No. He's only had one poor game since his return.
4
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 24
- Clean sheets
- 7
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 1
- Yellow cards
- 3
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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?
Not really the issue though. Like it or not a centreback in Van Gaal's system has got to be composed with excellent distribution skills adept at carrying the ball out from the back. Jones just doesn't possess that skill set.
It's the defensive equivalent of trying to play a system with wingers and having Young and Valencia as those wingers. The system doesn't work because you are relying on players who are ineffective at playing the role the system asks of them. Weakest link breaks the chain and all that.
Eh?oh that is so rich.
I know, I wasn't criticising Jones, just agreeing that some posters are looking at every opportunity to jump on a players back.
Fair enough but Vidic was a top notch defender without being the most comfortable on the ball. That's why we have Carrick and Blind dropping back to get the ball and supposedly move it forward.
Like you and Van Gaal.
Me and van Gaal?
Where have I said that LVG should get sacked? Or that he isn’t good enough for United? You do realise that you can criticise someone yet still back them?
Some of our players are being written off every time they lose the ball or make a bad pass, players like Jones (22) Wilson (19) McNair (19) Blackett (20) Shaw (19) have all been written off this season as ‘not United quality and should be sold’. Even senior players like Mata, Falcao and Herrera have been written off after one or two bad games or have the nerve to give away the ball.
So you back Van Gaal?
At the moment yes, however, I still feel that he to prove his worth to the Club. At the moment he is struggling to do that but I feel he will turn it around given time. However, that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t be criticised when things go horribly wrong or results are poor, the honeymoon period forLVG is over IMO.
I stated in another post that I fear we won’t get top four this season and LVG will get sacked, it would be hard to argue against it given the money he has spent, but it could be disastrous for us in the long term. Unlike last season the Club is moving in a direction that could end up being very successful, but that doesn’t mean poor results can simply be written off.
Further, I hate the way we play at the moment, I’m finding us very boring to watch and I know I’m far from the only one. Saying that, I don’t think that’s the way LVG wants us to play, that’s my hope anyway.
Managers love Jones. Like, they really, really love him.
They put him in the side whenever he's fit. Whether that be at centreback, rightback, defensive midfield or attacking midfield. Allardyce did it, Fergie did it, Moyes did it, Capello all did it, Hodgson does it and now LvG does it.
He obviously offers something on the pitch that fans don't see, because there seems to be a ridiculous amount of faith placed in him to do things on the pitch that many don't to think he's capable of.
They put him in the side whenever he's fit. Whether that be at centreback, rightback, defensive midfield or attacking midfield. Allardyce did it, Fergie did it, Moyes did it, Capello all did it, Hodgson does it and now LvG does it.
He obviously offers something on the pitch that fans don't see, because there seems to be a ridiculous amount of faith placed in him to do things on the pitch that many don't to think he's capable of.
I actually prefer Jones in midfield, great drive and physicality. However he wouldn't really fit a LVG midfield, not comfortable enough on the ball and in posession.
Don't really rate him as a CB tbh hes good but not sure he'll be good enough to be a regular starter for United, hes more a Spurs level CB imo, he is only 22 though I guess.
Don't really rate him as a CB tbh hes good but not sure he'll be good enough to be a regular starter for United, hes more a Spurs level CB imo, he is only 22 though I guess.
People bring up what Ferguson said and the whole Duncan Edwards thing but, Big Sam called him the next John Terry... right after his professional debut and Capello compared him to Franco Baresi. Managers rate him highly.
would he pay 17m for him? west ham need defenders.
Actually no. LVG has used him purely as a CB in his starting 11. Both in a back 3 or back 2 he's always been used as a CB. I can't remember if his position has been changed during a match after substitutions but if it has it has been kept to a minimum.
It's clear LVG sees him as a CB and has used him as such rather than dicking around with his position constantly.
I think he means LVG always picks him when hes fit.
Ah fair enough. :/
He might be limited in terms of his technical ability but he is a hard worker and no one can question his commitment, every team needs one or two of these players and I think Jones could actually be among the best in that category if, and that's unfortunately a big if, he can stay fit and progress a due to getting a good amount of football. Unfortunately that's also the thing I have my biggest doubts about, his fitness, as long as he can't stay fit for a season or two without missing too many games he is no use for us the same as Smalling, Evans and Rafael really.
Me too, he could be a really good player as the DM in a 3-man-midfield, but certainly not the way we play with LVG now.
He is doing Yoga classes now, so don't worry about his fitness anymore, mate.
two massive hurdles for him. 1) needs to read the game better then he doesn't have to run around like a nutter. and 2) if he does get better at reading the game he won't get hurt. by the way he needs to learn how to tackle without killing himself. he needs to start using his head or he'll be at stoke or west brom.
i always thought it would be his place in the team as well but i don't think he has the game for it.
All we see is potential and stagnation with dose of U-21 type of mistakes on the pitch. He won't get far on that kind of reputation... certainly not under Van Gaal who in the past made already huge system changes in clubs like Bayern Munich.
Somebody needs to work hard on him to unlock his potential and get rid the fear of being constantly injured (I think that's the case, too)... Jones himself would be a good start. The process must start from him.
The point was more to do with the fact that LvG always picks him when he's fit, rather than the position he plays. He's never started a game on the bench this season despite being injured several times. He's pretty much always on the pitch for the full 90 minutes too (other than when he got subbed after 89 minutes against Liverpool at 3-0 to waste time).
In 4 seasons at United, he's only been an unused substitute for 4 games whilst playing in all the other 115 he's been fit for! And that run stretches all the way back to when he was only 18 year old.
When he's fit, he plays. I'll say it again: managers LOVE him. People who think he's gonna be a part of the clearout are crazy.
Man Utd 3:1 Leicester
He just got done off David Nugent there. Could have cost us a goal out of absolutely nothing. Christ.
Its mistakes like that that make me think he's not going to make it here. That 'pass' to De Gea was Sunday league standard.
Calamity Jones 
Been good again besides the mistake imo.
That back pass to DDG was shockingCalamity Jones
Yeah but that's the problem, he seems to be making way too many of them. If he wants to be first choice CB here, he can't be doing that.
His fifteen yard sprints which then suddenly stop and end in a side pass are hilarious. Such a funny footballer.
Yeah, I do agree with that. He is still very young for a CB though, I have confidence that he can cut them out with more experience.
He's got his pricetag against him, though. I think he'll grow into a decent enough defender, although I doubt he'll ever be good enough to really be relied upon but it's just depressing to think that we paid 16.5 million for such an ordinary footballer. Not unlike Smalling. We've wasted so much money on transfers it's unbelievable.
McNair and Jones going for the same ball ...
not his biggesr fan but he did ok. not as much running around. needs to throttle back a bit and use his head.
Had a good game until that mistake
Needs to cut that shit out and it's all good
Needs to cut that shit out and it's all good
Mistakes plague ALL young defenders.
There is no doubting that he has the potential to be a top class defender. If he can stay injury free that is.
There is no doubting that he has the potential to be a top class defender. If he can stay injury free that is.
Incredible how easily he switches off, today's pass and our game against, uhm, Newcastle? Same situation, 3-0, he switches off, penalty and bam.
No major complaints apart from that I think.
No major complaints apart from that I think.
Thick as two planks.
Nugent was beginning to expose his positional issues with his pace near the end. A lot of solid defending but if he can't get himself in the right positions it's just a waste of time. Nothing new then.
He was ok except the one mistake that was more about poor decision making than the pass IMO.