Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

  • Participation within this subforum is only available to members who have had 5+ posts approved elsewhere.

Tom Cleverley

  • Thread starter Thread starter Joao Moutinho
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I hadn't realised that he's out of contract next summer. Presumably Villa won't be crazy enough to pay £7.5m for him in January and the lad will won't to go as a free agent to pocket a fat signing on fee. He could be a very good acquisition for us next year on a bosman.
 
ijjysmith said:
Just because he's on a bosman doesn't make him a good signing.

He's just not a very good footballer at the moment.
Click to expand...

Let's see how he does at Villa imo, all the stuff spouted about him not faring well under the spotlight can be tested out, if he plays well then yeah on a free could be a decent shout, if he fails at Villa then maybe Bobby will realize that not every 20 year old kid he has had playing well for him in the past for one season will necessarily be a good acquisition at 26 after 6 years of unfulfilled early promise.
 

ijjysmith said:
Just because he's on a bosman doesn't make him a good signing.

He's just not a very good footballer at the moment.
Click to expand...

I think that he was quite creative at Wigan under Martinez but that maybe United wanted him to be more of a box to box goalscoring midfielder. He picks up some good positions but he needs to work on his finishing.

The United fans turned on him and that will have shattered his confidence. He should do a lot better at Villa, where expectations are quite low.

He'd provide competition to Barkley for us and it would be very good to have a number of players in and around the England squad, especially young ones.
 
billycopper said:
I think that he was quite creative at Wigan under Martinez but that maybe United wanted him to be more of a box to box goalscoring midfielder. He picks up some good positions but he needs to work on his finishing.

The United fans turned on him and that will have shattered his confidence. He should do a lot better at Villa, where expectations are quite low.

He'd provide competition to Barkley for us and it would be very good to have a number of players in and around the England squad, especially young ones.
Click to expand...

To be honest that was ages ago.

I'm not saying he won't get it back, but at this exact moment he is nowhere near any better than what we already have in midfield.
 
We've dodged a bullet here imo.

Just not having the lad, he's no better than what we've got and wouldn't get into the sides of any of those who we're aspiring to challenge.
 

billycopper said:
I think that he was quite creative at Wigan under Martinez but that maybe United wanted him to be more of a box to box goalscoring midfielder. He picks up some good positions but he needs to work on his finishing.

The United fans turned on him and that will have shattered his confidence. He should do a lot better at Villa, where expectations are quite low.

He'd provide competition to Barkley for us and it would be very good to have a number of players in and around the England squad, especially young ones.
Click to expand...

Cleverley will be 26 at the start of next season mate, not exactly what i'd describe as a young un' like

Wigan was also 5-6 years ago, it's like us looking at Rodwell 6 years ago or say Jeffers six years after his Arsenal move etc and thinking we'd get the same player back, Cleverley potential for whatever reason has been ruined and and will never live up to the early promise he showed as a 21yo, thinking otherwise is just dreaming
 
ijjysmith said:
To be honest that was ages ago.

I'm not saying he won't get it back, but at this exact moment he is nowhere near any better than what we already have in midfield.
Click to expand...

Its like the shouts for banega from people mate, looking at the 20yo player rather than what the player developed into at 25/26 etc
 
We have a season to see how Cleverly performs at Villa. I expect that the deal cobbled together by Utd and Villa at the last moment happened after Utd realised that Everton were not bluffing when they said they would not meet Utds demands. I think Utd were afraid of being made look stupid by Everton again and felt that Everton would cave in and pay the price.Everton see Cleverly as a long term player I am sure but in the area he plays we do already have quite a few bodies.
Utd were now stuck with an expensive player that wouldn't get a game, Cleverly was stuck in the reserves and Villa had no signing made. This deal got Cleverly out of Utd, games for Cleverly and a signing for Villa.
At the end of the season Cleverly can go where he wishes and that may very well be Villa if they do well and he settles. It does however give RM the opportunity of watching his form every week and trying to do a deal next summer at the latest.

I think that after this season Osman and Pienaar will play less and less in the first team as they get another year older.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Register
Back
Top