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Has Spurs loanee Jack Clarke been dealt blow after Leeds win?
After disappearing almost completely off the radar in recent months, Jack Clarke appeared to be given a small reason for encouragement at the weekend when he featured in Leeds United’s win at Luton Town.
The 19-minute cameo was the Tottenham Hotspur loanee’s first Championship appearance of the season. And while he did little of note while on the pitch, his involvement looked to be a positive sign in the weeks leading up to the January transfer window.
It had previously looked inevitable that Clarke would return to Spurs half a season early. It was difficult to see where Marcelo Bielsa was going to hand him another chance with Leeds boasting a number of attacking options.
But that appearance at Kenilworth Road looked to have the potential to be a real turning point. However, just a few days later, you already have to wonder whether it may have been something of a false dawn.
Clarke was, unsurprisingly, named on the bench for Leeds’s trip to Reading on Tuesday. And it proved to be a night where Bielsa’s substitutes played a vital role in securing the three points. However, Clarke was not one of those thrown on.
Leeds struggled whenever they reached the final third at the Madejski Stadium. The final ball kept letting the side down. And it was Kiko Casilla who had to make a couple of smart saves rather than his opposite number at the other end of the pitch.
False dawn for Clarke?
Leeds losing Tyler Roberts to injury during the first-half proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Whites. It was Helder Costa who was brought on, and the Portuguese went on to produce arguably his best performance yet for the Whites.
Nevertheless, the game reached the 87th minute still goalless. By this stage, Bielsa still had one substitution up his sleeve. But Clarke remained on the bench.
And Clarke’s cause was not helped by the fact that Leeds’s late winner came from one winger crossing for another.
Costa deserved his assist. And Jack Harrison continued his impressive run of form by bagging his fourth goal of the season.
Clarke was always going to struggle to push ahead of the two men in the pecking order. But with Costa struggling at times this term, the Spurs loanee may have only needed to produce one performance reminiscent of his best form from last season to get himself right back in favour.
The Luton cameo hinted that Clarke had taken a step forward. There is still time. But his omission against the Royals in conjunction with Costa’s brilliance after coming on hints that there remains just as much work to do as there had been before last weekend.