Yes they may both be potentially better but at the moment Evans is quite a bit better than both IMO and is already a really good and experienced defender.
Phil Jones
- Thread starter Baby Faced Assassin
- Start date
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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?
I freely acknowledge that Terry, at his best, was "very good". But as you freely acknowledge, Terry, at his best, was a serial cheat. That he excelled at cheating I do not deny.
Pulled out of the U21 with injury. Hopefully it's Fergie working his magic, although he wasn't involved yesterday.
Good, no point in him wasting his time with Stuart Pierce and risk getting injured.
Well Fergie wasn't too pleased that he was picked in the first place, so wouldn't be surprised if it was one of those injuries that Giggs used to get before International friendly week.
Hopefully just 'injured' for the international match and will be fine come the next united match
carrick and now jones. any else of our players who pull out of these meaningless friendlies? hoping it is just like somebody just said the "giggs injury" before an international game.
Heard he is going to be out for a while with shingles, don't know how much truth or if its just a twitter rumour
It is true. According to The Mirror he could be out for a month.
Shit, think we was gonna play a part vs. Madrid.
Atleast that means Fergie wont use him to man mark Ronaldo. Thank feck.
Do hope the lad gets well soon though! was immense at CB recently.
Do hope the lad gets well soon though! was immense at CB recently.
If Sir Alex was going to use him in midfield against Madrid I'm actually relieved he'll be out for those games. I don't think that would've worked at all.
I echo the posters above. If (and thats a huge if ofc) he was intended for a destroyer role against Madrid then Im glad hes unavailable. Shame hes out for every other reason of course.
Seems harsh but I agree. It's obviously a massive downer in terms of his progress that he is once again injured but I think Madrid would've shat on us had we lined up like that.
I've got shingles. I've had it on and off for years. It's absolutely nothing. Surely he could just cover it and play? Seems bizarre.
It takes a month to get over shingles? Would have been good to have him available for selection though.
Silver lining there. Means we don't have to worry about Rafael not being picked for that match.
Bad freaking news for both the club and him. He was getting starts at CB in the FA cup, which were good for his development and for us to give rest to the others. He was also rotating with Rafael when needed. We have had really horrible luck with our defense over the last couple of seasons.
Hope he comes back sooner and is not out for a month like the papers are suggesting.
Hope he comes back sooner and is not out for a month like the papers are suggesting.
If SAF has been planning for the Madrid games with Jones in midfield it's a big blow no matter how effective it might have been. Would mean we have to go back to the drawing board since we have no one else like him who can step in.
From that aspect, its fine. That means Carrick-Cleverley start in the midfield, who have proven to be our best midfield partnership this season. A set-up like Spurs would have been asking for unnecessary trouble.
Carrick - Cleverley in a 2 away to madrid ?
I've got shingles as well. When it returns I feel very ill. It's also highly contagious and if it bursts it could leave a scar.
Nothing about his absence in the official Man United site.
I think we might need Anderson's strength and power more to bully their midfielders than Cleverley.
You could start Ando alongside them, but to be honest if you had Rooney and Kagawa ahead of them in a 4231, it's not really a 2 man midfield, and there should be plenty of bodies available in the middle.
I'm praying Jones doesn't start against Madrid. That sort of tactic just doesn't work in a team like ours - if we don't at least try and win our way, we play shit and lose. Jones is no Makelele.
For that reason and because we could use a bit of brawn against Fellaini, I wouldn't mind him getting a game against Everton.
We saw against Southampton, particularly in the second half, the reason Cleverley should always be ahead of Anderson as Carrick's partner - without him, we have no control, and struggle to get any good possession. Admittedly Ando wasn't having a good game, but it's only the same thing we've seen a number of times. Starting all three wouldn't be a bad shout at the Bernabeu, though. Carrick because he's Carrick, Cleverley to give us possession, fluidity and tempo, Anderson to provide a bit of drive, brawn and explosiveness further forward.
I'd be comfortable with Carrick and Cleverley to be honest. Putting another man in midfield and losing some width or a player in attack could play into their hands. Contrary to what everyone seems to think since they realised Xavi was a good player, the game isn't always decided in midfield.
Ando is lacking match fitness to play in a game against Real Madrid of all teams. I thought we would have probably put Jones on Xavi. Now Carrick and Cleverley in midfield holding with Rooney dropping deep is surely the best option we can go for. Welbeck will play the first leg because of his industry, Kagawa the second leg if we need to chase the game
Xabi*
Yes 
This is both true and not true. If you're a Chelsea or an Inter Milan, or perhaps the genuinely counter-attacking United team of a few years ago, then fair enough. But this United team is not going to win a match in which our midfield is played off the pitch. We can't do an Inter and defend brilliantly as a unit, winning with a few lethal counter attacks.
That said, I agree about Carrick and Cleverley being fine. I seem to just post this opinion again and again these days, but basically I like the Ando-Carrick-Clev three-man midfield, but I also think Carrick and Cleverley with Rooney and Kagawa ahead of them is plenty of midfield for any game. I'd probably err on the side of including Kagawa/Nani instead of Anderson.
Yeah, starting Carrick and Cleverley isn't just a simple 2 man midfield when you have players like Rooney and Kagawa ahead of them. I think those two in essentially a 4231 will be fine. If Sir Alex wants to be extra cautious then Anderson is a great option to bring. Either of those two options would be better than starting Jones in midfield.
Apparently shingles is a result of herpes?
Pretty much every point lost this year has because we've not been able to get a control on the game in the centre, to be fair. I think Carrick and Cleverley with Rooney dropping deeper should be good enough but at the same time think we'd have our best shot with Anderson in there as well.
It's Herpes zoster, the same virus that causes chicken pox.
You say it like herpes is uncommon.
So Jones is actually not in that bad shape, and apparently in the match squad for Everton on sunday.
Fergie is pissed at Stuart Pearce for making the information public, as it is not as bad as first feared, and it should be confidential between the doctors.
So looks like he will be ok for the Madrid game after all
Fergie is pissed at Stuart Pearce for making the information public, as it is not as bad as first feared, and it should be confidential between the doctors.
So looks like he will be ok for the Madrid game after all
I knew he'll be okay.
The old 3 day shingles, well in frogie
Fergie's on fire these days.