Is Phil Jones as good as the media claims he is?

Phil Jones, bought for a reported 16.5 – 20.5 million pounds (depending on which sources you believe), has been an instant hit at Old Trafford. His performances at center back and right back have not only been astoundingly composed, but also show his versatility and future potential. Could he be the next generations John O’Shea? Or how about a future England and Manchester United captain in the making? He has the confidence, the composure and an abundance of talent. Or so the British media, starved of international success, would have you believe.

First off, let me clarify that I am not saying that Jones does not have the potential to fulfill all the aforementioned roles. He has potential but at the moment that’s all there is. Potential. A deeper analysis of his performances to date will give a better idea of not only his strengths, but also his quite glaring flaws, which have, quite amazingly, been overlooked by the media in general.

Let’s begin with Peter Crouch’s equalizer against United, a week ago at the Britannia. Jones’ failure to keep up with the infinitely slower (and frankly, not as intelligent) Crouch not only gave him the space to score, but also dragged Ferdinand away from his mark, meaning that even if Crouch had missed the ball it would’ve just fallen to his comrade behind him, who would’ve slotted home with ease. This inconsideration towards his teammates’ jobs is belatedly repeated quite often.

Recent Performances

Against Basel and Norwich, Jones repeatedly failed to cover up for his defensive partner, leaving Ferdinand and Evans out to rot against Frei and Morrison repeatedly. In the Norwich game, he luckily had Evans who was capable of keeping Morrison in check, but against Basel Ferdinand failed spectacularly to deal with the movement of Alexander Frei. Whether that was because of his lack of match fitness, or because he is just on the decline is a debate for another blog. Also, as mentioned before, his lack of aerial ability will affect him in the more physical matches, such as Stoke last week.

Also his naivety and ridiculous inability to read the match in midfield means he will be stuck chasing balls, instead of stepping in to intervene before the last possible moment. However both these flaws should be mended with experience, especially with having the quite brilliant Scholes still working in United’s coaching setup.

Marauding Runs

One final noteworthy problem is Jones’ marauding runs. While they are quite entertaining, and at times work out brilliantly, such as against Bolton for Rooney’s first, they are extremely dangerous and leave the defence susceptible to counter attacks. While playing as a wingback they might be acceptable, and even necessary at times, at center back he should not be allowed to go past Rooney, who operates in the hole behind the striker. I am actually quite surprised Ferguson has nipped it in the bud yet.

In conclusion I don’t mean to state that Jones is a worthless candidate for the mantle of first XI defender at United, but I just want to point out that while he does have immense potential, he is nowhere near the finished article and has a lot of work to do to be able to become a regular. I for one believe Jones should still be at the bottom of the pecking order at United, and the only reason he is getting a look in is because Smalling, Vidic and Rafael are all out injured, and Ferdinand is still recovering.

While I am excited for the future, at the moment all I am wishing for is the return of United’s Serbian captain to the back four.