But virtually none where he played tonight. Bit bizzare with Clev on the bench.
Phil Jones in midfield revisited
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
But virtually none where he played tonight. Bit bizzare with Clev on the bench.
In the game I watched he stayed right in front of defence and made a good 4 or 5 great slidetackles on the edge of the box when people were about to shoot. He looked almost made for a role like that. What he didnt do was anything on the ball that made me think he's a proper midfielder.
I like the look of him as a defensive midfielder but to play him just behind the striker with Rooney wide right is a bit bewildering tbh.
He's 20 years old FFS. He is an incredible talent and will become an incredible centre back in the future.
SAF likely put him on because he needs game time. I'm not sure why he plays so further up the pitch when there are other players more capable.
He was basically clueless.
He was basically clueless.
Or centre midfielder.
Think he played there at Anfield last year. It was an utterly shite game and we escaped with a 1-1
He's played this role for us a few times now, definitely blackburn last year. At first I thought it was just his lack of positioning but he was clearly playing a/m today and it's so weird. If we ever played a team with a scholes like deep playmaker I could understand but we haven't when he's played there and it just doesn't make sense.
Headless chicken.
I hate this argument. SAF does it with his Carling Cup formations too. Does playing in an odd position where he has no clue and can barely get involved really help him?
Strange position, just recently back from a long injury spell, wouldn't look too much into this performance.
Fergie has made a number of bizarre head scratching decisions this season, Jones' position today has to be very near to the top of that list.
Specially when you have Rooney already playing and ready for that role
First game we played with him in a three man midfield was Liverpool and he was really terrible. All the same issues. Can only remember him playing well v Villa and perhaps one other team and that was when he was doing most of the attacking, concentrating on bursting forward with his powerful running. He's never played a remotely defensive role for us in midfield so Sir Alex obviously doesn't think he's ready for a role like that yet.
Don't understand why we didn't just stick him out wide as a second right back though. His only good work was when he went outside left as Young drifted inside and he's got a great cross. There was that nice run out on the right wing too. Stick Rooney back inside and keep Jones the feck out of there.
Away at QPR and Villa last season he was used as a more conventional centre midfielder and they were two of his best performances since he's joined. He hasn't had any comparable good games at centre back bar Spurs in the first few weeks and even then it was his attacking that recieved plaudits.
Today was nothing like that, he was virtually a support striker.
Today was nothing like that, he was virtually a support striker.
Yep, I genuninely thought that today once it became clear Reading were never gonna create centrally we'd switch him and Rooney or reorganize the defence and take Evans off or something, was really odd and really isn't something I hope we keep with. Jones alongside Carrick in a deeper role, fine give it a go, but I'm extremely confident that wherever he ends up it won't be a/m.
There is only so much a player can be versatile.Him playing as a true CM is also a limit for me but as an AM what is it supposed to accomplish ? There is a bigger emphasis on technical ability and intelligence in that position.
It'd be interesting to hear SAF's reasoning behind that tactical switch
He's not a midfielder. His use of the ball needs a massive amount of work.
He just doesn't have the poise for midfield to be frank, when he shows for the ball he doesn't show for it he just stands there, making it difficult for his first touch to be impactful.
Lets just say theres a reason why defenders who play in midfield and defensive midfielders usually keep it simple.
Jones hasnt been told that reason yet.
Jones hasnt been told that reason yet.
But that's not really the problem, the issue is that he's clearly being asked to play as an a/m and isn't capable of doing so, everytime he's played in a 3 he's played there and I don't believe that it's him not following instructions or anything and trying too much.
He's played that advanced two times from I can remember. Both times he was shit, so he's not a Number 10. Don't think anyone would be surprised by that. Stick him in defensive midfield or as a box to box CM like at Villa or QPR and he looks like he could develop.
He's had bigger feck ups at centre back but people aren't writing him off in that position. Not that today has much relevance to how he could play in CM anyway, due to how advanced he was actually playing. It's a nothing performance IMO, we don't learn anything from today because it was such a bizzare role.
He's had bigger feck ups at centre back but people aren't writing him off in that position. Not that today has much relevance to how he could play in CM anyway, due to how advanced he was actually playing. It's a nothing performance IMO, we don't learn anything from today because it was such a bizzare role.
The fact that Phil Jones is getting anywhere near a Manchester United midfield, two games after coming back from a long injury, just shows how pathetically bad our midfield options are, and how much Fergie has fecked up by not buying a central midfielder for 5 fecking years.
Weird choice to bring on and then play as an AM when he has no clue in the final third and no guile, he's a runner not a craftsman.
Sticking him behind RVP when Rooney was playing out right made even lesser sense. Being a good crosser, he should have simply gone to the right and Rooney to the middle.
Definately not a position he has any future in but he did show some nice passing and touches. What impresses me the most about him is his energy levels and willingness to make runs with ball at feet.
I didnt see those nice passes and touches. Has great energy though, ofcourse. Will never be an AM though.
I don't have a clue regarding Jones future position. I just don't know.
Yeah, same here. He looks like he can do a job at quite a few but there's no real position I can say he's really shine at. He's talented though and has a lot of time, lets see
Cleverley has been good this season, I don't see why he was left out. Seemed the logical sub.
I know it's kind of cool to be so good that you can get away with randomly playing people in strange positions for shits and giggles, but it's enough now, SAF.
We're going to completely feck up his confidence if we keep playing him in roles like that. I don't understand why we didn't push Carrick further up and play Jones in a more defensive role. That would've made so much more sense.
Subbing on an actual midfielder of which we had two on the bench would also make so much more sense. Or just play Rooney where he's at his best and sub on Giggs or Welbeck.
Centre-Back, I'm 90% sure on that.
What the actual feck was SAF thinking putting Jones in that position? Seeing him run around like that was just...
Strangest sub I've ever seen.
Strangest sub I've ever seen.
He's a fecking centre back, it's as simple as that really.
If I'd had been in some of the positions he was in with the ball, I'd have had quite a few pings on goal.
I feel sorry for him in there at times. Natural midfielders know how to control the ball to I've themselves space. He doesn't have a clue about that. He just turns on everything that he can get under control.
Maybe the idea was that we wanted someone to run the ball up the field and thats why we picked Anderson in the first place. Jones wants to pick up the ball and run with it. Carrick and Fletcher should be able to shield the defence enough else why would you pick the 2 of them? Ever? If they cant do that what do they do?
This game just made it clearer than anytime how the Duncan Edwards comparisons might be the most retarded ever.