Aston Villa Sign Tom Cleverley

After much cat and mouse deadline day shenanigans, Paul Lambert finally got his man Tom Cleverley 16 hours after the transfer deadline. The deal now will be a year-long loan from Manchester United that either party can break off in January, with rumours that Villa have first dabs on a permanent deal at the price of £7.5 million.

It’s a deal that will no doubt appease Cleverley doubters today, who didn’t quite like the idea of shelling out a wedge of cash on a player that seemed to have lost his way. In effect, Villa have a try before you buy signing now.

Initial reaction

Some Villa fans reacted to the news of Lambert wanting to sign Cleverley as if we were buying Djemba-Djemba off the Mancs again.

The loan deal certainly softens the blow , that the initial mooted £8million permanent deal was going to deliver. Also, in the end, we got our hands on a player that Everton were also interested in signing.

Anyway MOMS old man happens to be a die-hard Manchester United Supporter, true MOMS aficionados will have read an interview we did together as a preview to a United vs Villa game a couple of years ago.

A bit of a baller back in the day and a regular in the Stretford End back in the days of Best, Law and Charlton, my old man Paul, when he was a kid also once asked Alf Ramsay on a train platform a few months before the 1966 World Cup, if he was going to win the World Cup. Ramsay told him he would. The rest is history.

I digress…

Anyway, I dropped him a line to get his thoughts on Tom Cleverley, since he’s probably watched every game he’s played. I was expecting him to slate him. After all, my dad calls David Moyes ‘Mid-table Moyes’ and Louis Van Gaal ‘Louis Van Moyes’. But his views were very insightful and dare I say it, very encouraging for Villa.

Views of MOMS United old man on Tom Cleverley

Keane value

Keane rates him as a hard worker. He’ll win a lot of balls chasing players down,playing at pace. In the United vs Villa game where Weimann put you 2-0 up, but United came back to win 3-2, he came on just after Villa nearly scored a third. You were on top then, but hardly got forward again once Cleverley was on. He was breaking you down in your own half.

The Moyes Effect

He had a hard time trying to play slower, more defensive under Midtable [David Moyes]. No one criticised him before that.

He played 25+ games next to Carrick as his attacking partner when we won the league in 2013.

What Cleverley Offers

I reckon playing the right way, fast tempo, linking play, he’s fine. He’s always available, likes to be on the move and never gives up. He’s a typical Fergie youngster.

The slow, slow stuff last season f**ked him, he’s not a guy to spray passes about.

Worth to Villa

If Lambert plays him right and the fans back him, he’ll be fine. At the moment it’s like Villa play defence and forward with no one in-between, perhaps Cleverley is the man to link it together.

Carrick is on record more than once saying how Cleverley was always there to take a pass. Nothing fancy from him, quick pass, run, pass, run…He keeps the ball moving and when it breaks down, he’s after it like a Rottweiler. He’ll be a good buy.

Morons get on his back thanks to the media. I think he actually wants to get away [from United] now. He basically got booed by the England fans without having a bad game for them! It was a daft carry over from that media sh**e.

Roberto Martinez rates him as a footballer, which can’t be a bad sign.

Thanks to my real old man Paul, his texts turned out to be a very decent article and insight!

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