Jack Clarke has been a sensation for Sunderland this season, but Tony Mowbray has revealed how he can get even better.
Sunderland’s standout player this season has been 22-year-old Jack Clarke who has scored nine goals and assisted one this season in just 14 games.
The player-of-the-month from September in the Championship has impressed and caught the eye.
But despite being so impressive, Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has insisted he expects more from Clarke.
In a recent interview, he suggested the one thing which could see Clarke become even better.
Mowbray on Clarke
Quoted by the Northern Echo, Mowbray has given his views on what can make Clarke even better.
“I’ve talked to him about hitting with no backlift,” the Sunderland manager said.
“If you think of the great Thierry Henry, there’s no backlift, they almost pass, bend it into the far corner. Jack is still taking a swing at it, a lot of his shots get blocked.
“I want him to work on, if you can picture what I’m saying as you’re dribbling you almost don’t break stride and you finish without a backswing, without winding it up because defenders – and I was one – see the wind-up, anticipate the shot, lunge and block. Whereas if Jack is travelling and has no backlift and just passes it into his next stride there’s another goal.
“Hopefully we’ll see that in the season coming and there’ll be lots more of Jack cutting inside, threatening to shoot, another touch then without a backlift he passes it into the far corner.”
How high can Clarke go?
Mowbray is clearly a believer in Clarke, who has been ripping the division up since Sunderland’s return.
The boss is hopeful that Clarke will be tied down to a new deal in January which could put off the several Premier League clubs who are interested.
However, with another year dominating the Championship, the only way to keep Clarke beyond this season could be to gain promotion.
He is so good and it probably wouldn’t be fair to keep him in the Championship when he looks primed for Premier League football.