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They'd have to give us 8m ffs
peteblue
Welcome back Wayne
Bobby clearly rates him......
Echo
Roberto Martinez is considering a summer move for Tom Cleverley as a long-term replacement for Leon Osman .
The Blues boss is a huge admirer of the Manchester United midfielder he once had at Wigan Athletic on loan, and it is possible a deal could be done for the 24-year-old if a bid of around £8m was tabled.
Martinez has no intention of casting aside Osman, a player he values highly for his intelligence and passing ability, but with the veteran turning 33 next month, and Gareth Barry the same age, he must also start to plan for the future.
The ECHO understands Cleverley would love the chance to leave Old Trafford, where he has endured a torrid season, and would relish the prospect of linking up again with a manager he holds in the utmost respect.
Cleverley enters the final 12 months of his contract in June, and has received plenty of criticism by some United supporters for the Red Devils’ woes in midfield during their troubled season.
Only last month, Martinez was quick to defend the England international when asked about a petition demanding he be dropped from the international set-up by Roy Hodgson.
“What has happened is not Tom’s fault, I think he is as good a talent as we have in the English game, and he is still growing,” said Martinez, who helped him to thrive in 2010-11.
“There are only a few players in this country who have had the sort of education where they look as if they could have been brought up in Holland, Spain or France. You wouldn’t get this in other countries, and I find it disappointing that he is being judged so aggressively when he has not even reached 200 games. Such a young player does not need that sort of scrutiny or pressure, but I am sure he will come through it and be even more motivated.”
Whether the Toffees can succeed in a move for Cleverley will depend on the thoughts of whoever is brought in to replace David Moyes in the summer.
But Martinez would tell the player and his representatives that he sees a clear role for him in his side in the future, likely to be in the trio of midfielders he has preferred to play behind a lone striker for much of his first campaign on Merseyside.
Martinez on Cleverley
“I always said that, technically and tactically, Tom wasn’t a normal player in this country – he could have easily fitted into the Dutch way of playing and also had the ability of the Spanish side,” said Martinez.
“He is a real example of someone who has the talent but just needs the platform and environment and direction to be allowed to express himself.
“In Holland, Spain or Portugal, they encourage the technical players. Here, we encourage them to work hard and tackle better. We don’t encourage the technical players to have a role in the team.
“Only the boys who are really mentally special can cope with that during their development years.
“He has got mental strength to go out and play and that is the difference. We have players like that in the British game – it kills me when people say they are not technically gifted. We just need to encourage them.
“He can play in many different positions.
“We started him out wide and let him come inside. But his best position is central.
“Sometimes you have to start in a false position in your career to get into the team and that was the case with him. He has got the ability to play out wide, he did that for the England Under-21s.
“But the more mature he gets, the central area is for him.
“Tom Cleverley is Tom Cleverley.
“He is a unique type of player. He has an incredible knowledge of the game.
“Tactically he is well ahead of his years. He can fill roles that the team will need.”
Echo
Roberto Martinez is considering a summer move for Tom Cleverley as a long-term replacement for Leon Osman .
The Blues boss is a huge admirer of the Manchester United midfielder he once had at Wigan Athletic on loan, and it is possible a deal could be done for the 24-year-old if a bid of around £8m was tabled.
Martinez has no intention of casting aside Osman, a player he values highly for his intelligence and passing ability, but with the veteran turning 33 next month, and Gareth Barry the same age, he must also start to plan for the future.
The ECHO understands Cleverley would love the chance to leave Old Trafford, where he has endured a torrid season, and would relish the prospect of linking up again with a manager he holds in the utmost respect.
Cleverley enters the final 12 months of his contract in June, and has received plenty of criticism by some United supporters for the Red Devils’ woes in midfield during their troubled season.
Only last month, Martinez was quick to defend the England international when asked about a petition demanding he be dropped from the international set-up by Roy Hodgson.
“What has happened is not Tom’s fault, I think he is as good a talent as we have in the English game, and he is still growing,” said Martinez, who helped him to thrive in 2010-11.
“There are only a few players in this country who have had the sort of education where they look as if they could have been brought up in Holland, Spain or France. You wouldn’t get this in other countries, and I find it disappointing that he is being judged so aggressively when he has not even reached 200 games. Such a young player does not need that sort of scrutiny or pressure, but I am sure he will come through it and be even more motivated.”
Whether the Toffees can succeed in a move for Cleverley will depend on the thoughts of whoever is brought in to replace David Moyes in the summer.
But Martinez would tell the player and his representatives that he sees a clear role for him in his side in the future, likely to be in the trio of midfielders he has preferred to play behind a lone striker for much of his first campaign on Merseyside.
Martinez on Cleverley
“I always said that, technically and tactically, Tom wasn’t a normal player in this country – he could have easily fitted into the Dutch way of playing and also had the ability of the Spanish side,” said Martinez.
“He is a real example of someone who has the talent but just needs the platform and environment and direction to be allowed to express himself.
“In Holland, Spain or Portugal, they encourage the technical players. Here, we encourage them to work hard and tackle better. We don’t encourage the technical players to have a role in the team.
“Only the boys who are really mentally special can cope with that during their development years.
“He has got mental strength to go out and play and that is the difference. We have players like that in the British game – it kills me when people say they are not technically gifted. We just need to encourage them.
“He can play in many different positions.
“We started him out wide and let him come inside. But his best position is central.
“Sometimes you have to start in a false position in your career to get into the team and that was the case with him. He has got the ability to play out wide, he did that for the England Under-21s.
“But the more mature he gets, the central area is for him.
“Tom Cleverley is Tom Cleverley.
“He is a unique type of player. He has an incredible knowledge of the game.
“Tactically he is well ahead of his years. He can fill roles that the team will need.”
He does seem to have been mentally affected by the car crash that has been Man Utd this season. A change of scenery could put him back on track, certainly helped Darron Gibson I thought.
bainesontoast
Player Valuation: £25m
I have no problem with Martinez signing anyone he thinks will improve the squad. He has got more right than wrong so far, I don't think anyone can dispute that. However, I do know from watching Everton every week that we're missing a midfielder who can consistently find a key pass, a creative type as it were. The following stat on Cleverly does not read well to me, it reads like he passes sideways...a lot:
In the Premier League, 22 midfielders have made 900 passes this season. Six are yet to produce an assist: Mile Jedinak, Jose Canas, Gary Medel, Michael Carrick, Lucas and...Tom Cleverley.
Isn't that exactly what Rodwell use to do?
In the Premier League, 22 midfielders have made 900 passes this season. Six are yet to produce an assist: Mile Jedinak, Jose Canas, Gary Medel, Michael Carrick, Lucas and...Tom Cleverley.
Isn't that exactly what Rodwell use to do?
AaronTheBlue
Player Valuation: £60m
Martinez does love his young British players. And we need a much bigger squad for Europe so we'll have to wait and see.
I reckon he'd be decent for us. Moyes doesn't know where to play players. If he's entering into the final year of his contract though, I'd like to think we could get him for a bit less than 8m.
toffee-fellaini
Player Valuation: £35m
He'd have to get rid of that wool haircut if he did come here.
A
al.exe
Guest
Ross's mum will give him a skinhead
J
Joao Moutinho
Guest
Canas, Jedinak, Medel and Carrick are all decent players though. Stats don't necessarily reflect the ability of a player, although I do accept your point.
I'm confident that Roberto won't make a mistake in the transfer market. I think we need to trust his judgement.
bluestevon
Player Valuation: £80m
Maybe because a lot of us believe he is a better developer of a younger player than either Moyes or Ferguson has been recently mate, he's managed him before for a season - the best season cleverley has had - followed by him being on very good form for a period after his loan finished before strangely he regressed a lot.
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