That was both crazy and beautifulCourtesy of Olly.
4
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 24
- Clean sheets
- 7
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 3
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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Must have been taking the advice of Ryan Giggs.
That was a world class bit of defending. His talent is just so obvious. All the potential in the world.
...and a body made of glass.
Aston Villa 1:1 Man Utd
Was the better of the two CB's, needs to realize his passing limitations.
The way Evans was playing any one of us would've been the better centre back.
Needs more games to build his confidence, preferably with a more competent partner and Rafael to his right and Carrick / Blind ahead of him.
Personally i think our best pairing will be Jones and Smalling. If we can keep them fit we should be fine... Big if that is
Fair point which is why I kpet my compliment basic lol. I think Smalling will come back in when his injury clears personally, he had a good run of games bar the City screw up.
Not going to happen as LvG insists on one right footer and one left footer in his CB pairings.
Granted but today we had Rooney and Fletcher playing in midfield with Mata behind RvP and Falcao. So anything is possible!
Surprised by the lack of activity in this thread, I thought he did pretty well today.
Indeed. I actually thought he was our man of the match today. Made a couple or even three very important tackles in dangerous situations.
Felt Jones had a solid game yesterday, making some nice blocks and tackles. Certainly doesn't look like someone who's been out for three months.
Yeah he was ok today, still the king of the pointless and unnecessary challenge to give a free kick away and allow the opposition to get the ball in our box.
He did ok, got out muscled by Benteke at one point in the match. Although I'm probably being harsh on the lad as Benteke is a brick shithouse.
Yeah he was decent, and equally importantly avoided injury! Can't understand why anyone would want Rojo ahead of him.
He had a good game defending. However, his passing abilities are very limited
Definitely better than the current Rojo. He just needs to stop thinking that he's a midfielder with his passing.
It would be better to be back with 4 behind. And I don't really think that he's suited to a 3 ma defence.
To much to think for him. Jones and Evans can be good in a 4 man defence, but in a 3 man, when they have to give forward the first ball, clean, proper and fast, they're struggling.
Jones ability is much on the physical side, and in a 4 man defence when he needs to cover 2 sides (the other CB and the RWB) he has more protection we saiy and his main ability is down nothing
For example in a 3 man defence, I think that Rojo is better. He can't defend properly but know how to pass the ball, and how to cover from this position.
Maybe I'm wrong, and our defenders will need more time with this horrendous 3-5-2.
Anyway it's better to have Jones with us than injured
To much to think for him. Jones and Evans can be good in a 4 man defence, but in a 3 man, when they have to give forward the first ball, clean, proper and fast, they're struggling.
Jones ability is much on the physical side, and in a 4 man defence when he needs to cover 2 sides (the other CB and the RWB) he has more protection we saiy and his main ability is down nothing
For example in a 3 man defence, I think that Rojo is better. He can't defend properly but know how to pass the ball, and how to cover from this position.
Maybe I'm wrong, and our defenders will need more time with this horrendous 3-5-2.
Anyway it's better to have Jones with us than injured
They're not each others competition, one is right the other is left footed CB so they would probably play together if Rojo would be fit.
Not sure that would work. I don't think they'd complement each other well at all. Too similar IMO.
Well Jones/Smalling in right CB position and Rojo in left CB is the current ideal CB pairings in my opinion. Carrick needs to be playing in the DM position so Rooney can be freed for the AM(10) role. Playing Rooney as a 6 is just painful to watch.
I'm kind of surprised noone has mentioned the most typical Jones moment of all from the other day. Makes a complete balls of a routine piece of defending to gift them the ball in a very dangerous position.... Then gets back to make a block himself.
I'm surprised by Jones' performances on the ball, when SAF played him in midfield it was great, and not only defensively, had some nice runs and distributed the ball well. It will probably come back with a decent run, he'll never get.
That part was an utter calamity. He just hesitated and waited so long for the bounce that Benteke ended up just thinking, "Ok, if you don't want it I will just nick it". Indecision like that is what costs goals. Between him and Evans I would hate to be behind them in the lunch queue.
Really?
For me at no stage has he displayed significant composure and confidence on the ball with any level of consistency. He simply doesn't have the physical and mental attributes to be a ball playing centre back decent run or not.
That's a little harsh don't you think?
Not really no. He's clumsy in all respects I feel ie physically he's the opposite of graceful a la a Rio or a Hansen or a Blanc. He's a work horse like Cahill in that he's always ready and willing but there's zero refinement and technical ability. He is all brawn over brain.
But thats not always a bad thing.
People really do see what they want to with certain players no matter how they play. For the record his passing accuracy this season is 89% he has the highest number of defensive actions in our squad and the highest percentage of duels won with 61%
Absolute tosh.
He's not really clumsy, he just looks disorganized because he's big, English and makes funny faces when he goes in for a tackle. He's the best we have at recovering and making a tackle through his sheer pace and anticipation, which is kind of really important when you encounter someone like Sterling running at the defense from the #10 role. His ability to change direction at split second pace is also pretty good for a center back. He still needs to play himself into composure but he's really never let anyone down when he's healthy and playing.
December last year was probably the best month under Moyes... a lot of wins.
And Phil Jones was our best player (his displays in midfield vs Shakhtar and Stoke away... perfection). I want him back.
Now we are at the best moment of Van Gaal (in terms of results), and Jones has been pretty much injured big part of the time. I can only think that once Jones is back to his 100% and a permanent in the starting 11, we are gonna be looking so much better.
please stay fit Philip! Namaste
And Phil Jones was our best player (his displays in midfield vs Shakhtar and Stoke away... perfection). I want him back.
Now we are at the best moment of Van Gaal (in terms of results), and Jones has been pretty much injured big part of the time. I can only think that once Jones is back to his 100% and a permanent in the starting 11, we are gonna be looking so much better.
please stay fit Philip! Namaste
That may be how van Gaal sees it, I'd much rather have two good right footed CB's than 1 good right footed cb and an average left footed one. Not saying Rojo is average mind.
I agree, we need an established CB pair weather it is Smalling and Jones or Smalling and Rojo or Jones and Rojo.
Just take thet yoga regularty Phil!
It's funny to think how hyped he was when he was younger, to an extent I think it was incredibly unfair.
Man Utd 3:1 Newcastle
Excellent turnout for Philip today, largely aware of whatever little danger Newcastle posed and composed in possession. Has really picked from where he left off in September and was our best central defender by some distance. Still a little rusty but that'll come with regular minutes on the pitch. Gotta love some of those marauding runs through the center too, shame the end-product was lacking today but it seemed reminiscent of a fearless young Jonah driving through the opposition midfield circa 2012.
Hope he stays healthy through the next few weeks and cements a position in the starting XI.
Hope he stays healthy through the next few weeks and cements a position in the starting XI.
Except for his predictable brainless moment which cost us another goal. He still needs a lot of work before he's a top class starting CB for us.
Goal-costing brainfart aside, he played well.
You can nearly always say that about Phil.
You can nearly always say that about Phil.