Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has given his stamp of approval to nineteen year old centre back Phil Jones and expressed satisfaction over the team’s pre-season preparations so far. Ferguson was happy that Jones had proved his worth to the United squad after just two games, one of them playing in the heart of defence and the other as a right back.
Jones played as a right back in a 4-0 win over the MLS All Stars on Wednesday and looked comfortable in a position that is not inherently his own. This was after looking good in the middle against Chicago at the weekend. The United manager thinks that his versatility could be a valuable asset to the side in terms of squad rotation. He praised Jones’s speed of movement and grit, and said that it was beneficial having as many options at right back as possible, with veterans John O’Shea and Wes Brown moving to Sunderland this summer.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, Ferguson said-
‘At 19 years of age he’s very versatile,’
‘He’s mobile, he’s determined and last season he played quite a few games for Blackburn in the centre of midfield.
‘We thought we’d try him at right-back. It’s something we can keep as an option for us. (Chris) Smalling has also played there two or three times now. With the experience our centre backs have, it’s a very good option for us.’
United have had a good pre-season so far and have won all their matches with considerable ease. Sir Alex was happy with the progress shown by his side and said that the fitness would continue to improve as the players got more playing time under their belts. He underlined the importance of a good work out for as many players as possible, and revealed that the playing eleven would undergo major changes and rotation in the match against FC Barcelona at Washington DC in a few days time.
He said-
‘The fitness is improving all the time, the games help with that, of course,’
‘We’ve had some good training sessions as well and we’ve tried to get tempo into our game and some rhythm.
‘It’s also important all the players are given as much game time as possible. This was the first time we gave the starters a good hour’s work. Saturday (against Barcelona in Washington DC) will be similar – the first XI that play will get an hour before we change it.’
Stay tuned for more Manchester United transfer and pre-season news.