Tom Cleverley loan watch

[silhillvilla]

Send him back and put the money towards a new deal for Delph?

[D.boy]

I was chatting with a Utd gloryhunter at work the other evening and he didn't rate Cleverley at all. I think the money could be better spent elsewhere to be honest.

[RussellC]

I think I’m in a minority, but I quite like Cleverley. I like the fact that he does everything quickly and is always looking for a forward ball. It’s something that sets him apart from all of our existing midfielders. He seems to play at a much higher tempo than the rest of our side and I also think at time he anticipates things better.  I think he’s suffered a bit from our lack of quality/creativity in the wide areas of our side, as I think we’re very one dimensional (and therefore predictable) when going forward, but I do agree that we haven’t seen much quality from his end-product in an attacking sense yet.

Having said all of that, £7 million is a very steep price (especially given his contract situation) but with Delph’s future in doubt, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Lambert push this one through in January.

[hilts_coolerking]

I was chatting with a Utd gloryhunter at work the other evening and he didn't rate Cleverley at all. I think the money could be better spent elsewhere to be honest.

I was having a nosey at Red Cafe and couldn't find anyone there who rated him.  Basically they all say the same as us, i.e. what does he do?

[pauliewalnuts]

I was chatting with a Utd gloryhunter at work the other evening and he didn't rate Cleverley at all. I think the money could be better spent elsewhere to be honest.

If it came to a straight choice, I'd rather we stuck the 7m on a horse than spent in on him in January.

[Clampy]

A couple of million, at a push £3m, then fine. Any more than that and i'd look elsewhere.

[RussellC]

I was chatting with a Utd gloryhunter at work the other evening and he didn't rate Cleverley at all. I think the money could be better spent elsewhere to be honest.

I was having a nosey at Red Cafe and couldn't find anyone there who rated him.  Basically they all say the same as us, i.e. what does he do?

In my opinion, he's a water carrier, but a decent one. He moves the ball quickly and effectively through the middle of the pitch, always makes himself available for a pass and works hard to retrieve the ball when not in possession. Playing in a team with a high percentage of possession and quality attacking options, he's effective (as Sir Alex will testify).

[RussellC]

A couple of million, at a push £3m, then fine. Any more than that and i'd look elsewhere.

My worry, is that I can honestly see us rejecting him and him joining Everton and being a very good player for them in a very attack-minded team.

[hilts_coolerking]

In my opinion, he's a water carrier, but a decent one. He moves the ball quickly and effectively through the middle of the pitch, always makes himself available for a pass and works hard to retrieve the ball when not in possession. Playing in a team with a high percentage of possession and quality attacking options, he's effective (as Sir Alex will testify).

And we know how infallible he is.

Seriously though, I accept that Cleverley's role may be an unglamorous one but it seems to me he makes negligible impact on any of the matches the plays in.  He's had top level experience at Man Utd, has played for England, and yet in a struggling team he's virtually anonymous.  I know he's not been with us long but in terms of our squad he's a senior player and I'm disappointed with his contribution.

[Clampy]

A couple of million, at a push £3m, then fine. Any more than that and i'd look elsewhere.

My worry, is that I can honestly see us rejecting him and him joining Everton and being a very good player for them in a very attack-minded team.

There's a possibility that might happen. I suppose at the end of the day it depends how much Man Utd want for him if they decide to cash in.

[Toronto Villa]

i'm fine with him being at the club on a free next summer. He has a lot to prove. Mind you it hasn't helped us playing in the manner that we have. I wonder if our commitment to a new style will help his game and we'll start to see an improvement in his play.

[RussellC]

In my opinion, he's a water carrier, but a decent one. He moves the ball quickly and effectively through the middle of the pitch, always makes himself available for a pass and works hard to retrieve the ball when not in possession. Playing in a team with a high percentage of possession and quality attacking options, he's effective (as Sir Alex will testify).

And we know how infallible he is.

Seriously though, I accept that Cleverley's role may be an unglamorous one but it seems to me he makes negligible impact on any of the matches the plays in.  He's had top level experience at Man Utd, has played for England, and yet in a struggling team he's virtually anonymous.  I know he's not been with us long but in terms of our squad he's a senior player and I'm disappointed with his contribution.

I wouldn't say that he's anonymous at all. Ineffective perhaps, but his work-rate alone makes anonymous an unfair accusation in my opinion.

For him, I would imagine that there's been a steep learning curve in having to adapt your game to play without the ball for 60% plus of a match, as opposed to the other way round. That's not to make an excuse him but I don't think his performances have been poor, just that we probably haven't seen enough to justify a £7 million outlay.

[RussellC]

A couple of million, at a push £3m, then fine. Any more than that and i'd look elsewhere.

My worry, is that I can honestly see us rejecting him and him joining Everton and being a very good player for them in a very attack-minded team.

There's a possibility that might happen. I suppose at the end of the day it depends how much Man Utd want for him if they decide to cash in.

My understanding was that the deal and price were already in place and it was just down to us to yay or nay it in january...?

[hilts_coolerking]

I wouldn't say that he's anonymous at all. Ineffective perhaps, but his work-rate alone makes anonymous an unfair accusation in my opinion.

The fact that we're quibbling about whether he should be deemed ineffective or anonymous sums up this discussion quite neatly.

[RussellC]

I wouldn't say that he's anonymous at all. Ineffective perhaps, but his work-rate alone makes anonymous an unfair accusation in my opinion.

The fact that we're quibbling about whether he should be deemed ineffective or anonymous sums up this discussion quite neatly.

Perhaps. For me, though, when I watch Cleverly play my mindset is more "I wonder what a better manager could get out of him" than "Why the hell do we need him", so I can actually see something positive in the club making the deal permanent in January.