Tom Cleverley Must Step Up for Manchester United in Michael Carrick's Absence

With Michael Carrick out injured for the next month or so, Tom Cleverley must step up for Manchester United and fulfil the potential that his early promise showed.

How can he do that?

It’s simple, really. He must hold Man United’s midfield together in the absence of one on the Premier League’s most underrated players. In doing so, he must protect the back four and feed the likes of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney in attack—a job that Carrick does so seamlessly.

Granted, Tom Cleverley is no Michael Carrick, but this is a chance for him to shine. The 24-year-old is entering a crucial period in his career, and he must use Carrick’s injury to his advantage. Here’s why:

The Lynchpin Role

Michael Carrick is United’s lynchpin. He offers as much in defence as he does in attack, and he is the fulcrum within the side.

Carrick dictates the tempo of the game and can be likened to a quarterback in the NFL.

In his absence, Cleverley must become that lynchpin. His reverse pass to feed Daniel Sturridge in an England shirt on Tuesday night demonstrated that he has the technical ability—it’s more a question of his temperament and mental aptitude. He doesn’t necessarily have to play like Carrick, though. He just needs to play the same role.

Either way, he’s likely to get more playing time in the middle.

How Cleverley performs that lynchpin role will be telling.

The Best of the Rest

We’ve known for too long now that Man United’s midfield is weak, particularly when compared to those of other Premier League title contenders.

And, especially with Phil Jones joining Carrick as an injury doubt, the outlook is not great. Marouane Fellaini is yet to settle, and Anderson is, well, Anderson.

Cleverley is therefore the best option in central midfield.

His form may not have been exceptional of late, but he’s played well in a United shirt before. Remember his goal against Sunderland? No? Well, here’s a reminder:

That GIF could not illustrate United’s midfield crisis better.

Look at who passed the ball to Cleverley. It was Carrick. Cleverley’s task is to now switch roles and be the provider for the players around him.

Cleverley Is Entering a Critical Point of His Career

There is, of course, a wider picture to all of this.

Cleverley must step up not only for the sake of his team’s season, but also for the sake of his own future. There’s no doubt that he’s got the ability, but it is questionable whether he can be a regular in the United starting XI. The answer to that question will become more apparent in the next few months.

Moyes will sign a central midfielder—it’s just a matter of time. The likelihood is that he will delve into the transfer market in January, which could limit the amount of playing time Cleverley gets in the second half of the season.

That only adds to the importance of Cleverley’s performances over the next few weeks.

Rene Meulensteen, who was assistant manager under Sir Alex Ferguson, has his own views on who Moyes should sign in midfield:

Moyes has already brought in Fellaini and is looking to add to that signing. With Carrick a shoo-in, Cleverley could find himself the third or fourth choice for a spot in central midfield. That’s without factoring in the performances of Jones this season.

Looking Ahead

With the busy winter schedule just around the corner, this could be a telling moment in the career of Tom Cleverley.

He can step up to the mark and ease the void left by Carrick. If he does, he has a future at Manchester United.

If he fails, however, then he runs the risk of seeing his career at Old Trafford fizzling out. There is no room for mediocrity here, not at a club like United. Everyone knows David Moyes is on the hunt for a world-class central midfielder, a hunt which will have an impact on Cleverley’s future.

Barring an injury to Van Persie or Rooney, a period without Carrick is the worst-case scenario for Moyes. Strangely, though, it hands Cleverley a chance.