Where Is Tom Cleverley Most Useful for Manchester United?

Tom Cleverley drifted out of relevance towards the tail end of last season.

The Manchester United midfielder was the side's first-choice partner of Michael Carrick in the middle through the first half of the campaign, but saw his number of games dwindle in 2013.

The two worked well together but ultimately lacked command over a vital area of the pitch.

Cleverley has bags of energy and a neat first touch, but his creativity was not at the level it should have been.

Last term he accounted for only two assists in 22 Premier League appearances. Like Danny Welbeck, he is a promising young English player but needs to improve his production fast.

He has had to face too much comparison with Arsenal's Jack Wilshere. Both are of the same generation and are a similar type of player, but they should be allowed to craft their own career paths.

New United manager David Moyes will bring new ideas to Old Trafford, and a new way of utilising a player like Cleverley.

This article will look at the 23-year-old's strengths, how he has been used in the past and where his future might lie in terms of positioning.

A Steady Rise

Signed as a schoolboy, Tom Cleverley was raised at Carrington under the tutelage of the Manchester United coaches.

But it was his loan spells at Leicester, Watford and Wigan, playing regular first-team football, that advanced his development.

At Wigan, under Roberto Martinez, he would play on the left flank as a sort-of marauding attacking midfielder.

It was this standout 2010/11 season that saw him marked out as a future great for the Red Devils upon his return to Old Trafford.

In some ways, that expectation has been met. Cleverley is still young, and he has shown genuine improvement every season.

But in terms of stamping his mark on the first team, he remains in the rotation. It seems that Moyes is in search of a central player in this summer's transfer market, which does not bode well for him.

He only made 10 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils in 2011/12 as ligament damage in his foot kept him sidelined for the best part of the season.

Last season he was excellent in patches but didn't leave that indelible mark that players in his position have to.

How He Has Been Used, Where He Operates Best

When he returned to Old Trafford in 2010, Sir Alex Ferguson began grooming him as a creative link between those behind him and those in front.

It seems this deeper-lying role is his eventual calling. One does not like to compare anyone with Xavi, but an older Tom Cleverley may end up playing in that vein.

Ideally, he should be his team's transition player, roaming back and forth with tremendous speed and energy.

He should be the team's engine. But if there have been criticisms of him, it has not been whether he has the endurance to fulfill this role but rather the authority.

He has been overpowered by the likes of Moussa Dembele and Ramires in past games, succumbing to immense pressure and conceding possession too easily.

On the flip side of that coin, Cleverley can be good at exerting pressure on opponents in the middle of the pitch, even if his tackling is not ideal.

At international level, he has been used as a trequartista, playing behind lone forward Wayne Rooney. But this felt more like an unnatural experiment at the time.

Besides, the Red Devils already have Shinji Kagawa for that job.

Whenever he was pushed out to the flanks by Sir Alex last term, his effectiveness instantly diminished.

There was also the famous diamond formation that made a brief cameo appearance last season, but this too was a mere stopgap and is unlikely to repeated, no matter how effective Cleverley was as one of the side's "runners."

No, if Tom Cleverley is to succeed under Moyes, it needs to be as the creative link. The box-to-box player.

Even if a player like Kevin Strootman or Thiago Alcantara is signed this summer, Cleverley will still get opportunities in the first team. That's how Manchester United works.

The club needs to keep faith in Cleverley. He can be a vital player for the team over the next few years.

Technically, he is an adroit player. If the side's wingers can play a more influential role next season, this will make his linking job a lot easier.

It will be interesting to see how he develops over the next few years.

How do you think Tom Cleverley should be used for Manchester United?