Phil Jones: Jack of all trades, master of none?

Phil Jones of Manchester United celebrates scoring their first goal during the Barclays Premier League against Manchester City at Old Trafford on April 8, 2013 in Manchester, England. (Getty Images)

Phil Jones is a man of many traits but even as flexibility is a much sought after quality in a squad player, the belief is that the youngster exudes so much fervour in his displays that he could one day go on to be a colossal leader in the heart of defence, both for club and country.

Jones’ Old Trafford career has brought with it a comparison to one of Manchester United‘s lost greats in Duncan Edwards, a victim of the 1958 Munich air-crash disaster and a player, who with his build and power, was assumed able to play across the park.

On 21st February 1958, a fortnight after the disaster, Edwards breathed his last after succumbing to his injuries. But call it a coincidence or a freaky twist of fate, 34 years later in 1992, Jones was born on the same day.

Now, no good can come of comparing a young player to a former player and Jones has been compared to a few apart from Edwards. Franz Beckenbauer. Franco Baresi. Brian McClair. John Terry. And even John O’Shea for that matter.

The old cliché of a young player being the new Pele or Maradona is an exaggeration. It may be flattering but in the end, it is nothing but a compliment. Instead of a bloated head, a gifted youngster must be given time to forge his own identity.

But when Sir Bobby Charlton compared Jones to Edwards, people stood up and took notice. That’s because as one of very few today to have witnessed Edwards in all his glory, Charlton’s remarks weigh heavy.

Jones’ career has been stop-start at United but his versatility, athleticism and natural ability have always stood out. And while the comparisons are a tad bit premature, the one to O’Shea – who played for United from 1999 to 2011 – seems legit.

O’Shea is fondly remembered for three things: the nutmeg of Luis Figo, scoring a winner in front of the Kop against Liverpool and putting in a fine stint as an emergency goalkeeper against Tottenham Hotspur.

Like O’Shea, Jones has flourished at a number of positions, both in defence and in midfield .This assessment may be a bit harsh as Jones is technically better than the Irishman. But versatility counts for nothing as Jones currently looks more like a Jack of all trades than a master of any.

“You could play him anywhere,” Sir Alex Ferguson said ahead of the Manchester Derby, likening Jones to McClair, the most versatile member of his squad in the 1990s. “I think you could play him centre-forward. He’s just that type of player; he’s an animal for football. He grasps the game, he understands it. Play him right-back? Brilliant. Play him centre-midfield? No problem. Play him centre-back? Terrific.”

Jones was United’s stand-out player in the 2-1 home defeat against their cross-town rivals and it was his header that led to the Vincent Kompany own goal for the equaliser. This time, he started the game in centre-back alongside Rio Ferdinand. Sir Alex would have wanted to start Jones as the destroyer in midfield alongside Michael Carrick, had either of Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Nemanja Vidic not been injured.

Bar complacency and an implosion, United – with a 12 point lead and only seven games to go – have all but wrestled the title back on Robin van Persie’s form in the first half of the season. But there is still cause for concern as the season draws to a close.

To some surprise, Ferguson has not bought a specialist senior central midfielder since Anderson and Owen Hargreaves arrived in 2007. The absence of a Yaya Toure type is often described as the biggest failing in a United squad that is filled with attacking flair.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid is put under pressure by Jonny Evans and Phil Jones of Manchester United during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between their teams at Santiago Bernabeu on February 13, 2013 in Madrid, Spain. (Getty Images)

21-year-old Jones has had to play the role of the midfield powerhouse, time and again. He was used in the centre to mark Spurs’ Gareth Bale when they travelled to White Hart Lane. And again when Everton visited Old Trafford, he made sure Maroune Fellaini had a quiet game.

But it was against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid that he enhanced his already growing reputation. Had it not been for an ankle injury, he would surely have reprised the role in the second leg.

While Jones has shown that he has never looked out of place in midfield or at right-back, it is at centre-half where he has struggled. But against City, he survived the Carlos Tevez test. He may have struggled to win a few aerial duels but his tacking and reading of the game were spot on.

During his time at Blackburn, Jones displayed precocious leadership skills and an ability to put his body on the line, which led many to compare him to Terry. But former England coach Fabio Capello thought of him to be in the Baresi mould and earmarked him as a future England captain; as has Ferguson.

Jones’ career graph may have taken numerous detours along the way but his long-term goal should see be to knuckle down and master the art of being a rock-solid centre-back; without any comparisons.

The kid from Lancashire is growing into a fine young man.