It used to take a lot to earn an England call-up. Matt Le Tissier, for instance, only ever made eight appearances for his country. He was considered one of the very best, but the competition was such that the Southampton striker was frequently overlooked. Now, all it apparently takes is a goal against Arsenal.
So that might be slightly exaggerated, but this is what has thrown Tom Cleverley into the national team discussion, with the midfielder giving Watford a 2-1 win over the Gunners with a stoppage-time strike on Saturday. The former Manchester United player is now being viewed as an option for Gareth Southgate.
Of course, it’s a little harsh on Cleverley to claim he is purely being propelled into such reckoning on the back of one goal. The 28-year-old has been one of Watford’s best performers so far this season with Marco Silva’s side currently occupying a place in the Premier League’s top four after eight fixtures. The Hornets are punching above their weight and Cleverley has been a factor in that.
“Tom has been our best player by a mile,” Troy Deeney said after the weekend’s win over Arsenal. “[Abdoulaye] Doucoure has got all the credit for scoring but Tom has been different class. I'm absolutely buzzing for him to get that goal.” But does Cleverley really fit the profile that Southgate should be looking for? It’s true that England currently find themselves in the midst of a transition as a side, but should their future really harbour a place for Cleverley?
At this point, with the World Cup eight months away and a dearth of competitive fixtures before England head to Russia next summer, Southgate should be looking to find new cornerstones of his team. Players who can hold down a position for the next generation in the same way the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard did over a number of major tournaments. England need continuity.
At 28, Cleverley is at the peak of his powers. This is as good as its likely to get for the former Manchester United man and that says a lot about his overall quality. England need players with a high water mark and Cleverley has shown over the course of his career that he doesn’t have that. When he’s in poor form, he drags the performances of others around with him.
The shifting of the 28-year-old into a more attacking position by Silva has been a major factor in Cleverley’s early season form. “It is quite a different role for me, being so close to the striker, but one I am learning every week,” the player himself explained last month. “The manager is helping me with that and. I am enjoying a run in the side and hopefully we can get back to performing well against Swansea. I like to play anywhere in the centre of midfield. In amongst it fighting for balls, that is where I like to be.”
The issue for Cleverley is that England already boast a number of better, more accomplished and proven option in this position, at least in the starting lineup. At best, he would be a back up option, but even still, the fact that he is being tipped for a place in the squad at all demonstrates just how lacking Southgate is in the midfield positions.
England should be better than this, but they aren’t. That’s why Southgate must look to the future now, even with a World Cup starting to appear on the horizon. That future should be one without Cleverley.
