He's surprising me. He's probably our first choice midfielder at the moment and you'd never have heard that from me at the start of the season. Fair play.
Phil Jones | 2013/14 Performances
- Thread starter The Don
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I've always held the view he's not a CB and I'm more and more convinced we shouldn't turn him into one. He's powerful and dynamic in midfield and he could go very far indeed.
come along way since his Blackburn days playing hoofball
come along way since his Blackburn days playing hoofball
I honestly thought he was wasted in midfield and should have been moulded into a CB. Turns out Fergie knew better 
Jones
Edit: Jones with Giggs
Edit: Jones with Giggs
I feel confident when i see his name in the side. I think to myself 'Phils fecking got this'.
Arsenal's midfield was apparently going to rip us to pieces, but Jones owed it. Bring on the rest.
Maybe I'm starving for new midfield options but Jones together with Barkley could easily be something extra.
Me too. Because he's someone you can rely on and not be soft as shit in midfield like Cleverley or Fellaini.
We really need him at the moment and he's producing. Hats off. I didn't think he could hack it in there.
Arsenal's midfield was apparently going to rip us to pieces, but Jones owed it. Bring on the rest.
Yeah, and i thought as soon as he left the midfield to go into defence, we immediately lost control in there, while the defence remained awesome.
Yeah he stands up to the challenge. His energy and drive seems to get us playing more of the game in the opposition half, giving our attacking players the platform to hurt teams.
I think he's almost certainly gonna end up in CB but right now he is the perfect defensive MF. Energy, defensive ability, work rate, willing to get stuck in...
As long as we have someone next to him to make up his offensive short falls (EG Giggs today), he can be vital for us in there this season.
As long as we have someone next to him to make up his offensive short falls (EG Giggs today), he can be vital for us in there this season.
Very good again tonight.
He's absolutely everywhere and if he's not, he's probably injured which is always awful news for the team.
Thankfully Moyes just like Fergie have ability of correctly managing young player's career in the club. Jones has the real chance to become Premier League's finest at this rate in about three seasons.
Thankfully Moyes just like Fergie have ability of correctly managing young player's career in the club. Jones has the real chance to become Premier League's finest at this rate in about three seasons.
Ideally we buy somebody who is like him, i.e. a high energy more defensive minded center mid (Schneiderlein, Bender twins), let him play in defence, and then we buy an playmaker to go next to him and perform like Giggs did today (biased, but Pjanic would be perfect for this). A lot of people on here say we need to buy a partner for Carrick, but really I think we need to buy 2 players who are capable of starting for us and have them fight with Carrick for his spot with the view to replace him in 1-2 seasons, because let's be honest now, as good as he is, he's 32 now.
Wonder when he will become captain.
Felt so much better when I heard he was playing. Still not sure what we'll do with him (and Smalling). I would rather they had more constant positions.
Ideally. I don't think Carrick's partner or his replacement are currently at the club.
That's not even debatable really, it's clear as day that nobody apart from Carrick in midfield is good enough that you can say he should be starting at a club like United, or can have the potential to. Jones does a better job there than any of our other midfielders which says it all about them. He's the youngest of the lot and a center back, yet is the only one who can play consistently well in that position. Personally I think we need to buy 3 midfielders and get rid of a few of the one's we have, but it's never gonna happen.
so where are all the jokers who said he is a CB and cant play in midfield?
I always feel that he is somewhat similar to Paul Ince due to his athleticism and tenacity. He needs to add more to his passing range though but he is still young and time is on his side.
so where are all the jokers who said he is a CB and cant play in midfield?
In all honesty though, I do like his enthusiasm and sheer pace in midfield. He's so quick when chasing back players and tend to get the ball even - he's almost like Keane in in that respect, without the eye for a literal kill.
Great yesterday, and let Giggs and Kagawa do the offensive bit. That said, even Giggs was great defensively most of the match.
Like the way after every tackle he gets up and limps for a couple of seconds and then pulls various faces to show he is hurt....but then after a few seconds he is back to normal.
With Carrick out and Fellaini and Cleverley not in form, Jones just retain his place in midfield for the next few weeks.
His positioning has improved absolutely drastically over the last year or so. He's our best midfielder with Carrick out.
JOnes in CM at Spurs in this form could be vital.His positional sense is improving, and if he can work on his passing range as someone said we'll have some player.It may be that Giggs won't feature again against Spurs which leaves us with a predicament we never thought we'd have.Who the feck is gonna partner Jones in our midfield!!!!
Our record with Jones in CM (starting) this season: P: 5 W: 5 GD: 14-1
... played against Liverpool (Cup, 1-0), Norwich (Cup, 4-0), Fulham (PL, 3-1), Arsenal (PL, 1-0), Leverkusen (CL, 5-0). Maybe just a coincidence, but still a great record.
... played against Liverpool (Cup, 1-0), Norwich (Cup, 4-0), Fulham (PL, 3-1), Arsenal (PL, 1-0), Leverkusen (CL, 5-0). Maybe just a coincidence, but still a great record.
Will bow down to Twigginator if Jones becomes a success in midfield. Literally the only poster on the entire forum who saw anything in him there.
Has he been our best midfielder this season, despite not being a midfielder?
I certainly wouldn't call such a claim outrageous, given that Carrick's had a bit of a slow start, Fellaini being shite, Cleverley being shite and Giggs blowing hot and cold.
I certainly wouldn't call such a claim outrageous, given that Carrick's had a bit of a slow start, Fellaini being shite, Cleverley being shite and Giggs blowing hot and cold.
If he's this good now, imagine what he'll be like when he gains full control of all his limbs...
In all honesty though, I do like his enthusiasm and sheer pace in midfield. He's so quick when chasing back players and tend to get the ball even - he's almost like Keane in in that respect, without the eye for a literal kill.
Great yesterday, and let Giggs and Kagawa do the offensive bit. That said, even Giggs was great defensively most of the match.
Well done for coming forward! There were many doubters who are slowly coming round to the idea
rather than Keane, I have actually compared his development to Robson in the past - people laughed but there are uncanny similarities.
Not true at all - we were the minority but there have been several people caling for Jones in midfield
back in Feb ...
I didnt get my gloating tagline for nothing
The never ending saga of Jones's best position (well, it's only two years old for us). I really thought in his first season he could become a quality midfielder. That drive he has wasn't enough, of course, but it was something that shouldn't be wasted as a centerhalf and a terrific base on build on. Then in his second season he seemed to have lost something of it and I figured centerhalf would be better for him.
Phil Jones can become whatever we want him to be. He can be a great centerhalf and seems to have a great chance of becoming a quality midfield player. But we need to make a decision and stick with it for the most part.
Phil Jones can become whatever we want him to be. He can be a great centerhalf and seems to have a great chance of becoming a quality midfield player. But we need to make a decision and stick with it for the most part.
That was exactly what persuaded me he could be an excellent midfielder and I didn't want us to lose that drive by making him a centre back. I thought it would be a waste of his natural talent/style.
My thoughts have followed yours pretty much exactly, because last season he really made so much progress as a centre back that the loss of him in midfield ceased to be an issue. He was turning into a world class central defender, rather than a central midfielder. And that was fine, so its was no loss.
I think I'm now of the same opinion as you, it doesn't matter which he chooses. He'll be brilliant at both. If I could choose, then it would be to stick with him in the middle. I've always thought he was more natural in that role and if he gets some gametime, which he should do given the competition, I think he'll continually improve
Phil Jones has reinvented dribbling... it's simple in fact, he runs straight at the opponents and they have to give way since he is bigger and faster.
Yaya Toure introduced that style a while back.
All of his physical traits aside (we more or less knew he was a beast), what has impressed is his passing. It's not the most adventurous granted but I've always seen it as a weakness for him to regularly perform at CM but he's done rather well. He's so young and that's crazy IMHO, the guy's ceiling is huge and we don't even know where and if he'll cement a single position.
Will be our Philest Jonesest player ever
I have to say, I am warming to the idea of him becoming a CM. What he needs to learn is his positoning when we're in possession and how to bring the ball forward. Once he learns that, I am convinced he can become a top class midfielder.
So far, he always said he prefers playing as a CB
So far, he always said he prefers playing as a CB
He's one of those defenders that you can tell absolutely lives for defending, a bit like Vidic. He'll go in for anything, no matter how severe the collision may be. The role he's playing for us in CM at the moment allows for him to be a bit nasty though, so I'd say he's enjoying that. It'd be interesting to hear his thoughts on playing in midfield now, seeing as he's grown into it a lot more these days.
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