Tom Cleverley | 2014/15 Performances (on loan at Aston Villa)

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Cassidy said:
Under pressure? No not really picks the pass back to sender 9 times out of 10.
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Actually thats a perception but not true. 9 times out of ten is just an over exaggeration and makes it hard to take you seriously.

The first google search for Tom Cleverley all touches gave me this
He does what you say just once in just on 80 touches during the game. Perception and reality on here are sometimes two different animals.
 
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Pogue Mahone said:
He wasn't shiting out of any 50:50 challenges against Liverpool. Went in hard and fair on a number of occasions. Once he even crunched Rooney too. I'll add to that to the long list of unfair criticisms.

On his defensive abilities in general, his best game of last season was against Arsenal away when he did a great job snuffing out Arsenal attacks before they got started. His main problem in the last couple of seasons has been a lack of consistency in his passing and a tendency to go into his shell when it's not happening for him. Clearly a confidence issue and it may turn out the he just doesn't have the mindset to thrive at the highest level. I do think this array of highly technical criticisms are missing the point a bit. He has had at least a few very good performances for Manchester United in his career. In none of them did he look like a footballer with some sort of fundamental deficiency in his skill-set. He blatantly can do everything we need him to do, it's just a question of whether he can do it consistently.
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Pogue I've tried and been patient as I can with him, but I'd rather we gave Powell a chance or another youth product or buy someone like De Jong. Cleverley hides to much for me when he's up against it. He never digs deep, plays it safe and tackles like a 15year old. I had hoped he'd come good but I thought Gibson was a better player who offered more and he wasn't good enough.
 
Lawman said:
Pogue I've tried and been patient as I can with him, but I'd rather we gave Powell a chance or another youth product or buy someone like De Jong. Cleverley hides to much for me when he's up against it. He never digs deep, plays it safe and tackles like a 15year old. I had hoped he'd come good but I thought Gibson was a better player who offered more and he wasn't good enough.
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Kagawa does it all the time no matter where he plays for us, and Gibson only has his shot and that's it imo.
 
Squad player at best. No way near the quality we need and has had more than enough chances and failed to deliver. Time to promote a young player......
 
I think he plays better when the team is playing better. Expect us to get back to winning ways after LVG and when Cleverley is rotated in to cover for someone, we're more likely to play better and he can join in. A bit fair weather but could do a job
 
I just dispise the way he thought he was some sort of icon, created a brand in tc23 and generally thought he had made it as a top premiership player. The contrast between this delusion and his actual footballing ability annoys me too much to ever have any like for him. He is just a young minded fool and will be gone either this summer or the next. His level is West Ham.
 
Ekeke said:
I think he plays better when the team is playing better. Expect us to get back to winning ways after LVG and when Cleverley is rotated in to cover for someone, we're more likely to play better and he can join in. A bit fair weather but could do a job
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That's not really a good player to have. When we're playing badly, we need players who can drive us towards winning regardless of the overall performance. When Rooney is bad, at least he can still produce some random moments of magic or just simply pops up at the right place to score.

Cleverley offers nothing extra unfortunately. I can see him being a squad player for a season or two now, and then will eventually be shipped off.
 
Ekeke said:
I think he plays better when the team is playing better. Expect us to get back to winning ways after LVG and when Cleverley is rotated in to cover for someone, we're more likely to play better and he can join in. A bit fair weather but could do a job
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What's the point of having a player like that? If we're not playing well we need squad players to fight for positions and give the under performing starters a kick up the arse.
 
I think with consistent time and training under LVG he'll get his confidence back. Last season was a shambles and the instructions Moyes had his midfielders playing under were ridiculous. Think Tom is far bettervthan he looked last season and he is just the type and profile if player LVG loves to work with and improve.
 
Hernandez - BFA said:
That's not really a good player to have. When we're playing badly, we need players who can drive us towards winning regardless of the overall performance. When Rooney is bad, at least he can still produce some random moments of magic or just simply pops up at the right place to score.

Cleverley offers nothing extra unfortunately. I can see him being a squad player for a season or two now, and then will eventually be shipped off.
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I'd agree with that.

Didnt even look impressive in our pre season games against half commited opponents when there was everything to show for our players.
He wasnt bad but those kind of average performances are his limit I feel. Fletch impressed me much more
 
Fergies Formula said:
I just dispise the way he thought he was some sort of icon, created a brand in tc23 and generally thought he had made it as a top premiership player. The contrast between this delusion and his actual footballing ability annoys me too much to ever have any like for him. He is just a young minded fool and will be gone either this summer or the next. His level is West Ham.
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I just despise the way you make stuff up. He never created a brand in TC23. There is no brand called TC23. It was a one-time thing used for a charity. I know, such a despicable person to support a charity.

People who complain about him having a site is stupid as well. It is the exact same as having a twitter or facebook page.
 
limerickcitykid said:
I just despise the way you make stuff up. He never created a brand in TC23. There is no brand called TC23. It was a one-time thing used for a charity. I know, such a despicable person to support a charity.

People who complain about him having a site is stupid as well. It is the exact same as having a twitter or facebook page.
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Gotta agree.

Cleverley made a webpage and for that he gets a load of hate. From the reaction you would think he was there in his bedroom updating if himself! C'mon people all this brand stuff is agents/PR people.

Cleverley hasn't lived up to his early promise, yet. But if we are going to criticise him let's do it for genuine reasons. Not make out the guy thinks he's God's gift and doesn't work hard.
 
Would be a completely different player if he had the bollocks to keep the ball when under pressure and look for more opportunistic passes, as he has a decent passing range/accuracy, but he always plays safe which slows play down.
 
I don't know whether it was because it's his birthday or LVG has been doing even more behind the scenes work but he actively hunted for the ball in that half trying to make things happen himself. Was impressed with his vision, passing and determination.
 
He was decent apart from that one horrible mistake for Valencias goal. Still don't see him as first team quality though.
 
Finally some forward thinking passing from Cleverley. Also refreshing to see him move ahead of the ball at times, unlike last season.
 
Made a couple of good tackles and hit some decent passes, he had a couple of lapses around our box though.
 
He did a few good passes today and looked slightly more lively than normal. Don't know why he was rated nearly as bad as Hernandez on here!

He's still not good enough though. Never will be.
 
Squad player, nothing more, nothing less. Should be good enough with a decent midfielder alongside him to play against weaker EPL teams or in Cups. Not good enough against top sides.
 
I just can't see why he is at United other than being a youth product, he's simply not up to the task. TBH I hope he follows Anderson out of the door ASAP.
 
Terrible defending for their goal, other than that he was pretty average, wouldn't say he was good or bad really but thought fellaini was much better.
 
Frankly, if LVG doesn't get rid of him there must be something else going on. Does Cleverley toss off all the managers that play him?
 
Pogue Mahone said:
25 year old footballers are still improving and likely to do so for the duration of their contracf, hence it's reasonable to call them "young"
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Then your criteria is different to mine then. 25 for a footballer is not young to me. That is the start of the middle of your career in football.
 
Sideways Tom did more than I expected from him today, looked fired-up what I like. Maybe he knew it's between him and Fellaini? Close call I would say.
 
Hed Zitin said:
Then your criteria is different to mine then. 25 for a footballer is not young to me. That is the start of the middle of your career in football.
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It was still nearer to the start than to the end for Giggs though.

Players like Drogba or Kelvin Philips are also late bloomers who became better players in the later rather than the earlier part of their careers.
 
Very good today. His long passing in particular has come on leaps and bounds since last season.
 
His just not good enough even as a squad player. Hopefully we can bring in another midfielder before the window ends and sell him next summer while attempt to get in Strootman.
 
Hmmm, so-so last night. General play average, poor mistake for the goal. Not great overall.

A few of the other players have had quick improvements under van Gaal, but not Tom. Still think LVG may get the most from him, but i think right now he's only at utd because it's an area of weakness in the squad. If LVG has concluded he's not made the cut he could hardly complain. I don't think he's shown any of his talent this pre-season.
 
Stupid error for the goal, some neat long range passes but as usual nothing special from Tom nothing to indicate that he can do well against the top CMs in the league. Fletcher right now is a better player than Cleverley imo and that should be a worrying thought for Tom.
 
He did good, but didn't cover himself in glory on the Valencia goal.
 
Never seen a problem with his technique, his problem has always been his mentality, the exact same criticisms of Cleverley were aimed at Carrick (Sideways, not adventurous enough etc.) if the manager can sort that part out, he may come good yet.

Time is running out for him but there is definitely a player there. I just hope he realises it before it is too late.
 
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