How Tottenham loanee Jack Clarke has given Alex Neil a tactical solution at Sunderland and what he can improve

The Black Cats should have been out of sight against Shrewsbury Town but, after squandering a two-goal lead, Alex Neil was once again forced to call upon his substitutes.

Corry Evans, Dan Neil and Patrick Roberts were the men who came on at 2-2, yet it was two players who were already on the pitch who combined for the winner – with Jack Clarke’s cross for Nathan Broadhead proving decisive.

Clarke, who is on loan from Tottenham, has started the last six fixtures for Sunderland and has often been deployed as a left wing-back.

The 21-year-old’s versatility has given Neil a short-term solution, with the Scot switching to a back three (to shore the team up defensively) with a squad that was assembled to play with natural wingers.

Clarke is direct and can travel quickly with the ball, while a look at the player’s heatmap against Shrewsbury (figure one) shows the advanced positions he takes up.

Still, there are limitations to the wideman’s game, most notably his desire to cut inside regularly onto his stronger right foot, which can at times slow down proceedings.

To his credit, Clarke managed to mix it up more against Shrewsbury, with three of his five crosses coming from his right foot, including the delivery for Broadhead’s winner, and two from his left.

In this match the in-swinging delivery with his right foot actually proved more effective, with Shrewsbury wing-back Joshua Daniels, who was a first-half substitute, often trying to protect the space behind him.

Clarke’s cross for the winning goal showed the valuable quality he can produce when Sunderland are trying to unlock a deep-lying defence, yet the next stage is to produce those moments more consistently.

Of Clarke’s five attempted crosses against Shrewsbury, only two found a Sunderland team-mate, while he conceded possession nine times (according to football database Wyscout).

In his 14 Sunderland appearances, the Tottenham loanee has registered just one goal and two assists.

While he’s operating as a wing-back, Clarke will surely want to improve those numbers during the remainder of the campaign.