Aug 06
Fergie’s Cleverley About-Face
“He is an exceptional young player in terms of his ability to play a variety of positions,” Sir Alex said on Friday. “He can play in central midfield and on both wings. He is such a talent, we must keep him. He showed at Watford that he’s a goalscorer from midfield and we need that. Apart from Darron Gibson, we don’t have a lot of goals coming from midfield. The days of expecting [Paul] Scholes to score 15 goals a season have gone now. So we needed to look at that area and there’s no doubt Cleverley has outstanding qualities as far as goalscoring is concerned.”
via Boss: Cleverley must stay – Manchester United Official Web Site.
Several reports over the past week said he’d be moving out on loan, but he isn’t. Yesterday, I’d remarked that I would prefer Cleverley to stay at the club. I would still like us to either loan or sell Gibson and give Cleverley an extended run in the side. If we’re not buying big stars we might as well give our more promising youngsters an extended run.
Related items from Red Rants:
- United scrape past Philly, but Fergie’s comments on Vidic grab headlines
- City’s money can’t compete with Fergie’s management
- John Terry, AIG and Fergie’s Rant on Hackett
- Vidic to stay, Cleverley+Welbeck loan deals…
- Fergie’s Wind Up Act, Levy and Not Much Else
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Stephen (454)
Craig Mc (344)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Apparently Fergie is watching Ozil in the Werder Bremen game against Fulham today to take a look at Ozil against PL team. I thought Fergie was at OT for open to public training session this morning – guess not. Anybody else got any further news on this???
Like?
0 
0
If Fergie wanted to let Bremen have Berbatov in exchange for Ozil plus some money off Bremen – would anybody agree with this sort of exchange??? Just asking like, because IF Fergie goes for Ozil he is looking for part exchange player deal!
Like?
0 
0
@CraigMc: As some people on the RedCafe are suggesting, fergie night be there to watch Fulham. Our 2nd game (1st away) is against Fulham and we have loosing this fixture since like past 2 seasons…
so who knows?
Like?
0 
0
If at all we sign Ozil, I hope we sign him before mid August before Ozil plays in Europa league qualifying. Coz he will be cuptied for CL after that.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Yeah i know mate, to some people fergie is a saint and can do no wrong and i realise that. Just no matter how big a fergie fan some people are, his quotes “I cant see anyone out there who excites me” are just bloody pathetic and embarrassing.
He is coming up with any excuse he can bloody think of right now all to try and pull the wool over our eyes and mask the fears we are skint.
Well sorry fergie, you might fool some, but your gonna have to come up with a better excuse than that crap if your going to convince people like me.
I realise my negative fergie comments will mean i get criticism, but i cant see how after those quotes, fans can continue to believe the shit that keeps coming out of his mouth. Us fans pay his wages, and yet he continues to think he can come up with any old crap and we will take it as gospel just because he is sir fergie.
I know ive made my feelings on him known so many times, but the guy just keeps coming out and saying things or doing things that just really piss me off and annoy the fuck out of me. But some fans just dont get it like you or me mate.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: “It’s hard to take someone’s opinions seriously mate when their head’s are rammed so high up Fergie’s ass, they can touch his tonsils”. Lol, very nicely put mate
Like?
0 
0
@CraigMc: Im sure one day when im married it will be the missus who i can blame it on, but no today its fergie once again and his ever annoying quotes that drive me mad.
Truth is i should just ignore it and not get so riled up about it, but i care so much about this team its so bloody hard to ignore. I simply hate what this man has become, and the constant shit that comes out of his mouth, and it just pisses me off so much i feel i have to let off a bit of steam on here.
Like?
0 
0
@Taehr: Agree with all that mate, nicely put. Sadly “as” cant see that, he thinks were going nuts for another over rated kid who doesnt deserve the hype. Its not our fault the kid has been quality and is exactly what we need, as well as being dirt cheap.
Are we not allowed to get excited about someone who just looks so right for us. Well according to some people i guess not, because not only is he another over rated youngster but we also dont need him anyway as our midfield is great as it is
Like?
0 
0
@CraigMc: Yeah he is at the fulham game, ive seen a pic of him there so can confirm it. Probably just there to get all our hopes up before they plummet back down again.
Like?
0 
0
@AndyCR7: I dont think for one minute we will actually sign him but it seems a bit weird why ferguson would leave an opening training game in manchester to come down to london to watch a fulham team made up of mostly reserves.
We do play them the 2nd game in but wouldnt the manager just send one of his staff to go and watch this game.
Seems weird is all he would personally come down and watch fulhams reserves who are without 6/7 of their main players who will be there to play us.
Leads me to think he was actually there to watch a player personally. Yeah thats right you know the player im talking about dont you.
Yeah none other than ……………… Danny Murphy knowing fergie.
Like?
0 
0
@as: First of all, I assume you are directing your venom at me as you mentioned the thing about 90% Mancunians, but you should know that I do not run this blog nor do I delete your comments. That would be Red Ranter. Secondly, I could care less if your mother spawned you in the ladies room at Old Trafford. The truth is and it’s obvious to many of us is that you are clueless and just a conformist ass licker. With you it’s all about towing the company line and any challenge to that authority is strictly verboten. You would have been a real success in Germany of the 30′s.
You are welcome to your views but be man enough to take the heat if those views are filled with animal brown matter and if you are full of hot air. Being born and bred close to OT does not make you an expert and does not make you right. But your attitude and lack of intelligence makes you rather unfortunate and rather pathetic at the end of the day. And if this sounds mean spirited, it’s because you frankly deserve it with your insulting and condescending rants towards others and your lack of intelligence or background on Mesut Ozil who you know sweet fuck all about. The other day somebody asked me what I thought about Chelsea’s new signing Ramires. I humbly said I didn’t know anything about him rather than make up a bunch of crap about him or base my knowledge on a handful of games. Learn from that rather than come on here and act like you know something when it is clear you know dick.
Like?
0 
0
@as: Who the fuck are you addressing your rants to? At the bottom right of a comment there is a reply button. Click on it and it will add the person’s name you are replying to in the box.
Now to your question. Vision, imagination, a lethal left foot that actually hits the mark consistently, lightning pace (just ask Gareth Barry), ability to play across the midfield and as a supporting striker, set piece expert who can score on free kicks, penalties and can take an accurate corner kick, intelligence, passing skills with range as well as finesse and close dribbling skills and one touch ability. Would you like more? Get your head out of your seemingly enormous ass and stop setting yourself up for this kind abuse because you are coming across as nothing more than a Glazer yes man and one who has no idea about anything or anybody outside of the team. Monkey see monkey do I guess. PATHETIC.
Like?
0 
0
@CraigMc: I know how you feel mate and believe me I do not like jumping on Newbies but when they come in here with a beligerant attitude and act like they run the place, well lets just say some of us like myself have tempers and don’t like somebody walking into our house and going for the fridge without the courtesy of being allowed to. This bloke’s attitude is belligerent and his views are really distressing. He is welcome to his views as you know but when he comes on here as a newbie and starts telling us how we should think and how we should act, well my feeling on that is he hasn’t paid his dues on this blog yet and he is way out of order. He wrote “I dont seek friends on blogs, i push my views etc” That’s fine we don’t have to be friends but coming on here with an attack minded attitude designed to stir things up rather than debate the issues is not something this or any blog needs. I don’t mind that he disagrees with us but it’s the manner in which he does it that offends and gets me and some others all hot under the collar.
As you know mate, you and I have had our moments but the fact is you have always been a very friendly outgoing and jovial contributor to this blog who is all about making friends and caring about his fellow blogger. And so even when we get into an argument, I know that your attitude towards the blog is righteous and that eventually calmer heads will prevail. It’s all about respect and I for one respect you even if we don’t always see eye to eye. AS doesn’t seem to want to shake our cyber hands and welcome himself. Instead he wants to step on our fingers and spit in our faces and then he likes to defend his views by mounting no case or evidence to base these on. I mean what kind of an idiot would ask any of us just one thing Ozil brings to the table that our players don’t have? Talk about setting yourself up for ridicule.
I was eating my cereal when I read it and trust me when I say this that before I responded to him, I had to get a cloth and wipe down my monitor. 
That’s fine though, he doesn’t agree or see eye to eye. There’s no crime in that, but do not be belligerent in your attempts to make your case. His insulting manner has brought out my retaliatory tendencies and I for one would love for him to just give the attitude a rest and just become one of the lads with a different set of beliefs. I could respect that. We don’t have to be friends with him but we should all be respectful and cordial with one another. 
Like?
0 
0
@Stephen: Just for those who are not aware a little encouragement regarding Ozil is occurring today. Apparently Fergie is at the Fulham Werder Bremen game. Now why would he be there unless he actually had some interest. And as we know, Fergie likes to buy players he watches live or coaches against. So hope still floats.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Fergie is there because he will bid for Zomora.
Like?
0 
0
@Red Ranter: Goal scoring instinct and positioning is definitely a great talent and one that is hard to teach. Lampard has that in spades. But Lampard has never been a great passer of the ball nor a player with tremendous vision. Adequate with moments of brilliance but hardly consistent. This is one of the reasons he struggles on the world stage because marking on him is better and his game suffers because he cannot find the room to just score goals. The rest of his game has to come to the forefront but it rarely does.
As for Gibson, I still believe that other parts of his game will improve with time and experience. He may never get to where a lot of us would like to see him, but I for one am not yet ready to give up on him simply because he has shown me a lot more than Anderson has in one quarter the number of games.
Like?
0 
0
@NicoQB: My friend is a massive Starcraft fan and he told me the game is really good. I’ve never been a fan of those games. I am an old school gamer who likes World War 2 games like Close Combat or the Battleground series of games designed by John Tiller. When it comes to SCI-FI, it’s Mass Effect for me.
Like?
0 
0
@CraigMc: I heard about him being there. I hope for our sakes Ozil has a great game because we really need a player like that. I am also in agreement with you 100% about our need for a hard tackling holding midfield midfielder. The rumours about us going after Diarra would be nice but I’d rather hold off until next season when we can hopefully make a serious offer for Jack Rodwell. He is box to box and his attacking skills on top of his holding abilities are just to good to ignore. Anybody catch your eye?
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Mate,Fulham beat Bremen by 5 goals.Sorry Ozil.We will watch you playing for Madrid or Shitty now.
Like?
0 
0
@CraigMc: Sad thing is that just makes too much common sense. Bremen could really use the creativity and skill of Berbatov as their strikers are just muppets in my view. I think we have more than enough strikers and if we let go of Berba, it would ensure much more playing time for Hernandez. It might also make Fergie go after another striker. I’m open for anything that gets us a player like Ozil who will improve our midfield greatly.
Like?
0 
0
@Owen: I could care less about the score mate. I’m wondering how well Ozil played? A player can play well and not score as well as be on the losing end of things. But knowing Fergie, unless he scored 2 goals and assisted on 2, we had no chance of getting him.
Like?
0 
0
@AndyCR7: Christ mate, that club no longer has Hodgson. Fergie has Sparky in his back pocket.
Like?
0 
0
Every one get ready to welcome Zoltan Gera at Manchester United.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Starcraft 2 is a really good game.
Hence the disappointment!
The hype around it would make one think its better than that. I rate it 8.5/10 material, till now, 6 missions in. Maybe its going to get better, maybe not.
Played Mass effect 1 a bit and the awful battle controls (i kow that 2 improved on that) and the non-linear sprawling storytelling (I like linear games) turned me off.
Games always seem to disappoint me. I should stick with reading.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: You know if Fergie cam out at the end of the 2007/08 season and said he was satisfied with his team and saw no need to go for new players who would have argued with him? Yet he went out and signed a couple of kids and got Berbatov. The last two seasons have seen the team slip up quite a bit and lose the best player in the world as well as some others. His additions although not all bad have been few and from the bargain bins. Hernandez looks to be a lucky pick which he and his staff probably deserve credit for but the number of great players we have missed out on while he snoozes is amazing. What frustrates me is that the whole world can see where the weaknesses on this team are as they are that obvious. And yet he sits on his hands and does nothing but lie to us that he loves our present team.
I’d believe every word that came out of his mouth if it were even remotely true. But I know in my heart of hearts and in my soul that this club is far from perfect and far from his liking. He just hasn’t got the resources to play buyer now and he has to balance the beam by lying and deflecting shit. As much as I hate him for doing this he has to be careful to not disturb the mix and confidence of his players and also, he cannot afford to make the rest of the soccer world look at United as an afterthought or as a minor player by admitting they are broke. So he has been forced into these moments of politicizing things and lying in order to keep the the team stable. Still, I cannot see how that helps because all it does is allow the Glazer’s time to get away with their extortion. Something eventually has to give because this team cannot continue to count on 4 players nearing 40.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: I call it as I see it.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: You know what really gets me mate, I occasionally have dreams where I am sitting and talking with Fergie and where we are getting along really well. No they aren’t sex dreams but in my dreams Fergie is a man I love and respect and that I admire. Because deep in my soul it is hard to erase 24 years of love and respect I built up for this man and for the joy and happiness he has brought me as a football fan. But then reality strikes and I wake up and I see a man who cares not one bit about me, you or any other fan and who has been very quiet and very devious in his dealings in the past two years. A man who in my dreams would never side with the owners but who openly does when I am conscious. Excuse me while I go back to sleep.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: Like i said yesterday, Giggs, Scholes, Neville and becks were all kids once and somebody had to eventually give them a chance to prove themselves. Cleverley is in that position right now as he has given Fergie no choice but to give him a chance to make it. Look how incredibly smart Louis van Gaal was last season by giving Thomas Mueller the chance to play when he was previously so unheard of that he never even featured in the German under 21 team. He believed in him, gave him the run of games the kid needed to build experience and confidence and the rest is history. In twelve months he has gone from a complete unknown to the Golden Boot and Young Player of the World Cup winner, not to mention 20 goals and 15 assists in all competitions for his club Bayern Munich. Sometimes you just have to let the kids play because they are just too damned good. Hopefully Cleverley will be that player for us. Hernandez also has that potential but i think his progress will be slowed by Owen and Berba demanding time.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Definitely seems weird fergie would go to watch a fulham side with half its side missing, at the same time missing a united open training session. Surely if he was just wanting to watch fulham he would have sent a member of staff, and preferably next week when fulham play their strongest side.
I dont want to get my hopes up though. A few weeks ago i generally thought ozil would be on his way, but we never made a move and i dont want to start thinking a move is on the cards now.
Its just too unlike this fergie to go out and spend some money on a top class youngster. Knowing fergie he was at the match taking a closer look at danny murphy or paul konchesky.
Oh by the way i noticed a certain kroos in the werder line up, im guessing he is related to toni kroos at bayern. Just wondering if you know much about him, is he anywhere near as talented as toni? Not that im suggesting we buy him, would just be interested to hear about him from someone i know is a german footie expert.
Like?
0 
0
@Owen: Christ mate, don’t joke like that.
Like?
0 
0
Current Manager Ratings :
1.Pep : 10
2.Ancellotti : 8
3.Hodgson : 8
4.Arsene : 7
5.Rafa : 3
6.Mancini : 2
7.Fergie : 1
8.Mourinho : 0
Like?
0 
0
@Owen: Wouldnt surprise me if he was. Maybe he was also monitoring hughsey on the touchline, seeing if hes still got the movement. Hes only nearing 50 now so hes probably got a few years left in him, could be a great signing if we get him back to his best of 20 years ago. Fergie likes a challenge though doesnt he.
Like?
0 
0
@NicoQB: I’m still shocked it’s only at the second stage of improvement. Considering when the original came out, I would think we were already at Starcraft 5 or 6. Glad to hear it’s good game though. Unfortunately I play very few pc games anymore because I own a iMac. So i have to play the majority of my gaming on the XBOX 360.
Like?
0 
0
News of the Season so far :
Ben Foster has been called by Capello.
No one will be more happier than Grog at the moment in the whole world.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Are you a fan of the Call of Duty series mate? COD 5 World at War was an excellent WW2 game. Especially the russian campaigns which were fucking epic. Being one of the last survivors at the battle of stalingrad and the final campaign where you storm the reichstag was just amazing. A great great game. I like the way they have now made the game in modern times but for me COD1 to 5 which were all set at different periods of WW2 were much better than either of the modern warfare titles. I used to like Medal of Honor too but that has fallen way down.
I would recommend all the COD titles though mate if youve never played them, especially the WW2 titles.
Apologies if you have no idea what the hell im going on about
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Ive been going on about jack rodwell since he made his debut last year. Sadly he signed a new 5 year contract just this year so i doubt we will make a move until hes probably got a year left on his contract. Of course the united of old wouldnt be put off by his contract and would pay what was needed, but the new united seem reluctant to pay anything more than £10m these days.
Shame really as rodwell and ozil added to this team would just take us to another level. Add neuer in goal and its the icing on the cake.
But i know im just dreaming here.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: The thing that annoys me about the oldies is that fergie always goes on about their experience and how good they are at helping the youngsters step up. Erm cant they do all that from the touchline, instead of taking up a place in the squad and thus blocking the youngsters progress.
I have said before, i dont rate most of the youngsters we have in our ranks, but there are a few i really like the look of and think could do a good job. Rafael, fabio, evans, cleverley, hernandez and imo macheda i like the look of and think could make it.
Fergie doesnt realise though he is doing a disservice to these youngsters he constantly raves on about by letting a group of 30 somethings block their progress.
Scholes, phil and gary neville, butt and beckham never had their progress blocked by past it players so why should the youth of 2010.
Ferguson yesterday was raving on about cleverley saying he had to stay. And i agree, he does look a very good young player, but how is he ever going to progress if hes 6th choice midfielder behind scholes, fletcher, carrick, gibson and anderson. Surely a loan deal would have been more beneficial.
The problem to me is fergie has become way way too sentimental these days. Hes known giggs, neville and scholes for over 20 years and i just dont think he can ever see them not being in the united team as long as he is in charge. I really am starting to worry in 5 years time they will still all be featuring on a regular basis.
Ferguson doesnt seem to realise it doesnt matter if youve got the next lionel messi or the next liam miller in your ranks, if you never play them they will end up the same way. They will become nobodies who never realise their potential like the countless numbers of talented kids who have so much potential, yet just seem to disappear off the face of the earth.
Rafael could very well end up being better than maicon, evans and smalling could prove to recreate the pallister/bruce partnership at CB, fabio may be the evra replacment in time, cleverley could be getting 15 goals a season and hernandez may very well become one of the best strikers in the world.
Or they could all turn out shit, you just dont know unless you throw them in at the deep end the way, as you mentioned, bayern did with muller.
If he continues to persist with the same old same old past it players like neville and scholes (and increasingly now giggsy) then youngsters no matter how talented they are will start to stagnate and never reach their potential.
I fear ferguson doesnt see this and will keep playing the giggs, scholes and neville for a good few years yet which will hurt us long term, as those very players replacements (rafael, cleverley, nani) will not get the chance they deserve. Sad but true.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: I know mate truly I do, but sometimes it just have to be given a rest, cos folk get tired of listening to oft repeated stuff. I have had my say, but I don’t want to keep going on about it every single day anymore, and not posting on other matters too. Not saying you are like, just saying that’s all
.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united:
aint that the truth mate!
Like?
0 
0
@CraigMc: I know what your saying mate, no worries.
Like?
0 
0
I am just bored of all the same things repeated here everyday for last 2 months now.Can’t wait for the season to start to get rid of unwanted shouts for Likes of Ozil and others.
Common Carrick.Show others that you are still the best passer in Europe.
Like?
0 
0
@Owen: What’s a “common Carrick”?
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: I think its great that blizzard took its time to do starcraft 2.
Just look at how splinter cell is old hat now with the recent umpteen iteration.
And if i’m not mistaken starcraft 2 also plays on mac!
Like?
0 
0
Just so yall know, retard boy piers morgan of the mail on sunday have struck again, the abu bastard now for 3rd yr running claim we wouldnt make top4 and that the rags-rent boys-scousers-gunnerz have better sides, also says wazza wouldnt live up to last yr…pathetic abu twat hates our guts yet i find it ironic how he obsessively writes bout us to earn his pay packet, hate us that much mate try writin story on another club to make a living.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: I’m a big fan of the series as well as many other World War 2 series like Brothers in Arms, Medal of Honour and the great Close Combat series that was available on the pc only. World War 2 and Napoleonic history is my biggest passion other than footy mate. And with Germany, you get them involved heavily in all of them.
I have to say though that COD Modern Warfare 1 and 2 are just the best. Amazing games really.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: It’s funny because you just mentioned the three players I too most want on United, Neuer, Ozil and Rodwell. I think we will get Rodwell next season. I think Fergie felt we were alright for one more season and leaving him at Everton was similar to loaning him out for more experience. At least I like to think that way because anything else just makes me sick to my stomach. He is the best British talent to come up since Rooney and he must be ours.
As for Neuer and Ozil, well, they’re “typical Germans” so we might as well forget about them.
Like?
0 
0
@tonymontanna4united: I have to agree with Craig. I too am getting sick and tired of repeating myself when it comes to Fergie and his sad dog and pony show. Nothing i want more for one day to wake up and find this club sold and Fergie retired.
Like?
0 
0
@Owen: I know what you mean mate. I too am so sick of hearing things like “VALENCIA WPOTY” or “VALENCIA IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD” or “VALENCIA IS GOD” etc. Isn’t it irritating?
Like?
0 
0
@NicoQB: If they have Starcraft for the MAC i may check it out, although to be honest, it’s not really my cup of tea. For me it’s World War 2 games, Mass Effect, Assassin’s Creed, Madden Football and FIFA 10+ and of course my favourite addiction, Football Manager 10+.
Like?
0 
0
@as: If I could actually understand a word of what you wrote I’d try to disagree with you.
Like?
0 
0