Watching him today, at home against one of the worst teams in the league, you'd think he'd really be trying to take the opportunity to show what he can do. He's just become a midfielder who does nothing, doesn't really play forward passes and thinks he's doing well because he keeps possession. But then when teams actually press rather than stand off, he's not the one to show any strength, skill or intelligence to keep the ball in a difficult situation and allow his team to get forwards.
Tom Cleverley | 2014/15 Performances (on loan at Aston Villa)
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
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I thought he'd thrive for a mid-table/lower table team and actually do well, but he seems too tentative to do anything. Just looks like a complete nothing player a lot of the time.
Pass 'n' move, pass 'n' move, pass 'n' move, move 'n' pass to vary it up a bit . . . but to what end?
Just doesn't really add anything; it's obviously a completely mental thing, he's a decent player technically, but he's just lost the capacity to take responsibility for doing anything difficult.
Yeah, he's nothing special but has some half decent passing ability and is okay on the ball. Just lost the will to do anything with it when he plays it seems, lacks any risk to his game.
It's like a really devolved form of Herrera, really.
I wonder if his personality off the field is just as devoid of any character as he is on it.
He might be the ultimate nothing person if so.
He might be the ultimate nothing person if so.
He would not suit a relegation battling club at all. He's the type of player who when a new manager comes in and sees him, instantly out of the team. He's got no character to survive at that level.
Funny you say that, because from what I've seen from Cleverley today, he's actually tried a lot more adventurous balls than he normally does.
He's been fairly good today. I'm all for varying opinions on this forum, but if people can't see that it's been a fairly good performance from him today then they're clearly not seeing things objectively.
And now he's just been subbed looking slightly injured.
And now he's just been subbed looking slightly injured.
So, will we get some money for him in Jan?
Can't believe Villa tabled an £8M bid for him and it didn't go through as he wanted to go to Everton. Ended up at bloody Villa anyway.
Can't believe Villa tabled an £8M bid for him and it didn't go through as he wanted to go to Everton. Ended up at bloody Villa anyway.
Can't believe some people on here have said he's playing well 
He doesn't stand out in a very average villa squad, I really can't imagine why any United fan would want him back here.
He doesn't stand out in a very average villa squad, I really can't imagine why any United fan would want him back here.
Didn't he see him produce absolutely anything today. Saw him try a few passes that weren't on, and lots of sideways and backwards stuff. Against a poor side.
He's been anonymous. Only heard his name mentioned once or twice.
Had the most touches of the ball on the pitch, the most passes of anyone on the pitch and more key passes than anyone. If you didn't see him then I have to question if you are actually watching the match.
That because he is playing in the EPL. In Spain he would be considered the next Iniesta and Xavi all wrapped in one player.
Yep watched the entire match. Can't say he was particularly influential.
Not sure what opta consider a key pass, but if he produced anything worthy of that name I must have missed it.
Today was particularly bad, he's mostly done a good job as a ball winner for Villa this season (and sideways passing on the ball) but today he made 0 tackles and 0 interceptions so he cant really point at that for being his contribution to the game...
Agreed he wasnt that good today, but it was nice to see him try a few through balls.Can't believe some people on here have said he's playing well
He doesn't stand out in a very average villa squad, I really can't imagine why any United fan would want him back here.
Still the only reason i would want him back is to have him ahead of Anderson but i don't even want Anderson here anymore
I only watch bits of the game today but I've watched him a good few times for Villa this season so far. I was one of those who defended Cleverely the longest on here because I believed in his potential and we had seen it in bursts, also there were games where I thought he was good for us but was unfairly criticised and singled out at times.
I expected him to rise to the challenge at Aston Villa, after shrugging off the pressure he was under here but he's added very little to their team, when he should be embracing being one of their better players. He's not a player who will ever be impactful or particularly influential, games simply tend to drift him by and he does a few ok things here and there but he's not really standing out in any way. Maybe it is a mentality issue because there are several examples of average players standing out and making a difference at smaller teams.
I expected him to rise to the challenge at Aston Villa, after shrugging off the pressure he was under here but he's added very little to their team, when he should be embracing being one of their better players. He's not a player who will ever be impactful or particularly influential, games simply tend to drift him by and he does a few ok things here and there but he's not really standing out in any way. Maybe it is a mentality issue because there are several examples of average players standing out and making a difference at smaller teams.
He isn't good enough for Everton let alone us, even if Villa are ahead of them now.
He was poor. Today showed for me why he's not more adventurous in his play because when he did try a difficult ball it rarely came off and he was wasteful in possession in terms of passing forward.
I think we all expected too much of Clev after his successful loan spells and the hyping up by managers. When he started playing for us he was very tidy and intricate with his passing and most people were saying how when he becomes a feature of the team he will impose himself more and look to create openings and take players on but the more time went on the less it seemed to be likely to happen and in reality all we had was a tidy player who kept things simple and could come up with the odd goal. Also in his loan spells, he did play further forward almost as an attacking midfielder, here he was asked to play a much different position and was dropping deeper and deeper which didn't help his game. For England, he was allowed to push further forward and he looked good for them.
I think we all expected too much of Clev after his successful loan spells and the hyping up by managers. When he started playing for us he was very tidy and intricate with his passing and most people were saying how when he becomes a feature of the team he will impose himself more and look to create openings and take players on but the more time went on the less it seemed to be likely to happen and in reality all we had was a tidy player who kept things simple and could come up with the odd goal. Also in his loan spells, he did play further forward almost as an attacking midfielder, here he was asked to play a much different position and was dropping deeper and deeper which didn't help his game. For England, he was allowed to push further forward and he looked good for them.
Hopefully both will be gone in January or summer neither should be anywhere near our club tbh.
We could use both their wages to give de gea in his new contract it would put de gea on about 180-200k a week which is far more deserved
I doubt it - there's no point for anyone paying for him when his contract is almost up, plus it seems he rejected the chance of a permanent move in the summer in favour of either a move to another club (Everton?) next summer, or more likely a bigger wage/signing-on bonus, so if that's correct then he probably wouldn't co-operate with a move anyway that sees us get a transfer fee for him.
He'll go for free next summer and we'll get feck all.
Hopefully his injury today doesn't keep him out too long though.
He looks like an Aston Villa player playing for Aston Villa.
Still not sure why he gets so much stick on here considering he's never actually done anything wrong other than try hard but not be good enough. There's a massively long list of people who deserved more shite than him for United's season under Moyes.
Still not sure why he gets so much stick on here considering he's never actually done anything wrong other than try hard but not be good enough. There's a massively long list of people who deserved more shite than him for United's season under Moyes.
I completely forgot that it was only a loan deal and not a permanent transfer.
Out of contract in the summer so it may as well have been.
I haven't seen the most recent Villa game but I saw the one against Burnley. Thought he was pretty good offering movement and passing. Made me think that he could be of use here when the loan finishes, but that was just one game.
Edit: have always been a believer in Clev, and believe that he would work well under the system LVG is trying to implement.
Edit: have always been a believer in Clev, and believe that he would work well under the system LVG is trying to implement.
His refusal to leave permenantly last summer leaves a poor taste, the outcome will be the same but we won't get any money for him now as well as paying his wage.
Fair enough he could say he doesn't want to leave and think he can make it at United, he'd just be wrong.
Doesn't even stand out remotely in the Villa team.
I'm not sure how that's his fault at all either considering it's the club who let his contract run down. He can do whatever he wants, which happened to include not letting the club shoehorn him into a permanent deal with Villa when he knew Everton would be interested in getting him on a free next summer...adding to that Martinez is someone he's worked with and played well under before.
Why would you tie yourself down to a permanent deal with Villa, with a pay cut, when you know you can carry on with the same wage for a year, play for Villa anyway, then sign for whoever you want in a year's time? Only an idiot would do this. So much so in fact that the fact the club even tried it makes Woodward look like a thicko.
Not to mention that according to Manchester United "money is no object", so why does it suddenly becomes an object when trying to offload Tom Cleverley? So much so that the fans feel the need to direct abuse at him? What's he actually done to harm United by not leaving on a permanent deal?
He's already gone, in my mind. That loan was the end of him and he's not winning a new contract so I couldn't care less how he does, just like Welbeck. He's an average footballer who looked pretty good once but hasn't stepped up since and actually regressed. Cost us at least £8m and a squad position for a number of years so I'll be glad once he's officially gone. Simply not good enough for a team like Manchester United. We can't afford to carry passengers anymore now you've got a very strong Chelsea and City around, and (a lot of) the rest of the PL has better midfielders than him.
Villa doing better without Keano. Hope it'll benefit Cleverley too. He can still contribute to United until his contract runs out or he's sold.
It's not that he's doing bad at Villa, in fact he's one of their better players but the problem is a Manchester United midfielder should be looking like a star within that team, especially someone who is played in a creative position with Westwood in behind him.
I'm not speaking about fault, I just find it irksome, of course he is totally entitled to see out his contract and make decisions that have the best financial and footballing impact... But we took him at 11 and gave him his career in football, even when he was out for 7 months at a young age and being debated for renewal Fergie stuck with him right the way through his loan spells and ultimately rewarded him with the career (club and international) that he has.
We give a lot of players careers in football, not always with United but in the premier/lower leagues, he seems bitter of the situation (pawning his club ring?) and I always get the impression he thinks he's better than he is and deserves more... When in my opinion he's already been given more than most.
Money's no object is a statement directed almost entirely at the intake and retention of new or valued players - cleverly is neither... So of course we want the best economic outcome.
If you're abstracting the money is no object argument to keeping sub standard players in an overstocked area then why don't we just decrease ticket and shirt prices? Money is no object!
Nice chap, very average footballer, 5/6 in all areas... Not good enough for United and not willing to accept it with grace, rubs me is all.
I thought his contract ran out at the end of this season, so if by contributing to United you mean not playing for us for the rest of the season, then yes, I'd have to agree with you.
It was a watch and we don't know if he pawned it or not anyway. The pawn broker never said he got it off Cleverley himself. The players likely get new watches every year or even several a year, he could easily have given some to friends and one of them pawned it.
A minor point!
I also heard he called Cathy a slag and said he was twice the player Keano was.
He doesnt look out of place at all at Villa. That says enough.
I dont think circumstances at United ever really helped him - he doesnt fit very well in a 2-man midfield because he doesnt do anything particularly well. But if you put him alongside a couple of specialists (eg a Ball Winner and a Goalscoring midfielder) then he will tick things over pretty nicely and add to the team, he just cant be relied on to make the impact himself.
I dont think circumstances at United ever really helped him - he doesnt fit very well in a 2-man midfield because he doesnt do anything particularly well. But if you put him alongside a couple of specialists (eg a Ball Winner and a Goalscoring midfielder) then he will tick things over pretty nicely and add to the team, he just cant be relied on to make the impact himself.
yeah he always looked like he was born to play for Villa.
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