Clarkey said: "When a side is conceding goals, it is not just the goalkeeper and back four which is to blame - it is the whole team. By the same token when a team is not conceding goals, and getting clean sheet after clean sheet, you have to look beyond the goalkeeper and the back four.
"We have got ourselves really well organised as a team from the forwards, through the midfield and the defence and we have got a very strong goalkeeper.
"That is important - to defend as a team as opposed to individuals or a back-four unit. I think we are very well organised throughout the team."
"We ask all the players to be committed in training, understand that when you lose possession of the ball the most important thing is to change your mentality into 'how can we win the ball back?' If you can do that, then it is obviously very good for the rest of the team."
He also hailed the contributions of Claude Makelele and John Terry. Of Maka, Clarke said: "I think in that position, he is the best player in the world.
"He plays the role very well and is very effective. He reads the game and understands if there is a position on the pitch which needs to be filled.
"If a centre-back comes a bit forward, Claude will sit in. The other players in midfield have the freedom to go forward knowing that Claude is an intelligent player and will fill all the gaps."
And he paid Terry the highest accolade when he said "For me, he is the best centre-half in England.
"He reads the game, but more than that he is a proper defender - he sticks his head in, puts his foot in and gets whatever he can on the ball to block shots. That is the sign of a great defender."
And a great leader too!