Tom Cleverley - Loan Confirmed

[pauliewalnuts]

What's it with the e's on here..... Clarke....Cleverly

Cleverley is going to have the added bonus of autocorrect mayhem too!

[RussellC]

I don't doubt for a second that Cleverley is good enough for us. He's just not what we need at all. Especially for what is highly likely to represent a huge chunk of our budget.

We're desperate for creativity in the final 3rd, be it a proper number 10 or an out-and-out winger. Yes, we probably need reinforcements in midfield if KEA is off, but I'd honestly prefer us to spend £1m on Palacios and put the rest of the money towards solving a genuine problem.

Sorry Russell, but I couldn't disagree more.  If we continue with the 4-3-3 formation then we desperately need someone like Cleverley to play alongside Sanchez and Delph.  Central midfield has been a problem for us for a number of seasons and I think the introduction of someone like that will make a big difference.  A "number 10" type would be nice though we don't really play that formation too often ( we have Cole, N'Zogbia and Grealish who can all play there to varying levels of effectiveness if needed) and I still hold hope that a wide player will also come in as well, even if on loan.   

The bit that I don't understand, though, is the 'someone like Cleverley'. What exactly are the specific skills that you think he'll bring to our midfield to warrant such an outlay?

I can't see us changing too often from a 4-3-3, so what we need is someone to come in on the right side of that three alongside Delph and Sanchez.  We need someone energetic, decent in possession and can chip in with a few goals, all things that Cleverley has proven he can do in the top flight.  Ideally I'd like James Milner back, but I see Cleverley as a similar type of player.     

But we've just signed a midfielder specifically to perform just the defensive duties. If we're playing 3 in midfield we therefore also need a genuine playmaker, not someone who's great at keeping possession but only chips in with 3 or 4 goals a season and a similar amount of assists? Surely the role you've described is already adequately covered by Delph and Westwood? Lambert went to great lengths to speak about the need for "a number 10" and yet seems to think that Joe Cole is an adequate solution to that problem.

If Cleverley comes in alongside a Salah/Gnabry type player, then fine, but if it's just Cleverley I'll be bitterly disappointed.

I'm also still completely confused about how the club are planning to fit him into our wage-structure. If Lambert's financial parameters have changed recently I'd like to think they'd be prioritising tying our new England international to a new deal.

[pauliewalnuts]

If Cleverley signs I think we have a pretty strong starting 11 of

                                Guzan

Hutton         Senderos     Vlaar        Cissokho

                              Sanchez

            Cleverley                       Delph

N'Zogbia                                            Agbonlahor

                              Benteke


To me, that is a top ten side

Problem there is there's nowhere near enough creativity in that midfield.

[RussellC]

If Cleverley signs I think we have a pretty strong starting 11 of

                                Guzan

Hutton         Senderos     Vlaar        Cissokho

                              Sanchez

            Cleverley                       Delph

N'Zogbia                                            Agbonlahor

                              Benteke


To me, that is a top ten side

Problem there is there's nowhere near enough creativity in that midfield.

Take Benteke out of that team, and it's utterly bereft of goals.

[Clampy]

Valencia are in for him now as well according to that SSN yellow ticker bar thingy.

[Holte L2]

I'd much rather see us go for Dembele from Spurs.  You could argue that he's not creative, but neither is Cleverley.

[andyh]

I'd much rather see us go for Dembele from Spurs.  You could argue that he's not creative, but neither is Cleverley.

I'd go with that.

[PaulWinch again]

If he doesn't come I hope that money goes elsewhere.

[KevinEaton]

I am seeing a lot of requests for Creativity in the centre midfield 3. If we were a team that dominated possession we could afford for one of the 3 to be a creative type that had little defensive responsibility. Unfortunately this isn't fantasy football though and we are a bottom half team. We need stability and a solidness that we have severely lacked over the last few years. I have no problem with three energetic hard working players in this position and leave the creativity to the 3 up front. Of course this argument depends on us adding to the wide players we currently have, but Gabby and Nzogbia are still decent options. Weimann does a job and Cole is an option form the bench. Add one genuinely creative player to that list and we have the ability to change it up depending on the opposition.

Then, if we see progression, you can look at adding quality next year and the year after that. You cant go from relegation contenders to top six overnight.

[Goldie.7]

Valencia are in for him hopefully he'll go there instead.

[Des Little]

I'd rather we went for Holtby.  He's be far cheaper too.

[He wears a magic hat]

Maybe the manager sees a different role for Delph

Perhaps this signing will enable lambert to play Delph in a more advanced role

[RussellC]

I am seeing a lot of requests for Creativity in the centre midfield 3. If we were a team that dominated possession we could afford for one of the 3 to be a creative type that had little defensive responsibility. Unfortunately this isn't fantasy football though and we are a bottom half team. We need stability and a solidness that we have severely lacked over the last few years. I have no problem with three energetic hard working players in this position and leave the creativity to the 3 up front. Of course this argument depends on us adding to the wide players we currently have, but Gabby and Nzogbia are still decent options. Weimann does a job and Cole is an option form the bench. Add one genuinely creative player to that list and we have the ability to change it up depending on the opposition.

Then, if we see progression, you can look at adding quality next year and the year after that. You cant go from relegation contenders to top six overnight.

I have to disagree with this. I think having 3 solid central midfielders was crucial last season because our back 4 was so frail. The win at the Emirates and the point at Anfield were largely down to the battling performances of the midfield 3 as a unit. KEA, for example, had his limitations, but off the ball, his closing-down of opponents was a massive part of our success in those 2 games.

However, it's blatantly obvious already this season - as it was last - that the lack of creativity is our major flaw. This season we have added 2 defensively-capable full-backs, a much upgraded centre-half and a dedicated defensive midfielder. Surely that should form a solid enough base to allow us to have a play-maker in the side, as well as some width??

[RussellC]

Maybe the manager sees a different role for Delph

Perhaps this signing will enable lambert to play Delph in a more advanced role

I think you'd negate Delph's main assets as a player if you played him further forward. He has great energy and drive and is great at bursting from deep and driving us forward. I don't think he'd suit playing in-front of the ball, as a playmaker would need to a lot. We'd be asking him to play in much tighter spaces and I don't think he has quite enough guile to do it effectively. I'd much rather leave him in the role he's had so much effect in for the past 2 seasons and bring in a specialist playmaker.

[JUAN PABLO]

I'd much rather see us go for Dembele from Spurs.  You could argue that he's not creative, but neither is Cleverley.

Yes me too