Jack Rodwell | Sold to City

Congratulations to City. Managed to outbid the others and win the player. Negotiations seem to be a strong part of their organisation.
 
Jack showed promise in his early days at Everton, but i always felt he was more of an O'Shea type of player than the solution to our midfield.

His versatility might be the main reason he is being purchased. The rumours were they were also on the look out to purchase a centre-half.
 
Cleverly is 23. When does he stop being a prospect?

I'd say that the next 2 seasons are probably what he has to prove to us he's good enough to hold down a first team spot here, obviously meaning he has to stay injury free. Usually we'd be impatient with a player by this stage, like Anderson, but most of us have accepted that Cleverley's been a bit of a late bloomer. If he can't get rid of injuries though then he might not make it.
 
I'd say that the next 2 seasons are probably what he has to prove to us he's good enough to hold down a first team spot here, obviously meaning he has to stay injury free. Usually we'd be impatient with a player by this stage, like Anderson, but most of us have accepted that Cleverley's been a bit of a late bloomer. If he can't get rid of injuries though then he might not make it.

I reckon he has shown enough in the few games he has played to be good enough to hold down a place in United's midfield. Injury is the only obstacle in his path.
 
He's not even established himself in the Spurs team.

My post referred to the coming season. But even last season he made 27 appearances for Spurs, including 20 starts. And as I said, he's become an established part of the Brazilian senior squad.

Compared to Sandro, Cleverly made less than half the same number of starts for MUFC last season, despite facing less CM competition than exists at Spurs. And he's yet to feature for the England senior team at all.

So I think my original question was valid: at 23, when does Cleverley stop being regarded as a prospect?
 
Didn't he spend most of his youth playing as a centre half? Maybe Everton were wrong trying to make him a midfielder.

Yeah, he played a lot of youth football at centre half... yet he could not get a senior game at Everton there even when they sold Lescott, Jagielka was injured and they were left with just Yobo and a 30-odd year-old Distan. Always seemed odd to me that he is still viewed as a central defender, but there you go.
 
Yeah, he played a lot of youth football at centre half... yet he could not get a senior game at Everton there even when they sold Lescott, Jagielka was injured and they were left with just Yobo and a 30-odd year-old Distan. Always seemed odd to me that he is still viewed as a central defender, but there you go.

My Everton fan mate says he is shit as a central defender.
 
My post referred to the coming season. But even last season he made 27 appearances for Spurs, including 20 starts. And as I said, he's become an established part of the Brazilian senior squad.

Compared to Sandro, Cleverly made less than half the same number of starts for MUFC last season, despite facing less CM competition than exists at Spurs. And he's yet to feature for the England senior team at all.

So I think my original question was valid: at 23, when does Cleverley stop being regarded as a prospect?

Cleverley started every game he was fit at the beginning of last season. Only injury forced him to miss most of the remaining games. He would have been an integral part of the England team had it not been for injuries.

How many games has Sandro played for Brazil?
 
My post referred to the coming season. But even last season he made 27 appearances for Spurs, including 20 starts. And as I said, he's become an established part of the Brazilian senior squad.

Compared to Sandro, Cleverly made less than half the same number of starts for MUFC last season, despite facing less CM competition than exists at Spurs. And he's yet to feature for the England senior team at all.

So I think my original question was valid: at 23, when does Cleverley stop being regarded as a prospect?

When they sell him to a team managed by an ex United player.
 
My Everton fan mate says he is shit as a central defender.

Yeah, my in-laws are Evertonians, so I have seen a lot of Rodwell. He seems a decent midfielder when fit, but nothing about his play or where he has been selected by his manager (even during defensive crises) suggest he is able to be a top-level centre-back.
 
My post referred to the coming season. But even last season he made 27 appearances for Spurs, including 20 starts. And as I said, he's become an established part of the Brazilian senior squad.

Compared to Sandro, Cleverly made less than half the same number of starts for MUFC last season, despite facing less CM competition than exists at Spurs. And he's yet to feature for the England senior team at all.

So I think my original question was valid: at 23, when does Cleverley stop being regarded as a prospect?

When he's played the majority of a season without it being curtailed by injury? He's got a year basically. He's just turned 23 today.
 
I reckon he has shown enough in the few games he has played to be good enough to hold down a place in United's midfield. Injury is the only obstacle in his path.

I'm not sure yet. I definitely think he has potential and is a lot more likely to be able to hold down a place in our midfield than Anderson, but it's yet to be seen whether his start last season was simply good form in a team on fire, or a true reflection on how good he can be now and that he's only going to get better from there. Hopefully it's the latter but I think we'll need to see a lot more of him before we can say for definite.
 
My post referred to the coming season. But even last season he made 27 appearances for Spurs, including 20 starts. And as I said, he's become an established part of the Brazilian senior squad.

Compared to Sandro, Cleverly made less than half the same number of starts for MUFC last season, despite facing less CM competition than exists at Spurs. And he's yet to feature for the England senior team at all.

So I think my original question was valid: at 23, when does Cleverley stop being regarded as a prospect?

It is a valid question, but it's actually been answered already.
 
When he's played the majority of a season without it being curtailed by injury? He's got a year basically. He's just turned 23 today.

Cleverly seems a handy little player. I do not think he has done enough to justify all the hype and people saying he would have been an integral player for England this year, but I suppose that's the problem with coming up through the youth at united.
From what I have seen, I think Sandro is a better player. The problem there is that eventually another team will start taking a look at Sandro. Cleverley is in a position where united will keep hold of him unless they want to get rid as they will be challenging for trophies and in the Champs league. It is upto Cleverley to prove his worth.
 
Like any player they stop becoming a prospect when they are the finished article

Cleverley is already a very talented player but I, like most, think there is much more to come from him

With his passing, energy, inventiveness and the players around him I think he can become very influential for United - and England - over the coming years

Not surprised he's in the full England squad this week and fitness permitting he and wilshere could well be part of an England midfield in Brazil
 
Cleverly seems a handy little player. I do not think he has done enough to justify all the hype and people saying he would have been an integral player for England this year, but I suppose that's the problem with coming up through the youth at united.
From what I have seen, I think Sandro is a better player. The problem there is that eventually another team will start taking a look at Sandro. Cleverley is in a position where united will keep hold of him unless they want to get rid as they will be challenging for trophies and in the Champs league. It is upto Cleverley to prove his worth.

Of course Sandro is a much better player at this point, there is hardly any doubt about that. Cleverley has become a victim of his own hype though - he was way overrated at the beginning of the last season and people have realised it now and started to underrate him in turn. He has a big question mark over him and next 2-3 seasons will be crucial. I don't think you can properly judge a midfielder before he turns 25-26, they tend to take longer to develop because a lot of their ability is based on experience. Wingers, full backs and forwards are usually very good from the young age because their positions don't require the same level of awareness and experience as centre halves and midfielders.
 
My post referred to the coming season. But even last season he made 27 appearances for Spurs, including 20 starts. And as I said, he's become an established part of the Brazilian senior squad.

Compared to Sandro, Cleverly made less than half the same number of starts for MUFC last season, despite facing less CM competition than exists at Spurs. And he's yet to feature for the England senior team at all.

So I think my original question was valid: at 23, when does Cleverley stop being regarded as a prospect?

His season was cut short by an injury, it wasn't his fault. Thing with Cleverley is he has hardly put a foot wrong for United and unlike a lot of other hyped up prospects from the past who never really got going, he has shown plenty of promise early on last season when he was only just turning 22. You can hardly judge him on the basis of a season where he was only available for a handful of games. Normally 23-24 would be the age when you'd expect a player to more or less perform at a consistant level. When said player was out for nearly entire season it can be postponed though.
 
Of course Sandro is a much better player at this point, there is hardly any doubt about that. Cleverley has become a victim of his own hype though - he was way overrated at the beginning of the last season and people have realised it now and started to underrate him in turn. He has a big question mark over him and next 2-3 seasons will be crucial. I don't think you can properly judge a midfielder before he turns 25-26, they tend to take longer to develop because a lot of their ability is based on experience. Wingers, full backs and forwards are usually very good from the young age because their positions don't require the same level of awareness and experience as centre halves and midfielders.

I can not disagree with any of that.
 
Sorry for taking this thread off-topic.

But Rodwell deal is now completed. 5yr deal with 15m rising to 18m with addons according to James Ducker.
 
Although both mid-fielders Sandro and Cleverley are very different players. I'm not sure about the merit of discussing who's better in a Rodwell thread.
 
Surprised Everton let him move for £15m.

Really? Id say they're chuffed it's him rather than Fellaini or Barkley. He hasnt looked good enough for the top level every time I've seen him. May turn out to be a good back up, but no more imo.
 
Really? Id say they're chuffed it's him rather than Fellaini or Barkley. He hasnt looked good enough for the top level every time I've seen him. May turn out to be a good back up, but no more imo.

Good shout.
 
They'll be rubbing they're hands. A foreign player of his ability and better injury record can be purchased for around 5 Million.

But you have to have a certain number of homegrown players in your squad hence the fees being quoted.

I love the fact City fans are saying it is 12 million and united fans saying it is 15 lol
 
They'll be rubbing they're hands. A foreign player of his ability and better injury record can be purchased for around 5 Million.

Exactly: to me it says something about what Everton think about Rodwell at this point; they were happy to take 15m no quibbles; they must see this deal as being as good as it is going to get. Of course Everton might be wrong in the long term but that is how this deal looks to me.

But you have to have a certain number of homegrown players in your squad hence the fees being quoted.

I love the fact City fans are saying it is 12 million and united fans saying it is 15 lol

The Guardian are stating a deal starting at 15m so I will go with that.
 
But you have to have a certain number of homegrown players in your squad hence the fees being quoted.

I love the fact City fans are saying it is 12 million and united fans saying it is 15 lol

To be fair I'm only going on what's said by James Ducker. He's the most reliable of them all, IMO.
 
When have the Arabs ever been interested in value or punts?

Might not be a punt, might be a great move. Mancini has proved he can improve a player. Maybe Mancini thinks Rodwell can be molded and there is enough talent in him, that has been stagnating at Everton.

I have always thought he has looked good rather than outstanding. He seems to have not progressed as quickly as people hoped but he is only 21 and hopefully playing with better players will bring him on.
 
To be fair I'm only going on what's said by James Ducker. He's the most reliable of them all, IMO.

I know mate, I just find it funny that City fans are knocking the price down as much as possible while other fans will quote the higher price.

In todays market I do not think it is too bad a price really.
 
Might not be a punt, might be a great move. Mancini has proved he can improve a player. Maybe Mancini thinks Rodwell can be molded and there is enough talent in him, that has been stagnating at Everton.

I have always thought he has looked good rather than outstanding. He seems to have not progressed as quickly as people hoped but he is only 21 and hopefully playing with better players will bring him on.

Mancini has mostly bought established stars. If anything some of the young English players he has purchased have been disappointing.