Tom Cleverley | 2012-14 Performances
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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It was alright.
It used to be the same for Anderson a few years back, just starting to find some form and then picks up an injury.
Well I didn't see anything like this coming along this season. Wonderful.
Argh... I really want Clev to find some form and get consecutive games. Sucks.
Same here.
This analysis of the Sunderland game goes some way to explaining what he adds.
http://squawka.com/news/2013/10/11/...der-isnt-as-bad-as-people-think/2013101125044
Giggs or Anderson starting in central midfield. It's like bloody Sophie's Choice.
Ha. You're not wrong there! Pearson will be including soon if this CM debacle continues.
Nice piece, good to see Cleverley getting recognition for what he brings to the team. Hope he's fit in time for United's next game.
Yep, good article. Cleverley is, and perhaps will always be, one of those players who you have to carefully watch to understand why he is good. With the very top players, this is almost never necessary - even Carrick, whose best contributions are subtle ones, won over most of the doubters when he stepped up into the 'world class' bracket with United last season. But just because Cleverley isn't one of the top players, doesn't mean he isn't a good one.
Desperately unlucky with the timing of this calf injury, but to be fair it is his first in ages, and three weeks is not exactly a career-defining absence. Bad timing for the team though, what with questions over Fellaini's availability and the fact that he put in one of his best showings for a while against Sunderland. He's exactly the sort of player we need against Southampton.
For feck sake. I may not be his best fan, but christ, he's still a far better option than the others we have available right now. He always gets injured at the worst times.
Carrick and Anderson in midfield? Berry berry shrew.... electrifying partnership.
Berry berry shrew indeed!
Tl;dr Cleverley makes space for the likes of Carrick to shine, far better than Fellaini. You know, by doing running.
Jones to the rescue
I don't want to make him out to be a savoir or anything but over the last year or so we seem a more cohesive unit when he is in the team. City away last year was a good example.
Keeps the ball really well and passes and moves well and not afraid of tight spaces. Not really a goal threat though, and not the greatest at threading through balls and a killer ball but we look better with him than Fellaini at the moment.
I hope the injury isn't too serious. Very injury prone.
Keeps the ball really well and passes and moves well and not afraid of tight spaces. Not really a goal threat though, and not the greatest at threading through balls and a killer ball but we look better with him than Fellaini at the moment.
I hope the injury isn't too serious. Very injury prone.
I don't think it's so much in an attacking sense. Yes, he does offer a lot more than Fellaini, no doubt (we knew that before we signed Fellaini) but what we missed against Southampton was his pressing ability in midfield. When Carrick or Fellaini got the ball, there was a man putting a tackle in. When their two deep midfielders got the ball, they could turn and pick their pass.
Cleverley or even Anderson would have made it far more difficult for Southampton.
Cleverley or even Anderson would have made it far more difficult for Southampton.
Cleverley isn't in full-training today unfortunately.
Are we going to go through the whole 'Cleverley we need him back!.... feck Cleverley is just so safe and boring! We need someone else!!!' phase again?Anything is better than Fellaini at the moment!
He used to be better than cleverly, I don't trust the caf when it comes to players anymore!
I said before he signed that he wasn't any better then Cleverley as a central midfielder, and if anything he was less suited to us then Cleverley
Well to be fair, they can all be applicable at the same time. He does play it too safe at times but he is better for Carrick then anyone else so we need him back, but he's still not good enough to be starting here consistently.
I said before he signed that he wasn't any better then Cleverley as a central midfielder, and if anything he was less suited to us then Cleverley
I can't see why we can't play all 3 together.
Why would we want to sacrifice some of our more talented players to play the three of them together when that's our weakest position? I could understand wanting to play a 3 of two of them and Kagawa, or Januzaj, but why on earth would someone want to play Carrick, Fellaini, and Cleverley in a midfield 3? That would be way too defensive, and have no creativity at all in the team. It's the opposite of having plenty of talented players so you want to fit them all in, like we are with our strikers. Ideally we'd only need to use Carrick from the midfielders we have, and not have to see our other options other then as subs.
It could work but you'd be sacrificng a striker. 4-3-3 come 4-5-1
------Fellaini-------
--Carrick--Cleverley-
or
--------Carrick---Fellaini---
------------Cleverley-------
-WF------------------------WF
-------------Striker--------
But you could just as well play Rooney there and it's a similar outcome. He's (Cleverley) just not suited to a deep midfield two where he has to do all the running and combat next to a static player like Carrick and in the transition laying the ball off to Carrick who never moves for a second phase in transition pass, he'll either look for a mid range transition ball or turn and play wide/back. Something Fellaini may offer a different perspective on, depending on the way Fellaini would complement him we may see some improvement in the extra movement. In theory having not seen that combination yet that is what we'd want when playing Cleverley in a deeper midfield role. Whether Fellaini would suit that.. Not sure, can't see why he couldn't be the more defensive of the two midfielders when playing beside a more mobile pass and move player.
I agree it could work okay, but if we were to switch to a 3 man midfield, most people think that Kagawa would be the key man for it. If that were the case then I'd be all for it, and I actually want us to switch to a 3 man midfield, with Kagawa being our most advanced midfielder, Cleverley being the runner and Carrick being the sitting midfielder.
Kagawa, Cleverley, Rooney, Anderson and Giggs can all play there. It's all about the sacrifice of a 'striker'. Though RVP coming deep is scary sometimes. The more combat he does the more worried I am that he'll get injured.
Again he amazed me how shit performance he can give. One of the worst performances from a United player I have seen. He is local but he isn't United quality and sooner we realize it, the better for us.
hahahaha.
Was Carrick any better though? Im not justifying his performance because tbh, it wasnt great. He didnt do the one thing hes really good at, keeping possession, getting the ball, give and go. But one of the worst performance from a United player? Really?
Was really shit today. Far too often in the first half he was so far up the pitch that rooney and kagawa had to drop deep to so his job. It's no surprise that we looked much better when rooney played in midfield.
I just ... don't see the point of him really.
His limitations are becoming more and more prevelant. He hasn't progressed his game anywhere near as much as he needs to, perhaps not all his fault but where is his drive and determination?
He should be busting a gut to impress Moyes and instead he retreats into his shell, has he got the balls to make it as an elite player? I'm seriously questioning that and not just after today when he was abysmal.
He should be busting a gut to impress Moyes and instead he retreats into his shell, has he got the balls to make it as an elite player? I'm seriously questioning that and not just after today when he was abysmal.
I thought he was marginally better than Fellaini v Southampton.... marginally.
I don't see a future for him here. He will be a squad player once a top midfielder is signed and will probably be sold a couple of years down the line when he wants more game time.....a super player to have on the bench but I guess he is the weakest link in the team and Moyes will stick to the dour tactics of out to the wings and then cross it into the box... until we find a world class replacement for Cleverley
I was quite happy to see him back but his performance was a real disappointment today. I'm hoping it was due to him not being at 100%.
With him and Fellaini having a "who can play worse" contest, Giggs seems our best bet to partner Carrick at the moment.
With him and Fellaini having a "who can play worse" contest, Giggs seems our best bet to partner Carrick at the moment.
He was actually starting to look fairly sharp before his injury. Hopefully he's just getting back up to speed... Cleverley on top of his game could provide a lot of what we need in midfield.
Anderson plays shit, Fellaini will be our midfield hero.
Fellaini plays shit, Cleverley will be our midfield hero.
Cleverley plays shit...guess we're back to Anderson then.
Fellaini plays shit, Cleverley will be our midfield hero.
Cleverley plays shit...guess we're back to Anderson then.
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