How Does Tom Cleverley Fit into Aston Villa's Midfield Picture?

With the international break drawing to a close, the attention of Villa fans now turns from the impressive England debut of Fabian Delph to Saturday's match against Liverpool, where new signing Tom Cleverley will likely make his first appearance in a Villa shirt.

As the midnight transfer deadline passed, it seemed as if Villa's interest in Cleverley would not materialize into a transfer, but a season-long loan deal for the Manchester United player was announced the following day, giving Villa the midfield signing they needed.

Cleverley's role in the team will likely change over time, especially once Christian Benteke makes his anticipated return from injury to lead the line for Villa. By looking at Cleverley's skills as a player and Villa's tactics over the course of Paul Lambert's tenure, we can predict how Cleverley might fit in Villa's team.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

So far this season, Lambert has started the same 11 players in each match. The formation and roles of each player has differed slightly between matches, but Lambert has been keen to stick with what has worked thus far.

Ashley Westwood and Fabian Delph have played familiar roles in central midfield for a third straight season. Charles N'Zogbia, Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor have played in more advanced positions while new signing Kieran Richardson has had the lest defined role, playing both wide and centrally at varying times.

While this setup has had success, the imminent return of Benteke and the signings of Cleverley and fellow midfielder Carlos Sanchez will necessitate that a change to Villa's tactical approach comes sooner rather than later.

Having sold Karim El Ahmadi and sent Yacouba Sylla on loan, the addition of Cleverley certainly adds needed depth to Villa's midfield. It is unclear if Cleverley is actually an upgrade on Villa's current midfielders, however. 

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Of Villa's available midfielders, only Delph is untouchable and seems guaranteed a place. Delph possesses excellent dribbling, improved passing and a nonstop engine that makes him an invaluable asset in midfield. Regardless of how Villa line up, Delph will assuredly be one of the starting midfielders whenever he is fit.

The midfielders supplementing Delph, and the structure in which they are deployed, are less certain. Lambert could conceivably field anywhere from two to four central midfielders, but his prior preference of a 4-3-3 formation suggests that three is the most likely number of men in the middle.

Previously, Delph, Westwood and El Ahmadi formed a consistent trio in the middle of the park for Villa. While all three men are skilled players, they are also all-around midfielders rather than specialists. The signing of Sanchez, and to a lesser extent Cleverley, will address this. 

Sanchez is a pure defensive midfielder who is perfectly suited to play the part of the shield in front of the back four. This specialization, coupled with his experience and ability, suggests that Sanchez is primed to take on a regular role as Villa's deepest-lying midfielder, allowing more freedom for Villa's remaining midfielders.

David Rogers/Getty Images

This leaves Cleverley to compete with Westwood for the final spot in a midfield trio. Westwood has been a regular in Villa's starting lineup for the past two seasons and has a similar playing style to Cleverley, presenting Lambert with a difficult decision to make between the two Englishmen.

Both men are high-volume, conservative passers who are more concerned with keeping possession flowing then taking a risk and giving the ball away. The carefully considered play of Cleverley and Westwood is a useful attribute to have in a team, but fielding such similar players together has little benefit.

Westwood has had his detractors among the Villa supporters who assert that he makes little positive impact on the proceedings. His effectiveness is somewhat debatable, but Westwood is an established favourite of the manager and it would take a strong impetus for him to be dropped for such a seemingly similar player in Cleverley.

Therefore, unless Cleverley can clearly assert himself as being a more technically precise player than Westwood, the former Red Devil will need to change his style of play if he hopes to become a regular starter at Villa Park. 

A midfield diamond could be an outlet for a change in Cleverley's game that would incorporate both Westwood and Cleverley. This formation has experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent months and would allow Lambert to play all four of his central midfielders together.

sharemytactics.com

Using a similar structure to Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool and recent displays by the English national team, Lambert could use Sanchez at the base of the diamond with Delph positioned left, Westwood on the right side and Cleverley at the top of the diamond, just behind a pair of strikers. 

However, such a formation would ask Cleverley to play an advanced role as the team's chief playmaker and chance creator. Expecting so much of Cleverley, who has not previously displayed the necessary creativity and fearlessness to be successful as a no. 10, could lead to disappointment if he does not immediately succeed.

Ruling out Cleverley's abilities to play a creative role before he has ever played a match for Villa could be overly cynical. Cleverley has been highly praised by the likes of Roberto Martinez and Sir Alex Ferguson in the past, suggesting that there is more to him than was seen during his time at Old Trafford.

Nonetheless, based on the evidence available, throwing Cleverley into a dynamic, no. 10 role could be setting up Villa's new signing to fail. 

Cleverley's addition to the squad was a worthwhile move that will benefit Villa this season, but he may not have the instant impact that many fans will be hoping for.