In the Manchester derby, he lined up at the back with Rio Ferdinand as his partner. In a key match against Real Madrid, he started alongside Michael Carrick, playing the role of spoiler with Cristiano Ronaldo as his target. Though injury has deprived him of as much playing time as Sir Alex may have liked, this term has seen him return to being deployed through the middle, both in midfield and defence. In his first season at Old Trafford, Jones played in an impressive 29 of 38 Premier League fixtures and nine European games, becoming the first-choice right-back in the stead of Rafael and Chris Smalling.īut as versatile a player as he is, Jones is just not suited to playing full-back-his strengths in other areas of the pitch are too strong for him to be shunted out to the flanks. Soon after the transfer was completed, Allardyce declared 'When he gets more experience he will be able to control his team-mates and eventually he will wear the armband for England (via The Telegraph)." The Red Devils snapped up Jones for £16.5 million in 2011, activating a clause in his contract. The Scottish manager likes to take credit for the discovery of the prodigy, believing the marauding midfield role was his long-term calling (via The Telegraph). When he was fit, Jones played for Kean's team. But a serious torn knee cartilage injury kept him sidelined for much of the 2010-11 season. Steve Kean clearly encouraged his man to get forward as much as possible, moving from box-to-box with relish. With Allardyce's departure, Jones saw increased action in defensive midfield, where his fortunes were mixed. His early days saw him deployed at centre-back under Sam Allardyce, displaying plenty of tenacity and unbridled energy, even if his defensive awareness wasn't yet up to scratch. Phil Jones always looked a promising player in his teenage years at Blackburn Rovers. Whether he fulfills Sir Alex's bold prediction or not, the future holds wonderful potential for Jones. This article will look at Jones' swift rise over the past two or three seasons, assess his current abilities and predict just how good he may be in two or three years' time. Better than George Best? Better than Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs?Ĭoming from anyone else, the quote would be laughable, but the phrase "In Sir Alex We Trust" is so phrased for a reason. Sir Alex has been known for talking up his players in the press before, but this is on another level.
Wait, wait, wait, let's backtrack for a second- Phil Jones could be the Red Devils' "best ever player"?
0 kommentar(er)
