Ben Pearson

[mazhar13]

Yeah but the point is The youngster is doing everything Cleverley does. Cleverley gets slated for it while the youngster is praised. So is it ok for Pearson to play in that style because he is young and we give him a free pass?. Cleverley has had a poor season and his confidence is shot right at present. However in terms of how they play the two are very similar. So is Pearson a good player?. If so then surely Cleverley falls in to the same category?.
And if Cleverley is a bad player then surely someone who plays in such a similar manner shouldnt be what we are looking for?.

Its the double standard that amuses me.

I think it's because both are viewed as different players by many on here. Many view Cleverley as the more attack-minded midfielder based on his roles during his loan spells, his pre-seasons with us, and his matches before he got injured by Davies. Pearson, on the other hand, was initially compared to Carrick for his passing from the deep and his ball retention, and in the U-21's, Joyce has unlocked his tenacity and put it to good use. All in all, Pearson's seen as more of a deep-lying, defensive midfielder with good passing and ball retention (think Scott Parker) whilst Cleverley's seen more as the attacking midfielder (see the now-ludicrous Iniesta comparisons).

However, if both are viewed as central midfielders, then yes, both aren't totally different players, this season. Cleverley's been used as a ball winner more often this season than before. Pearson's now used more as a ball-winner after having been used as a deep-lying playmaker, beforehand. Both Pearson and Cleverley are tasked with ball retention and play continuity rather than being the main chance creators. The only difference between both is that Pearson plays more as the playmaker when he's not played very defensively by Joyce, whilst Cleverley still just keeps play going and links up with others in central midfield rather than be an actual playmaker.

I think what also helps Pearson is that players in the U-21 level are naive, defensively, and aren't that good at reading the game and being defensively solid. Plus, Wilson and Pereira always make themselves available for a pass rather than move as far away as possible to "stretch the opposition". I believe Pearson will look as bad, if not worse, than Cleverley in central midfield for us if Moyes sets us up like he did for most of our matches, this season.

 

[jb8521]

 

[LR7]

I love Pearson. I hope he makes it here. I can see him becoming a fan favourite like Rafael.

 

[Ekeke]

I could see him being a manager's favourite too. But first he has to prove he has the all round game to be a decent premier league midfielder. Energy and closing down will take him far but not all the way. That only takes him to Lee Cattermole

 

[khoazany]

I could see him being a manager's favourite too. But first he has to prove he has the all round game to be a decent premier league midfielder. Energy and closing down will take him far but not all the way. That only takes him to Lee Cattermole

His all round games is really good I don't get why people keep saying that.He's no Scholes but certainly no where short in technical abilities.

 

[Ekeke]

His all round games is really good I don't get why people keep saying that.He's no Scholes but certainly no where short in technical abilities.

Its not about technical ability. Its about being able to impose himself in a premier league match which you havent seen

 

[LR7]

No is claiming he has done it in a PL match though.

 

[jb8521]

Im not sure where this idea that hes limited has come from. Hes shown plenty of times that he has a good passing range both short and long and can score goals when he gets the chance. Theres a big difference between a limited player and a lad playing a disciplined slightly limited role in a team which is what he has been asked to do this year.

 

[Ekeke]

No is claiming he has done it in a PL match though.

Actually he quoted my post about him needing to prove himself a premier league cm before he can be a manager's favourite, somehow misreading it to infer that he isnt good enough technically when I didnt mention anything to do with that

Again it has nothing to do with technique. I dont know why fans always turn the conversation to technique when talking about young players. There have been more technical players than him who didnt make it in the premier league. Likewise there are players with worse technique who have had very good careers as central midfielders in the premier league.

 

[LR7]

Actually he quoted my post about him needing to prove himself a premier league cm before he can be a manager's favourite, somehow misreading it to infer that he isnt good enough technically when I didnt mention anything to do with that

Again it has nothing to do with technique. I dont know why fans always turn the conversation to technique when talking about young players. There have been more technical players than him who didnt make it in the premier league. Likewise there are players with worse technique who have had very good careers as central midfielders in the premier league.

Fair enough. This thread went off on a tangent quite quickly. We can talk about his (or any youngsters) technique because we have seen it. We can't talk about him imposing himself in a premier league match because we haven't seen it yet. It goes without saying that every young player in the Youth teams will have to prove themselves at a higher level. My comment about him being a fan favourite was purely about his tenacity which is what I love most about Rafa. Wasn't suggesting he was a certainty to make it because of that, mind you, just hopeful he does.

 

[Elliott]

Pearson displayed an all-round game fairly unrivaled amongst academy league midfielders last season, with certain connoisseurs even hailing him as the best u18 player in the country. He's not a limited player. But obviously Ekeke's right in saying there are never any guarantees when it comes to stepping up to first team level.

 

[Ekeke]

Fair enough. This thread went off on a tangent quite quickly. We can talk about his (or any youngsters) technique because we have seen it. We can't talk about him imposing himself in a premier league match because we haven't seen it yet. It goes without saying that every young player in the Youth teams will have to prove themselves at a higher level. My comment about him being a fan favourite was purely about his tenacity which is what I love most about Rafa. Wasn't suggesting he was a certainty to make it because of that, mind you, just hopeful he does.

Oh I know, I was agreeing with everything you said and was adding to it suggesting that if he makes it (which he might not) then I can see him being a Moyes favourite, like for example Fletcher was a favourite for Sir Alex. Again it was the gritty hard work stuff that made him a good option, and Pearson can do something similar provided he proves his other qualities as a premier league cm

I would love nothing more than to see him make it. Theres just something about having that terrier-like energy and closing down as an option like we used to have from Fletcher in the big games. Since his injury I think we've been way too easy to play against in there

 

[LR7]

Oh I know, I was agreeing with everything you said and was adding to it suggesting that if he makes it (which he might not) then I can see him being a Moyes favourite, like for example Fletcher was a favourite for Sir Alex. Again it was the gritty hard work stuff that made him a good option, and Pearson can do something similar provided he proves his other qualities as a premier league cm

I would love nothing more than to see him make it. Theres just something about having that terrier-like energy and closing down as an option like we used to have from Fletcher in the big games. Since his injury I think we've been way too easy to play against in there

I agree completely. It'll be interesting to see if he goes on loan next season. This season wasn't ideal with him not getting many games at the start before some of the older players went on loan.

 

[Brightonian]

Pearson displayed an all-round game fairly unrivaled amongst academy league midfielders last season, with certain connoisseurs even hailing him as the best u18 player in the country. He's not a limited player. But obviously Ekeke's right in saying there are never any guarantees when it comes to stepping up to first team level.

Yep, this. Obviously there's no knowing how he'll stand up to first team football until he gets some, but for the stage he's currently at, he could hardly be doing much better. Incredibly complete game for a youngster.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

Pleased to hear him do well against Liverpool. Might be early for him but still would love to see him feature in pre-season or make his debut next season.

 

[SirFergie]

Played very well last night, got stuck in and controlled the ball well.

 

[khoazany]

Newest video of the young boss's performance.

 

[LR7]

 

[datura]

Seems to be finishing the season strongly. A weird year for a lot of his age group with the u19 CL restricting their game time early on.

 

[Get In Scholesy]

He definitely has a reading of the game when his team are without possession, something that one cannot really be taught. His play with the ball is a bit rough, but that should be smoothed out with some coaching in the years to come. Great to have him in the side.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

I hope he takes confidence from his mates debuts. He has performed extremely well this season and deserves his chance. I'm sure he will feature in pre-season.

 

[ManUtd43vr]

I absolutely believe that he is our best U21. I rate him more highly than Wilson overall. I think he deserves to play a few games next season for the first team. He obviously has a lot to learn but he is exactly the type of midfielder that we need. He has got a lot of energy, he is a very good passer. He makes tremendous tackles. I think he is the complete package and plays like a leader. He absolutely should become a midfield boss for us in about 3-4 years.
I was disappointed we didn't give him a chance tonight; he wasn't even named on the bench (could have been in place of Young).

 

[Eric'sCollar]

I absolutely believe that he is our best U21. I rate him more highly than Wilson overall. I think he deserves to play a few games next season for the first team. He obviously has a lot to learn but he is exactly the type of midfielder that we need. He has got a lot of energy, he is a very good passer. He makes tremendous tackles. I think he is the complete package and plays like a leader. He absolutely should become a midfield boss for us in about 3-4 years.
I was disappointed we didn't give him a chance tonight; he wasn't even named on the bench (could have been in place of Young).

I agree and really hope so but we still have to be realisic. Not many players come through and have a career at United. There is going to be pressure to buy world class midfielders and rightly so but yeh, it would be great to see Pearson progress here.

It's a toss up for me between him and Wilson as to who our most exciting prospect is at the moment but given our current midfield, it makes me lean towards Pearson.

 

[RedDF]

he should at least get to be on the bench v Southampton

 

[Gerald G]

I wouldn't play him away to Southampton. Wouldn't be the team I would introduce a young midfielder against.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Would've been nice to see him get a game today with Carrick. He's obviously not the finished article, but he's everything we've been calling out for of late. He reminds me of Keane in the way he plays. I think he could have a bright future at United. That said, I hope he's not the new Tunicliffe because I had high hopes for him.

 

[limerickcitykid]

I rate Rothwell over him personally but its really close. Won't be invovled against Southampton as the finals is on Wednesday. Might not be able to go on tour in the summer either if England make the U19 Euros. High hopes for him and Joe in the midfield though.

 

[mazhar13]

His reading of the game is absolutely amazing for an 18-year-old. He's excellent at knowing when to be aggressive and try to win the ball and when to step back. He covers the ground very well, and he's very good at shielding our defence and closing down the dangerous areas. Another thing that helps him are his energy levels. He can run around forever and never look tired.

He's also shown himself to be decent on the ball, though he's still raw in that aspect. His passing is also pretty good, and I'm hoping that he's given the freedom to dictate play rather than play like an anchor man. His distribution can definitely be refined such that he can become good at passing the ball around and distributing it if not becoming a deep-lying playmaker.

I think Hargreaves himself mentioned during the U-21 semi-final that Pearson reminds Hargo of himself. If that's the case, I'd certainly love for Pearson to become like Hargreaves and be a solid central midfielder, for us.

 

[Brightonian]

I have to say out of all the players I've ever watched in our academy and reserves over the years, he is the one I'll be most disappointed about if he doesn't make it.

 

[Eric'sCollar]

One of the things that stand out for me this season from him is the way he took it to the first team players when they played at Spurs. A lot could have crumbled there but he stepped up and just him them even harder.

 

[ManUtd43vr]

I agree and really hope so but we still have to be realisic. Not many players come through and have a career at United. There is going to be pressure to buy world class midfielders and rightly so but yeh, it would be great to see Pearson progress here.

It's a toss up for me between him and Wilson as to who our most exciting prospect is at the moment but given our current midfield, it makes me lean towards Pearson.

I agree to not to throw him in at the deep end so soon and we should go for a proven world class midfielder. But I think Van Gaal might be very influential in Pearson's tactical education and so I would be delighted if he could be played in 5-10 matches next season with the first team.

 

[Brightonian]

His reading of the game is absolutely amazing for an 18-year-old. He's excellent at knowing when to be aggressive and try to win the ball and when to step back. He covers the ground very well, and he's very good at shielding our defence and closing down the dangerous areas. Another thing that helps him are his energy levels. He can run around forever and never look tired.

He's also shown himself to be decent on the ball, though he's still raw in that aspect. His passing is also pretty good, and I'm hoping that he's given the freedom to dictate play rather than play like an anchor man. His distribution can definitely be refined such that he can become good at passing the ball around and distributing it if not becoming a deep-lying playmaker.

I think Hargreaves himself mentioned during the U-21 semi-final that Pearson reminds Hargo of himself. If that's the case, I'd certainly love for Pearson to become like Hargreaves and be a solid central midfielder, for us.

For me he's already good enough as a distributor and string-puller to not really fit the Hargreaves mould. He's very disciplined about his role on the pitch, especially when he's next to someone who complements his style of play as well as Rothwell does. But in the period when Rothwell wasn't a fixture next to him, mostly last season, he played a much more expansive, more creative role. It's more that he's choosing not to do it this season than that he can't.

I agree that's the area of his game that has the most room for expansion though. He's already a very good passer of the ball but he does have it in him to be a more influential passer.

 

[Kag]

He does a lovely Cruyff turn.

 

[mazhar13]

For me he's already good enough as a distributor and string-puller to not really fit the Hargreaves mould. He's very disciplined about his role on the pitch, especially when he's next to someone who complements his style of play as well as Rothwell does. But in the period when Rothwell wasn't a fixture next to him, mostly last season, he played a much more expansive, more creative role. It's more that he's choosing not to do it this season than that he can't.

I agree that's the area of his game that has the most room for expansion though. He's already a very good passer of the ball but he does have it in him to be a more influential passer.

I've noticed that, too. Alongside a more adventurous and attacking central midifielder in Rothwell, Pearson has been played in a more defensive role. I understand that Joyce is willing to play him in such a role, but I'm hoping that Joyce frees him up a bit more and make him more influential to the team. He certainly has the potential to be influential. Joyce should play him less as an anchor man a la Hargreaves and more as a deep-lying playmaker, allowing Rothwell to do more in the final third and allow us to take more control of the game.

 

[sajeev]

i just love the way this guy moves, both off and on the ball

 

[gooDevil]

Probably deserves more press than he's gotten, been a rock in all the games I've seen.

I wonder if he'll go on loan next season, I'd love to see him in the Championship holding down a starting place.

 

[Decotron]

i just love the way this guy moves, both off and on the ball

He has a great appreciation of space. Always a sign of a good player

 

[northbynorthwest]

He is good at reading the game alright and he runs into the space. But his vision has to improve. Another thing is he is taking a touch every time rather than hitting first time. That is one of the skills that separated scholes and pirlo from the others. Pirlo perfected that pass. He get a nice pass from a team mate and hit it without looking where he would hit it, catching the defense of guard.

 

[mazhar13]

He is good at reading the game alright and he runs into the space. But his vision has to improve. Another thing is he is taking a touch every time rather than hitting first time. That is one of the skills that separated scholes and pirlo from the others. Pirlo perfected that pass. He get a nice pass from a team mate and hit it without looking where he would hit it, catching the defense of guard.

This is why I hope Joyce makes him play in a more influential role. He has the potential to be influential. He just needs to play that way, more often, and we can see him become a much more influential passer rather than a defensive midfielder who can keep the ball well.

 

[Brightonian]

That barnet, by the way.