Browse fans’ forums, news outlets and the Twittersphere for reaction to Everton’s recent unveiling of Tom Cleverley as their first summer signing and you’ll soon find that the general consensus on the move is one of indifference, scepticism and even mockery, as opposed to the usual excitement and curiosity that comes with a club’s maiden signing of the off-season.
Sadly for the 25-year-old, this general sentiment was always going to arise, no matter which club he would be moving to next. For Tom Cleverley has for a number of seasons been viewed as something of a tragic clown in the Premier League; the easy target of ridicule and derision as he tripped and tumbled through five largely uninspiring years at Manchester United.
Indeed, Cleverley was unfairly made one of the principal scapegoats of David Moyes’ ill-fated one-year stint at Old Trafford, and with the United fanbase seemingly unanimous in their desire to see him leave the club, a loan move to Aston Villa last season seemed for the best as Cleverley looked to revive a career sinking dangerously into Francis Jeffers territory.
The England man had a good season at Villa Park. 37 appearances in all competitions, including three Premier League goals (more than he managed during any one campaign at Old Trafford), Cleverley benefitted greatly under the late-season stewardship of Tim Sherwood.
And yet, with Villa’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal in the FA Cup final proving to be his last game for the Midlands club, there were fears among many Everton fans that they were signing a player who simply did not turn up for the big games; who was a handy midfielder for a mid-to-lower table club, but who simply could not hack it for teams aiming for European qualification.
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In other words, not the type of player Everton needed as they looked to bounce back from a hugely disappointing season of their own.
However, the more one thinks of this signing, the more it begins to make sense. Firstly, Toffees boss Roberto Martinez would clearly like to drastically improve the quality of his squad with some big-money signings to challenge the top six, but the reality is that he cannot. Last year’s £28million capture of Romelu Lukaku was seen as an anomaly, a rare treat from the famously frugal board to the fans, but given how the Belgian failed to light up Goodison Park in a disappointing campaign, the club’s hierarchy is highly unlikely to grant Martinez permission to spend that much money on one player again this season.
Value for money will be the theme of Everton’s transfer dealings this summer then, and in this sense the signing of Tom Cleverley is a no-brainer. It was a free transfer, after all, and the Toffees would be hard-pressed to find a low-cost alternative who has been capped by his country and who has a Premier League winners’ medal to his name.
Martínez has spoken of his belief that Cleverley can thrive in an advanced midfield role at Goodison Park and provide the creativity that was in short supply last term, and given the history between the two men, there may be some substance to his convictions.
Cleverley played under Martinez whilst on loan at Wigan Athletic during the 2010-11 season and managed to score four goals in 25 league games, which suggests that the Spaniard knows how to get the best out of his new signing and make him an effective midfielder capable of chipping in with the odd goal.
The significance of Cleverley’s Old Trafford past should not go unnoticed, either. Former Manchester United players making the move to Goodison Park has become something of a tradition in recent years, thanks mainly to David Moyes’ close relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson. As well as Phil Neville and Louis Saha, there is also Tim Howard and Darron Gibson – both of whom are still playing for the club.
This strong core of ex-Red Devils should help Cleverley fit in easily, and his experience of playing in midfield with Gibson while the pair were at United will be invaluable as he prepares to adapt to Martinez’ system.
A show-stopper of a signing he may not be, but there are certainly reasons for Evertonians to be quietly optimistic that their manager has pulled off a shrewd bit of business with the capture of Tom Cleverley.
Got any questions? Follow me on Twitter @GruffuddOwen
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