I don't think he drifted there by accident. He spent large portions of the game playing there so surely SAF or one of the coaches would have shouted him to get back if he was genuinely simply just out of position?
Phil Jones
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I don't think he drifted there by accident. He spent large portions of the game playing there so surely SAF or one of the coaches would have shouted him to get back if he was genuinely simply just out of position?
I'm of the same viewpoint too. That was tactics. Albeit it was tactically inept, but tactics nonetheless. Jones is a CB/RB and a def tracking CM at best. He's no CM, and certainly isn't a CAM.
Some say he looks like Beaker from the muppets, he might as well have been Beaker from the way he was forced to play last night.
What could behind the logic of playing Jones in an advanced position ? What could United gain from it ? I'm asking this because Jones (for me at least) doesn't have any tools to perform out there.
Yeah you'd imagine his positioning was down to tactical instructions from Sir Alex, but I really don't understand what the point was. We might as well have played a man down.
Didn't he say earlier last week that Jones has the ability to play anywhere?
I hope this wasn't some silly statement. He's a defensive minded player who plays best as a CB.
Jones as a CAM is absolutely absurd. I'm still at a loss for words how he was playing CAM, yet someone like Cleverley wasn't even given gametime.
I can't think of any. Which means I'm not going to assume he was instructed to play there unless someone can come up with a reason.
This is another example of how shit post-match interviews are. Such an obvious question to ask Fergie but instead Sky go with the same old banal nonsense.
We have played Jones in an advanced position before iirc. Think it was against Liverpool at Anfield. It was as bizarre then as it is now.
Yes. It was Liverpool at Anfield. Just as bizarre and even more disastrous.
That was to man mark Charlie fecking Adam. Bizarre.
He played there against Reading too when he came on and looked just as hopeless. There's no way he's pushing that high up the pitch without Sir Alex giving him some sort of vague direction to get forward and support the attack.
True, I don't believe a player could spend most of his time on the pitch in a role he wasn't supposed to be fulfiling.
The only reason I assume it was instructed is because he did it the entire 90 minutes and was never substituted. You would think if he was just wandering around up there being clueless and Sir Alex didn't want him there he'd either have been instructed to play deeper again or taken off.
That's a good point.
I'd really like to hear Fergie's thoughts on this one. It leaves me completely baffled.
And yet, he's done it 3 times now??
I wish he'd admit that he's got his tactics wrong, and play a CM with carrick ffs.
SAF is a great manager, and all. He's got huge hunger and has that extra motivation factor with players. But lately his/the management's tactics have been absolutely bizarre. I don't see how he can keep doing it and expect us to play well.
Jones in midfield is basically a destroyer. He should only be considered there in games against absolutely top opposition, or teams with real physical presence in the middle (Fellaini types). Diame i guess falls in to this category so in theory it did make sense, but not as it turns out given he was never anywhere near him.
Yes but the only thing he was destroying last night was our rhythm. It was such a weird decision by SAF to play him so high, it just made no sense at all.
There were plenty of things wrong with our formation/positioning last night. If you look at the average position of each player (which may, granted, sometimes give a false impression - just like all statistical data may) we fielded a bizarrely out-of-shape 4-3-3 with Jones as some kind of perverse false number nine. Or something. It makes very little sense - and I really can't think what Fergie had in mind. Perhaps he's so confident we'll win the league now that he allows himself even the most outlandish experiments.
I believe Fergie said last week he thinks Jones could play any position in the outfield.
I said this last season but I honestly believe that its a tactical decision, however incomprehensible. He's done that role in the middle, whether in a 2 man or 3 man midfield where he's allowed freedom to just get involved. On top of the games you've mentioned, the blackburn game last season really stays in my mind.
I just don't believe he's not doing what they wanted. We never see any communication to him to hold a certain position either from the bench or on the pitch and tellingly he usually stays on the pitch for the full 90 and has done this a fair few times now.
Can't really blame Jones too much yesterday. It seemed clear that he was instructed to play in such an advanced role.
What gets me is just how retarded a tactical move that actually was. I can't wrap my head round how someone of the pedigree and managerial genius of Alex Ferguson would actually come up with that tactic, never mind employ it! I think it's the third time it's been done and it's not come close to working on any of those three occasions. Phil Jones is technically accomplished for a defender but playing him in the hole surely denotes a complete misunderstanding of what a player actually needs to play well in that position. I really can't make sense of it all.
Maybe it is just a case of Fergie being so taken with Jones that he feels he must play him no matter what role he's played in, but then again I can't think of any possible justification for having both Rooney and Jones in central positions whilst having Jones as the advanced one.
What gets me is just how retarded a tactical move that actually was. I can't wrap my head round how someone of the pedigree and managerial genius of Alex Ferguson would actually come up with that tactic, never mind employ it! I think it's the third time it's been done and it's not come close to working on any of those three occasions. Phil Jones is technically accomplished for a defender but playing him in the hole surely denotes a complete misunderstanding of what a player actually needs to play well in that position. I really can't make sense of it all.
Maybe it is just a case of Fergie being so taken with Jones that he feels he must play him no matter what role he's played in, but then again I can't think of any possible justification for having both Rooney and Jones in central positions whilst having Jones as the advanced one.
It is possible that Fergie is experimenting, especially now that the league is basically in the bag. He could be just trying Jones out in different positions to see exactly what he's capable of; he has said in the past that he believes he can play in every position, only now I'd imagine he is beginning to change his mind. He's an out-and-out defender in my opinion with the option of being a destroyer in midfield if necessary. He should be nowhere near an attacking midfield role.
He is definitely not our LONG term solution in central midfield. Using him in specific games tactically is fine. When we need more cover for the back four, he is man to go for but he cant play week in week out in central midfield. I think we need to play him more in central defense than in central midfield because that is where his future is.
Maybe Jones is a technical phenomenom during training sessions and SAF wants to unleash that aspect of his game 
I associate myself with the aforegoing remarks.
For us he has been, when at Blackburn most of his time in midfield was spent in a restricted holding role, anchoring the midfield, which makes us using him as some sort of Fletcher replacement even odder:
No pressure Phil.
Did Sir just say he could be our best player ever....? feck me, now that's praise.
high praise from Fergie there....Fergie: He could arguably become our best ever player
Or did I hear wrong?
Either way, I'm looking forward to him now kicking on. Been good this half of the season
Or did I hear wrong?
Either way, I'm looking forward to him now kicking on. Been good this half of the season
Fergie "best player ever" haha.
Very good performance from him against a striker thats had a lot of success this season against all kinds of teams
Could be our best ever player .. feck me
too true.Wow, incredible praise from Fergie.
feck me cant believe he just said that
'the way he's looking he could be our best ever player'.
Giggs also praising him now as well, he's going to be a top player for us isn't he.
'the way he's looking he could be our best ever player'.
Giggs also praising him now as well, he's going to be a top player for us isn't he.
Fergie loves him doesn't he
Well if there was any doubt about how highly Alex Ferguson rates Phil Jones...
Fergie was borderline pissed during that interview I thought but Jones really is an exciting player.
Fergie was borderline pissed during that interview I thought but Jones really is an exciting player.
He can become our best ever player??? Fergie, I know he is good but come on!
that's some praise.Huge praise that!