Last season, when Manchester United were at their lowest ebb, it was Tom Cleverley who took more than his fair share of the flack. Yes, David Moyes underwent a lot of criticism as well, but no other player was targeted like the 24-year-old British youngster.
Some of the criticism was fair, some of it was a little unjust. The fact that everyone was so negative probably exacerbated things. It was a little self-defeating circle of poor performances, criticism and more poor performances. It’s hard enough to break out of a rut when you’ve got the backing of your fans. Imagine how difficult it is when nobody seems to believe in you.
David Moyes stuck by him and Louis Van Gaal seems willing to give him another shot. He did name Tom Cleverley as club captain during The Red Devils’ 3-2 friendly over Roma, after all (a decision that was met with jeers on social media).
Still, despite having the backing of his manager, I think it’s fair to say that Tom Cleverley’s Manchester United future is still uncertain. I certainly wouldn’t bet my house on him still being under Van Gaal’s tutelage by the end of the summer transfer window.
With The Metro claiming that Everton are interested in signing Tom Cleverley perhaps it’s time for United to consider selling up. The source claims that Roberto Martinez is willing to spend as much as £8m on the young English midfielder. That’s a decent price for somebody who looks some way away from meeting his full potential.
If this rumour is true, I hope that The Red Devils go with it. Whether or not Cleverley’s good enough for Manchester United is almost a moot point. As long as he stays at Old Trafford, negativity will continue to spread throughout fans. This can’t be allowed to continue.
If Louis Van Gaal can get rid of Tom Cleverley, Marouane Fellaini and the other negative vestiges of Moyes’ reign, he may well be able to put Manchester United back on the pathway to glory. Let’s just hope he’s not feeling sentimental.
What’s your take? What does the future hold for Tom Cleverley?
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cleverly can neva make man utd better, his game is vry negative