Tom Cleverley | 2011/12 Performances

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His simple pass and move routine made us look like a football team again, for a while at least.

Good news it's nothing serious.
 
Good little player is Cleverley. Some of our other CM's want to take a look at this lad and his mentality with and off the ball.

My only worry is it is too much for him to do on his own and the likes of Fletcher, Carrick and Anderson need to step up and help him out.
 
RedPhil1957 said:
25 league starts last season and 33 the season before for Watford makes your statement rubbish
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19 starts, 6 sub. Comparing him to Saha is not sound. I only remember that when I wanted to see him at Wigan against top opposition, he was always injured and out and now with this recent events, I have just lost it really.

De Selby said:
It'd be nice to see championo & others back up their points with hard facts.
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I can't do that yet, it just appears so to do, I remember his knee ligaments getting messed up at Watford, then was out at Wigan due to training ground knee injury(Same knee again, this time just the MCL), then came back and then
picked some mysterious injury whiles away at an international game and stayed out for a while.

He just looks feeble to me and it is not based on any facts or stats, just the way it looks to me.
 
He was very good today. With him and Rooney playing we finally had some midfielders who can pass. Carrick and Cleverley could be a decent combination for us.
 
championo said:
19 starts, 6 sub. Comparing him to Saha is not sound. I only remember that when I wanted to see him at Wigan against top opposition, he was always injured and out and now with this recent events, I have just lost it really.



I can't do that yet, it just appears so to do, I remember his knee ligaments getting messed up at Watford, then was out at Wigan due to training ground knee injury(Same knee again, this time just the MCL), then came back and then
picked some mysterious injury whiles away at an international game and stayed out for a while.

He just looks feeble to me and it is not based on any facts or stats, just the way it looks to me.
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whatever (said 25 starts on the site i looked at) it means he was available to play at least 25 out of 38 games that is not someone made of glass which is the point i was making.
 
TheReligion said:
Good little player is Cleverley. Some of our other CM's want to take a look at this lad and his mentality with and off the ball.

My only worry is it is too much for him to do on his own and the likes of Fletcher, Carrick and Anderson need to step up and help him out.
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Him and Anderson were doing well together the start of the season, Anderson seemed to thrive playing with him.

It's a bit scary how we've come to rely on him big time for us in midfield.
 
He's felt his ankle again. It's nothing serious, just tightness and tiredness. It's his first real game back, although he played on Tuesday [at Aldershot] of course. He should be okay next week and it was an excellent performance from him in the first half.--Sir Alex Ferguson
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If that's the case better safe than sorry. In spite of how bad we looked without him in the midfield its best to take precautions and ensure if he feels his ankle he rests it. I'd rather have Cleverley available for 60 minutes next week than have had him overdo it today and see him out for the next 6 weeks again. If the difference in our play with or without Cleverley proves anything its that we simply cannot afford to lose him right now.
 
Glad it's not serious. He offers something that none of our other midfielders have that's integral to play: The ability to drive the ball forward combined with excellent movement and combination-play.
 
FreakyJim said:
His simple pass and move routine made us look like a football team again, for a while at least.

Good news it's nothing serious.
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Agreed. Its so amazing how different we look with and without him.

The fact that we couldnt even keep possession with him off is quite worrying.
 
If you don't have a brilliant defensive midfielder, keep the ball. That's what he's done. He don't over complicate anything but he does have creativity and he's shown good composure and he'll get better once he adds goals to his game. I think the other lads enjoy it and us supporters while there's always room for a percentage ball now and then, enjoy it more because we are capable of clever interplay.
 
Shame Pogba isn't a year or so ahead of his development. He's the type of player that I think would compliment Cleverley in midfield. Not affraid to put his foot in, built like a tank but also offers options going forward.
 
No surprise we played the best football with him involved in the first half - always looking to receive and roam forward when on the ball, pass-and-go midfielder.
 
Is our midfield that lacking that a player with 5? starts under his belt has already rocketed himself into our most impressive midfielder?
 
He's so key to us keeping the ball for several reasons. He doesn't go long often and prefers to play a slower and more on the ground build up, so there are less possession turnovers. He backs his touch and dribbling ability in tight spaces so there's no panicky ball leading to turnover. Finally, he has it in his head what's going on around him when he gets the ball.
 
Commadus said:
Is our midfield that lacking that a player with 5? starts under his belt has already rocketed himself into our most impressive midfielder?
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unfortunately yes..

ando blows hot and cold, fletcher is still recovering and finding his 2009 form, carrick is only used for CL games these days...

so far we are much better when tom is playing..
 
ricky-romeo said:
unfortunately yes..

ando blows hot and cold, fletcher is still recovering and finding his 2009 form, carrick is only used for CL games these days...

so far we are much better when tom is playing..
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But then isn't this something SAF has to take some responsibility - not strengthening the midfield. Ive backed Fletcher and Carrick. I have seen too many false dawns with Anderson.
 
It has been an oversight from Sir Alex not adding some genuine world class talent to the midfield. I wouldn't be surprised if we made a move in January for someone.
 
AdZzUtd said:
It has been an oversight from Sir Alex not adding some genuine world class talent to the midfield. I wouldn't be surprised if we made a move in January for someone.
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I think he was banking on Anderson making the step up and becoming consistent and Fletcher returning to form. It just hasn't quite worked out that way, Fletcher looked good though today.
 
Commadus said:
Is our midfield that lacking that a player with 5? starts under his belt has already rocketed himself into our most impressive midfielder?
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not really because Cleverlys performed very well. I think it says more about the quality he's brought to the team
 
ArmchairCritic said:
I think he was banking on Anderson making the step up and becoming consistent and Fletcher returning to form. It just hasn't quite worked out that way, Fletcher looked good though today.
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Fergie went out looking for Sneidjer and I reckon Modric as well this summer.

Simply he could not get the player he wanted.

The CAF might have a host of other targets they would want him to pursue from the likes of Hamsik, Banega, Parker, Barton, Adam, etc but he's only going sign a player he thinks is good enough.

But yeah Fergie would also have wanted Anderson to have stepped up this season and his other options to play well. Personally I give them the benefit of a settled back four before being to harsh on them yet. That's the bigger problem IMO.
 
Cleverley did ok but gave it away a little too often in my opinion. I hope he isn't injured for too long. I like the way he links up with Welbeck.
 
Ole'sbodyguard said:
Fergie went out looking for Sneidjer and I reckon Modric as well this summer.

Simply he could not get the player he wanted.

The CAF might have a host of other targets they would want him to pursue from the likes of Hamsik, Banega, Parker, Barton, Adam, etc but he's only going sign a player he thinks is good enough.

But yeah Fergie would also have wanted Anderson to have stepped up this season and his other options to play well. Personally I give them the benefit of a settled back four before being to harsh on them yet. That's the bigger problem IMO.
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He was actively looking for someone yes but if he was desperate then he would have got someone, obviously it was a mixture of the right man not being available and SAF thinking all things being well the midfield should be able to do the job, which it can on it's day. The only problem being those days are intermittent so far this season, a settled backline will help us but I think everyone on here can agree that comparative to all the other areas of the pitch midfield is the weakest.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
I think he was banking on Anderson making the step up and becoming consistent and Fletcher returning to form. It just hasn't quite worked out that way, Fletcher looked good though today.
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Fletcher at his best only does a containing job and doesnt really boss the midfield. Anderson as well, he never really owned the middle of the park like we see some of the very good midfielders do.
 
Cleverly keeps it simple and thats what we actually need in midfield but today he was a bit more ambitious.
 
Bloxy said:
Fletcher at his best only does a containing job and doesnt really boss the midfield. Anderson as well, he never really owned the middle of the park like we see some of the very good midfielders do.
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Agreed.

Both players can only perform when they have someone bossing the mid field or at least keep it ticking.
 
34 passes at 83%, a bit below his usual efficiency, but good for his first EPL game back from injury.

Let's hope that that ankle heals up soon and he doesn't have to play injured at all.
 
gooDevil said:
34 passes at 83%, a bit below his usual efficiency, but good for his first EPL game back from injury.

Let's hope that that ankle heals up soon and he doesn't have to play injured at all.
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Similar to Anderson' stats alongside Fletcher and without Cleverley. Lack of movement and making yourself available means that more ambitious passes than necessary at a slightly lower completion rate.
 
gooDevil said:
I don't know, it looks like he actually missed almost entirely shorter passes rather than the harder ones, so it doesn't look like someone forcing long passes. I would think he's just rusty.

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All but two are on the edge of the Everton area, it was generally the high risk quick 1-2's he likes playing to rip though a defence that just didn't connect well today, in central midfield he kept the ball nicely.
 
Which sound to me like someone a bit rusty coming back from injury, not someone forced into longer passes by central midfield problems.

Sorry, I just hate all this crapping on our central midfield.

If ours is crap, I feel for the rest of the world...

Isn't talent a relative thing?
 
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