19 Aug 2024 15:39:18
Some 1/ 2 decade+ after it effectively happened, Phil Jones has publicly recognized his retirement from playing football.
19 Aug 2024 18:49:06
There’s no need to be taking the piss out of him. I think Ferguson immediately put a target on his back by talking him up to a level he could never achieve. He was a player that always gave his best. Sad that he became a joke, and that his style of play was a recipe for injuries. But he showed a lot of character in continually working his way back to fitness. It wasn’t his fault that the club gave him new contracts either.
19 Aug 2024 20:26:26
He was a weapon of a defender. Unfortunately his body gave up on him, but he had the necessary brain cells to fulfill any potential placed upon him.
19 Aug 2024 21:03:28
Always did his best but his body let him down too often. However if we had a squad of players with his commitment and determination to give 100% in every challange and every game we would have 10-15 extra points every season.
19 Aug 2024 23:17:37
Good luck to him. I think he was unlucky with injuries and lucky with contracts.
Nice lad cones across very humble Keen to learn and I would really like to see him do well in coaching.
20 Aug 2024 03:54:27
Maybe we should sign him to teach slabhead how to be less donkeylike.
20 Aug 2024 10:35:31
When fit he was actually a first choice player for the majority of managers post SAF.
He was first choice for LvG, Mourinho and Ole. While he played a decent number of games for Moyes considering that Rio and Vidic were still at the club.
Unfortunately his injuries absolutely destroyed his career. He had the ability and will always be remembered as one of those "what if" players.
Even now a fully fit Phil Jones I think would genuinely challenge both Martinez and MdL for a starting spot. And is miles ahead of Maguire, as well as ahead of Yoro and Evans based on their current ability.
It's sad how his talent and potential went unfulfilled due to his body just not being able to withstand the physicality of elite football.
He is a warning to managers about the dangers of over playing youngsters while their bodies are still developing. Very few players who play regularly at the ages of 17, 18 and 19 for top level sides tend to have the longevity of careers where they keep playing at their peak into their early/ mid thirties, with many of them suffering more with injuries in their mid to late twenties.
Bodies are still growing and developing in your teens, and the body needs adequate rest to grow strong. Those that don't get that rest seem to have issues with fitness and injuries later in their career.
Given that we have several players (Yoro, Mainoo and Garnacho) who have all been playing regularly from the ages of 17-18 years old, we should maybe take heed of the careers of players like Jones and make sure we do give these players adequate rest.
Yoro is out injured now. While Garnacho played 50 games for us last season, starting around 40 of those consecutively, he then played for his country over the summer and even requested to come back early for pre-season. It's a commendable work rate and shows real dedication. Yet that maybe someone with more experience needs to guide him and hopefully not over playing him this season. He will need to be rotated more than last season. Both for the good of his form for us now and the long term impacts it could have on his career.
As for Jones I wish him the very best in all his future endeavours whatever they may be. If he wants to get into coaching then I hope the club can help him with that, make space for him as a coach in the academy, and see how he does.
21 Aug 2024 02:03:46
You never fail to amaze me Shappy.
I will be blunt and say that Jones was a leech to the club. Getting paid without putting any work.
He was a player with world class potential but at the end came out to be below average defender. He and smalling were called the chuckle brothers because those two at our centre of defense were recipe for disaster.
He wasnt first choice under LVG, Mourinho and Ole. What are you talking about. LVG preferred Smalling and Blind, Mourinho rooted to get good defenders but wasnt given and Ole never even played Jones really.
Jones would challenge Martinez and De ligt is a laughable comment really. Man would get dribbled by almost any one and challenged Carragher for own goals.
He was a horrible defender and was lucky to get a contract from incompetent Ed Woodward.
I am now convinced that you have a soft spot for Jones and hence trying to speak highly of him.
A player with high potential but was below average defender and no way was first choice for any of our managers. Never was interested in playing football and was happy to get paid regardless of playing. In that scenario, i respect Smalling at least he showed desire to play and moved to Roma even when he had 4 more years of contract with United.
At the end of the day, I have no respect for Jones at all. Was a horrible defender and was lucky to get 5 years contract given to him. No way i want his type of personality coming to the club and getting into coaching.
22 Aug 2024 11:36:11
Srestha, I have no soft spot for him, just a lack of bias.
You clearly have it in for him, which is odd as I assume you've never met him or know him personally.
You have no idea how much work he put in, or what he has gone through.
He could just as easily have been giving it his all, training hard, living his life in a way to try and get fit and able to play only for his body to repeatedly breakdown. Yet still trying hard and giving it everything. All while having to live with being mocked and made the butt of jokes online.
How do you know that wasn't the reality of his situation?
He didn't choose to offer him a new contract, that was down the club and the people running the club.
His choice was to either sign it and keep alive his dream of playing for a top side, along with what should be the best medical support to get his fit.
Or to not sign the deal, give up on that dream and risk not finding a club that will take him on or be able to provide the kind of medical support needed to get him fit.
I don't blame him for signing the contract put in front of him, I doubt there is a single person on this site that wouldn't have signed it if it was offered to them.
I see little point in distributing my frustration with how the club has been run onto a player, any player.
If a player doesn't have the right attitude then either the club didn't do their due diligence when making the signing. Which is the club's fault. Or they aren't doing what they can to move him on, which again is the club's fault.
I don't blame Sancho for having a bad attitude. I don't know the kid or what has happened in his life to shape him as a person who has this poor attitude/ weak mentality. Their might well be valid and justified reasons for why he is who he is.
I do blame the club for signing him despite there being several warning signs, for giving him a ridiculous contract, and for not doing what was needed to move him on.
No point hating the player, or blaming him for not being able to do something that is clearly beyond him.
Accept he was a mistake, do your best to correct and make sure you learn from it and don't make the same mistake again.