Yes he is. Have you seen the two of them play?
People comparing him to Sneijder, Iniesta etc. are bonkers. Clev is a high energy player ala Park.
Tom Cleverley | 2011/12 Performances
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Yes he is. Have you seen the two of them play?
People comparing him to Sneijder, Iniesta etc. are bonkers. Clev is a high energy player ala Park.
“I think the type of player I have become this season is a bit like Ji-sung Park. I think my game can benefit from learning a lot from him in the right or left midfield spot or just behind the front two. I provide lots of energy like Ji.”
Tom Cleverley, April 2010.
Are we still here?
Okay - let's look at it.
Differences
Park these days loses the ball a lot
First touch not that great any more
Slow
No first-time passing as souch
Not a visionary passer
Doesn't go past palyers any more
Park often slows the team/game down
Cleverley speeds up the pace of the teams passing with first time passing
Cleverley has a lot of short passing & encourages combination passing involving 3-5 players all interchaning positions
Similariies
They both have a lot of energy and cover a lot of ground.
Yes - you're right - they're similar players!
Okay - let's look at it.
Differences
Park these days loses the ball a lot
First touch not that great any more
Slow
No first-time passing as souch
Not a visionary passer
Doesn't go past palyers any more
Park often slows the team/game down
Cleverley speeds up the pace of the teams passing with first time passing
Cleverley has a lot of short passing & encourages combination passing involving 3-5 players all interchaning positions
Similariies
They both have a lot of energy and cover a lot of ground.
Yes - you're right - they're similar players!
I think that's what he was trying to say. When park moves centrally from the wings, the opposition finds it hard to deal with. He's done it against Arsenal and Chelsea numerous times. He didn't really expand on it like you do but I think he would agree that Cleverley adds more than Park.
I'm amazed people can make all these judgements on Cleverley after a handful of games for the first team. I'll be reserving my judgement for a while yet before I declare him what our midfield is missing.
He's really, really training...really.
we need some energy in the midfield so I hope he plays tomorrow. That's all.
i know he might have some inconsistent performances but his talent is for all to see
Change central midfield to left/right midfielder and you're basically describing Park. You've a short memory if you think Park's current form is an indication of how he actually plays.
Park doesn't really bring Iniesta to mind, Cleverley does, even if he obviously isn't at this level.
I suppose they have similarities but I wouldn't tell someone who wanted to know about Cleverley, "Oh, he's just like Park."
I suppose they have similarities but I wouldn't tell someone who wanted to know about Cleverley, "Oh, he's just like Park."
I agree with this. Good point.
Man who would have thought JUST three months ago, when we all thought we would sign someone big, that this lad would be so beneficial and so important to us.
I think if/when Cleverley plays on the wing we'll see the Park comparison, Iniesta is a great call for his current playing style
Rooney splitting the defence yesterday with that pass for Fletcher got me thinking. It was the central midfielder actually running beyond the striker that created the opportunity there.
It's something we do very little of anymore but when we do, we (and more so Rooney) look dangerous. It is something that Cleverly does a lot of so while I am not claiming him to be the answer he definitely brings something to the team that opens up Rooney a lot more.
Can't wait for his return.
It's something we do very little of anymore but when we do, we (and more so Rooney) look dangerous. It is something that Cleverly does a lot of so while I am not claiming him to be the answer he definitely brings something to the team that opens up Rooney a lot more.
Can't wait for his return.
Great having him back. Those short, sharp incisive passes of his usually leads to goals. He's a very progressive player.
Great to see him back, in the XI for Saturday please.
Yep, his importance/contribution to the team may have been distorted during his absence etc but I just love watching him play.
Looked a wee bit rusty tonight and faded badly after half time. Saturday might be too soon IMO.
Great to see him back. Tidy wee player.
Great to see him back. Tidy wee player.
We just look better with him in the side. Its all so simple but effective
He plays the ball and keeps moving / running, and he tries to apply the last pass around the box - two things our other midfielders are unable to do for some reason
I'd rather we bought him back in properly than rushed it - last few weeks have kind of proven his somewhat surprising degree of importance to us, we need to make sure we get this right.
Mmm... We were playing Aldershot. We looked just as good in the last round of the competition.
Besides, we actually looked a bit more solid when Pogba replaced him. He's been out ages though. To be expected he'll be a bit rusty.
Change central midfield to left/right midfielder and you're basically describing Park. You've a short memory if you think Park's current form is an indication of how he actually plays.
I'm talking about form over the last 2 years (since his knee injury). he's lost pace that's clear to see. No short term memory. Yes - he used to be much more incisive and had the ability to go past players but we haven't seen that for 2-3 years!
I'm talking about all season Pogue, not just tonight. We have looked better with him in the side this season, and the results in the games he's played so far would back this up. I'm not getting carried away, thats just how i see it.
Absolutely I think that's the role model for him!
Fair enough. I was just talking about tonight. He'll be better in his next run out.
He still was the one driving our play forward from central areas, along with Park.
I actually don't think he'll take too long to get going again. He's got a light body frame and a low center of gravity, he's just so hard to get a hold on for opposing players.
Wtf does his energy level have to do with defining the type of player he is?
Evra is a high energy player too. Is he a la Park? What about Rooney?
I agree the Sneijder & Iniesta comparisons are not only very premature, but a bit ott, but he definitely adds a different dimension to our play. Which Park clearly does not.
I would also add i doubt Sneijder would be as effective as TC played in a similar 2 man central pairing. Sneijder always has a DM behind him when he is at his most effective. Cleverley didn't, he put in a lot of work box to box and was still effective. I believe if he also had the added security of a holding player behind him, we would see him improve significantly.
Let's not forget he has played most of his time on the wing for wigan, and before that as an AM. So he has not had too much experience balancing the defensive and offensive aspects of a 2 man pairing. He certainly showed better discipline and positional awareness than Anderson in their early season games.
I feel there is good capacity for improvement with Cleverley, he has a good attitude, workrate and a good footballing brain. A bit more experience and i have high hopes for this lad.
Wtf does his energy level have to do with defining the type of player he is?
Evra is a high energy player too. Is he a la Park? What about Rooney?
I agree the Sneijder & Iniesta comparisons are not only very premature, but a bit ott, but he definitely adds a different dimension to our play. Which Park clearly does not.
I would also add i doubt Sneijder would be as effective as TC played in a similar 2 man central pairing. Sneijder always has a DM behind him when he is at his most effective. Cleverley didn't, he put in a lot of work box to box and was still effective. I believe if he also had the added security of a holding player behind him, we would see him improve significantly.
Let's not forget he has played most of his time on the wing for wigan, and before that as an AM. So he has not had too much experience balancing the defensive and offensive aspects of a 2 man pairing. He certainly showed better discipline and positional awareness than Anderson in their early season games.
I feel there is good capacity for improvement with Cleverley, he has a good attitude, workrate and a good footballing brain. A bit more experience and i have high hopes for this lad.
I dunno. Maybe ask Tom Cleverley?
I agree it is surprising how someone who has played so few games, is now seen as so vital. But it's understandable considering how we played when he was in the team, and how we have played progressively worse game by game, since he was injured.
We were still open when he and Ando were in the middle, but not as open as in recent games. Furthermore when he played we were totally devastating on the counter attack, and could score goals and create chances with minimal possession. That too has almost completely dried up since his injury.
So strange as it may seem, for me there are too many contributing factors regarding the sudden upturn in our counter attacking prowess, after his initial inclusion. And the subsequent loss of form of both individual players and the team generally, after his injury, for it to be so easily written off as mere coincidence.
To me there's definite similarities to Park but what seems to separate them in terms of their ability to influence play in the middle is Cleverley's bit of invention and creative intelligence, which to be honest I'd not really noticed before this season. He's just a bit tidier on the ball too, fulfils many of the same duties but makes it look that bit easier.
Yup, Park's a very good link up player too on his day but Cleverley just seems to be a bit sharper in seeing a pass and executing it, I like how he moves into space as quickly as possible after making a pass too. Hopefully his development continues, I just hope fans aren't heaping unnecessary pressure on to his back. He's got a good head on his shoulders though so he should be able to handle it.
Glad he got some minutes under his belt.
He got an hour under his belt in his first game back. Good to see that he came away fit. He is bound to start now against Everton.
With Cleverley back, is the Quadruple back on? Was it really ever off?
TBF Ji has done very well in the past for Korea and PSV as a creative high energy player playing behind the striker.
He's never been truly played in a creator role for us. Mainly because we've had better players like Rooney, Scholes etc. in there.
I'll agree about the tidier on the ball. Think Park's first touch can be really poor at times whereas Cleverley seems to have a bit of class on the ball.
To be totally honest, I've hardly seen Park where his touch has been really poor...
But in comparison, I do think Cleverly does use the ball really well when he's played in MF. Looks a lot more confident than Park but they both do really well when played centrally.
Still need to see a lot more of Cleverly, the lad hasn't even had a full season's run in the first team but right now we're hoping he'll emulate Sneijder is a bit too quick... Hope he just keeps running things and hopefully he'll progress and add goals to his game which we all know he's capable of.
But in comparison, I do think Cleverly does use the ball really well when he's played in MF. Looks a lot more confident than Park but they both do really well when played centrally.
Still need to see a lot more of Cleverly, the lad hasn't even had a full season's run in the first team but right now we're hoping he'll emulate Sneijder is a bit too quick... Hope he just keeps running things and hopefully he'll progress and add goals to his game which we all know he's capable of.
That I think is the main difference between the two. They both have a similar one touch, quick passing style when playing in the center but it seems that Park's touch lets him down much more frequently than I have seen with Cleverley thus far.
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