Phil Jones

[michal85]

Z redcafe. Sam bym tego lepiej nie ujął...

Cytat:One of Jones' best attributes is his energy/drive and capacity to close down, it can be a bit manic but it's effectve and why many people have been comparing him to Keane, amongst others. It's ineffective in defence though, in reality it actually needs to be stifled in order to play there. As we've seen against Norwich, Basel etc the way he leaves the line and charges to win the ball just isnt suited to defence as it leaves so much space in behind. In midfield not only is this trait not a problem, it's actually desirable to possess, as it enables us to win the ball high up the pitch and pressure the opposition.

The way Jones naturally goes about playing football is much more suited to midfield. He's not as refined or subtle as Smalling or Evans, and I dont think he ever will be. But more importantly, even if he could be taught to cut some of those elements of his game out and become more disciplined as a player, we'd be losing one of the factors which makes him so special.

In addition to closing down, his runs from deep is the other element of his game which has recieved praise, but again this is unsuited to central defence. These were blown completely out of proportion by the media who acted like a defender getting forward was the pinnacle of the game, when in reality it's largely unnecessary, irrelevant to the position he's playing and against better opposition risky, as it leaves us open to the counter. I thought the way these were blown up was excessive, in the Tottenham game for example, Jones was getting all the post match plaudits for that run he did, when in reality Evans had the better game defensively, he didnt put a foot wrong. Defenders are supposed to defend, which is why someone like Evans who just gets on with defending is better in that position.

Getting forward the odd time isnt a bad thing, but when it's the most effective element of a players game then it's probably time he switched from centre back, as it isnt going to get the best out of him. Theres still no doubt in my mind that Jones could learn to play centre back though, as his talent seems pretty boundless, but he's perfectly suited to a role in midfield, so I dont see the need to try and shape him into something he's not.