Zach Clough: Is He Overrated?

If you would have asked me precisely a year ago if I'd even consider writing an article on this subject matter I'd probably laugh in your face before belting out the names of Zach Clough and his then illustrious strike partner Adam Le Fondre (hiss) and continue my day without giving it a second thought.

However; to say this season hasn't been kind to the young lad from the other side of Manchester would be a bit of an understatement. He simply hasn't had that game changing impact for Bolton Wanderers that we all thought he would bring with him into the 2015/16 season.

I'm writing this a couple of hours after our soul crushing 2-1 defeat to Preston North End in which Zach Clough played 84 minutes before being replaced with the energetic Kaiyne Woolery.

Funnily enough 84 is also around the same number as the amount of chances Clough has had this season in which he probably should have scored, its strange to think this is the same lad who cemented his place as a Wanderer with the glorious chipped finish he produced in his debut versus Wigan Athletic.

I've seen absolutely no evidence of Clough being able to play good football without the assistance of a good striker and/or playmaker, and to be considered a success in this game you MUST also be able to have a strong understanding of the independent side of football.

I remember one particular instance in the Preston game where Clough had the ball on the left flank with no support and only one defender on him, and as opposed to trying to beat the lonely right back and open up a route towards the goal, Clough decided to back into the defender and fall to ground in a pathetic attempt to win a free-kick.

Now do I still think Clough has the potential to become a great player?

Yes, if he can teach himself to finish and not be completely co-dependant, he could become a fantastic talent. But at this very moment I feel like he's a long way off the player we all thought he was gonna be in early 2015.

As Chris said in his five things piece, "he's one of our own, and we don't give up on our own."