Steve Clarke launches a Cats counter-attack

Nov 4 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

WEST Ham assistant Steve Clarke has unleashed a double salvo against Steve Bruce and Lorik Cana as the aftermath of the weekend’s feisty clash rumbles on.

Sunderland manager Bruce was critical of what he believed was a theatrical reaction by Hammers defender Herita Ilunga to a shove by Kenwyne Jones – an altercation which led to the big striker being sent off.

But former Newcastle coach Clarke has defended his player, accusing Bruce of having “too much time on his hands” to comment on West Ham players. He continued his attack on the Black Cats by saying that it was “incredible” that skipper Cana wasn’t sent off during the game.

The accusations are unlikely to go down well at the Stadium of Light, where Bruce was keen to draw a line under the row.

“I find it incredible that a player who was the victim is the person everyone is talking about,” said Clarke about the former Toulouse left-back.

“Tell me what Ilunga did wrong? Someone pushed him in the face. He’d just recently recovered from a triple fracture to the jaw – maybe he thought there was a punch coming.

“It was wrong of Steve Bruce to comment on our players.

“I find it incredible we are here talking about our player, when he was the victim. There was no over-reaction; he has to protect himself. He’s a big boy, Kenwyne Jones.”

Perhaps even more inflammatory are Clarke’s remarks about Cana, whose yellow card means that he is suspended for the Spurs game.

He accused the Albania midfielder of “persistent fouling” and committing a succession of “terrible” tackles on opposite number Mark Noble.

“I find it incredible that he (Bruce) gets so much time, so much airtime if he wants to speak about people from the opposition,” Clarke continued.

“I also find it incredible that the Sunderland captain wasn’t sent-off – he was booked for a terrible tackle on Mark Noble, he kicked him in the back. He was warned for a ridiculous lunge into the back of the same player three or four minutes later.