Phil Jones

If only the twins were injury free...

Smalling has done well, Jones has got a lot of hype for his explosive runs, Sturridge has been immense for Chelsea, Welbeck has played really well this season.. Ramsey for Arsenal has been decent ( Sometimes the lad just disappears though ) Bale has also been great after his injury...

So many contenders for the YPOTY award this season.

Still just half way through.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Ok. A couple of poor performances at full back. How many really good ones in the same position? Not many more, I'd have thought.

Don't get me wrong. He's done very well in an unfamiliar position but I don't see what he's done to be talked about as best young player of the season so far. Even his very best game at full-back wouldn't have been as good as Rafael's best in the same position.
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Offensively maybe. But Jones is a more complete defender than Rafael. If anything his strength in shielding to ball and heading ability are clear attributes. Plus he does not dive into tackles as much.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Ok. A couple of poor performances at full back. How many really good ones in the same position? Not many more, I'd have thought.

Don't get me wrong. He's done very well in an unfamiliar position but I don't see what he's done to be talked about as best young player of the season so far. Even his very best game at full-back wouldn't have been as good as Rafael's best in the same position.
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i agree pogue. he's been solid but last year he was exceptional. Maybe we even see him more at CB, it will be more of the same. Not saying I'm not impressed with him but I think overall, Jones has been more impressive. If anything, they've been equally as good.
 
RedThaiDevils#7 said:
If only the twins were injury free...

Smalling has done well, Jones has got a lot of hype for his explosive runs, Sturridge has been immense for Chelsea, Welbeck has played really well this season.. Ramsey for Arsenal has been decent ( Sometimes the lad just disappears though ) Bale has also been great after his injury...

So many contenders for the YPOTY award this season.

Still just half way through.
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I wonder if people still remember Rafael when he got a run into the team. We saw his game develop before his very eyes and I remember some people saying he'd make the position his own even before Gary would retire. I thought he was exceptional and after that concussion he hasn't been the same.
 
Smalling isn't a RB of course, I certainly didn't expect him to be as good there as he is, so for me he's added an element to his game to his betterment.

He's certainly not as good as a fullback as he is as a center back, so his overall contribution has been a bit less, but for me it's all a bonus considering no one expects him to nail down a fullback spot for us.

Jones gets a lot of extra credit from people for his runs at goal from midfield, but he's getting goals from an area we're struggle to score from for years, outside of Scholes. That's enough for me, this game is about goals.

On the defensive side he's a beast in midfield, and if he doesn't get the ball the first time there's space to catch up and get it the second time, unlike at CB where a mistake is often a goal conceded.
 
Marcus said:
Offensively maybe. But Jones is a more complete defender than Rafael. If anything his strength in shielding to ball and heading ability are clear attributes. Plus he does not dive into tackles as much.
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When fit, Rafael is a butter fullback right now. He's quicker and more nimble/technical going forward and his positioning is better. He was very naive positionally to begin with but he improved that massively and while he doesn't have the experience just yet to be classed as great positionally, he's still better than Jones.

For actually technicalities of defending like, shoulder to shoulder strength, timing of tackles and heading. Jones is better of course, but they are not as essential to a fullback role in the United team as Rafael's qualities.

If both fit, Champions League Final tomorrow, I'm sure Ferguson would pick Rafael ahead of Jones and anyone else in the squad for that matter.
 
Pexbo said:
If both fit, Champions League Final tomorrow, I'm sure Ferguson would pick Rafael ahead of Jones and anyone else in the squad for that matter.
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Hadn't he slipped behind Fabio in the pecking order before they disappeared?

I'm still not sure he's mature enough for Fergie to pick him in important matches - I think Smalling in particular has been so good there that Rafael has decent competition to get into the side.
 
I think I have something I can only describe as a man crush on Phil Jones.
 
BaldwinLegend said:
Hadn't he slipped behind Fabio in the pecking order before they disappeared?

I'm still not sure he's mature enough for Fergie to pick him in important matches - I think Smalling in particular has been so good there that Rafael has decent competition to get into the side.
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He picked up a knock in the Champs League QF first leg that he never really recovered from last season (made two further appearances, both in basically dead rubbers - Schalke home and Blackpool home)
 
BaldwinLegend said:
Hadn't he slipped behind Fabio in the pecking order before they disappeared?

I'm still not sure he's mature enough for Fergie to pick him in important matches - I think Smalling in particular has been so good there that Rafael has decent competition to get into the side.
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I don't think that had anything to do with his performances. He was injured for most part of the second half of the season. But I agree with the maturity levels of the twins. Sometimes they do make rash challenges which they should really refrain from.
 
SharkyMcShark said:
He picked up a knock in the Champs League QF first leg that he never really recovered from last season (made two further appearances, both in basically dead rubbers - Schalke home and Blackpool home)
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But that was last season. He suffered dislocated shoulder in training after the Community Shield match, that's why he's got only two appearances so far, in League Cup and 19 minutes at Wembley.

I'm sure that this season, if both fit, Rafael will be first in the pecking order.
 
It certainly should be said that Fabio lost the place he earned in the team late last season. So maybe Rafael would have been ahead of him, who knows.
 
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We need a trollface emoticon with Jones' expression.
 
That how he looks permanently. Dempsey's elbow knocked everything to the left.
 
He regrets having that baby, you can see it in the forced little smile of his.
 
Whose baby is that, and who the feck is holding him and why don't I recognise that person?
 
look at Nani pointing at the baby saying "ahh little whitegro"

racist Nani
 
Jones is decent looking and might have some appeal but Hernandez, De Gea, Lindegaard, Giggs and Owen are definitely better when it comes to looks.
 
Needs to work on the tactical side of the game, why he didn't man mark Yakubu in open play is beyond me as is him not being assigned to Samba from set pieces. Some players are perceptive enough to make these changes on the pitch but he's only 19 and I feel the coaching staff got it wrong today.
 
It might be his long term position but CB clearly isn't his best position at the moment. He's too eager to win the ball and can be rash positionally. He's just 19 so he'll hopefully sort it out soon.
 
Aint gota Kalou said:
It might be his long term position but CB clearly isn't his best position at the moment. He's too eager to win the ball and can be rash positionally. He's just 19 so he'll hopefully sort it out soon.
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He's just inexperienced, he'll be a fabulous CB one day.
 
I still don't see him as a CB. He's very young and has much to learn. But I remain to be convinced.

The man will however be a beast in midfield or at full back.
 
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