Phil Jones Future | Reports: Observing United academy sessions

[breakout67]

Should be fun when Lindelof is our only fit CB.

It's a weird one really. De Gea has been carrying our defence for ages yet we persist with the same players. It reminds me of our midfield under SAF, a glaring weakness in his later years that never got addressed. Instead we played any squad player we could there and an old Scholes.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

It's a weird one really. De Gea has been carrying our defence for ages yet we persist with the same players. It reminds me of our midfield under SAF, a glaring weakness in his later years that never got addressed. Instead we played any squad player we could there and an old Scholes.

Including Phil Jones as a midfielder at times.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

It's a weird one really. De Gea has been carrying our defence for ages yet we persist with the same players. It reminds me of our midfield under SAF, a glaring weakness in his later years that never got addressed. Instead we played any squad player we could there and an old Scholes.

We already have too many CBs. We have not really neglected the position.

 

[vidic blood & sand]

Don't sleep too much. You might miss out the Valencia signing

Perish the thought!

 

[DomesticTadpole]

We already have too many CBs. We have not really neglected the position.

It is not the quantity, it is the quality.

 

[passing-wind]

Despicable but I guess it's solely as a squad option. It's no secret we are after another centre half so to me it makes sense on that basis. If we announce smalling on another new deal then we all should have cause for concern because it means one of the two would likely be a regular.

 

[Stepney73]

Not read through all the posts but now we now know the board are happy for us to get 3rd or 4th each season to keep the CL sponsor money rolling in.
The club has the money needed to ship out the likes of Jones and replace them with top drawer players but the glazers would prefer just to line their own pockets and have no ambition to get us back to the top tier.


Untill they f*ck off nothing will change.

 

[Hugh Jass]

We already have too many CBs. We have not really neglected the position.

I agree.

 

[Gopher Brown]

Smalling’s gone then. Shame, for the most part.

 

[fallengt]

Jaysus. He's going to have testimonial match at this rate and will injure himself in his own match, won't he?

 

[breakout67]

It is not the quantity, it is the quality.

In the 6 years post SAF we have bought 4 centre backs for a total of £90m. Blind, Rojo, Bailly and Lindelof. A look at the spending of each area of the team.

Defence - £160m on 7 players.

Midfield - £320m on 7 players.

Attack - £270m on 7 players.

You are absolutely right that its quantity over quality in defence. Even then, defence has 4 positions while midfield and attack have 3. It's arguable whether we have investment quantity. Someone suggesting we have adequately invested at centre back has got to be a loony, we've bought 4 players in 6 years and only one of them could be considered a success (Blind). Our most expensive centre back signing post SAF is a meagre 35m.

 

[Hugh Jass]

In the 6 years post SAF we have bought 4 centre backs for a total of £90m. Blind, Rojo, Bailly and Lindelof. A look at the spending of each area of the team.

Defence - £160m on 7 players.

Midfield - £320m on 7 players.

Attack - £270m on 7 players.

You are absolutely right that its quantity over quality in defence. Even then, defence has 4 positions while midfield and attack have 3. It's arguable whether we have investment quantity. Someone suggesting we have adequately invested at centre back has got to be a loony, we've bought 4 players in 6 years and only one of them could be considered a success (Blind). Our most expensive centre back signing post SAF is a meagre 35m.

Generally defenders dont cost as much, given that they dont rack up goals or assists.

 

[stevoc]

Smalling’s gone then. Shame, for the most part.

He signed a new contract about 6 weeks ago.

Rojo is a goner.

 

[breakout67]

Generally defenders dont cost as much, given that they dont rack up goals or assists.

Of course they don't, but its still disproportional. Good defenders have always cost a lot of money. They did back when we bought Rio and they do now.

Name me one centre back we have bought that had a high chance of quality (you can't). We bought Pogba and Di Maria who put in worldies the season before we bought them. We bought Ligue 1 and Bundesliga player of the season (Zlatan and Mkhi). When Mkhi didn't work out we got the most productive attacker in the league (Sanchez).

We bought Ferdinand for £30m 16 years ago. Spurs who have no money have spent more on Sanchez than we did Lindelof. I find it shocking that someone can think we have recruited adequately in centre back. So Rojo, Blind, Bailly and Lindelof in 6 years is not neglecting one of the most important areas of the team?

 

[Stacks]

This is what Jose meant when he said Pep and Kloop don't have to use players from past eras. It appears United are not interested in selling players. Especially those part of Dead wood FC. We just give everyone new contracts so they stink up the place she really we should look to youth

 

[sunama]

He signed a new contract about 6 weeks ago.

Rojo is a goner.

What makes you think Rojo won't be kept on?
I think he renewed his contract last season (can someone correct me on this)?

 

[Stacks]

I can now sleep soundly tonight.

Don't sleep too much. You might miss out the Valencia signing

What you 2 said. I fully expect Tony V is next. Heck we may aswell extend Darmian. It almost feels like if we still had Schnerderlin, he'd get an extension.

 

[POF]

At the moment, Jones is playing every other game because Smalling and Rojo have been injured and Bailly is in poor form.

United will (hopefully) sign a top class defender in the summer, Tuanzebe will likely get a Premier League loan and Rojo and Darmian will leave.

Like him or not, the club needs Jones next season. He's a loyal club man who seems well liked around the club and doesn't seem the type to cause any dressing room disharmony.

I also hate the idea of player contracts running down, especially in this era where every EPL club is minted. If by next January or the end of next season he hasn't played a single minute, Burnley can sign him for £15m.

 

[izec]

What makes you think Rojo won't be kept on?
I think he renewed his contract last season (can someone correct me on this)?

Reports on us wanting to sell him and him looking shit and not playing much? He is the worst of our CBs for quite some time now. Another thing is if we can find someone buying him, but i wouldnt doubt us wanting to get rid. Someone has to go, between him and Bailly, it is definitely Rojo

 

[breakout67]

Rojo and Darmian would leave if we weren't trying to barter for an extra few million. This Summer coming we'll be holding out for 30m for Rojo and still chasing Varane.

 

[stevoc]

What makes you think Rojo won't be kept on?
I think he renewed his contract last season (can someone correct me on this)?

His abysmal injury record and his patchy form when he is fit. Lets be honest apart from that 2-3 month run in 16/17 alongside Jones he's never found his feet. Next season he turns 30 so it could be our last chance to get a decent fee for him with 2 years left on his contract. Next year will also be his 6th season at the club yet he's only averaged 20+games every season so far.

With Jones and Smalling just signing new multi year deals i don't now see them being sold. Lindelof is young and finally showing promise, we have Bailly who is also still fairly young, Tuanzebe coming back from loan who i hope gets a chance. And i think theres a very good chance we'll sign centre back in the summer.

New CB-Lindelof
Smalling-Jones
Bailly-Tuanzebe
Rojo

I don't think we'll have 7 centre backs for 2 spots so that leaves Rojo's position not looking very promising, but obviously i could be wrong.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Most talented centre half at the club.

Top ten in terms of talent in the league.

Bottom 10% in terms of applied talent.

He’s a weird footballer.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

What makes you think Rojo won't be kept on?
I think he renewed his contract last season (can someone correct me on this)?

His contract expires in 2021.

 

[staniswin]

You keep saying that but none of that is clear. It’s clear to me that Mourinho’s ambitions was tiny. Just win a PL and then brag about it to the press playing boring football and emptying out the stadium. The club is more ambitious than that clearly. Smalling, Jones and young are all PL winners btw. Did the club still lack ambition when they were winning the PL?

Pep Guardiola and City after 1 season of lackluster performances literally sacked off FOUR defenders at once, All were champion under previous manager , All coming towards the end of their contracts ,all deemed not good enough ,ALL let go, most on frees. Yet 6 years post SAF we’re still giving Smalling and Jones new contracts. You guys deserve glazer and woodward.

 

[Rish Sawhney]

Pep Guardiola and City after 1 season of lackluster performances literally sacked off FOUR defenders at once, All were champion under previous manager , All coming towards the end of their contracts ,all deemed not good enough ,ALL let go, most on frees. Yet 6 years post SAF we’re still giving Smalling and Jones new contracts. You guys deserve glazer and woodward.

Because they're decent players? Its not that hard to understand. Pep kept around Fabian Delph right? He's no great player, but he stepped in when they really needed him. He still kept Kompany around even though he can hardly play cos he understands the importance of keeping your experienced players with you. In the meanwhile, we've bought and sold Blind, Schneiderlin, Scheinsteiger, Depay, any many more as well.

I'm not getting the Jones and Smalling hate at all man, but to each their own. The Glazer and Woodward hate I'm gonna just attribute to personal politics at this point.

 

[tentan]

What a joke.

 

[MikeKing]

Pep Guardiola and City after 1 season of lackluster performances literally sacked off FOUR defenders at once, All were champion under previous manager , All coming towards the end of their contracts ,all deemed not good enough ,ALL let go, most on frees. Yet 6 years post SAF we’re still giving Smalling and Jones new contracts. You guys deserve glazer and woodward.

Smalling is our best defender point blank. I don't understand giving Jones a new contract either but you are really reaching with this negativity angle here.

 

[crackers0seven]

I personally wanted Jones gone,along with Valencia darmian rojo felliani and I wasn't pushed if we let young smalling mata and Pereira either. But unfortunately the list of players deemed as dead wood or past their best is fairly big. We have to keep some otherwise the squad is very light. Hopefully Jones has signed up as 4/5 choice on smallish wages, if so it's a sensible signing in the sense that all transfer fees can be aimed at adding proper first team quality. Just hope the we move on rojo and darmian at least now and bring axel back and a major defensive signing aswell .

 

[Oldham]

Unfeckingbelievable

 

[Oldham]

Sell Phil
Sack Ole

 

[Will Singh]

No way

 

[staniswin]

Smalling is our best defender point blank. I don't understand giving Jones a new contract either but you are really reaching with this negativity angle here.

Exactly why we fall behind, "best defender" that no other top club ever want except the likes of everton, west ham, bournemouth no one wants him since he came here, and Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer doesn't even rate him.

 

[Organic Potatoes]

Smalling’s gone then. Shame, for the most part.

Nothing to do with Smalling. And that would be a colossal mistake.

 

[MikeKing]

Exactly why we fall behind, "best defender" that no other top club ever want except the likes of everton, west ham, bournemouth no one wants him since he came here, and Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer doesn't even rate him.

Now you are just derailing on purpose I'm afraid.

City bought Laporte, Mendy, Kyle Walker, Silva, Ederson, Danilo - Stones, Sané, Jesus, Gundugan, Bravo, Nolito. In 2 season they got all those players. That's 12 first team players in two summers. We absolutely shouldn't have extended the contract of Jones, because even if we buy just 1 great CB we have Tuanzebe who should replace the role of Jones, Rojo we don't need to replace because he doesn't play just sell him. However, if you are so furious and jealous of City overspending why not make a thread about it? Why do you think you know the reason we fell behind is because Smalling is our best defender? Makes no sense.

 

[Loublaze]

Exactly why we fall behind, "best defender" that no other top club ever want except the likes of everton, west ham, bournemouth no one wants him since he came here, and Molde manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer doesn't even rate him.

Ole doesn't rate him? Based on what? He was injured when Ole took over. I swear i've seen the same post every time a new manager takes over

 

[antohan]

I too think there is no way he is on the same wages. If Jones is as valued by the club as we suspect he is, he probably got a nice salary bump. He would be stupid to extend for such a long contract for the same wages.

Actually, I think the length is probably directly related to keeping his wages down. A shorter contract calls for a bump and giving him guarantees into his 30s you can probably keep the same wages.

 

[kouroux]

Actually, I think the length is probably directly related to keeping his wages down. A shorter contract calls for a bump and giving him guarantees into his 30s you can probably keep the same wages.

Nah I don't see that, I've never seen a player commit for a longish contract to stay on the same money.

 

[antohan]

Nah I don't see that, I've never seen a player commit for a longish contract to stay on the same money.

Same money is still very good money and with his injury record he would do well banking them for another 4 years.

 

[kouroux]

Same money is still very good money and with his injury record he would do well banking them for another 4 years.

I don't disagree but seemingly he is valued highly by the club so there is a good chance he had a raise.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

I don't disagree but seemingly he is valued highly by the club so there is a good chance he had a raise.

It would be stupid if he did not look for a raise. Rojo is on 80,000 a week hell Lovren is on 90,000 a week.