In less than 7 days Tom Cleverley was given a harsh reminder of how fickle a sport football can be.
After his performance against Moldova you could have been forgiven for thinking the midfielder could turn water into wine but following Tuesday’s game against Ukraine he was brought back down to earth with a bump.
Far from poor, Cleverley failed to match his display against Moldova and missed a number of first half chances meaning he became somewhat of a scapegoat as England could only draw at Wembley in their World Cup qualifier.
But whilst many were quick to get onto his back former United midfielder Nicky Butt has stood up and backed Cleverley, telling the BBC he has obvious talent but just needs a solid season under his belt in order to cement his place at both club and international level:
“Tom can be a great player. His ability is there for everyone to see.
“He’s a phenomenal young footballer and he’s at the right club to develop, with the right manager, the right coaches and the right players around him.
“He’s one of those players who can go on to great things but he needs a good run in the team and to get used to playing week in and week out for a massive club.”
i believe the player will sill pickup, is all about time, he will still be a fantastic player he use to be
Cleverley is here to stay. No one can match his game at club and country level. It’s experience that he lacks. He’s already everyone’s cup of tea
Tom cleverly is no doubt this generation’s paul scholes,he is the singular reason why manu snubbed the likes of modric,snaidja and so many others,he hasn’t picked form yet he is this superlative think of what he can be like when eventually he picks form,food 4 thought
Am a United fan and ?? think the Cleverley hype is getting to a ridiculous height . Sometimes after reading all of this hype ?? starts questioning myself if we are actually talking about the same Cleverley ?? av bn watching.
Now, am not saying he is not a good player, yes he is a good player but he is just that, a good player nothing more. He needs to develop, he needs to impose himself on matches more, he needs to know that he hasn’t made it yet. Just like Wilshere he is just a kid who is learning the game.. Southampton last week showed that.
Now can we stop the hype, before better players like Christian Ericksen gets angry and demands a bout
A person has to be honest , after watching United for a lifetime, i have to question if Tom Cleverly really is the answer
to our midfield problems, personally i don’t think he is, like a lot of players Tom can be brilliant against lesser teams, but i believe he goes missing against top class opposition, Tom has a lot of class
but more physical players can dominate him out of the game,
and for this reason i don’t think he will ever be a Man United regular,Tom if you can prove me wrong i would be more than happy to swallow my pride and admit i am wrong, but i have my doubts..
I belive if sir alex pair him up with paul sholes and Giggs he wil learn fast,only then wil international duty be easy for him
Tom Cleverley is a talent but he lacks experience. We saw against Southampton that he struggled to impose himself and control the midfield. A Man Utd midfielder needs to be strong and imposing. I’m not talking about big in size, but strong in personality. Paul Scholes was small but brilliant and he never disappeared in a match.
Cleverley is being hyped up a lot by the media, but its sets himself up to be knocked down like he was on Tuesday after Ukraine. Its a lesson for the lad on how fickle the media is and how quick they turn on players, especially English players.
This season is crucial for the lad and he needs to stay fit and available for the season. It is important that he plays 35-40 games this season if he is to progress. I would also expect him to start finding the net. If he wants to be an influence for Man Utd he should be aiming for 8-10 goals this season.
The challenge for Cleverley is when we play away from home. He needs to show that he can bring something special that will help us win matches, like Scholes use to and still can to a point.