Phil Jones Future | Reports: Observing United academy sessions

Deery

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He's done and probably knows he's done. Why go out to another club and country for 8 or 9 months just to sit in their treatment room. If he doesn't trust his body, why go somewhere new where he will know no one and not speak the language simply to sit on their treatment tables rather than ours?

Fact is ETH has done the right thing moving him out of first team picture, but the club are also doing right thing by seeing out his contract with no drama, and PJ appears to be keeping quiet and going about remainder of his career with us. No bad guys here but some people just seem unreasonably angry about this.
If he knows he’s done he should just admit it and walk away like Matic did.
Maybe he didn't to leave his wife and kid for months to go to France? If he'd turned down a loan to Blackburn or Wigan or something, I'd understand the annoyance, but he has perfectly legitimate reasons for not wanting to move to France.


You mean when he was talking specifically about the people who are mocking and abusing him? Calling them out reeks of entitlement?
Being asked to do your job after years of sick pay and refusing does yes.
 

Deery

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This response doesn't actually apply to any of my points, so I'm not sure what you're getting at.
Well actually it does, you’re just lying to yourself now to justify an argument that even ETH seems set on putting to bed.
 

groovyalbert

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Think he retires once he's done here. There's no way he can go from this sort of break in the game to playing anywhere near regular football. Clubs would be daft to take the risk.
 

Rood

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Think he retires once he's done here. There's no way he can go from this sort of break in the game to playing anywhere near regular football. Clubs would be daft to take the risk.
Pay as you play is always an option but maybe he'll be happy to call it a day
 

Rood

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Anyone knows why this was extended?

People say it was crazy to extend but Jones was actually playing relatively regularly at the time, he even went to WC2018 with England

Probably should just have extended for a couple of yrs though
 

Halftrack

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Well actually it does, you’re just lying to yourself now to justify an argument that even ETH seems set on putting to bed.
You're just another outrage merchant, constantly on the hunt for something to scream hysterically about, then deflecting whenever someone presses you on whatever made up bullshit you're currently blubbering about.

The fact that you took offense at Jones' statement about trolls mocking and abusing him speaks volumes, really.
 

Red Star One

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We extended his contract last time as a way to stick by him as he tried to recover from his terrible injury. Not the best thing to do in a financial sense but a nice touch nonetheless.

The club would really turn into a heartless franchise if some of you had your way.
I see what you mean but we've already done quite a plenty of those nice touches recently and it was always the club paying the price.
Consistently prolonging Jones' contract, keeping him as a back-up option that's unreliable - nice touch, but costly and makes the team worse by keeping the place and salary of another CB that could've covered - we kept Maguire this summer as we need a backup, but if our actual backup was any reliable it wouldn't be necessary!
Keeping Ole and refusing to sack him when it was obvious he's a goner - nice touch, a former legend, but cost us dearly
"My captain shall always play" was a nice touch towards Rooney and club culture, but an abysmal tactical decision.
To keep the armband with Maguire is a nice touch too, even if we fully know he's incapable of being a leader at the level we want to find ourselves.
And it's also a nice touch that those leeches of Glazers didn't see too much of protests and were never really put in a situation where they can't pretend not to notice it - it's a nice touch by the fans, because I know quite a few other team fans that would go much more wild after shit we've been through.

It's business and you need to be efficient - obviously there's place for PR, charity and not-only-money-driven decisions, but at the end of the day the role of the club is to win the trophies and make money, not to offer a multi million salary to players providing no added value and not willing to move on. At the end of the day the biggest and most successful team in the world is Real Madrid, known for little sentiments. I'd also argue our most successful period coincided with relatively harsh rule of SAF, don't think the gaffer was a big fan of "nice touches" that could cost the team.
I actually think this thinking "at least we're not a heartless franchise" might have been one of reasons for our decay, considering too many decisions were often taken well too late. We've had this aura of superiority around the club and a feeling "we're Man United, we don't need to follow logic of other football clubs, we do it our way" which got us to the point of LFC fans singing "Ole at the wheel". And it's not that we're even such a caring, not-so-heartless franchise, if you look at the way we have treated some of our youngsters in the last decade.
 

Deery

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You're just another outrage merchant, constantly on the hunt for something to scream hysterically about, then deflecting whenever someone presses you on whatever made up bullshit you're currently blubbering about.

The fact that you took offense at Jones' statement about trolls mocking and abusing him speaks volumes, really.
An outrage merchant :lol:

I never made anything up, what I said was the truth.

Says more about Jones than it does about me.
 

davidmichael

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Is Jones out of contract in summer 2023 ? If so then we should just come to a mutual termination agreement with him as we’ll only end up paying his full wages til next summer anyway as no one will come in for him.

It’s a shame as I’m sure he’s a really nice bloke and he had massive potential to be England’s number one centre back for a decade but his body is made of glass and we need to become ruthless with players with zero sentiment instead of just keeping them around or ‘protecting their value’ if we’re to work towards getting back to where we were a decade ago.
 

LoneStar

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I don't care if he's a nice bloke or whatever. No doubt he was quality when fit. But it's been years since he's had a consistent run of games without getting injured. Which big club would tolerate this and extend the contract? None. It's not even like he's a legend of the club or something. Crazy situation and if this story is true (a big if), I have zero problems with it. We are not a charity club, we should be making room for youngsters in the dressing room.
 

izak

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Thank you Ten Hag for fecking him off!!
 

Elcabron

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Played well in that game last season and looked a lot steadier than Maguire. Not sure if he has been for and available sense.

Hope he can find a club in January who will take a chance on him, there are plenty of PL clubs who he could play for....fitness permitting of course!
 

Nevilles.Wear.Prada

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Is there any other example of a club paying wages to a perma injured player?

It happens all the time where players get injured and can never play again. I am sure clubs look after players in some way but to leave them on the books get a fortune in wage is mental.

Injury goes with the territory
There we this rumors ole was bathing after particularly intense training session few years ago. There was a sudden camera like flash sensing he been noticed, the culprit dashed off tripped on the door and limped his way out. Clueless ole couldn't place who it was and couldn't launch a counter attack. The next day Phil rejoined the physio room for ankle injury and after a week they announced a new deal for him. Make of it what you will.
 

McGrathsipan

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There we this rumors ole was bathing after particularly intense training session few years ago. There was a sudden camera like flash sensing he been noticed, the culprit dashed off tripped on the door and limped his way out. Clueless ole couldn't place who it was and couldn't launch a counter attack. The next day Phil rejoined the physio room for ankle injury and after a week they announced a new deal for him. Make of it what you will.
The Phil Jones Centre for players that cant stay fit
 

Jippy

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I don’t hate the guy, but also not really that fond of him.

I just find it rich that after all the club has done for him, when asked to go out on loan he refused you’d think after being a sick note for so long you’d want to appease the people paying you but, no.

Then there was the whole calling people pot noodle eaters who dare say anything against him, just reeks of entitlement something I think the club want rid of and to step in a new direction.
The guy has received vicious abuse on here, a Man Utd forum, so I'm sure he gets absolutely vile abuse elsewhere, which has even spilled over into real life.
 

antohan

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Same happened with Fletcher he had very bad colitis and went to West Brom. He was a great player but obviously at a certain point players need to be moved on even if you stick with them during the recovery process.

Same can be said for Mario Gotze with his illness or whoever.

When a football player can no longer play at the clubs level then they shouldn't get to be around the squad.
We actually stood by Fletcher throughout and parted ways once he recovered enough to play, albeit not at our level.

Same with Barcelona and Abidal's cancer. Clubs stick by their players all the time, and rightly so. Enough of this righteous nonsense.

I'm not defending Phil Jones. The guy has long been no more than a meme and yet when Varane joined he refused to give up #4. Injuries may not be his fault, but he can feck right off with that attitude.
 

scottser

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why is anyone making a big deal of this? he's not going to play in the first team ever again - he's simply a waste of a coat hook.
is it because his feelings will be hurt? i'm sure the 75 large he gets every week goes some way to softening the blow.
 

Halftrack

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The guy has received vicious abuse on here, a Man Utd forum, so I'm sure he gets absolutely vile abuse elsewhere, which has even spilled over into real life.
Which is weird, because he's always just quietely gotten on, getting back to fitness, then having set-back. Yet there are people ready to abuse him and tell him to feck off at the mere mention of his name.
I'm not defending Phil Jones. The guy has long been no more than a meme and yet when Varane joined he refused to give up #4. Injuries may not be his fault, but he can feck right off with that attitude.
As reported by a bunch of tabloids. Which I guess is enough for those who barely need a reason to have a go at him.
 

mu4c_20le

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why is anyone making a big deal of this? he's not going to play in the first team ever again - he's simply a waste of a coat hook.
is it because his feelings will be hurt? i'm sure the 75 large he gets every week goes some way to softening the blow.
Rich people cannot be depressed? That what you're saying?
 

Oldyella

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why is anyone making a big deal of this? he's not going to play in the first team ever again - he's simply a waste of a coat hook.
is it because his feelings will be hurt? i'm sure the 75 large he gets every week goes some way to softening the blow.
Has anyone? It's pretty much everyone in here agreeing this was the right thing to do.
 

Red Star One

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The guy has received vicious abuse on here, a Man Utd forum, so I'm sure he gets absolutely vile abuse elsewhere, which has even spilled over into real life.
"Vicious abuse" is too strong wording I think, you could really claim there's been many United players to receive "vicious abuse" on Redcafe, nevermind outside the Caf - think what was written here about di Maria, Pogba, Fred, Lukaku, Maguire, Ronaldo etc. They'd be criticised heavily for their game, off the field antics etc. but I can't recall any other player than Jones to get as many posts defending him and calling those who attack him heartless morons that want to get Phil even more depressed. All the professional football players face abuse and criticism, it's not Jones' fault to be constantly injured, but it was his own decision to rot at the club rather than to take a chance at a lower level where he would obviously get more game time.

His decisions, including the fact that by all accounts the club tried to move him on and he refused, and his apparent lack of ambition are the reasons why people are so disappointed with him. The fact he's also the poster boy for our boards incompetence and bad decision making doesn't help the case either.
 

GazTheLegend

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It was Solskjaers worst decision signing him to a 5 year deal. Even if he regarded Jones as world class, his injury record was horrendous even then.

It was the first time I worried that Ole didn't know what he was doing, and it's a black stain on the club. None of this is Jones fault of course, he gave his all when he could, but it was a damning indictment of how our club is run.
 

stevoc

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As long as you pay all the remaining money in the cotracr, the player does not have to agree on anything.
They actually do, a club can't just terminate a players contract without the players agreement unless they've breached the terms of that contract.

It's possible some contracts have clauses where the club can choose to pay out the remainder of the contract at any time but even in that case the player still has to agree to that clause being inserted.

Barkley left Chelsea by mutual consent.
 

ilrm

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However I can't help asking myself were is Jones's pride in all of that. What does Jones have to look back at?
I think you badly underestimate the pride in being able to provide a fabulous life for your great grand kids. He just has to invest wisely (irrevocable trusts, generation trusts, no high risk investment, etc.) and live sustainably (no money draining assets like planes).

This man has won at life at the age of 30. He took his family from the lower middle class to the upper class - probably permanently. His future generations will know it started with him and thank him. And those are the only people whose opinions count.
 

Jippy

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"Vicious abuse" is too strong wording I think, you could really claim there's been many United players to receive "vicious abuse" on Redcafe, nevermind outside the Caf - think what was written here about di Maria, Pogba, Fred, Lukaku, Maguire, Ronaldo etc. They'd be criticised heavily for their game, off the field antics etc. but I can't recall any other player than Jones to get as many posts defending him and calling those who attack him heartless morons that want to get Phil even more depressed. All the professional football players face abuse and criticism, it's not Jones' fault to be constantly injured, but it was his own decision to rot at the club rather than to take a chance at a lower level where he would obviously get more game time.

His decisions, including the fact that by all accounts the club tried to move him on and he refused, and his apparent lack of ambition are the reasons why people are so disappointed with him. The fact he's also the poster boy for our boards incompetence and bad decision making doesn't help the case either.
I guess 'vicious abuse' is subjective, but he's been called everything from cnut to fraud and god knows what, with people wishing ill on him too.

Fletcher similarly got unpleasant abuse when he had health issues.

I just don't understand the genuine sheer hatred the guy gets from his own club's fans, let alone others. But you're right that all of our players now face that, such is life these days.

Tiresome that when the club has won four in a row under ETH and is improving that the most popular threads are ones slating McTominay, Jones, Dalot and Maguire. Some people definitely prefer misery.
 

mu4c_20le

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It was Solskjaers worst decision signing him to a 5 year deal. Even if he regarded Jones as world class, his injury record was horrendous even then.

It was the first time I worried that Ole didn't know what he was doing, and it's a black stain on the club. None of this is Jones fault of course, he gave his all when he could, but it was a damning indictment of how our club is run.
Ole wasn't even made permanent at the time. Just because he was in the photo op, doesn't mean it was his call.
 

djembatheking

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I just hope that when he does pack it in he doesn`t suffer too much pain with his damaged knees. Always gave his all for the club on the pitch and never been a big time Charlie away from playing. I doubt Ten Hag has kicked him out but more told him that he doesn`t feature in his plans which is fair enough.
 

sparx99

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They actually do, a club can't just terminate a players contract without the players agreement unless they've breached the terms of that contract.

It's possible some contracts have clauses where the club can choose to pay out the remainder of the contract at any time but even in that case the player still has to agree to that clause being inserted.

Barkley left Chelsea by mutual consent.
You can pay out the value of the contract. Mutual termination usually means less money but you get it all in a lump sum so you benefit from having less but sooner. I’d argue it’s worthwhile to pay out Jones rather than having a player hanging around not contributing.
 

Revan

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It was Solskjaers worst decision signing him to a 5 year deal. Even if he regarded Jones as world class, his injury record was horrendous even then.

It was the first time I worried that Ole didn't know what he was doing, and it's a black stain on the club. None of this is Jones fault of course, he gave his all when he could, but it was a damning indictment of how our club is run.
Signing Maguire and AWB for 130M (and 15M in salary/year), is far worse financially. That is around 200M spent for 4 years in those two players.

Giving Jones a contract, as atrocious decision as it was, cost the club 20M.
 

devilish

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I think you badly underestimate the pride in being able to provide a fabulous life for your great grand kids. He just has to invest wisely (irrevocable trusts, generation trusts, no high risk investment, etc.) and live sustainably (no money draining assets like planes).

This man has won at life at the age of 30. He took his family from the lower middle class to the upper class - probably permanently. His future generations will know it started with him and thank him. And those are the only people whose opinions count.
I understand all that mate. I am just highlighting that some people do have pride. There is life after football and not every player would want to live the rest of his life known as a living-talking meme.
 

roseguy64

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90% of his career? You’re having a giraffe.
My entire point is he had no reason to leave except for last January and this summer. Before that he was either not able to be transferred because of injury or he was getting regular enough games and keeping his international squad place.
 

roseguy64

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You know feck all about his injury. Other than it may or may not be his knee.

I dont need a fecking recap of his unavailability timeline.

Any idiot can google phil jones articles about him being injured.

But nobody knows why or how or even the exact nature of each injury he somehow sustains every other day.

The fans would like to know whats wrong with him and WHEN he can play if ever. Which was my original question.
Okay. You know more than me despite the player himself saying it was a knee injury. Super brain here.

https://www.manutd.com//en/videos/detail/phil-jones-discusses-injury-setbacks-on-utd-podcast
 

roseguy64

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I don’t hate the guy, but also not really that fond of him.

I just find it rich that after all the club has done for him, when asked to go out on loan he refused you’d think after being a sick note for so long you’d want to appease the people paying you but, no.

Then there was the whole calling people pot noodle eaters who dare say anything against him, just reeks of entitlement something I think the club want rid of and to step in a new direction.
You know for a fact that the club asked him to go out on loan or just that a club made an enquiry and he decided not to?
 

roseguy64

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According to Transfermarkt, Jones signed his most recent contract extension on Feb 8th 2019. During December 2018 and January 2019 he was starting matches in the PL. The previous summer he had been in Southgate's World Cup squad, starting against Belgium in the group stage and again in the 3rd place play-off.

The failure on United's part was not appreciating the state of Jones' knee (I think) and his chances of playing for the next 4 years. There is a pattern of similar decisions: Falcao loan, Schweinsteiger transfer. We seem overly optimistic about the ability of players' bodies to cope with the demands of PL football.
This. His contract wasn't extended for compassionate reasons, that's nonsense.
 

Eugenius

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If he's fit, he should go play football somewhere. Even if it's a loan and only covers part his salary. Can't see the benefit to him being 6th choice CB having missed about 4 years of football. Nor us paying him to play u23s.