I think Capello will be glad to have a players as versatile as Jones though, he's had nothing but praise for him since his first call-upl
Phil Jones
- Thread starter Baby Faced Assassin
- Start date
-
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.
I think Capello will be glad to have a players as versatile as Jones though, he's had nothing but praise for him since his first call-upl
Id like to see him partner Smalling at the back in the europa league. Need to play them as much as we can as a pair when the opportunity arises...
Might be a better midfielder than a centre half. He's obviously versatile enough, but I wonder could that work against him in the future from playing in his favoured position?
Aye, you could stick him up front for a side like Villa and he'd probably be a decent striker an' all.
Morrisons movement is Cleverly like so I would like to see them as a partnership, mabey with Jones behind in a 433. think that would have great balance.
That would be the team for about 70 mins, then we would have to replace the twins !!
Hansen said he doesn't think Jones is technically good enough to be a versatile midfielder, just thought it should be noted. I think he is, the cross for Welbeck for example showed great technique. He's made a lung-bursting run but he's still got the legs and presence of mind to dink the cross into the right area. He'll end up a centre-half but I just think Jones reminds me of Rooney when Rooney's in-form, he's got the rare ability to combine power and determination with great finesse and technique. Probably one of my favourite United players right now and he's only been here a few months.
That's not really my point though. Jones should get into that starting 11, but I can't see where he will. Capello may enthuse about his versatility but I'm saying he may become a victim of it - if he's not really played at centre half for United all year then he'll be up against Walker at right back, and Parker in midfield. I don't think Capello will drop either to accommodate him, so he might not make the starting 11.
Jones will be bossing midfield for years to come. He's got that presence about him. He's going to be one hell of a player at his peak.
In fairness, Alan Hansen has shown that he's not the best judge of our young players...
I completely agree with your sentiments though.
To be fair to Alan he did say Phil would become an excellent CB.
Question really is whether he is better off as a midfielder or defender. And that measured amongst the top midfields and not against Wolves.
Whatever it is, I think Fergie will have to decide this season. I am still not 100% convinced that he will be a world class midfielder
Courtasy of Olly.
He reminds me of a young Steven Gerrard with his bursts from midfield to the opposition penalty box. To sum up his short career at United so far, he has at flashes shown the potential to be a box to box midfielder, a fantastic right-back but abit of a dodgy central defender for me
Hansen never said he wasn't technically good enough to be a defensive midfielder like Keano though. Keane wasn't the best technically, but he was inspirational and determined. I see a lot of that in Jones, reminds me very much of a young Keane, with his lung bursting runs from box to box, and his never say die attitude.
Personally, if Jones continues to develop at this rate, for me he would be wasted at CB. He looks like a born leader to me, and i can easily see him as an influential midfielder for Utd. We've been crying out for a player in this mould since Keane left, now we may have found one, so why limit his contribution and influence by playing him at CB?
This kid has only just started his Utd career, but after seeing him yesterday bossing the midfield, and influencing play all over the pitch, i saw the type of arrogance, confidence and self belief that you need to be a great midfielder.
He is our best all round player atm, and personally i think it will be very difficult for SAF to leave him out of there. He and Carrick look very good together, give it a chance i say. At least till we have some better options.
Well this it for me, you don't find many great CB's at 20! It is a role that requires a lot of concentration, experience and discipline. For me Jones has showed enough so far to be given a chance in midfield. We need a player like him in midfield more than we need a CB who is better going forward than at defending at this stage in his career.
Evans and Rio did well yesterday, and with Smalling too, they would be good enough pairings, especially with a more dominant midfield in front of them, exposing them less while dominating our opponents more.
I very much doubt you even watched a young Roy Keane if your abiding memory is of a technically limited defensive midfielder.
No i never said he was technically limited, i said he wasn't the best technically, which as midfielders go is true.
I don't even go along with Hansen saying Jones isn't technically good enough, my point was that there are other attributes that can make a great midfield player, without being as good technically as Scholes.
Keane was a box to box midfielder when he first came, but i would argue it was his determination, desire and will to win that took him to the top, moreso than his technical ability. It wasn't meant to demean Keanes talent, only to highlight what i see in Jones attitude and mentality, that makes me liken him to a young Keane.
Wouldn't be surprised to see him win YPOTY.
Jones does come a bit short technically when it comes to midfield but I am sure that can be developed in time. I actually think his passing is fine. It is his off the ball movement. He rarely makes himself available for a pass.
His passing is fine. Agree that his off the ball movement needs work. The biggest flaw I see in his game as a central midfielder is manouevering the ball in tight spaces. Instinctively knowing which direction to cushion the ball with his first touch. There's a real art to that aspect of playing in central midfield. Not an issue when Wolves leave him wide open spaces to run into but it was much more congested and intense against Liverpool and he really struggled in that game.
Alot of fans seem to have taken to him in a loveable (non gay) way, just like they did with hernandez
Technique is always the most important attribute, and Jones' technique is fine, if not exceptional.
Positioning is his biggest flaw currently, and this can be improved.
Positioning is his biggest flaw currently, and this can be improved.
He's very arrogant too though with all those careless runs forward, isn't he? He's a lost cause when you look at it that way.
I think it's more like the affection one feels for a simple-minded dog, like a labrador, that will run into trees while chasing rabbits and keep coming back for more. Endearing sense of adventure and lack of concern for anything other than chasing that rabbit.
Jones is filling a problem area for us due to injuries - his future lies as a centreback but with the ability to play in a defensive holding position.
C/b play with the ball in front of them and are taught not to run back and play strikers on side. Midfielders need to be careful of runs in behind them - its a different mindset. You would want your midfielder to track runs but your centrebacks not to chase strikers all the time - you will just end up playing them onside.
C/b play with the ball in front of them and are taught not to run back and play strikers on side. Midfielders need to be careful of runs in behind them - its a different mindset. You would want your midfielder to track runs but your centrebacks not to chase strikers all the time - you will just end up playing them onside.
Is Morrison that promising of a prospect to be considered a part of our future as much as the others on this list? I didn't see the cup matches live, so I really haven't seen much from him at all.
Also, I like Jones best at right back. In the meantime of course.
He's going to be a world class version of O'Shea.
I would love to see us play a good deal of 433, so I'm with you on that one. I'm less sure of how that would play out, however. I like to think Welbeck and Chicharito could play as inverted wingers and Rooney as a false 9.
De Gea
Rafael Smalling Evans Fabio
Jones
Cleverley Morrison
Nani Rooney Welbeck
Rafael Smalling Evans Fabio
Jones
Cleverley Morrison
Nani Rooney Welbeck
He's too good an all round player to play at centre back I feel.
Still see him as a center back long term.
I think it would almost be easier to make him a top centerhalf and just see his added qualities as a bonus. A real challenge would be to use this variery of qualities he has in order to make him a top player in a more challenging position such as midfield. And I think he can be a top midfielder if we focus on that. Half the problem is, of course, that at least this season, we'll be needing him at the back anyway.
Maybe Capello is right, and he can be top quality at both. He seems to love to play, I think he could make playing multiple positions an advantage instead of having it hold him back.
Well, we'll be needing him in the midfield too Amir.
It's worrying that we'll be so reliant on him for a few months at least, easy to forget that the lad is still only 19.
It's worrying that we'll be so reliant on him for a few months at least, easy to forget that the lad is still only 19.
It is. He's played almost every match this season for us and we'll have to give him a break sometime. We have to keep that in mind. Fergie will think long term and won't run him into the ground.
As for midfield, we'll await news of Fletcher, I guess. If he's OK and we get Cleverley back and then Anderson back, we'll have enough enough bodies there. Vidic won't be back, though, and there are still three other defenders who are always likely to break down. Hopefully not.
Yeah defense is the biggest worry, but you never know with our midfield either. Anderson and (by the looks of things) Cleverley are prone to injuries, Fletcher has been poor.
My biggest worry though is right back, i.e. our lovely, painfully injury prone twins. I would hope that's where Sir Alex plays him in the defensive crisis because Smalling is quite clearly a better center back than him, which isn't a bad thing, he's 3 years older after all.
Either way, I think he'll be forced into playing lots of games, not by want of Sir Alex, he just won't have a choice. But he does look very good fitness wise, especially when you see the massive runs he was going on on Saturday.