in a list of high-profile managers Clark played under: Ardiles, Keegan, Dalglish, Reid, Tigana, Coleman and Souness. Clark started taking notes early. Toom hero: Clark was a much-loved character in his Premier League days at Newcastle, and latterly Fulham ‘I took my first coaching licence in my early 20s,’ he said. ‘Even in my teens I was looking after a boys club on a Sunday — trained them in midweek. Shola Ameobi actually played for one of the sides, Walker Central. It’s always been in my mind. ‘Keegan’s decision-making, seeing a player, that was spot on. Jean Tigana, he was into fitness and nutrition — we’d have three sessions a day, sometimes the first was at six in the morning. 'You’d come in, do a 5km run, then have breakfast together and relax. That would give your body recovery time. You’d have another session at 10, then one at three in the afternoon. We were super-fit. We got results, that makes it easier to sell your wares. I haven’t tried six o’clock here yet... ‘What I saw with Graeme Souness was man-management. He was under severe pressure as Newcastle manager; the crowd never took to him. But he never once brought that pressure into the dressing room. ‘As a young player, I had Ossie Ardiles. He gave us loads of confidence but the squad was just too young. We’d be 3-0 up and lose 4-3.’ Cutting Huddersfield’s average age was one of Clark’s stated aims in his first job interview. That was 17 months ago following Stan Ternent’s dismissal. Of the 21 players’ names on Clark’s noticeboard, only eight remain from December 2008. The rest of that season was about stability — Huddersfield finished ninth. This season, ‘the first aim was to be in the top six’. Clark acknowledged the strong support from new, young multi-millionaire chairman, Dean Hoyle. But the club’s transfer record remains the £1.2million spent on Marcus Stewart 14 years ago. Since then there have been eight managers and this is the ninth consecutive season below Championship level. To many, Huddersfield remain the Herbert Chapman club, the one Bill Shankly managed before Liverpool. They have not been in the top flight since 1972. Clark said the club’s history should be embraced but if he is successful he will have altered it. A victory over Millwall — who lost 1-0 at the Galpharm Stadium a month ago — would take Huddersfield one step forward but they are the outsiders of the four play-off teams and, while that top-six aim has been achieved, it may require the two further years on Clark’s contract to get the club promoted. By then Clark will have learned again. As he said of the difference between being an assistant and being No 1: ‘Every day I have the final decision on football matters. You have to get used to that. ‘I’ve had a player come to me this season with “a big problem”. He asked if I could do anything about his broken dishwasher. I told him I wasn’t actually a qualified plumber, but that I’d see if I could get someone to help him.’ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1278528/Hes-played-Souness-Keegan-Tigana----Lee-Clark-showing-s-learned.html?ITO=1490 Big day tomorrow, Clarkie. C'mon Huddersfield Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Heneage Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 He's the only former player I'd love to see manage us at some point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maybe_next_year Posted May 14, 2010 Share Posted May 14, 2010 only one who i can think of who shows obvious talent for management as well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toonlass Posted May 16, 2010 Share Posted May 16, 2010 I am really made up to see Clarkie doing so well. Would be brilliant if they could beat Millwall and get to final. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin75 Posted May 17, 2010 Share Posted May 17, 2010 Terry Mac's there with Clarkie!! Ha ha, anyone ever talked to him? His patter must be fuckin mental, like a permanent conversation with a white Chris Rock on top form. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toonlass Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 Hope they get a result at Millwall tonight. Would love to see Clarkie take them to Wembley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovejoy Posted May 18, 2010 Share Posted May 18, 2010 they were hopeless tonight. he'll be disappointed with that performance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted May 19, 2010 Share Posted May 19, 2010 Aye, was a bit disappointing, however, not a bad first full season in charge of a team! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Ho'way Clarkie lad, linked with Fulham job Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGuv Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 That would be fantastic! If he could do a decent job there then who knows... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGuv Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Huddersfield Town England 15 December 2008 Present 82 38 22 22 46.34 % Not too bad a record tbh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ObiChrisKenobi Posted July 5, 2010 Share Posted July 5, 2010 Aye done really well down at Huddersfield. Who knows, one day he could be a decent Toon manager with a better record than Shearer Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toonlass Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Second in league one and playing Carlisle tonight in the Johnstone's paint trophy to try and secure a place at the final at Wembley. Really is coming along well as a manager. Could do with a haircut mind you, :colo: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nobby_solano Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Second in league one and playing Carlisle tonight in the Johnstone's paint trophy to try and secure a place at the final at Wembley. Really is coming along well as a manager. Could do with a haircut mind you, :colo: aye, he's doing well like. good luck for tonight clarkie! didn't realise he had steve watson working at huddersfield too http://www.htafc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10312~2216602,00.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optimistic Nut Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Andy Cole as well isn't he? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Lee Clark tells former player he will do it his way Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark has hit back after being criticised for playing with one striker in the club's 4-2 win at Bescot Stadium. Walsall defender Andy Butler, formerly a Huddersfield player, claimed the Terriers play better with two forwards. But Clark told BBC Radio Leeds Butler should mind his own business. He said: "I would say to the individual that he probably needs to concentrate on his own job, looking at where his team is at this moment in time." The win left Town in second place in League One, and Walsall bottom of the table. Clark added that although the criticism did not rile him, he would not like his players to make similar comments. "I wouldn't want my players talking about other clubs and managers, telling them how to do their jobs, especially if they were bottom of the table," he added. "That's just me. Call me old-fashioned but it's what I call respect in the game. Thankfully my parents put that into me. I never disrespect anyone in this game because I know how tough it is." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest palnese Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Lee Clark tells former player he will do it his way Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark has hit back after being criticised for playing with one striker in the club's 4-2 win at Bescot Stadium. Walsall defender Andy Butler, formerly a Huddersfield player, claimed the Terriers play better with two forwards. But Clark told BBC Radio Leeds Butler should mind his own business. He said: "I would say to the individual that he probably needs to concentrate on his own job, looking at where his team is at this moment in time." The win left Town in second place in League One, and Walsall bottom of the table. Clark added that although the criticism did not rile him, he would not like his players to make similar comments. "I wouldn't want my players talking about other clubs and managers, telling them how to do their jobs, especially if they were bottom of the table," he added. "That's just me. Call me old-fashioned but it's what I call respect in the game. Thankfully my parents put that into me. I never disrespect anyone in this game because I know how tough it is." http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9345/leeclarksadmackembastar.jpg Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
henke Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 What's his hair like now then, i thought it was permanetly clipped at #2 all over? Would absolutely love to see him in charge at NUFC someday, after he's served his apprenticeship obviously. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colocho Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Really long apparently: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/huddersfield_town/9364360.stm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
henke Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 He's lost the #2 guard. That's a #3 for sure. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdm Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 He's growing it out http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/107936105.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF87892102A727B1636DE2E615C512BC93B88C7078FCF6777BAAC4CB39EC6E658C75EC26 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Still looksalike a border line meth addict. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest toonlass Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Good luck to Clarkie and his lads today. I really would like to see them come up, just for him. Promising manager. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Should be a good game today. Scored 183 between them in the regular season. Huddersfield have it all in place to stay up should they go up too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
henke Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Fingers crossed for the man, i'd love to see him in charge here some day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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