One that got away?

[Hibstrooper]

I've been keeping an eye on the lower leagues down South as I reckon we may see a couple of new bods from there given CC's knowledge of it.

Came across this...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/crewe_alexandra/9474274.stm

Looks like Donaldson is attracting interest from bigger clubs again with his 28 goals this season, did we make a mistake in letting him go?

When you compare to him to players like Duffy and Trakys I think we shot ourselves in the foot not giving him more time. I don't recall us getting £200k for him though?

[basehibby]

Clayton was a bit of a one trick pony for us with a pretty poor first touch and not a lot of game awareness - he DID score goals for us though which was the main part of his job. However, he couldn't hold down a regular first team place in that squad 3 years back and would presumably have been on decent money - so no - I don't think it was a mistake letting him go.

[_hucks_]

The quality of league two is quite poor, and if he goes to a bigger team, it'll not be anything above league one which still isn't a very good league. He's doing very well at Crewe, and all credit to him, but it was clear when he was here it was just a bit too much for him. Things have worked out well for all parties.

[easty]

I dont know where they are getting the £200k figure from?

He's playing at his level and he'll be found out playing in the Championship, or League 1 even.

[Keith_M]

did we make a mistake in letting him go?




With that hairdo? Are you kidding? It's just not Hibs Class

[CallumLaidlaw]

He certainly has one thing we're missing at present. Pace.

[Broken Gnome]

He certainly has one thing we're missing at present. Pace.

More than Adam Le Fondre anyway, and some people are over the moon at the though of spending half a million on him....

[easty]

He certainly has one thing we're missing at present. Pace.

He needs it with the first touch he has!

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Pace to burn but not a great deal more. The jump from non league to SPL was too far for him at that time and that fact that he was rated as a £500K player says more about the money washing around down there, than it does about his ability.

[Greentinted]

Always had a lot of respect for Dario Gradi but I'm missing this completely...

"As far as I know, I won't be able to match his wages, but I'm led to believe that's not quite the case." :confused:

[Jack]

With that hairdo? Are you kidding? It's just not Hibs Class

That's what I thought! :faf:

[Franck is God]

I'm delighted that he's had a good season for Crewe as I thought he was discreded by Hibs far too quickly. I always looked at him in the same way I viewed Sproule, he was making a very big jump in league quality and was always going to take time to settle.

Gradi gave him the time he needed and obvioulsy saw a lot of talent like JC did, he certainly saw enough to let his first choice striker Calvin Zola leave last summer.

He is quick, good in the air and on the ground and will score lots of goals for whoever he plays for, the Premiership is probably a bit out of his range but I can see him in the Championship no problem at all.

[easty]

I'm delighted that he's had a good season for Crewe as I thought he was discreded by Hibs far too quickly. I always looked at him in the same way I viewed Sproule, he was making a very big jump in league quality and was always going to take time to settle.

Gradi gave him the time he needed and obvioulsy saw a lot of talent like JC did, he certainly saw enough to let his first choice striker Calvin Zola leave last summer.

He is quick, good in the air and on the ground and will score lots of goals for whoever he plays for, the Premiership is probably a bit out of his range but I can see him in the Championship no problem at all.

That's like saying an Oscar is probably a bit our of her range about fat Heather on Eastenders!

He's a million miles away from Premiership standard and if he makes it in the Championship I'll eat a Clayton Donaldson wig covered in pigs blood while doing the Cha Cha slide dressed like Gary Glitter and stood outside a nursery.

Disclaimer - I will almost certainly not be doing the above if I am proved wrong.

[Franck is God]

That's like saying an Oscar is probably a bit our of her range about fat Heather on Eastenders!

He's a million miles away from Premiership standard and if he makes it in the Championship I'll eat a Clayton Donaldson wig covered in pigs blood while doing the Cha Cha slide dressed like Gary Glitter and stood outside a nursery.

Disclaimer - I will almost certainly not be doing the above if I am proved wrong.


So I'll assume that you didn't rate him as a player then. He has attributes that can make him a success as a striker. There are loads of strikers that fail horribly in the Prem that have great scoring records in the Championship.

Any striker that is tall, strong and quick will always get chances regardless of the league he plays in and I saw enough of him at Hibs and highlights of Crewes games to think that he has a chance to play at a decent level.

If I was a betting man I'd say that he will score more goals than Riordan next season and I think that he'll be playing at a higher level too. But I'm not a betting man.

[superfurryhibby]

So I'll assume that you didn't rate him as a player then. He has attributes that can make him a success as a striker. There are loads of strikers that fail horribly in the Prem that have great scoring records in the Championship.

Any striker that is tall, strong and quick will always get chances regardless of the league he plays in and I saw enough of him at Hibs and highlights of Crewes games to think that he has a chance to play at a decent level.

If I was a betting man I'd say that he will score more goals than Riordan next season and I think that he'll be playing at a higher level too. But I'm not a betting man.

A sensible comment. Donaldson was making a big step up and he never really got enough of a chance at Hibs. There's every chance that he will do well at a championship club, possibly emulating the success of another Hibs "reject", Mr Dobbie.

[Dinkydoo]

How many of Clayton's goals weren't from a penalty though?

He's an OK squad player but never one that got away for me.

[Franck is God]

A sensible comment. Donaldson was making a big step up and he never really got enough of a chance at Hibs. There's every chance that he will do well at a championship club, possibly emulating the success of another Hibs "reject", Mr Dobbie.

Dobbie is an excellent example, huge talent and ability but it took a step down to play regularly for him to get a chance to play. I also have to say that his fitness now is miles off where he was at ER or even QOS, that definitely held him back.

[superfurryhibby]

Dobbie is an excellent example, huge talent and ability but it took a step down to play regularly for him to get a chance to play. I also have to say that his fitness now is miles off where he was at ER or even QOS, that definitely held him back.

Sure, fitness and attitude were sorely lacking with Dobbie.

Donaldson's assets are pace and an eye for the goal. In the SPL these attributes count for a great deal.

[hibs4life]

How many of Clayton's goals weren't from a penalty though?

He's an OK squad player but never one that got away for me.

I think he got one against Motherwell where he ran with the ball from inside his own half before slotting it away, IIRC.
I think he was judged a bit too quickly and harshly in his time at ER and think he compares favourably especially when measured against the strikers we have used this season (Sodje, Nish, Duffy, etc). Whether he will push on further, I don't know but I suspect he can make a go of it in the Championship at least.

[Baldy Foghorn]

I think he got one against Motherwell where he ran with the ball from inside his own half before slotting it away, IIRC.
I think he was judged a bit too quickly and harshly in his time at ER and think he compares favourably especially when measured against the strikers we have used this season (Sodje, Nish, Duffy, etc). Whether he will push on further, I don't know but I suspect he can make a go of it in the Championship at least.

Agree I don't think he was really given a fair crack of the whip at Hibs.....

[Andy74]

How many of Clayton's goals weren't from a penalty though?

He's an OK squad player but never one that got away for me.

He earned most of them though.

I like him, but then again I've like a load of crap players. I'm one for the underdog. :greengrin

[Dashing Bob S]

I'm delighted that he's had a good season for Crewe as I thought he was discreded by Hibs far too quickly. I always looked at him in the same way I viewed Sproule, he was making a very big jump in league quality and was always going to take time to settle.

Gradi gave him the time he needed and obvioulsy saw a lot of talent like JC did, he certainly saw enough to let his first choice striker Calvin Zola leave last summer.

He is quick, good in the air and on the ground and will score lots of goals for whoever he plays for, the Premiership is probably a bit out of his range but I can see him in the Championship no problem at all.

Totally agree. I don't think he's the only player to thrive in an environment where three sides of the ground aren't constantly holding onto their breath, waiting to expel it in exasperation at the first mistake, as they've already decided you aren't good enough.

[LancashireHibby]

Seen Crewe a couple of times this year and Donaldson is flourishing because he's playing in a very hardworking side that know his strengths and play to them, rather than expecting some miracle build up play from him when he simply isn't that type of player. Think we've definitely got a problem of not using a player to their strengths and instead just chucking them in and expecting miracles.

[Beefster]

Agree I don't think he was really given a fair crack of the whip at Hibs.....


He earned most of them though.

I like him, but then again I've like a load of crap players. I'm one for the underdog. :greengrin

I thought that there was a useful player there too. I don't think the fans helped either - we do like to write off someone who doesn't impress immediately.

[BEEJ]

He's a player I thought might have developed with time and with better players around him.

Consider some of his colleagues at ER in 2007/08 - Kerr, Noubissie, O'Brien, Morais etc. etc.

[Franck is God]

How many of Clayton's goals weren't from a penalty though?

He's an OK squad player but never one that got away for me.

How many more points could we have won if we'd had a good penalty taker in the side this year....

[Sammy7nil]

Could we have waited 3 years for him to flourish?

My arms are thicker than his legs, he simply did not have the Body or strength for the SPL

[ancient hibee]

Crewe's league matches-over 150 goals-that's the stuff to give the troops-a bit like the team Joe had to play in-could he score them quicker than the defence could give them away.

[Hibby Kay-Yay]

Could we have waited 3 years for him to flourish?

My arms are thicker than his legs, he simply did not have the Body or strength for the SPL

Indeed, I remember Latapy the hulk playing for us

[Sammy7nil]

Indeed, I remember Latapy the hulk playing for us

If your telling me Latapy could play CF then fair enough, also I would bet Latapy had far superior body strength to CD. Being small does not mean your weak as Messi and Maradona will tell you. CD was a TOTALLY different build to all of them. HTH's

[sahib]

Could we have waited 3 years for him to flourish?

My arms are thicker than his legs, he simply did not have the Body or strength for the SPL

People used to say things like that about Cormack and later struggled to explain how he was playing for Liverpool.

[Sammy7nil]

People used to say things like that about Cormack and later struggled to explain how he was playing for Liverpool.

Okay fine I may be wrong BUT I cannot think of one player (maybe Davie Dodds) with such a slight build playing up front at CF in the SPL

He was bullied by defenders and imho I dont think he would cope with the SPL

[Andy74]

Okay fine I may be wrong BUT I cannot think of one player (maybe Davie Dodds) with such a slight build playing up front at CF in the SPL

He was bullied by defenders and imho I dont think he would cope with the SPL

Don't many think that's Derek Riordan's best position?

[Bostonhibby]

So I'll assume that you didn't rate him as a player then. He has attributes that can make him a success as a striker. There are loads of strikers that fail horribly in the Prem that have great scoring records in the Championship.

Any striker that is tall, strong and quick will always get chances regardless of the league he plays in and I saw enough of him at Hibs and highlights of Crewes games to think that he has a chance to play at a decent level.

If I was a betting man I'd say that he will score more goals than Riordan next season and I think that he'll be playing at a higher level too. But I'm not a betting man.

:agree: I dont think it automatically follows that prospects never improve when they leave us. Donaldson was terrific at a comparatively low level at York. I seen him play for them only twice but his record at that level made him worth a punt.

Given a bit longer at Hibs, would he have done more as a goalscorer, however he got them? I felt yes but I did feel it was a leap he needed time to adjust to and move on. I feel we have certainly had worse go through our hands since.

Where he is now is a league of some very weak sides, and a few who I do think would give our mid to bottom SPL sides a game. The SPL is a poor league at the moment - I watch Lincoln a bit and have seen Chesterfield, Burton & Shrewsbury as well as Crewe, and whilst its hard to compare Donaldsons progress as against how he might have done had he stayed at SPL level I think he is a better all round player now and is young enough for the next stage of his development to take a punt on him at the next level. A league one side or championship one who got any more out of him could well end up quids in as a result.

[Makaveli]

A one-trick pony who's trick is scoring goals? I'll take five.

[Springbank]

He certainly has one thing we're missing at present. Pace.

Not to forget Hail ! Hail ! and Pace

[Franck Stanton]

He certainly has one thing we're missing at present. Pace.

So has a greyhound but they cannae play football either.