A knock on a typically fit player I can understand it being overlooked, but who in their right mind based on the evidence of the last 3 years can trust that Phil Jones is able to string 3 games together? He has to prove his fitness first by playing for an extended period, be it u23 games and then someone might take a punt. No one will touch him now.
Phil Jones Future | Reports: Observing United academy sessions
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A knock on a typically fit player I can understand it being overlooked, but who in their right mind based on the evidence of the last 3 years can trust that Phil Jones is able to string 3 games together? He has to prove his fitness first by playing for an extended period, be it u23 games and then someone might take a punt. No one will touch him now.
Well no, not when said player is on huge wages, has shown zero desire to get playing time, and isn't exactly brilliant when they do play. We are stuck with him, unfortunately.
That's why I think we should cancel his contract and pay him out. We are building a group of winners and he doesn't fit.
If he's on 70k a week then we've basically paid over £7m the past two years for him to go to the physio. It's an absolute joke. Yes injuries are shitty but we've given him millions and millions, he should go.
He's not gonna play DM for us. He's missed over a year of football, he's not gonna now come back to try and learn a new position. He's our 5th choice CB and that's all he will be
Well if I was, he wouldn't have got a new deal. So in actual fact, I would have saved the club money.
He's signed to a contract to play football which he's been physically unable to do for nearly 2 years. I'm fairly sure there are regulations that allow for terminations in these cases. Which is very different from a player who is under contract and able to play wanting to leave.
Based on non football related injuries maybe. There's no way you could unilaterally terminate a contract of a player who got a long term knee injury playing for you.
From the PL handbook. The regulations are there to do it for both cases.
If he's unable to play for 20 months and is never likely to be able to play to the same levels as before, the club can cite permanent incapacity. Which generally allows for 12 months notice of termination after the 20 months.
So basically 32 months of continuous injury with no chance or recovery to similar levels. Where are we at with Jones now? He last played in January 2020 so coming on 20 months now. But he's fit now though so that possibility has probably passed.
I think Phil should be tried at CDM, he has done it before for SAF and Moyes so certainly worth a try in Carabou Cup or the like. Article below from 2013 for reference;
https://bleacherreport.com/articles...-he-solved-manchester-uniteds-midfield-puzzle
Of course its a wider discussion but amazing that this position remains a problem since 2013 (and before).
https://bleacherreport.com/articles...-he-solved-manchester-uniteds-midfield-puzzle
Of course its a wider discussion but amazing that this position remains a problem since 2013 (and before).
He is finished at a top level imo
Didn't he make the squad somewhere in those 20 months or play/make the bench for a behind closed doors friendly? Hard to argue permanent incapacity in that case.
His future is he will likely keep working his way back from injury, maybe if he gets fit he will play the odd game and he will leave on a free at the end of his contract in about 2 years.
After that, I suspect he will retire if he can't get fit or maybe drop down to championship club if he can.
After that, I suspect he will retire if he can't get fit or maybe drop down to championship club if he can.
Has shown zero desire to get playing time - what planet are you on fella? He’s had what, 30 minutes against Burnley since returning from an injury that kept him out 18 months! No one will take that kind of chance until he is fit to play
Yeah, at this point he needs to just get fit and then in January maybe go on loan to Newcastle with an option to buy if he stays fit and plays regularly for them.
Exactly
Phil Jones should not have a future with us, he should be sold to which ever team wants to take a chance on him, and thats what it will be, a chance. Financially Jones has done very well at United so its not as if selling him will mean he'll be skint. We cant afford to be a club who keep players after their best days have gone.
I don't think we owe Jones anything. Yeah so what if he works hard and is a great professional? I have colleagues that are too but they suck at their job, are often on sick leave and make life miserable for us others.
Sometimes I think clubs are too sentimental. At the end of the day, football is just a job like everything else. I realize there are no takers for him but surely if he is so professional then some sort of mutual termination would be on the cards. The thought of United paying his wages year in year out without anything in return is souring.
Sometimes I think clubs are too sentimental. At the end of the day, football is just a job like everything else. I realize there are no takers for him but surely if he is so professional then some sort of mutual termination would be on the cards. The thought of United paying his wages year in year out without anything in return is souring.
Who in their right mind believes Phil Jones should be playing DM. We need people who can fecking pass. We already have ball breakers.
Terminate his contract? That's incredibly harsh. He got injured while playing/training for you, didn't he?
If he fecked his knee whilst on holiday skiing or something like that then I could maybe see a reason for bitterness towards him.
Going to bench Varane and start with Maguire in Qatar.
You heard it here first.
You heard it here first.
Where do you draw the line though? At some point you have to own up to the fact that we've signed a physically inferior player who therefore is a less attractive employee.
If he can't physically play then he'd retire and you'd get a nice insurance pay-off. The club doctors obviously think that's not appropriate here.
Man United gave him a contract and he got injured whilst playing/training for you.
For all the criticism he gets, lack of effort was never one of them. Your manager came out recently and told Rio Ferdinand to STFU when he questioned Jones' place at Man United, that's because he knows what Jones has done and is doing to get back.
I hope he is receiving help for the mental side of returning too.
I have always thought that once a player has had a series of injuries or is injury prone, getting the slight knocks and niggles and strains that are a part of competitve sport can really make them second guess themselves and also affect them in games. If they are feeling their hamstrings, should they go for that 50/50?
I remember Saha always erring on the side of caution and sitting out games with injuries (which is understandable given his history).
Compare to Rashford who basically was playing with chronic injuries for months. The fact he doesn't have a dodgy knee or suffered from chronic injuries may have played a part in him being able to feel able to continue playing.
I hope for Jones's sake that he is able to feel able to trust his body again to play regularly.
I have always thought that once a player has had a series of injuries or is injury prone, getting the slight knocks and niggles and strains that are a part of competitve sport can really make them second guess themselves and also affect them in games. If they are feeling their hamstrings, should they go for that 50/50?
I remember Saha always erring on the side of caution and sitting out games with injuries (which is understandable given his history).
Compare to Rashford who basically was playing with chronic injuries for months. The fact he doesn't have a dodgy knee or suffered from chronic injuries may have played a part in him being able to feel able to continue playing.
I hope for Jones's sake that he is able to feel able to trust his body again to play regularly.
Qatar?
I genuinely don't understand his role. I can respect the fact he's working to get himself fit and available for selection, but then what? He's not getting selected ahead of Varane, Maguire, Bailly, Lindelof and Mengi even in the cup games, so are we just nursing him to fitness so we can offload him in January or next summer?
World Cup.
And then….nothing. Of course he never gets selected ahead of other 4 CBs (ahead of Mengi he might), so him being fit and available for selection has zero value for the club.
I'm sure we'd sell him in the blink of an eye if someone was in the market for a football player that hasn't played for two years through injury.
United certainly are! Its a football club for goodness sake, not a retirement home or rehabilitation centre.
I don't think we're expecting to 'offload' him at any point, nor do I think we are nursing him to fitness, I just think we're nursing him. He just seems to be 'there'
Unfortunately he's been too crocked to flog, and not crocked enough to retire - I don't see us binning Phil Jones off using some contractual fine print relating to injury, nor do I see him being the type who will terminate his contract by mutual consent. He's just there, existing.
Bit like a student loan, don't see it as an expense, just think of it as a tax and move on with your life until it gets written off.
Ah yes I'd completely forgot about that to be honest.
I was wondering if United were playing a friendly in Qatar or something.
Still makes absolutely no sense, why would Varane and Maguire be in the same squad in the world cup
Then he gets sold. Amad was supposed to go on loan but because he picked up an injury it got cancelled. That's how it works. Jones get fit enough to pass a medical and is sold.
I think Jones has to face the fact that no club outside the lower divisions will want him. Perhaps he should consider retiring and going into coaching as many others in his situation have done over the years. I dont wish Jones ill but he should be off our books.
Still makes absolutely no sense, why would Varane and Maguire be in the same squad in the world cup
I meant to say he will bench Varane over the course of the season, and then start with Maguire for England in the world cup.
But this is the issue isn't it. Sold to who? I mean, who in the right mind is going to take a punt on Jones, even on a free. Unless he takes a 'Paid as you Play' style Owen contract, no one is going to commit multiple seasons to him at this point. Well, they might, but why.
Does he have any memorable performances or goals?
He's been here 10 years and I'm trying to remember his good moments. I think there was a great performance in midfield against Bolton in his first season but everything after that is just memes (his face, him on corners) injuries and shit performances (giving away a penalty in the FA Cup final comes to mind).
He's been here 10 years and I'm trying to remember his good moments. I think there was a great performance in midfield against Bolton in his first season but everything after that is just memes (his face, him on corners) injuries and shit performances (giving away a penalty in the FA Cup final comes to mind).
Will he feck. I’m not one of Phil’s many detractors but Varane is light years ahead of him, even before all his injuries. He will be guided back to match fitness and then sold with our best wishes. Whether he plays for England again is up to him and his performances.
Regardless of whether he'll have to do that or not, he hasn't had to face that decision. He's not been fit since the start of last year. He's now finally able to start training again. If he gets another long term injury then maybe he'll retire but right now he has to for his own wellbeing attempt to get back to his previous levels.
If he can stay fit (big if) I think he could pleasantly surprise a lot of people this season. He is a much better option as a back up centre back than Bailly, for example.
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