Tom Cleverley | 2012-14 Performances

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Freak said:
He's only a squad player. He shouldn't be a regular in the first eleven. The problem is, we don't have anyone else.
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I wouldn't mind if he did a job. If he held his position when needed, played to his strengths and had an ounce of positional sense in his game.

Without meaning to sound like a broken record, better and more influential players shouldn't need to do his job for him in the way Rooney was doing yesterday. I thought he was a major hindrance yesterday, and that's not even relevant to what he did with the ball.
 
Rossa said:
Henderson is actually better...
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On the evidence of this season he's twice the player Cleverley can ever be - however, Henderson himself is an interesting reminder that you never know when a promising lad, particularly a midfielder, decides to bloom. This time last season Liverpool fans were cursing his signing.
 
marjen said:
On the evidence of this season he's twice the player Cleverley can ever be - however, Henderson himself is an interesting reminder that you never know when a promising lad, particularly a midfielder, decides to bloom. This time last season Liverpool fans were cursing his signing.
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You are quite right. I also think Cleverley would suit Liverpool's way of playing football better than he does United's. There isn't much movement in our midfield, and Cleverley thrives on movement. He isn't one to ping 40 yard passes to the wingers, nor is he particularly good with through balls. He is, however, good at one and two touch play between the opposition.
 
marjen said:
On the evidence of this season he's twice the player Cleverley can ever be - however, Henderson himself is an interesting reminder that you never know when a promising lad, particularly a midfielder, decides to bloom. This time last season Liverpool fans were cursing his signing.
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Henderson actually has some bollocks about him though, even when he was playing shit he always tried to be involved in the game. Cleverley lacks that mentality which is why I wouldn't expect him to instantly improve the way that Henderson has.
 
Theon said:
Henderson actually has some bollocks about him though, even when he was playing shit he always tried to be involved in the game. Cleverley lacks that mentality which is why I wouldn't expect him to instantly improve the way that Henderson has.
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I always thought of him as a nothing player that never influenced the game at all and were happy to play sideways passes to Gerrard.

Much the same way Cleverley is viewed now.
 
marjen said:
I always thought of him as a nothing player that never influenced the game at all and were happy to play sideways passes to Gerrard.

Much the same way Cleverley is viewed now.
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Seriously? I never thought that at all. He is much more adventurous than Cleverley is, his problem was that the passes/runs/whatever weren't coming off.
 
Theon said:
Seriously? I never thought that at all. He is much more adventurous than Cleverley is, his problem was that the passes/runs/whatever weren't coming off.
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I can't remember this at all. When we were linked with Henderson in his Sunderland days I'm pretty sure my reaction was "but what does he really DO?"

He's never been known for being adventurous. He's a hard working midfielder who's proved to have a bit of vision and suits Liverpool's style of play down to a tee.

Now, if United HAD a style of play we might have been able to say the same of Cleverley.
 
Theon said:
Seriously? I never thought that at all. He is much more adventurous than Cleverley is, his problem was that the passes/runs/whatever weren't coming off.
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That is clear nonsense. Every man and his dog including Liverpool fans were having a go at him for being utterly spineless. In fact reading rawk last season they all thought Shelvey was better because he actually tried to do something unlike Henderson who did feck all.

The way Liverpool are playing is helping him and if we played like that Cleverley would look much better as well.
 
Rodgers has found a role for Henderson that suits his game. He's not the most gifted player but he's a strong runner and has the ability to run beyond the strikers. Somebody running from deep is so difficult to track it causes havoc in the defence. He keeps it simple and it's working for him at the moment. I don't think he's going to develop into some game controlling midfielder, or someone who's particularly dangerous with the ball at his feet but he can still be very effective with his movement and athleticism.
 
Thought he was great yesterday at the game. Didn't stop running, closed down well and must have won the ball back 3 or 4 times.
 
marjen said:
I can't remember this at all. When we were linked with Henderson in his Sunderland days I'm pretty sure my reaction was "but what does he really DO?"

He's never been known for being adventurous. He's a hard working midfielder who's proved to have a bit of vision and suits Liverpool's style of play down to a tee.

Now, if United HAD a style of play we might have been able to say the same of Cleverley.
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No I don't mean that he is a technical player, he isn't, and that was my point when I said that things weren't coming off for him.

So I agree he isn't Ozil, but what I disagree with is that he hid/played it safe like Cleverley. I have never gotten that impression. My view was always that he was an energetic player with a good mentality, he would look to get on the ball but was held back by his technique.
 
marjen said:
I can't remember this at all. When we were linked with Henderson in his Sunderland days I'm pretty sure my reaction was "but what does he really DO?"

He's never been known for being adventurous. He's a hard working midfielder who's proved to have a bit of vision and suits Liverpool's style of play down to a tee.

Now, if United HAD a style of play we might have been able to say the same of Cleverley.
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At Sunderland he initially impressed and gained recognition out on the right wing and showed plenty of attacking intent. Those great crosses he's been putting in for Suárez recently aren't some new weapon he's added to his Arsenal, he showed that and more at Sunderland.
 
He's a waste of fecking space. I don't even think he'd improve the midfield of a lower-PL side. Utter shit.
 
I've not been his biggest fan of late, but his performance tonight should come in consideration with the fact that he played 90 minutes, in central midfield, 2 days ago.

I find it crazy that he started this game to be honet.
 
He did play 90 mins but its not like was good in that either. He had a couple good games, Villa and Hull(?) spring to mind, but before and after that utter crap
 
Timid Tom is what I should call him. Not just his passing, but amount of challenges he pulls out of.
 
LARulz said:
He did play 90 mins but its not like was good in that either. He had a couple good games, Villa and Hull(?) spring to mind, but before and after that utter crap
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Well he was terrible... but to expect a player, who's not in form, to play well 2 days after playing a full 90 is reaching.
 
Don't really have a problem with him, he's just average and like all average players, when they're out of confidence he'll play like he's done today. He'll go through decent spells of form too, but he shouldn't be anything more then a squad player, at the best of times.
 
OnlyTwoDaSilvas said:
I feel the same. If he was up for sale, who would even want to buy him? He's not good at anything except running about a bit.
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The way posters choose to look favourably on him reminds me of how posters on RAWK used to praise Liverpool's dross. One glimmer of something good in his game at any point during the match and it's a 'positive' - never mind that the rest is shit. On balance Cleverly is nowhere near good enough to play for United. He's not even that young any more, so it's not like we're going to see a dramatic improvement.
 
Christ he's been average this half. I think towards the end even the United players were reluctant to pass to him
 
Incredibly mediocre player. He runs his bollocks off to make up for being amazingly average but he offers us nothing else. He can't pass. He doesn't score. He attempts to protect the back four but it's a pointless exercise as he ends up giving it away again.
 
Annihilate Now! said:
Well he was terrible... but to expect a player, who's not in form, to play well 2 days after playing a full 90 is reaching.
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I agree generally. Some players need that though to get into form but he's the complete opposite. Needs to sit out 5 games and plays well when thrown in, only to go a bit crap again when we think he's turned a corner.
 
He's doing a good job defensively, made a load of tackles/interceptions but has been awful on the ball. Looks knackered after the weekend
 
I think I was wrong about him, thought he had a solid enough game to build on and develop but he's looking useless and perhaps worst of all still too timid, useful squad player mind.
 
rednev said:
He's a waste of fecking space. I don't even think he'd improve the midfield of a lower-PL side. Utter shit.
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Agree there are players virtually in every team in the premier league that I would start before him. He truly is average at his very best. Get rid please!
 
Kid Cunto said:
Incredibly mediocre player. He runs his bollocks off to make up for being amazingly average but he offers us nothing else. He can't pass. He doesn't score. He attempts to protect the back four but it's a pointless exercise as he ends up giving it away again.
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He'll make a good Championship player, occasionally popping up in the PL for a relegation fodder team. That's his level.
 
Okay the fitness thing may be an excuse today but if we're honest we'd probably struggle to get up to the fingers of one hand, excluding thumbs listing the number of performances from him that pique above average - and that's spanning seasons.

It's all very well and good promoting younger players but just being (fairly) young and being there in the squad shouldn't be enough to justify selection. Look at Rafael or Januzaj even. That's what young players at this level coming through should be able to do - look comfortable at this level. Cleverley always seems to look as if everything is an uphill struggle for him, often even the simplest things.

It can't just be young homegrown players playing for young homegrown players sake - there has to be a standard somewhere. And if Cleverley meets that standard then maybe doom mongers who question our ability to reach top 4 are right because the lad is not a 'top 4' level first choice centre midfielder.
 
Never had the ability to be more than a squad player here, so that doesn't disappoint me.

That said, if I was him I'd be a bit nervous. Moyes might feel like instigating a bit of a purge in the summer and Cleverley has done nothing to suggest he couldn't be easily replaced.
 
rednev said:
He'll make a good Championship player, occasionally popping up in the PL for a relegation fodder team. That's his level.
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In fairness to him, a lower half Premier League team would be his level. He literally offers nothing to our shit midfield though. I'd probably keep him around for the foreseeable future as a squad player as our midfield is so weak. Tells you all you need to know about Anderson that he doesn't get a sniff.
 
rednev said:
He'll make a good Championship player, occasionally popping up in the PL for a relegation fodder team. That's his level.
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Wouldn't be a starter for any top 10 team in England why he starts for us says more about our midfield than it does him!
 
He has been woeful. However, he is a United player, I'm not going to kick him when he is down, it's not his fault Woodward didn't sign a midfielder, need to get behind our players when they are down.
 
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