Tom Cleverley | 2011/12 Performances

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#07

makes new threads with tweets in the OP
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Bumping this thread because I think it has a more proper title than the one that makes it sound like Cleverley is the spawn of Sneijder and about to burst out of someone's chest like something out of "Alien". Maybe the mods will merge the two threads into a single "Tom Cleverley" thread...?

redpie said:
He will deservedly be given his chance and we just have to wait and see.
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Indeed and I think tonight against Barcelona, although it was a friendly, Cleverley showed he was more than capable of taking the chance when it comes.

Lets not forget that not only did Barcelona beat Bayern a few days ago they also fielded Iniesta, Busquets and the Euro U21s best player, Thiago, tonight and Cleverley still managed to be the stand out central midfielder in the match against them.

Tom started slowly but his positioning was solid from the off, he made sure he was in the right areas both defensively and offensively, and as the game went on and his confidence increased his performance continued to improve.

Cleverley was up and down, buzzing about the pitch, breaking up play, making interceptions, keeping the ball ticking along for us, making accurate and (more crucially) well judged passes, and he even brought a turning backheel out of the showboating locker for the fans. :p

I said during the Euro U21s that it could've been so different for England had Stuart Pearce played Cleverley centrally. Justifying his nickname however "psycho" refused to select Cleverley over the likes of Mancienne and Henderson. Thank heavens Sir Alex is our manager, eh?
 
johnmufc said:
The only people who think Cleverley plays best as a central midfielder are those who have seen very little of him. He is similar to Park, a player who will start out wide but will drift inside. He does not possess the physique or tactical awareness to play centrally in a two-man midfield.
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I think he did ok tonight vs Barca in a two man midfield:angel:
 
MalteseRedDevil said:
Cleverley is a late bloomer. He is still improving and I think there is a lot more to come from him. His versatility has lead to him playing in multiple positions but he really needs to nail down a position now. For me that's the next step for him.

If he really is a similar player to wilshire then he needs to be playing in central midfield. You cant blame pearce for playing him on the wing if that is where his club managers have played him.

Next season he needs to play central midfield. If not at united then at a premier league side
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he's not quite 22 yet. still very young. plenty of time yet before he gets that label.
 
DTguardian daniel taylor
Fergie press conference: Cleverley 'our best player, a strong possibility for the start of the season.'
 
Good. I have now raised my hopes for Cleverley for the new season.
 
Neutral said:
DTguardian daniel taylor
Fergie press conference: Cleverley 'our best player, a strong possibility for the start of the season.'
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Our best player? During that game yeah?
 
Jacob said:
Our best player? During that game yeah?
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I agree I don't think he actually was but I do understand those who say he was as his role was that important that if he got it wrong Barca even in reduced form could have walked all over us.

He was very good but I would still give Nani MOTM as he was by far and away our best attacking outlet and had the Barca backline scared everytime he got the ball at his feet.
 
johnmufc said:
He is an intelligent player, yes. So is Park.

But intelligence for a wide player is much different to intelligence for a central midfield player. Need I remind you of Park's recent lapses playing in central midfield?

Cleverley will be a wide player for us, I assure you.
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not convinced. Lets not forget he's played a number of positions and his short passing game is suited in a central position. I don't know if your opinion will have changed but centrals where he will get games because, to be frank we're too strong on the wings and he offers us something fresh in the middle of the park

We've played plenty of players out of position for periods, Gibson and fletcher played wing too but his performance against Barcelona will hopefully do him the world of good and it's still pre season. He will improve further
 
Nani should have got the motm from SAF. My thought after first half was that SAF would name Cleverley motm, no matter what :D

but to fair, he had a good game, but the barcelona midfield had the match in their hands. We were great at counter attacks and won the game.
 
I thought he looked a bit shaky early on but after he played himself into the game he was excellent. He's one of the few players we have in midfield that seems capable of passing the ball accurately even when we're playing at a high tempo with little time on the ball. There were plenty of encouraging signs last night that he can be a good player for us.
 
Jacob said:
Our best player? During that game yeah?
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He was amongst the best, imagine the boost to a young players confidence hearing Sir Alex inform the press that he was the 'best' against Barca.

It's intelligent man-management from SAF as usual.
 
Just watched the game. Really good, disciplined performance by Tom. A really promising game and a big feck you to those that said he can't play in a midfield 2.
 
i just read fergie's comments on cleverley and i ve noticed that the same comments (both positive and negative) he made can be applied to sneijder....
 
dev1l said:
i just read fergie's comments on cleverley and i ve noticed that the same comments (both positive and negative) he made can be applied to sneijder....
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:lol: are we finding ways to bring up Sneijder's name now?
 
cw1984 said:
:lol: are we finding ways to bring up Sneijder's name now?
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no, perhaps simply fergie is convinced that tom could do the job. If he really believes it, i m sure he ll give him a chance.
cleverley didnt do well in the U21 tournament, but it seems that he s playing much better in the friendlies. We ve seen players doing very well in these games and then struggle in the PL. We ll have to wait and see
 
cw1984 said:
Just watched the game. Really good, disciplined performance by Tom. A really promising game and a big feck you to those that said he can't play in a midfield 2.
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I'll second that.

dev1l said:
no, perhaps simply fergie is convinced that tom could do the job. If he really believes it, i m sure he ll give him a chance.
cleverley didnt do well in the U21 tournament, but it seems that he s playing much better in the friendlies. We ve seen players doing very well in these games and then struggle in the PL. We ll have to wait and see
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I genuinely think he does rate Cleverley and I don't think it was accidental that the two players MUTV interviewed after last night's match against Barca were Welbeck and Cleverley. Clearly the people who pull the strings see them as a big part of our future and IMHO they're right to.

You're right Cleverely didn't play well in the Euro U21s but that is because, as I argued at the time, Pearce was playing him in a position where he could have no influence on the game. Justifying his nickname "Psycho" preferred to play the likes of Mancienne and Henderson in centre midfield and marooned Cleverley on the wing. The one time Pearce did play Cleverley more centrally, as the most advanced of a midfield three in our last group game, England started to look good. We scored Tom immediately got subbed and we lost a game we were winning at the time and starting to control... :wenger:

People will argue he's always played out wide so its logical that he wasn't played through the centre by England U21s. Well Fletch started his career in the first team outwide, Giggs made his name outwide. Its the job of the manager to see the skillset of a player and how it might be transferable or better suited to another role. The Wigan coaches had been talking Tom up and how he might take advantage of Scholesy's retirement before the Euro U21s started, Pearce took no notice of them.

Thankfully Sir Alex isn't a "psycho" and can see that Cleverley is more than capable if given a chance as he proved last night. It was just an exhibition but more renowned names than Cleverley have played against Iniesta, Keita and Thiago and been played off the park. As cw1984 says it shouldn't be underestimated how well he performed in a midfield '2' against centre midfielders who handed Bayern Munich their backsides midweek.
 
The fact he has been starting in a midfield two is a clear indication that Fergie wants him to play in the center of midfield this season. I know it's only a friendly but that was a damn fine performance against the Iniesta, Keita.
 
Tom Cleverley has all the attributes for midfield success « ManUtd24


With the greatest respect to Manchester United’s US tour opponents, it would difficult to draw any incisive conclusions from their four successive wins pre-Barcelona friendly – where they tallied an impressive 18 goals – because the opposition were simply abject and below standard. However, a match up against the side that they had been routinely beaten by in the Wembley final in May would be far more educative – and despite both teams not opting for full-strength, the level of quality on the pitch would have considerably improved to United’s previous games.

And so it is mildly encouraging – heck, very – that Sir Alex immediately labelled Tom Cleverley as “our best player tonight”, one who “physically, isn’t the strongest lad but he’s wily and has a great idea of the game.” It is still possible that United will add to their squad and invest in a new central midfielder, which would be logical as they’re currently lacking in options, but the consensus regardless is that Cleverley is finally ready for promotion into the first team squad. He should be a prominent figure even if there were to be a new addition to the side.

Yesterday, at the curiously named FedEx Field in Washington, the Basingstoke-born midfielder delivered as Manchester United triumphed 2-1. Cleverley’s performance suggested he had all the attributes to direct him to success and it was his wily interception from a Sergio Busquets pass – then assist – which allowed Michael Owen to net the winner. It was a moment of brilliance; he read the situation well and having won the ball, found Owen with a measured pass which he duly finished.

He was able to impose himself in the game, despite Barcelona monopolising the ball for large parts. Displaying his prowess, he made six tackles (winning four) more than any other player on the pitch but for all his sharp passing throughout, there were times where he did lack concentration and misplaced a few (According the OPTA, his pass completion rate was a decent 80%). Still, he was rightfully recognised as Man of the Match and this, as Fergie says, is “crucial because with Paul Scholes retiring and Darren Fletcher still recovering from his virus it’s an area we have to find a solution for.”

It might be a touch unfair to give him so much responsibility; indeed, many are quick to point out that not a single player would be capable of filling the void left by Scholes but that isn’t what Cleverley should be focusing on. They have their similarities but United have to make sure that Scholes isn’t missed and instead accept that they may need to adjust to a different shape in midfield rather than trying to mould another Scholes-like player. Certainly, he and Anderson showed yesterday that, in a two-man midfield, you don’t necessarily need a holding player or somebody who has been given a specific job. The duo shared the workload and found the perfect balance between defence and attack.

Unsurprisingly, Barcelona controlled the majority of possession; OPTA note that they made 61 more passes than in the Champions League final (838) but United’s midfield duopoly made sure it didn’t result in a drubbing this time around. And when United did have the ball, they were far more impressive. Ashley Young and Nani looked dangerous on either flank while Danny Welbeck looked assured behind Wayne Rooney. But it was Cleverley who stole the show: “His discipline was terrific, he’s a good passer, he has good eyes. He’s a big possibility to start for us at the start of the season,” Sir Alex added post-match. United have a player here who is not only tactically astute, but is robust in the challenge and can spot a pass. There are reasons to be excited.

Having spent time on loan at three different clubs in as many seasons, there would have surely been reasons for frustration – but now, he’s almost definitely ready. His loan spells at Leicester, Watford and Wigan have, however, seen him get progressively better and it was his most previous bout with the Latics which really caught the eye in the same way Jack Wilshere did for Bolton – before he went on to enjoy a magnificent season for Arsenal. Cleverley’s task this campaign is to do similar.
 
I have to hold my hands up, he was impressive yesterday. I usually find him to be careless in possession, yet he comes up against some of the best midfielders around and didn't look out of place. Even though this performance came against Barcelona, I still don't want to read too much into this. A few more performances like that though and I'll be converted into a believer.

One thing I will say, it was a breath of fresh air to see such mobility in the centre of our midfield.
 
Wouldn't take too much from the game last night..

It looked like everybody was playing in Snails pace and didn't want to get hurt.. or wanted to over commit..

That is the view i had while i watched it ..
 
The_Midfielder said:
Wouldn't take too much from the game last night..

It looked like everybody was playing in Snails pace and didn't want to get hurt.. or wanted to over commit..

That is the view i had while i watched it ..
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I thought it was very competitive and played at a good pace, especially first half. Quite a few tackles going in and no one pulling out and Barca were pressing the ball as well as they normally do.
 
I think one aspect of the game that was a lot different was the lack of hype for Barcelona pre-match. Sometimes I get the feeling that teams facing them already feel beaten before they go on the pitch and don't relax and play their own game. We played some really nice football at times.
 
The_Midfielder said:
Wouldn't take too much from the game last night..

It looked like everybody was playing in Snails pace and didn't want to get hurt.. or wanted to over commit..

That is the view i had while i watched it ..
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You thought that when Busquets and Iniesta were diving about the place and Pedro went down twice in the box? Or when Villa scissor tackled Evans and Dos Santos seemed intent of getting sent off?

Ok. If you say so...

What gets me about posts like this is had the result been reversed and we'd have lost to Barca this board would've gone wild today with people saying how the result shows we're a million miles away from them and salivating about the likes of Thiago. However, because we won and some of our unfancied players like Cleverley had very good outings its written off as a nothing match. :rolleyes:
 
That game was competitive and a big disservice to both sides to suggest otherwise. Cleverly played very well and maybe it's just man management but, without a doubt Nani was just head and shoulders over anyone else on the pitch.

More and more realizing why SAF is the boss and the likes of me is just overly concerned by the hype to buy a world class CM. If Anderson and Cleverly continue to progress as they have, we'll have top class CM for a while to come.
 
The_Midfielder said:
Wouldn't take too much from the game last night..

It looked like everybody was playing in Snails pace and didn't want to get hurt.. or wanted to over commit..

That is the view i had while i watched it ..
Click to expand...

:lol: OK.
 
#07 said:
You thought that when Busquets and Iniesta were diving about the place and Pedro went down twice in the box? Or when Villa scissor tackled Evans and Dos Santos seemed intent of getting sent off?

Ok. If you say so...

What gets me about posts like this is had the result been reversed and we'd have lost to Barca this board would've gone wild today with people saying how the result shows we're a million miles away from them and salivating about the likes of Thiago. However, because we won and some of our unfancied players like Cleverley had very good outings its written off as a nothing match. :rolleyes:
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Good post
 
Cleverley is perfect for a midfield role just behind the striker(s). Ironic enough, that is the role Sneijder prefers.
I just think that a defensive midfielder would be a useful addition.
Fletcher could be out for some time and even he never struck me as being an out-and-out defensive midfielder.
Jones COULD do the job but at the highest level would probably be lacking experience at the moment.
Obviously I am speaking with Europe in mind rather than the Premiership. We will always be able to reach the advanced stages of the CL but Barcelona ran rings around our midfield in both finals.
But I digress - Cleverley in an advanced midfield role is promising but probably not in a midfield two.
 
manusteve said:
Cleverley is perfect for a midfield role just behind the striker(s). Ironic enough, that is the role Sneijder prefers.
I just think that a defensive midfielder would be a useful addition.
Fletcher could be out for some time and even he never struck me as being an out-and-out defensive midfielder.
Jones COULD do the job but at the highest level would probably be lacking experience at the moment.
Obviously I am speaking with Europe in mind rather than the Premiership. We will always be able to reach the advanced stages of the CL but Barcelona ran rings around our midfield in both finals.
But I digress - Cleverley in an advanced midfield role is promising but probably not in a midfield two.
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That's what I thought initially, but playing deeper in the 2 last night he looked the part. He got stuck in and moved the ball quickly and accurately, and his positioning was very good.
 
Cleverly used to be a fullback and has played wing so defensively he is capable. I also like the fact, he is smart enough not to play the Hollywood ball all the time.
 
i like his defensive aggressiveness (something that some United players lack, or are instructed to hold back on). he read that pass perfectly that lead to the game winning goal. smalling showed that same aggressiveness.
 
Maybe Cleverley and Jones in midfield then? Problems solved.
 
Cheers, KM. He plays a bit like me, and that is something we've been missing. Me.
 
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