Fergie’s bright new star

Friday, 23/12/2011

When Manchester United shelled out £16m to sign Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers in the summer there weren’t too many objections from Red Devils followers.

Jones arrived with a reputation as a promising central defender who was strong in the air and on the deck, with genuine pace and good feet for a big man.

At 19-years-old he was at the right age and would provide good back-up for Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand when required. Liverpool were also reportedly interested in the youngster, which made capturing his signature even sweeter for Old Trafford fans.

But no United supporter could’ve anticipated the impact that Jones has had on the team this season. Playing in central defence, right-back and central midfield with power, skill and drive, the England international’s enthusiasm and hunger for the game has been refreshing and added a youthful boost to Sir Alex Ferguson’s team.

In defence, he has shown bravery and strength in the air, combined with a sound reading of the game. His positioning and decision-making has been called into question a couple of times, most notably in Europe, but Jones has remained one of the team’s most consistent performers and made more first team appearances than any other United player this term.

At right-back he looked excellent going forward, creating chances for team-mates and coming close to breaking his goalscoring duck, with a particularly impressive performance coming against Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium.

In recent weeks, Jones has been deployed in central midfield and he has excelled there. Not only showing strength in the defensive side of the game, he has also made an impact going forward, with strong running, well-timed bursts from midfield and a well-taken winning goal against Aston Villa.

Like a flying winger, or skilful number 10 playing in the hole, Jones makes things happen when in possession of the ball, driving forward from a deeper position.

The Preston-born youngster’s versatility and combination of strength, speed and skill have seen him compared to United greats like Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and amazingly, Duncan Edwards – an observation that came from Sir Bobby Charlton no less. These comparisons illustrate the scale of Jones’ impact at Old Trafford and the huge potential he has to develop into one of the club’s all-time greats.
 
After a spectacular start to the season, which included free-flowing football and thumpings of Arsenal and Chelsea, United fans and players were brought back down to earth with a couple of rather large bumps.

Firstly the 6-1 humiliation at home to Manchester City in the Premier League and then the recent Champions League exit, but the form of youngsters like Jones have restored pride and provided a genuine sense of optimism that Fergie is building yet another great team.

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