Tom Cleverley | 2012-14 Performances

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Playing on the wing didnt help him but feck me even the simple things don't come off for him atm.
 
Yeah I didn't get the point of him out on the left, it's not like he's particularly great defensively, he's not gonna beat anyone and he wasn't really drifting in to help balance the numbers. He's gone off the boil a bit but tbf playing out wide isn't his game. I could even understand him on the right, as at least then he's naturally on his right to cross, but on the left, how we played it, seemed odd.
 
Leroy The Red said:
city, Real, faded against Liverpool in the 2nd half, faded at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. He's a nice player and he's a much better option than Anderson but he's not the long term and permanent answer to playing alongside Carrick.
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Steady there Leroy - a bit too early for you to claim hes not a long term United player. This is his first full season and also playing key games for England. He looks a fit lad and might take him a few seasons to gain that extra 10-15% to finish the season. Carrick on the other hand has started slow for seasons and finishes strong, perhaps Clev is the opposite.

I think hes had a good season up to now and is deserving of a bit of time? I just think its a bit early to say that
 
He's been fine this season up until a month ago or so. That's disappointing but you could say the same about RVP and no one would argue he isn't a class player. It's still only his second season at this level.
 
Leroy The Red said:
city, Real, faded against Liverpool in the 2nd half, faded at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. He's a nice player and he's a much better option than Anderson but he's not the long term and permanent answer to playing alongside Carrick.
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I've felt he was good in all of those games, he faded in some of them but he was good.
 
Sojiro said:
Steady there Leroy - a bit too early for you to claim hes not a long term United player. This is his first full season and also playing key games for England. He looks a fit lad and might take him a few seasons to gain that extra 10-15% to finish the season. Carrick on the other hand has started slow for seasons and finishes strong, perhaps Clev is the opposite.

I think hes had a good season up to now and is deserving of a bit of time? I just think its a bit early to say that
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Well that's not what I said...I said he's not the long term answer to permanently partnering Carrick, I'm not lobbying for his sale. It's also very easy to use fitness as a reason and whilst it might have some validity to him fading in games, in terms of just genuine ability and the way he plays, doesn't look like being the answer.
 
Ash_G said:
Yeah I didn't get the point of him out on the left, it's not like he's particularly great defensively, he's not gonna beat anyone and he wasn't really drifting in to help balance the numbers. He's gone off the boil a bit but tbf playing out wide isn't his game. I could even understand him on the right, as at least then he's naturally on his right to cross, but on the left, how we played it, seemed odd.
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Cleverley is no kind of attacking midfielder for all the reasons you mention in the first sentence. Cleverley could become a kind of Mikael Arteta style player: Someone who comes short, can play give and go's, keep the play ticking over and carry the ball short distances in order to create angles for other players, occasionally playing killer balls himself. However, Cleverley is never going to be a Santi Cazorla, Juan Mata style player. Never. Therefore playing him wide left, wide right, or in the hole is just wasting the chance to play someone else who'd do better for the team in that role. Instead of starting with Cleverley wide left we should've either started Giggs or Young there. If he isn't gonna play in centre midfield its not worth playing Cleverley.
 
Yeah he's generally done quite well in the bigger games, for me I think because he has to play more disciplined in those games in terms of his tactical position we actually get more out of him as his sharp touch and quick passing help us to keep possession. He does tend to fade but that's understandable, it can take time to get match stamina at the highest level and Clev has played relatively few games at his age at the top level.
 
Why play him on the left? What did that give us? Fergie's fault for his poor game.
 
Leroy The Red said:
Well that's not what I said...I said he's not the long term answer to permanently partnering Carrick, I'm not lobbying for his sale. It's also very easy to use fitness as a reason and whilst it might have some validity to him fading in games, in terms of just genuine ability and the way he plays, doesn't look like being the answer.
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My apologies there Leroy, I mistakenly put United player instead of Carricks CM partner. I still disagree due to him not getting enough time to gel. His form with Carrick early on when he was at full energy showed how well he could play with Carrick and also I do think more consistent time with him to form a partnership will benefit Cleverley. While its an easy answer sometimes it is as simple as that given him coming off an serious long term injury last season, his involvement with England and a lack of midfield options this season.

Fair points about doubting his full quality and his style of play but I think its too early to write off him adapting his game accordingly.
 
Personally think he's the most over rated player on our team. He doesn't shine out to me very often at all. I'm not saying he's not good enough, just that he hasn't been good enough.
 
What's he over rated at exactly? I think everyone knows what he excels at and where he has to improve. If he develops at the rate he has he'll be a very good player for us. He'll grow, he's a baby experience wise in midfield but I see it in him. He has it. He can tackle, he's got a good engine and he understands the game and space around him. He just has to bring it all together and stay the course.
 
ArmchairCritic said:
What's he over rated at exactly? I think everyone knows what he excels at and where he has to improve. If he develops at the rate he has he'll be a very good player for us. He'll grow, he's a baby experience wise in midfield but I see it in him. He has it. He can tackle, he's got a good engine and he understands the game and space around him. He just has to bring it all together and stay the course.
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I see it in him too, pal! I just don't think it's quite there yet.
 
jakec said:
Anderson is quicker, stronger, a better passer, better on the ball and has shined to me more so than Cleverely.
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I was just joking, I used to see 'it' in Anderson but I worry now. They are different types of player. They compliment each other well.
 
Not a great game from him yesterday. But its not surprising with him being forced to play out of position. He is the type of player that thrives on people around him, so chucking him out wide is always going to hamper him as it limits his options and he isn't the type of player who can take on his man, instead preferring to pass and move to beat players.

Having him out there did blunt out attacks down the left as well, which didn't help things either.
 
Dargonk said:
Not a great game from him yesterday. But its not surprising with him being forced to play out of position. He is the type of player that thrives on people around him, so chucking him out wide is always going to hamper him as it limits his options and he isn't the type of player who can take on his man, instead preferring to pass and move to beat players.

Having him out there did blunt out attacks down the left as well, which didn't help things either.
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He really isn't "out of position". He has played there before. I like Cleverley and think he will be a solid player for us. However, like most of our team, he has been poor lately.
 
NM said:
He really isn't "out of position". He has played there before. I like Cleverley and think he will be a solid player for us. However, like most of our team, he has been poor lately.
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True he has played there before, but I feel he is naturally more comfortable in the center with players all around him to work off. Out wide his options are limited and players need to be able to beat their man by themselves, which cleverley isn't great at which means we lose a lot of the attacking threat with him their.
 
To me he's just look indecisive and timid going forward. Kind of in the you take if you want it instead of asserting himself. He's seems rather unsure of himself the last month or so.
 
Leroy The Red said:
city, Real, faded against Liverpool in the 2nd half, faded at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. He's a nice player and he's a much better option than Anderson but he's not the long term and permanent answer to playing alongside Carrick.
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Good God. Yeah, write off a player that young already.

Brilliant
 
Cleverley is not a 'superstar CM' but gets the job done quietly and efficiently. He won't dive into tackles, shoot from distance or spray 50 yard passes but he will keep buzzing around in the centre and provide options for his teammates.

The fact we play with 2 wingers and 2 strikers means we need someone who can do the simple stuff next to Carrick and Clev is the perfect option IMO who provides the perfect balance between attack and defence.
 
I know this gets thrown about a lot, but he does genuinely look a bit jaded now. Not surprising as it's his first full season at the top level for club and country.
 
Zen86 said:
I know this gets thrown about a lot, but he does genuinely look a bit jaded now. Not surprising as it's his first full season at the top level for club and country.
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But he hasn't been overplayed for us at all really, if anything I remember periods where I thought he wasn't playing enough.
 
Cina said:
But he hasn't been overplayed for us at all really, if anything I remember periods where I thought he wasn't playing enough.
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Was talking about this with a friend yesterday, and I think we've handled him extra-cautiously given that it's his first full season.

I'd say his season has been a good success. He's stayed largely fit and become an important fixture in the first team squad. We shouldn't forget that, in terms of experience, he's still a kid.
 
Cina said:
But he hasn't been overplayed for us at all really, if anything I remember periods where I thought he wasn't playing enough.
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True, but you never really know how exhausting it can be for him mentally dealing with the pressure and the scrutiny. You'd expect him to be acclimatised to it next season though.
 
He wasn't great yesterday but lets get some prospective he was on the left wing, I dont know what was to be expected of him. Why Giggs didn't start after being rested on Saturday is beyond me.
 
Zen86 said:
True, but you never really know how exhausting it can be for him mentally dealing with the pressure and the scrutiny. You'd expect him to be acclimatised to it next season though.
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Hopefully, he does need to work on his fitness and I'm sure he will, he seems to have the right attitude, unlike certain others.

Feed Me said:
Was talking about this with a friend yesterday, and I think we've handled him extra-cautiously given that it's his first full season.

I'd say his season has been a good success. He's stayed largely fit and become an important fixture in the first team squad. We shouldn't forget that, in terms of experience, he's still a kid.
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Yeah it has been a success, he's never looked like a potential top player though, the question remains whether he's actually good enough to be a nailed on first team midfielder for us for the foreseeable future, and I'm not sure, yet. he's definitely good enough to be here though.
 
#07 said:
Cleverley is no kind of attacking midfielder for all the reasons you mention in the first sentence. Cleverley could become a kind of Mikael Arteta style player: Someone who comes short, can play give and go's, keep the play ticking over and carry the ball short distances in order to create angles for other players, occasionally playing killer balls himself. However, Cleverley is never going to be a Santi Cazorla, Juan Mata style player. Never. Therefore playing him wide left, wide right, or in the hole is just wasting the chance to play someone else who'd do better for the team in that role. Instead of starting with Cleverley wide left we should've either started Giggs or Young there. If he isn't gonna play in centre midfield its not worth playing Cleverley.
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Nail. Head. Met.

I also think because keeping the play ticking over isn't as attractive as the Cazorla role, Cleverley is chronically under rated by some on here.
 
Playing him on the left did him (And United) no favours whatsoever. When the team was announced I predicted that Valencia would be at RB with Jones in midfield but I thought that Cleverley would play behind Hernandez with Nani and Welbeck as the wingers.

Cleverley isn't a wide player and he never will. He needs to be central and more involved. His play revolves around pass and move. You can't do that as much out wide. We were over run in the midfield and Jones was off the pace coming back from injury which left Carrick exposed. When he tired our midfield looked lethargic. Cleverley should have been the extra man in the midfield and I think we could have got something out of the game.

I do think it has been a long season for him but there have been plenty more postives than negatives and hope he pushes on next season
 
Mr. MUJAC said:
Looks like Tom Cleverley could be the cafe's next Darren Fletcher.

Everyone wants a scapegoat.

Some seriously idiotic comments on this thread!
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He will come good Mr MUJAC. I do think he has had a rough second half to the season though. However, it is his first full season at CM at a top level. I'm sure he will make it.
 
NM said:
He will come good Mr MUJAC. I do think he has had a rough second half to the season though. However, it is his first full season at CM at a top level. I'm sure he will make it.
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I'm not sure he'll make it.

But even if he does eventually become the top player many posters confidently predict, he's not there yet, and we shouldn't start next season with him and Carrick as our first choice midfield partnership. Even at the cost of slowing or 'stifling' Cleverley's development, Fergie must bring a quality midfielder to OT.
 
Will Absolute said:
I'm not sure he'll make it.

But even if he does eventually become the top player many posters confidently predict, he's not there yet, and we shouldn't start next season with him and Carrick as our first choice midfield partnership. Even at the cost of slowing or 'stifling' Cleverley's development, Fergie must bring a quality midfielder to OT.
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How do players develop if not given games and experience?
 
He's been inconsistent but that's to be expected. Against Chelsea he was on the wing anyway so criticizing him for that is just idiotic.

At his best Cleverley has already shown he is clearly good enough, all of our best performances this season have been ones in which Cleverley is playing well. We just need to be patient like with all youngsters, the consistency will come.
 
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