Why England and Manchester United's Tom Cleverley should be supported in Brazil

Tom Cleverley

With a petition to ban Tom Cleverley from Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad attracting over 12,500 signatures, to say the Manchester United midfielder is not a fans favourite amongst the national side is much more than an understatement, but is the 24-year-old deserving of so many detractors?

Some of the reasons cited by supporters of Glenn McConnell’s request to the FA are ludicrous. As a nation we revel in creating a scapegoat as a buffer for failure and it seems like we have earmarked our chief target remarkably early this time around.

The petition says: “Whilst England are considered to disappoint at major tournaments, further embarrassment could be avoided by not having his inept performances undermine the rest of the team’s efforts.” Sorry have I missed something? Considered to disappoint? All things considered, a 0-0 draw with Algeria is more than a disappointment.

Have the commendable efforts displayed by our national side of world beaters been solely let down by a single player, who doesn’t even own a score of caps and has not made an appearance for England in an international tournament? No, no they haven’t. Our problem has been that as a collective they’re practically useless for the last decade.

Cleverley has just one goal this season

But blaming one player makes things a lot easier. Remember when everyone jumped on the David Beckham bandwagon after his foolish red card in France ’98 – “10 heroic lions, one stupid boy?” Yeah, let’s just sweep that whole episode under the carpet and pretend it didn’t happen, now he’s the nation’s go to guy.

It has become fashionable to hate Cleverley and everyone wants a piece of the action. Yes he’s playing badly and can count himself lucky to be included in the provisional squad but have his performances really been so bad? People are acting as though Razor Ruddock has been coerced out of retirement.

Cleverley is playing within a poor Manchester United midfield this season and is often judged on what he isn’t, rather than what he is. He is never going to provide a creative spark to drive David Moyes’s side to an unprecedented title and nor should he be expected to.

The reality is we need players that fulfil Cleverley’s role in our side, albeit more capably than he has done of late, but we pick and choose who to praise for such qualities. Some players attract criticism and others do not it. Steven Gerrard would be praised for the ‘right idea’ if he misplaces a pass, Cleverley’s ability would be insulted.

Fickle fans amongst you consider these three names – Michael Carrick, Jordan Henderson and Scott Parker.

The first is Cleverley’s team mate at United and has performed a less than eye catching solid job for more than a decade but until a couple of seasons ago he was undervalued and accused of not imposing himself on games or providing much needed drive to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.

Cleverley compared to Carrick in the Comparison Matrix

Liverpool’s Henderson was maligned and derided as a waste of money quickly after his £20 million move from Sunderland but is now part of the in-crowd and virtually assured of a place on the plane. Finally, Parker was hailed as one of England’s best players for a short period and included in the Euro 2012 squad despite being nothing more than a committed ball carrying war horse that we welcomed with open arms.

Another accusation is that Cleverley has only received his latest call-up because he plays for Manchester United but this is a luxury that is afforded to all of the England players at top four clubs in much the same way in a Champion boxer retains his belt if a contest ends in a controversial draw or decision world title boxing fight if the match ends as a draw. Is it fair? Not really, but that’s the way it is and always will be. The same can be said in the football world, Cleverley may enjoy such bias because he plays for the most successful club in the country and it is undoubtedly an advantage, but is it his fault?

There is an argument for both sides of the coin when discussing whether playing poorly at the top level should be preferred to playing well at a lower level. The theory may well be put to the test next season if the Red Devils slip out of European competition.

Cleverley may have lost his way since he was a promising youngster that benefited from loan spells at Watford and Wigan before breaking into Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. His confidence is rock bottom and the expectation that surrounded his first call-up to the senior senior squad, although he was denied a debut opportunity against the Netherlands due to the London riots, will be a distant memory. But he can take solace in the fact things can change quickly in football.

While many of our multi-millionaire idols, often accused of a lack of passion, on the fringes of the national squad opted for extended summer beach break, Cleverley represented Great Britain throughout July at the Olympic games. He just missed out on the Euro 2012 squad but instantly looked to bounce back, worked hard to ensure he wouldn’t miss out in the future and was rewarded for his efforts when he made his competitive senior debut just two months later.

If he boards the plane to Brazil in June whether I think he is worthy of a place or not becomes irrelevant, I’ll still support him.