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2016-17 Performances


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6.0 Season Average Rating
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Djemba-Djemba

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Are people seriously being critical of a right footed centre half randomly threw in to play left wing back, a position he's never played in before
Jones was awful but yeah it's hard to really blame him.

He's struggling at the minute anyway playing in positions he knows. Asking him to go on as a left wingback was bizarre. Poor from Jose.
 

Devil may care

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Are people seriously being critical of a right footed centre half randomly threw in to play left wing back, a position he's never played in before
II don't get why people are blaming him for Mourinho's stupid call to put him completely out of position instead of moving to a back 4, putting Rojo at LB or bringing Young on instead.
 

Grunge

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II don't get why people are blaming him for Mourinho's stupid call to put him completely out of position instead of moving to a back 4, putting Rojo at LB or bringing Young on instead.
Fair point DMC ... but regardless of where he was playing his decision making was woeful today and his lack of confidence was apparent.
I agree he's no LB and I too might have been tempted to bring on Young instead of him. Don't know why Jose did that but hopefully Jose recognised today that Jones is never a LB, not at this level anyway!
 

Devil may care

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Fair point DMC ... but regardless of where he was playing his decision making was woeful today and his lack of confidence was apparent.
I agree he's no LB and I too might have been tempted to bring on Young instead of him. Don't know why Jose did that but hopefully Jose recognised today that Jones is never a LB, not at this level anyway!
This is where Jose has to know his players capabilities though, we have seen Jones for years now and his brain is the poorest part of his game, his decision making is dodgy even when playing in his correct position, so asking him to play way out of his comfot zone only compounds that weakness in his game.
 

Dobbs

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Are people seriously being critical of a right footed centre half randomly threw in to play left wing back, a position he's never played in before
Agree. What's going through the minds of these guys.

I wonder what Vidic or Gary Pallister would have looked like as a left wing back.
 

Grunge

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This is where Jose has to know his players capabilities though, we have seen Jones for years now and his brain is the poorest part of his game, his decision making is dodgy even when playing in his correct position, so asking him to play way out of his comfot zone only compounds that weakness in his game.
Yeah, I'm just disappointed that he seems to have lost that confidence he gained playing alongside Rojo.
Today he played more "scared" than ever and yes, Jose must take responsibility and some blame for playing him at LB which did his lack of confidence absolutely no good today.
 

Blind

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Agree. What's going through the minds of these guys.

I wonder what Vidic or Gary Pallister would have looked like as a left wing back.
At the very least defensively sound, Jones was an absolute trainwreck today and being played out of position doesn't excuse really basic errors that no defender should be making.
 

OldTrevil

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I hope it's the first and last time I get to see Jones as a left wing back, I was instantly bricking it whenever the ball got near him either attacking or defending.
 

Dobbs

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At the very least defensively sound, Jones was an absolute trainwreck today and being played out of position doesn't excuse really basic errors that no defender should be making.
No chance. Any CB will tell you the last thing they want is to be dragged wide into a fullback position. Especially on their "wrong" side.

Defending in the wide positions is really quite different to centrally.
 

Sylar

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At the very least defensively sound, Jones was an absolute trainwreck today and being played out of position doesn't excuse really basic errors that no defender should be making.
Can you say the same about Rojo? Hes a nightmare at LB but at CB hes a different person.
I felt sorry for Jones when he came on, cos you could see he didnt have a clue. But I did like his little run.

It sounded like he was booed which was annoying too.
 

U99ted

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Can you say the same about Rojo? Hes a nightmare at LB but at CB hes a different person.
I felt sorry for Jones when he came on, cos you could see he didnt have a clue. But I did like his little run.

It sounded like he was booed which was annoying too.
I thought the crowd were doing "ole"s when he was getting forward? If the crowd were booing then that's very poor form.
 

Sylar

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I thought the crowd were doing "ole"s when he was getting forward? If the crowd were booing then that's very poor form.
Kinda before he went on the run. It sounded like boos (but I may be wrong), and then it was drowned out by cheers and then he surged forward.
 

Blind

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No chance. Any CB will tell you the last thing they want is to be dragged wide into a fullback position. Especially on their "wrong" side.

Defending in the wide positions is really quite different to centrally.
So why are so many centre backs capable of playing at fullback when they are required there? Even Smalling who is an awkward disaster on the ball at times played right back and was pretty good at it in his early United career.
 

Blind

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Can you say the same about Rojo? Hes a nightmare at LB but at CB hes a different person.
I felt sorry for Jones when he came on, cos you could see he didnt have a clue. But I did like his little run.

It sounded like he was booed which was annoying too.
I don't think Rojo is that bad at left back but like you say he's certainly 10x better at centre back. Maybe it's a concentration issue with some players and they can't focus when they have to think about helping the attack and defending, their limitations are more exposed when they have to provide an attacking outlet against teams who will sit back.
 

surf

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He has no left foot to speak of, even less so than Valencia. If we are going to play a left wing back then it's Blind all day long.
 

Ephrem

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At the very least defensively sound, Jones was an absolute trainwreck today and being played out of position doesn't excuse really basic errors that no defender should be making.
Have you ever played football ?
 

Devil may care

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Yeah, I'm just disappointed that he seems to have lost that confidence he gained playing alongside Rojo.
Today he played more "scared" than ever and yes, Jose must take responsibility and some blame for playing him at LB which did his lack of confidence absolutely no good today.
I agree that our defense as seemed nervy over the last few weeks, it lacks a composed leader in there to marshall it, our CB's are soldiers not General's.
 

Adam-Utd

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Kinda before he went on the run. It sounded like boos (but I may be wrong), and then it was drowned out by cheers and then he surged forward.
They were booing us constantly passing backwards. That's why when Jones got the ball and ran forward they all ironically cheered.
 

quethenoo

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That's about as uncomfortable as I can remember seeing a player played out of position. He basically spent his whole time on the pitch 3 quarters turned back to our own goal so he could pass back the way with his right foot. There must have been a better solution than that.
 

Timdbro

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I wouldn't count the Rostov match in assessing him, he's not a LB. But he's definitely looked clumsy again today.
 

JoaquinJoaquin

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He really hasn't. Train wreck is how I'd describe your post. He's been ok. Nothing that stood out positively or negatively.
Well if you think Jones has played OK that sums your judgment up so I'll leave it at that. Should of known better than to reply to you. What I will say in his defence is that he has settled into the second half better. First half he was horrid though, no doubts.
 

Nighteyes

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Finished the game well and looked like he was the leader at the back. Hopefully more train wreck performances to follow.
 

Sylar

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Kept slipping over. Thought he finished the game well though.
 

PlayerOne

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There's something I have noticed in Jones this season. He gets caught out too deep in almost every game. Once or twice a game he will get caught way out of line with the other defenders, playing the attackers onside. Usually gets away with it but we have conceded twice because of it this season I think.

He's just an average defender. Missed too many years of development through injuries
 
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