Tom Cleverley

[ToffeeTim]

I don't recall it being especially cowardly in the slightest

Got anything else?

I'll answer that for you, no, you haven't

Do you know why you haven't? Because there's absolutely nothing wrong with him

He gets in there, does a job, doesn't do anything overly impressive, nor does he do anything especially bad and then he turns up at training the next day and the cycle repeats

He is fine. Not amazing. Not brilliant. Fine. Serviceable. Ever so slightly above average

He's roughly 4th or 5th in line as a CM who will only play in the Milk Cup or if people get injured, and he's happy to do that without kicking up a fuss

He doesn't deserve literally ANY of the stick he gets

Stop having a go at this lad because you hate Roberto Martinez

It's thoroughly pathetic

He's an utter monstrosity of a player and an unwelcome relic of the martinez era who needs binned to league 1.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Alright then, where's your evidence?

Name me situations where he's cost us points or matches when he's played in the middle

You won't be able to

Name me games where he's been unremarkable but has done a job where we've needed it, you'll have plenty

He's a back up utility player we got on the cheap

If Koeman had signed him in this window and he had exactly the same level of skill that he does now, not a single one of you would be bothered, especially if we got him on a free just to make up numbers

He is merely a vessel for your Martinez hate, just as Osman was for people's Moyes hate

Koeman would never sign a player like Cleverley, even for free, as he correctly values pace, power, athleticism, energy, forward thinking and leadership over sideways passing, slowness and someone who is too lightweight for this league.

As for where he has cost us games, remind me how many matches we won with him in the side last year?

 

[PhilM]

He's second to last and just ahead of Gibson, provided Gibson is sober

He's back up and nothing more, and perfectly fine in that role

Ahead of Gibson? Really? For all his personal deficiencies, Gibson has shown himself to be a proven centre midfielder to a pretty capable standard.

Gibson has shown that he can read a game, is forward minded, has a wide range of passing and can also put in a tackle. Problem is he's a crock.

Yet not to bash Tom at all, but I'd find it hard to argue that apart from fitness he's quite noticeably behind Gibson in all of those criteria.

So unless we want someone who can simply run around and press in the middle then he should be behind Darron in the selection.

And yes while I agree he is nothing more than a backup, I still don't see where in the future he'll be able to challenge for a place in our squad.

I've previously advocated that Cleverely could be a back up option but under Koeman I simply can't see it - best to simply sell him on.

 

[Kev The Rat]

Ahead of Gibson? Really? For all his personal deficiencies, Gibson has shown himself to be a proven centre midfielder to a pretty capable standard.

Gibson has shown that he can read a game, is forward minded, has a wide range of passing and can also put in a tackle. Problem is he's a crock.

Yet not to bash Tom at all, but I'd find it hard to argue that apart from fitness he's quite noticeably behind Gibson in all of those criteria.

So unless we want someone who can simply run around and press in the middle then he should be behind Darron in the selection.

And yes while I agree he is nothing more than a backup, I still don't see where in the future he'll be able to challenge for a place in our squad.

I've previously advocated that Cleverely could be a back up option but under Koeman I simply can't see it - best to simply sell him on.

Cleverly is in fact he most un-Koeman like player ever.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

He's footballing beige.

Exactly

There's a reason I posted this picture when we signed him

He's there to fill a hole (Ooo Err) and little else

It's only the unreal level of venom that's being spat at him that has moved me to come to his defence, because he simply does not deserve it

Where on Earth has this "Snivelly" bollocks come from as well?

When has he been anything else than a model pro who gets his head down and works for the team?

"Snivelly" suggests he simpers around and does the dirty on his team mates

It's a stupid nickname invented by stupid people who should know better

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Ahead of Gibson? Really? For all his personal deficiencies, Gibson has shown himself to be a proven centre midfielder to a pretty capable standard.

Gibson has shown that he can read a game, is forward minded, has a wide range of passing and can also put in a tackle. Problem is he's a crock.

Yet not to bash Tom at all, but I'd find it hard to argue that apart from fitness he's quite noticeably behind Gibson in all of those criteria.

So unless we want someone who can simply run around and press in the middle then he should be behind Darron in the selection.

And yes while I agree he is nothing more than a backup, I still don't see where in the future he'll be able to challenge for a place in our squad.

I've previously advocated that Cleverely could be a back up option but under Koeman I simply can't see it - best to simply sell him on.

I didn't write that correctly

If Gibson is sober, he's ahead of Clev

If Gibson is getting injured and then out having a couple of sly pints when he should be re-habbing, Clev is ahead of him

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

As for where he has cost us games, remind me how many matches we won with him in the side last year?

You could say that for every player in the side

Again, you are letting your hatred of Martinez overwhelm your common sense

You hate Martinez, but Martinez isn't here to hate on, so you turn your hate towards a signing he championed at a time when his popularity was starting to dwindle

Find me direct examples where HE and HE ALONE, cost us the game

I DARE you

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Exactly

There's a reason I posted this picture when we signed him

He's there to fill a hole (Ooo Err) and little else

It's only the unreal level of venom that's being spat at him that has moved me to come to his defence, because he simply does not deserve it

Where on Earth has this "Snivelly" bollocks come from as well?

When has he been anything else than a model pro who gets his head down and works for the team?

"Snivelly" suggests he simpers around and does the dirty on his team mates

It's a stupid nickname invented by stupid people who should know better

I think people just look at him and think "£50k a week and a wife who's absolutely smoking hot, how did that happen?"

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

I want dates, times in the match etc

You will not find them, because they do not exist

Let. It. Go.

You hateful, hateful people

 

[Kev The Rat]

You could say that for every player in the side

Again, you are letting your hatred of Martinez overwhelm your common sense

You hate Martinez, but Martinez isn't here to hate on, so you turn your hate towards a signing he championed at a time when his popularity was starting to dwindle

Find me direct examples where HE and HE ALONE, cost us the game

I DARE you

Well we are winning games without him, where we weren't winning with him. I think that is evidence of sorts.

Surely you can see though that Koeman would never even begin to entertain the prospect of signing him for us even on a free. Not on his radar, nor should he be.

At a minimum as I have stated he lacks the physical skillset and progressive play that is required at this level. If he was good enough he wouldn't have been available on a free anyway.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

I think people just look at him and think "£50k a week and a wife who's absolutely smoking hot, how did that happen?"

Most footballers have good looking missus's though, and also make a lot of money

I'd argue his wages and missus are very much par for the course for a man in his profession

He is as middle of the road as you can get

He's a cheese sandwich on white bread that you buy at a Boots in a Train Station for £1 just before you start your commute

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

I want dates, times in the match etc

You will not find them, because they do not exist

Let. It. Go.

You hateful, hateful people

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

Most footballers have good looking missus's though, and also make a lot of money

I'd argue his wages and missus are very much par for the course for a man in his profession

He is as middle of the road as you can get

He's a cheese sandwich on white bread that you buy at a Boots in a Train Station for £1 just before you start your commute

There's nothing par for the course about his Mrs mate.

 

[jtl60]

I haven't got anything negative to say about Cleverly, other than how the fck has he got so many England Caps!

He is bog average at everything and terrible at nothing.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Well we are winning games without him, where we weren't winning with him. I think that is evidence of sorts.

I think every single player who has played for Everton has lost a game or two mate

The mere fact you dodged the question rather than find the evidence is proof that I am correct

He does not deserve any of this stick whatsoever, because he has never done anything even remotely bad when played in the middle

On the wing, he's cack, but he's not a winger and never was

He was only playing out there because Martinez had

A. A severe lack of tactical nous

and

B. Had fallen out with Kev

Time to put this hate to bed and move on with your lives

If he left the club tomorrow, I wouldn't be bothered, if he signed a new deal I would be equally not bothered

He's there, he exists, he does a job

Get over it

And the mere fact he was free and has Premier League experience makes me think Koeman would have a look at him

I could easily see him turning out for Southampton during Koeman's time there

You know what you're getting with him, and managers appreciate that