Is Tom Cleverley's Time Running Out at Manchester United?
Tom Cleverley has many of the attributes a footballer requires to succeed at the very top, and yet, his Manchester United career looks destined to be an unsuccessful one.
It's not a question of him leaving Old Trafford, but his chances of succeeding the likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick in a full-time central midfield role have arguably been and gone. Time is not on his side in that regard.
He's not nearly on the same level as that aforementioned trio, and so it's time to reassess his value to the club.
Where did it go wrong for Cleverley? Why has he struggled to make an impact? What can he offer United? These are all valid questions that United fans continue to pose, so we shall explore the answers.
Cleverley's Variable Form Will Cost Him
Cleverley's performances this season have fittingly reflected his career as a footballer. There have been one or two highs, compounded by far too many lows.
That inconsistency will cost him.
United cannot afford to entrust someone so unreliable, and Cleverley will pay the price for that. He was in and out of the team at the beginning of the season—when United had relatively few injury concerns—but he has had a lot of playing time in the last two months.
When Carrick became injured in the middle of November, Cleverley had to step up. And he did just that by holding the midfield together with energetic performances alongside Phil Jones and Wayne Rooney. He didn't set the world alight, but he stepped up when it mattered.
At the time, I wrote that Cleverley needed to build upon that bright spell. He hasn't.
Sadly, he put in a number of subpar performances over the festive period, which culminated in his withdrawal against Sunderland in United's Capital One Cup semi-final first-leg defeat.
And the point of that little story is this: United won't build a team around a player who continually fails to make an impact. Far too often he coasts through games, and that’s not good enough for a club of United’s stature.
Cleverley's Lack of Contribution Is All Too Easy to Highlight
From his last 46 Premier League and Champions League appearances for United—dating back to the start of the 2012/13 season—Cleverley has just three goals and three assists.
That is a paltry return.
And that’s concerning, because United can ill-afford such non-contribution in their ranks—not with this squad. But statistics can be misleading, though, since Carrick only has two goals and four assists from 57 appearances through the same period.
United fans should not get too carried away with Cleverley’s lack of contribution in that sense.
The key difference, however, is that Carrick has been one of United's best players over the last 18 months, whereas Cleverley hasn't. Carrick seamlessly protects the back four and assumes the responsibility of distributing possession when United have the ball, and he’s extremely effective at doing it.
Meanwhile, it’s difficult to sum up what Cleverley offers. Speaking to the BBC, ex-footballer Robbie Savage summed up the problem with Cleverley:
"I am not sure what he contributes. Does he pass it well? Does he score goals? Does he tackle? What does he actually do? He plays for England and I think he is good, but I am not sure what he contributes and, for me, is not a Manchester United player.
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Whether he is good enough to play for United or not will split opinion. Regardless, when you take a moment to reflect on some of the young stars that have flourished since leaving the club, it makes for depressing viewing.
But Cleverley is not the worst player ever to grace the Old Trafford turf—and there have been a few in recent years—so he can still be valuable.
Cleverley Still Has a Role to Play at United
And so, it becomes a question of determining Cleverley's value to United.
David Moyes should—and inevitably will—purchase one, two or even three midfielders over the next two transfer windows. Assuming that happens, Cleverley will struggle to make the starting XI; in fact, he will find himself on the bench more often than not.
That's the cold, hard truth for Cleverley.
It's not a slight against him, because he's a talented player. He's committed, enthusiastic and at 24 years old, he has much of his career ahead of him. There's a chance, however slim, that he could yet deliver on the potential that he showed in the early stages of his career.
But time is fast running out if he wishes to become a key figure at Old Trafford over the next few years.
What Does the Long-Term Future Hold for Cleverley at United?
Cleverley is an enigma.
Every once in a while, he will put in a classy performance to suggest that he is capable of holding down a regular position in United’s starting XI—but such performances are few and far between.
He has not been consistently good enough for United in the last 18 months.
That said, it would be strange, to say the least, if he departed the club in the near future. He has value as a squad player, and that will surely be of use to Moyes. If he has ambitions of becoming a key player for United, however, he has to drastically improve during the remaining five months of the season.
It would be a recovery akin to Aaron Ramsey's rejuvenation at Arsenal. But is he capable of such a renaissance?
No, probably not. Instead, Cleverley's long-term future looks set to be defined by what could have been. He may prove his critics wrong in time, but don't be at all surprised if he doesn't.
Unless stated, all statistics were obtained from WhoScored.com.
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