That's not true at all. He was a fullback in his early youth career, but he'd already moved into midfield and started impressing there by the time he was the age Pearson is now.
Ben Pearson
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Ekeke
Full Member
That's not true at all. He was a fullback in his early youth career, but he'd already moved into midfield and started impressing there by the time he was the age Pearson is now.
Was still playing fullback
The Neviller
New Member
No he wasn't. He played in midfield for the reserves at 18/19, when Sam Hewson was out injured. He stood in for him as reserve captain too. He went on tour to South Africa at 19 and played as a midfielder.Was still playing fullback
Edit: Actually, he hadn't turned 19 when he went on tour to Africa and played in midfield in 2008, that was in July and he turned 19 in August.
Raees
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Are there any good YouTube clips of this lad floating around yet?
Not really, all I could find was this..
Ekeke
Full Member
No he wasn't. He played in midfield for the reserves at 18/19, when Sam Hewson was out injured. He stood in for him as reserve captain too. He went on tour to South Africa at 19 and played as a midfielder.
Edit: Actually, he hadn't turned 19 when he went on tour to Africa and played in midfield in 2008, that was in July and he turned 19 in August.
Hewson and Drinkwater were playing CM. He was playing fullback
The Neviller
New Member
Hewson was injured, Cleverley was playing midfield and captaining the side. He then went on tour with the senior side and played midfield. His first appearance was replacing Possebon in midfield. He was still 18 at that stage. These are facts, I don't see why you're arguing with them.Hewson and Drinkwater were playing CM. He was playing fullback
Ekeke
Full Member
Hewson was injured, Cleverley was playing midfield and captaining the side. He then went on tour with the senior side and played midfield. His first appearance was replacing Possebon in midfield. He was still 18 at that stage. These are facts, I don't see why you're arguing with them.
I watched him at 19 playing fullback. No point trying to rewrite history because Cleverley is popular
Genius Me!
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Hewson was injured, Cleverley was playing midfield and captaining the side. He then went on tour with the senior side and played midfield. His first appearance was replacing Possebon in midfield. He was still 18 at that stage. These are facts, I don't see why you're arguing with them.
I watched him at 19 playing fullback. No point trying to rewrite history because Cleverley is popular
Which one of you shall I believe?
The Neviller
New Member
He may well have still played fullback on occasion. I saw Rafael play centre midfield once. He wasn't a midfielder.I watched him at 19 playing fullback. No point trying to rewrite history because Cleverley is popular
When he went on tour with the senior side at 18, he went as a midfielder and made his appearances in midfield. In all his loan spells he played in midfield (mostly wide midfield, but midfield none the less ). By 18/19 he'd already started playing midfield, and impressing enough to be taken to South Africa on tour with the senior side.
Elliott
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I watched him at 19 playing fullback. No point trying to rewrite history because Cleverley is popular
It's possible he played a game or two at full-back at 19, though, knowing you, it's possible you're talking out of your arse. But what's beyond debate is the fact that Cleverley played mainly as a midfielder from the beginning of the 07/08 season - sometimes wide, sometimes centrally - and that's when his reputation really started to grow.
http://www.manutd.com/en/Players-An.../Jan/Reserves-Bolton-0-United-2.aspx?pageNo=1
First line, dude. I suggest googling other match reports from back then if you're still confused.
The Neviller
New Member
Well, if you look it up you'll see whether he went on tour to South Africa or not, whether he replaced Possebon or not, and whether he did so in centre midfield. He scored that day, too.Which one of you shall I believe?
He also was captaining the reserve side when Hewson was out, played in midfield when he was out and was nominated for reserve team player of the year two years running, at 18/19.
Ekeke
Full Member
He may well have still played fullback on occasion. I saw Rafael play centre midfield once. He wasn't a midfielder.
When he went on your with the senior side at 18, he went as a midfielder and made his appearances in midfield. In all his loan spells he played in midfield (mostly wide midfield, but midfield none the less ). By 18/19 he'd already started playing midfield, and impressing enough to be taken to South Africa on tour with the senior side.
I'm sure he did, I certainly only saw a handful of games at the time. But when I saw them around that time players like Hewson and Drinkwater were starting in midfield with Cleverley still playing fullback.
Brightonian
Full Member
TN's right about Cleverley's position, he had moved into CM by that age. But the others are right that Pearson looks more promising than Cleverley did at that age. Unlike Welbeck, Cleverley never really stood out in our youth and reserve sides. It was only during the loan spells that people with realistic expectations started to think that there might be a place for him in the first team one day.
And it's a reasonable comparison to make, too. As midfielders they are both pass-and-move tempo players, dropping deep to run the play but also willing to move forward with it. They are/were both still very small. Pearson is Cleverley's equal at that age in terms of ball control and short passing, but he just has so much more in his locker. He is the exact opposite of Cleverley in terms of the latter often not imposing himself on a match enough - Pearson is Keane-esque in his attitude. He demands the ball, refuses to be beaten, insists on making a tackle even if he has to run the length of the pitch or make three attempts to do it. He also has a range of passing which Cleverley didn't have at that age, pulling off Carrick-esque diagonals very comfortably. And defensively he is a beast. The 'tigerish' cliche was invented for this kid.
Obviously there is no guarantee that Pearson will ever achieve the first team role that Cleverley has, let alone a more significant one. But it is not 'grass is greener' thinking to say that he is a more promising player than Cleverley was at his age. If anything, it's a grossly hindsight-tinted view that argues otherwise.
And it's a reasonable comparison to make, too. As midfielders they are both pass-and-move tempo players, dropping deep to run the play but also willing to move forward with it. They are/were both still very small. Pearson is Cleverley's equal at that age in terms of ball control and short passing, but he just has so much more in his locker. He is the exact opposite of Cleverley in terms of the latter often not imposing himself on a match enough - Pearson is Keane-esque in his attitude. He demands the ball, refuses to be beaten, insists on making a tackle even if he has to run the length of the pitch or make three attempts to do it. He also has a range of passing which Cleverley didn't have at that age, pulling off Carrick-esque diagonals very comfortably. And defensively he is a beast. The 'tigerish' cliche was invented for this kid.
Obviously there is no guarantee that Pearson will ever achieve the first team role that Cleverley has, let alone a more significant one. But it is not 'grass is greener' thinking to say that he is a more promising player than Cleverley was at his age. If anything, it's a grossly hindsight-tinted view that argues otherwise.
The Neviller
New Member
At 18/19 (which is the timescale we're talking, as that is the age Pearson is now) he'd already moved to midfield and was playing more often there. That's when he started to impress. Earlier in his youth career he played entirely as a fullback, and that was when he was under pressure and may have left the club, because he wasn't good enough there. He moved to midfield though, started to impress, went on tour and got nominated for Reserve Team Player of the Year. He then went on loan and played in midfield during all his loan moves. By 18/19 he had already moved into midfield.I'm sure he did, I certainly only saw a handful of games at the time. But when I saw them around that time players like Hewson and Drinkwater were starting in midfield with Cleverley still playing fullback.
The Neviller
New Member
I didn't say they were wrong that Pearson looks more promising, I asked Revan how much he'd seen of Cleverly at 18/19 to make that judgement. Not much, was the answer.TN's right about Cleverley's position, he had moved into CM by that age. But the others are right that Pearson looks more promising than Cleverley did at that age. Unlike Welbeck, Cleverley never really stood out in our youth and reserve sides. It was only during the loan spells that people with realistic expectations started to think that there might be a place for him in the first team one day.
And it's a reasonable comparison to make, too. As midfielders they are both pass-and-move tempo players, dropping deep to run the play but also willing to move forward with it. They are/were both still very small. Pearson is Cleverley's equal at that age in terms of ball control and short passing, but he just has so much more in his locker. He is the exact opposite of Cleverley in terms of the latter often not imposing himself on a match enough - Pearson is Keane-esque in his attitude. He demands the ball, refuses to be beaten, insists on making a tackle even if he has to run the length of the pitch or make three attempts to do it. He also has a range of passing which Cleverley didn't have at that age, pulling off Carrick-esque diagonals very comfortably. And defensively he is a beast. The 'tigerish' cliche was invented for this kid.
Obviously there is no guarantee that Pearson will ever achieve the first team role that Cleverley has, let alone a more significant one. But it is not 'grass is greener' thinking to say that he is a more promising player than Cleverley was at his age. If anything, it's a grossly hindsight-tinted view that argues otherwise.
I like Pearson, a lot. He's a very smart player and I think he has a chance here, no doot aboot it.
Cleverley didn't impress in his early career as a fullback, but when he moved to midfield he started to look a much better player, and he certainly impressed playing there. I'd compare him to Lingard from the current crop, in that respect. Not really "standout", out-shone at times by "flashier" players, or players with a bigger reputation and more hype, but quietly getting on with being a very good young player.
Brightonian
Full Member
I didn't say they were wrong that Pearson looks more promising, I asked Regan his much he'd seen of Cleverly at 18/19 to make that judgement. Not much, was the answer.
I know. Hence 'TN was right about the position, others were right about their relative potential.'
andersj
Nick Powell Expert
I like Pearson too. Really reminds me of a young Roy Keane. But at this level I would expect the best players to be braver on the ball higher up the pitch, and stand out more in general. He avoids situations where he will get under pressure or have little time or space on the ball. That might be a wise decision at times and a good quality at a higher level, but at this stage he should feel able to cope with them.
Brightonian
Full Member
I like Pearson too. Really reminds me of a young Roy Keane. But at this level I would expect the best players to be braver on the ball higher up the pitch, and stand out more in general. He avoids situations where he will get under pressure or have little time or space on the ball. That might be a wise decision at times and a good quality at a higher level, but at this stage he should feel able to cope with them.
Can't agree about that. He's excellent in tight spaces and under pressure. His position is generally as the deepest midfielder, and he's so good at it that the other midfielders often play with a great deal of freedom, joining attacks at will. So you don't always get to see a lot of him getting into the opposition's box. But that's down to a mature level of positional discipline, not any nervousness about whether or not he can play higher up the pitch. When he does decide to burst forward, he has as much confidence as anyone.
It's a shame there isn't more footage to help illustrate that, but the run he makes at around 6:04 in that video reflects something he does reasonably regularly. And you can see that he does it because he finds himself ahead of a number of other United midfielders, so he knows he won't leave the team in the lurch if the ball is lost.
Genius Me!
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I like Pearson, a lot. He's a very smart player and I think he has a chance here, no doot aboot it.
I never dooted it for a second.
I was actually thinking of bumping this thread a week ago or so. Seem to have flown a bit under the radar due to other talents in the academy, but I'm very impressed by Pearson every time I watch him. If he continues to improve he'll be a star.
At 18/19 (which is the timescale we're talking, as that is the age Pearson is now) he'd already moved to midfield and was playing more often there. That's when he started to impress. Earlier in his youth career he played entirely as a fullback, and that was when he was under pressure and may have left the club, because he wasn't good enough there. He moved to midfield though, started to impress, went on tour and got nominated for Reserve Team Player of the Year. He then went on loan and played in midfield during all his loan moves. By 18/19 he had already moved into midfield.
In his first year out of the U18s (where Pearson is now), Cleverley was predominantly playing wide midfield. Very rarely central, although he always had a tendency to drift/cut inside. Generally played out wide at Leicester and Watford too, and quite often at Wigan. Would certainly agree with those saying Pearson has shown more as a CM at this stage that Cleverley had, but that's no slight on Cleverley.
andersj
Nick Powell Expert
Can't agree about that. He's excellent in tight spaces and under pressure. His position is generally as the deepest midfielder, and he's so good at it that the other midfielders often play with a great deal of freedom, joining attacks at will. So you don't always get to see a lot of him getting into the opposition's box. But that's down to a mature level of positional discipline, not any nervousness about whether or not he can play higher up the pitch. When he does decide to burst forward, he has as much confidence as anyone.
It's a shame there isn't more footage to help illustrate that, but the run he makes at around 6:04 in that video reflects something he does reasonably regularly. And you can see that he does it because he finds himself ahead of a number of other United midfielders, so he knows he won't leave the team in the lurch if the ball is lost.
Hope you are right. But making surging runs is not the same as keeping possession on the last third, under pressure from the opponent. You do have a valid point in terms of him beeing utilised deeply because of his positioning, but in my opinion it would be important for his development to be in a position that force him to be composed under more pressure. In the PL he will be under pressure even in a deeper position.
There are several examples that attacking minded players at youthlevel end up as some of the best DMC (Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Wilshere are examples from the top of my head). In my opinion, that could be a cause of beeing more composed, an extremely important ability for a holding midfielder, after playing under more pressure early in their career.
jb8521
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I think you will get to see plenty of him attacking when he comes into the reserves properly over the next few months because he will be playing with Ekangamene in the side who rarely goes forward and will give Pearson a bit more freedom to go forward and express himself. He has been getting forward a lot more in the few games he has played this season than in previous seasons particularly in the first half against Leverkusen because Grimshaw was playing as the holding midfielderHope you are right. But making surging runs is not the same as keeping possession on the last third, under pressure from the opponent. You do have a valid point in terms of him beeing utilised deeply because of his positioning, but in my opinion it would be important for his development to be in a position that force him to be composed under more pressure. In the PL he will be under pressure even in a deeper position.
There are several examples that attacking minded players at youthlevel end up as some of the best DMC (Kroos, Schweinsteiger and Wilshere are examples from the top of my head). In my opinion, that could be a cause of beeing more composed, an extremely important ability for a holding midfielder, after playing under more pressure early in their career.
Tooni
Full Member
Pearson doesn't really have any problem holding the ball under pressure, he plays that anchor role and mostly he doesn't have any forward short passing options available but he pretty much makes time and space for himself before he passes it along even when put under pressure. There is no hoof the ball nonsense from him and people really rated him higher than Tunnicliffe from an early stage specially because of how comfortable Pearson is on the ball in comparison.
Pearson is a natural central midfielder with positional sense being one of his stronger points so it's bit unfair to compare him and Cleverley of same age because Tom just started playing in midfield roles at that age. Pearson on other hand has already shown that he can pretty much mirror Carrick's influence to our defence.
Pearson is a natural central midfielder with positional sense being one of his stronger points so it's bit unfair to compare him and Cleverley of same age because Tom just started playing in midfield roles at that age. Pearson on other hand has already shown that he can pretty much mirror Carrick's influence to our defence.
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Well thats an understatement. Cleverley was close to being released and played at fullback until well into his reserves career, with others chosen well ahead of him as a CM
Cleverley was fairly anonymous until he was moved into midfield for the reserves - but that probably had a lot to do with 2 bad injuries he had from 16 to 18
Brightonian
Full Member
I think you will get to see plenty of him attacking when he comes into the reserves properly over the next few months because he will be playing with Ekangamene in the side who rarely goes forward and will give Pearson a bit more freedom to go forward and express himself. He has been getting forward a lot more in the few games he has played this season than in previous seasons particularly in the first half against Leverkusen because Grimshaw was playing as the holding midfielder
Agreed, we'll see a more attacking side to his game if he plays with Ekangamene. And as Andersj says, it's good to make sure these kids play a range of different roles over the course of their development, so that should be good.
But there's already absolutely nothing wrong with Pearson's ability to keep the ball and do good things with it under pressure. There are a number of instances in that video that demonstrate that. His feet are as good as any of his more purely attacking teammates except maybe Pereira.
jb8521
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amolbhatia50k
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Reminds me of scholes there.
rooneyaldo
Full Member
learning from the master himself
Mickeza
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In the video of him against Club America he reminded me of Keane and in the Leverkusen video he reminds me of Scholes, he really is a very complete footballer. Every time I watch him he impresses me, and I think he'll be one of those players who will look better with better players around him. Hopefully he can get some cup games for us next season, personally with the options we currently have in central midfield I'd be tempted to give him a go this season but I recognise I'd probably be alone in that.
datura
Full Member
He's hardly even featured for the u21s yet so it's far too early. Hopefully he gets a run for them to the end of the season and stays fit and keeps improving and he may have a chance of making the tour squad in the summer.
Will Absolute
New Member
Rothwell may surprise people, I think. We've got two highly promising young midfielders.
Eric'sCollar
Asked for his wife's permission before signing up
Yeh, you would be alone but I like the thinking. He is way off playing for our first team but he does show a lot of promise.Hopefully he can get some cup games for us next season, personally with the options we currently have in central midfield I'd be tempted to give him a go this season but I recognise I'd probably be alone in that.
ricky-romeo
Full Member
he looks comfortable on the ball, and he retains possessions very well.
amolbhatia50k
Sneaky bum time - Vaccination status: dozed off
Would be great if one of these kids get a chance in the first team sometime soon. I mean, we aren't exactly brimming with players putting in mature and dependable performances in central midfield anyway.
Brightonian
Full Member
Pearson still has a lot of development to get through, and we mustn't rush him. For a club with increasingly deep-seated midfield issues, it's important that we don't feck up such a promising young midfielder in our own academy.
The fastest he's likely to develop for me would be to grow into a key role in the U21s this season, get on the pre-season tour in the summer, and then get a half-season loan after that. I don't see him taking less than that sort of year and a half period to be ready for a first-team chance, and it could be longer than that. Crucial that he doesn't get a bad injury over the next couple of years.
The fastest he's likely to develop for me would be to grow into a key role in the U21s this season, get on the pre-season tour in the summer, and then get a half-season loan after that. I don't see him taking less than that sort of year and a half period to be ready for a first-team chance, and it could be longer than that. Crucial that he doesn't get a bad injury over the next couple of years.
Stobzilla
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Bestie07
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I like what I see!
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