A Progress Report on Manchester United's Aston Villa Loanee Tom Cleverley

When Tom Cleverley departed Manchester United for Aston Villa on loan, very few fans of the Red Devils batted an eyelid.

Here was a player who had shown much promise during his loan spells at Watford Town and Wigan Athletic but ultimately seemed incredibly out of his depth at the highest levels of English football.

On his arrival at Villa Park, Cleverley explained that he saw the move as a "forward step" in his career and was looking forward to pairing up with boyhood team-mate Fabian Delph, who played with him at Bradford City as schoolboys:

Since first slipping on the claret-and-blue shirt of his new team, Cleverley has featured heavily in Paul Lambert's midfield, monopolising the central areas as first choice in the engine room.

The 25-year-old England international has started 18 times in the Premier League this season, per Squawka, but Villa's record with Cleverley in the team has been abysmal. The Midlands side have only won two of those 18 matches, lending weight to the argument that the player is overrated and lacks influence.

But Lambert appears pleased with his loanee and has his heart set on capturing the player on a permanent basis.

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During the Christmas period, Lambert heaped praise on Cleverley's impact and proclaimed he wanted to tie up a deal with United in January, as reported by Laurie Whitwell of the Daily Mail:

"

We’ve got the option to buy in January. I will definitely try. A lot will depend on finances. We’ve had one or two discussions with (chief executive) Tom Fox and Randy [Lerner]. If something comes up and he thinks it’s right for the club and affordable, I’m pretty sure he will look at it.

I will have a discussion with Tom. I’ve never really had that with him. He’s still a Manchester United player. I’ve got him for a season anyway. Tom's been great around the place. Sometimes loan players are not like that. I’m pretty sure he loves his football here. I think he’s played really well.

He’s only 25, he’s got years ahead of him I’m pretty sure he won’t want to sit around. Knowing Tom Cleverley the way I do now, I’m sure he’s not one of the lads who wants to keep sitting on a bench.

"

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Lambert has much faith in the lad from West Yorkshire—though this may well be lip service in order to massage the player's emotions and make him sign a deal with Villa. 

But Cleverley and Villa are certainly a good fit, in terms of ambition and quality. 

At his best, Cleverley is a shrewd operator and can join the attack from a deeper position. But this incarnation of the player appears to have evaporated as successive managers have sat the midfielder in the centre circle and forced him to play a more disciplined role.

Results at Villa may not have been positive since the player's arrival, but as an international footballer, he outweighs most of Lambert's current stock. 

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There is now no way back for Cleverley at United, and the faster he permanently moves away, the better it will be for him, affording the player the chance to rebuild his reputation.

However, if Lambert sees him in a midfield berth where he will dictate play and control the game, the manager might be left disappointed. 

Cleverley's best position has always been behind the striker, as displayed during his days at Watford where he excelled and excited the fan base.

But Sir Alex Ferguson thought it best to transform both him and Anderson into conventional central midfielders—and that decision will always bemuse knowledgeable United supporters.

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Fergie's decision ultimately destroyed Cleverley's natural inclination to attack, and he has developed into a player who neither threatens nor dominates. 

Cleverley will have aspirations to break back into the England setup in the months to come, but his current form does not indicate this will happen any time soon.

However, the building blocks are all present for the player to find himself a career away from Old Trafford. Cleverley has never been a bad player or poor professional, but he was never able to kick on in the way Ferguson thought he could. 

At Villa, he will get the minutes he needs to showcase his talent, but it is questionable if he will ever truly shine in a disciplined deeper role in any Premier League team.