Tom Cleverley hints at long-term role for Mainoo, reveals which player he’s ‘disappointed’ Man United didn’t sign and issues advice to struggling Antony

Former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley spoke exclusively to Ladbrokes: Fanzone about the current squad, including the emergence of Kobbie Mainoo.

Ten Hag has managed Mainoo well

The biggest thing for me at Anfield was that you saw some passion from the Man United players; a real resilience, not to concede chances, not to get beat, a togetherness, and they did the basics right. That should be a given for these players but, as we’ve seen recently, it’s not always as simple as that. I saw 11 players playing for the badge, pressing, tackling, stopping crosses, and there was a real pride in their performance. First and foremost, I think that’s a positive.

Another positive was how many academy graduates United had involved in the game. As one myself, it’s always nice to see. And then the biggest positive, not just from the Liverpool game, has been the emergence of [Kobbie] Mainoo. He looks very assured, very calm and composed on the ball and a good decision-maker. He keeps on impressing. It’s always nice when you don’t have to spend £60-70m on a player because he’s on your books already.

I think Erik ten Hag has managed him well. He had a great game at Goodison, and then he took him out of the limelight. We can’t expect too much from him too soon. But this has been a great start to his career. If he is still at this level after 25 or 30 games, then you can start to talk about him being a long-term solution to the midfield. But right now, it’s a really good start to his professional career. His feet will be firmly on the ground I’m sure of that and, like I’ve said already, I think the manager is doing the right thing by dipping him in and out of the team.

A lot of fans are asking why he’s not playing every game, but it’s very difficult to be doing that at 18 years of age.

Things change a lot in football and there’s always the fear that players – particularly the younger lads – have to prove themselves all over again to a new manager. I think, personally, Mainoo has done enough. The whole football world has seen how well he’s done. Coming on at Galatasaray, playing in the Everton game at Goodison Park and then again at Anfield against Liverpool last week…they’re three really hostile atmospheres and he didn’t look fazed.

If, and it’s a big if, Ten Hag were to leave in the coming weeks, any new manager coming in will be well aware of the qualities that Mainoo has, and he shouldn’t be worried too much about having to prove himself to a new set of staff.

Rasmus Hojlund is made for the Premier League, but I’m disappointed United missed out on this attacker

I can see a player in Rasmus Hojlund. Obviously the media will jump on the back of his lack of goals in the Premier League, but he looks like a player who was made for the Premier League – pace, power and great on the counter-attack.

As for any other positive notes on recent Man United signings, it’s difficult to really single many others out. It’s difficult to stand out in a club that’s underachieving. I’m sure there’ll be reinforcements, but I’m already looking at players who’ve got away. You look at someone like Mohammed Kudus. You know, we seem to be bringing in a lot of ex-Ajax players. He’s one who was on Ajax’s books, but he’s gone to West Ham. It’s a little bit disappointing we didn’t pick him up.

We’ve said it for a lot of windows, but the first question Manchester United have to answer when it comes to transfer windows is who can they get out? You know, to free up the funds and places in the squad. Anthony Martial hasn’t worked out, Jadon Sancho needs a solution.

You’ve got to look at the goals in the team this year, they’ve been low, and then you’re always going to look at defensive reinforcements. You’re ideally looking at a long-term solution at centre-back. Jonny [Evans] isn’t going to be around forever, Harry Maguire isn’t going to be around forever, [Raphael] Varane isn’t getting any younger, we’ll see how [Lisandro] Martinez looks when he comes back from his injury. I think that’s the area, and a forward, which need strengthening, in my opinion.

Jonny Evans signing made sense, but Amrabat is suffering from same problem I had at United

Like I said, it’s very difficult for the new signings to come in and have a positive impact at the club right now. Jonny Evans has done very well when called upon, and I’m sure he’s a great influence to have around the dressing room. It’s funny, really, I’d have thought I was mad if you’d have told me 12 months ago that I’d be saying that about Jonny Evans and Manchester United right now! But football’s a strange old game. Jonny is a fantastic professional – Mr Reliable, Mr Consistent, and yeah, he’s had an absolutely fantastic career and I’ve no doubt he’s a top character to have in a dressing room that probably lacks that bit of stability and leadership. He brings that. When you add all of these things together, yeah, the signing of Jonny Evans does make sense.

Sofyan Amrabat, he brings good energy but, again, he falls into that category of players who struggle to stand out when the team isn’t playing well. I was a similar player myself – high energy. When you’re winning, everyone talks about what a great job you’re doing for the team, but when you’re losing or drawing, everyone’s asking what you bring to the team. It’s a difficult moment for the club, I just want to see more consistency and application, and I’m sure the results will look after themselves.

I certainly thought Harry Maguire had played his last game for Manchester United in the summer, when those links to West Ham were being made. Listen, I always love to see someone who the media and fans have written off as a down and out, come back, stick with it, be bulletproof to all the outside noise and emerge as one of the leading players again. It gives me a lot of joy seeing stories like that. It’s the same with Scott McTominay. Luke Shaw, you know, has had his critics in the past, but he’s possibly one of the only players you’d say is world class in that squad.

Bruno [Fernandes] comes under fire for the odd iffy performance, but he’s without doubt a world-class player. So yeah, it does give me a lot of joy when these players prove the media wrong. Maguire has very much been at the forefront of that and it’s been a remarkable turnaround for him.

Antony still finding his way, but has yet to deliver

Antony is not a bad footballer. He’s going through a tough spell in terms of goals and assists at the moment. I think I read a stat the other day which said he’s only been involved in one goal in his last 20-odd appearances. There’s a lot of technical ability there, but for now he hasn’t managed to translate that into end product.

I think Antony is still adapting to the style of play in this country. Sometimes you don’t need 25 touches of the ball to go down the line, beat your man and cross it. Sometimes it can be one touch and cross, sometimes it can be a scruffy goal at the back post. He’ll still be adapting, but I don’t think the signing – for the amount of money that was spent – has been a success yet.

He hit the ground running, as well, scoring on his debut against Arsenal. But the pressure snowballs and snowballs, and all of a sudden, it’s another game with no goal involvement, and then another game…and that’s what you’re measured on, as a United player, at the end of the day. That’s the pressure that comes with the job, and all of United’s players are struggling in that area at the moment.

One thing with Antony, though, is that I don’t think you can question his work rate. He’s always fighting, he’s always present, he’s rarely injured. He’s always there to be shot at, and you’ve got to take your hat off to him for that. But when you look at what United spent to bring him in…it’s just not quite stacking up.