Cleverly is a good player and whenever he plays we look solid but his sideways passing is frustrating and he doesn't even have the belief that he's capable of more, he's a bottler in that regard.
Tom Cleverley | 2012-14 Performances
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He's better than this, and still a capable squad player, but really just not good enough to warrant his current positioning within the squad. Dire right now.
This is relative.
How well do you think Cleverley should be playing? Do you think he should be showing the guts to play the kinda long passes that found Welbz and Valencia in good space time more often? Or do you think its fine for him to retreat inside of his shell and only do it when he can't chicken out of it?
For me, Cleverley's playing scared. If he gets the ball with his back to goal there's no indication that he'll take it, turn, run at a defence and open up space for himself to play the killer pass. No, he'll just pass the ball right back to the guy who gave it to him. Sad. Someone with his ability shouldn't be so inhibited. This season was his chance to put down a marker for himself with only Fellaini coming in. Instead he's playing himself out of the side.
How do you know? We didn't fecking see him for 90 mins.
Kept the game ticking over but did nothing positive.
On this season's form, just not good enough for United
Ofcourse he wasnt. Its tough to stand out as bad when you dont try anything at all. All he did was look for the easiest pass on offer all game long. Made no attempt to influence the game. As someone else said, he's a coward. No balls.
Perhaps because there's nothing about his game that suggests he's matured as a footballer.
With the injuriesit's either him or Fellaini..
He's just not good enough for united. We've got too many of those types of players who are simply squad players, and not enough players who should start for a team like us. If he wasn't a youth player from united he'd be long gone.
He's never 'that bad' in the sense that he gives the ball away a lot or makes loads of mistakes.
He does nothing though. Practically every pass goes two yards backwards. Steven Davis could do the exact same job for us and you'll not find a united fan anywhere in the world who would want him anywhere near us. I used to think he was Joe Allen with guts but it's becoming more and more apparent that's not true at all. He's just Joe Allen....
Nonsense. His second half was quiet, but his link up play in the first half was excellent. Constantly made himself available, made space, dragged Spurs' midfield all over the place.
As good as Carrick is you'll never get that from him.
Honestly I think people believe that unless players are scoring 30 yard screamers they've been anonymous.
He was the one who played the lovely pass to Welbeck for his run.
Not saying he was great but he wasn't poor at all. People are exaggerating his 'cowardliness'.
Because that's really the only thing missing in his game. What fecking nonsense.
I like Cleverley and I've always hoped he'd make it. But if he doesn't step up this season you'd have to think his days at Utd, as a regular first teamed at least, will be done as it's his position we will probably buy someone for.
Either make a big step up or come next year, at best, he'll be Anderson's replacement on the bench.
He was that bad today. Totally invisible.
Fletcher took a lot of stick but no on could ever fault him for lack of effort or bravery, that's what Cleverley lacked today. He looked totally out of place in a Utd MF. Even this one.
Thought he was alright today. 6/10.
What the feck were you watching? He did feck all for 90 mins except duck out of tackles, stop play and wait for an easy pass or just generally hide. You're fecking clueless if you think the garbage you've just posted is anywhere near the truth.
Stupid boy. Cleverley isn't trying is he? He's a professional fecking footballer who has made United's first team based on his work ethic if nothing else. Cleverley isn't even trying, I've heard it all now. Retarded post. Stobzilla's got it spot on. He'll make you lot like idiots in a couple of years.
he's fecking shit, even a half fit Giggs would have been better than him.
He's a bottler and should dropped for the foreseeable future.
He's a better Liam Miller, that's all he is.
He's a bottler and should dropped for the foreseeable future.
He's a better Liam Miller, that's all he is.
He's bang average
He was at fault for the Sandro goal, he let him get away.
Lack of character, a bit lightweight and doesnt have the balance to make up for it. He's decent
Exactly this. Same as in most of the games this season.
I don't think he'll ever be a regular in the first team but his poor form has been exaggerated. I'd like to see him step and be more confident in his own abilities but even today it was his long pass that fed Welbeck when he made that run.
The stonemason has already carved those words on his gravestone.
I've never understood the Cleverley love. He's never offered much - far too little to inherit the mantle of Keane, Scholes, Robson etc.
I just wonder how a player who plays that much within himself that he becomes a liability to the team can actually fit into a major club - FWIW I thought Carrick lacked confidence for a season or two where he looked devoid of any self-belief, but he always had loads of ability...
Stobzilla's got it spot on. He'll make you lot like idiots in a couple of years.
So is Ashley Young. So is Bendtner at Arsenal. Or Javi Garcia at City. They are all equally shot though.
The only people who he'll make look like idiots is those who really thought that he'll become a great midfielder.
I'd like nothing more.
Do I think it will happen? No.
Hopefully.
But criticism of his performance today, and this season in general is pretty valid.
The reason he keeps the game ticking over is because he doesn't have the confidence to do anything else with the ball. He receives the ball then almost panics in an attempt to get rid of it as fast possible.
But that's part the problem.
I don't think many would argue that, technically he's a very good player.
Problem with him is that he never ventured far from his position, which is so totally different from when he broke through with his pass-and-move. If he can be more mobile and drift to the wings to support and make late runs in the box, he'll be so much more dangerous. He made a number of sweet curlers into the box from the wing.
My problem with him is he doesn't have an identity really. You can't put him in a category, or name anything he does particularly well. He isn't a defensive player, he isn't a box to box player, he isn't an attacking player. He just sits next to Carrick/Jones, receives the ball, moves it on. He doesn't have a great long range pass, an outstanding shooting ability, a good reading of the game like Carrick, or great stamina to become a Fletcher type harrier.
Remember him 2 years ago?! He was mentioned to take over the "Scholesy-role" and he showed that ability from time to time at age 21.. He doesn't have ANY goal-scoring threat and when playing that same role, the opposition knows how to play him off and also how to pressure him when he has the ball in our defensive half..
Indeed, it's scary how similar it is.
I thought he was decent enough, played everything simple and kept the midfield ticking. I'd be interested to know if its instructions given to Cleverley to keep it all simple and play the percentages, or whether his confidence is just low.
And that's because he doesn't want to make a mistake, it's fear. It's not enough to play at United, any number of bang average Prem midfielders can offer what he offers.
I don't think anyone wants Cleverley to fail on here, it would be stupid to want such a thing but the fact of the matter is he hasn't stepped up at all and is no where near the level I'd expect from a Manchester United player. He occasionally shows glimpses but he's in and out the game to much and all to often it passes him by for my liking. Rarely does he look for a cutting pass, instead taking the easy option and passing it to Kagawa or Carrick whoever is available.
He's not old and can still improve but he's not really young either and has regressed as a footballer, he looks like he plays with no confidence at all which pretty much renders him useless. I'd agree with others that he has to step up his game in order to be a regular player at the club. It's obvious our biggest weakness is in midfield.
He's not old and can still improve but he's not really young either and has regressed as a footballer, he looks like he plays with no confidence at all which pretty much renders him useless. I'd agree with others that he has to step up his game in order to be a regular player at the club. It's obvious our biggest weakness is in midfield.
He wasn't great today, and has actually had a struggling 2013. But do you remember how good he was when he was injured for five months? One tackle from Kevin Davies and he suddenly became our best player. A player goes through a bad run of form, a young player at that, and that's it, we might as well sell him.
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