The versatile newcomer's pairing with Rio Ferdinand was a union of strangers and the younger stopper was sometimes too clever for his own good
Manchester United fans may not like this but Phil Jones shares with another Prestonian a sweet marauding talent that sweeps him out of defence and up the pitch. Liverpool's Mark Lawrenson was similarly blessed with ball-carrying attributes. In the end, though, Jones, 19, is there to stop, not start, the fun.
The comparison United's supporters prefer is with Duncan Edwards, a pure thoroughbred who would glide upfield with colossal intent before the Munich air disaster claimed his life. We all know this is premature but there is no harm in evoking the ghost of Edwards if it helps keep his memory alive. The point is that Jones combines the qualities of a born defender with a midfielder destined to take the game to the opposition with elegant runs.
In this chaotic 3-3 draw with Basel he found the limits of ambition. Some nights you just have to get the ugly stuff right. The Jones-Rio Ferdinand centre-back pairing was a union of strangers and the younger stopper was sometimes too clever for his own good. The pass inside his own penalty box that led to Basel's third goal (from the spot) would have gone unnoticed had Antonio Valencia controlled it. Instead it was held against Jones as an example of naivety.
Negation is so elemental that managers prefer their centre-backs to concentrate on tackling, blocking, heading and stopping runs, not starting them. For a long time Ferdinand was auditioned for the part of England's Franz Beckenbauer but then tactical reality intervened.
Jones is a footballer of boundless promise. No teenage Englishman (not even Jack Wilshere) has been spoken of in such eulogistic terms by Fabio Capello. Here at Old Trafford he has offered an instant solution to the physical decline of Ferdinand, who was slow in thought and deed in United's second Group C draw.
With his �16.5m move from Blackburn Rovers in the summer Jones said: "Defending isn't just about tackling and heading, it's also about getting the ball down and playing. Starting the attack from the back." This is the kind of music United need to hear as they seek to edge closer in Europe to Barcelona, whose orchestral attacking style starts from the rear, via the goalkeeper and main ball-playing centre-back (Gerard Piqu�).
By this measure Jones is already ideal for Champions League action. The move that led to Danny Welbeck's first against the Swiss started with Jones collecting the ball on the halfway line and galloping into an attacking position, which drew Basel defenders with him. To call him self-possessed would under-sell it. He is audacious ? imperious ? in his belief that he belongs at this level and with this calibre of colleague.
But the caveat is there. As Basel shocked United with two quick goals Jones and Ferdinand were detached and out of sync. For the equaliser Jones was stranded 30 yards from goal while Ferdinand watched the cross sail over his head.
These delightful early days will lead Jones to more searching tests, in Champions League knock-out games, where the world's best strikers will look to exploit his enthusiasm, catch him out of position when his thoughts are trained downfield. Jones is so positive in his movements around the field that he often finds himself having to make retrieving runs.
Nor is he faultless yet in anticipating balls into his own penalty box. How could he be, at 19? Sir Alex Ferguson's method with a teenager this good is to grant him a starting shirt and trust him to learn. The training ground is the lecture hall and the game itself the arena where individual intelligence turns promise into greatness. Jones looks the type to learn.
Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were the last hall-of-fame central defensive partnership in these parts and now we see Jones moving the story on, through his own talent and Ferdinand's fragility. Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling are the other candidates in the centre, though Smalling has found another outlet at right-back ? a position Jones can also fill with ease.
In his BBC North-West interview this week Ferguson acknowledged his luck in having Smalling (who was absent here) and Jones emerge together as England U-21s. This enhanced their friendship and understanding, he said. The temptation is to imagine Jones as a box-to-box midfielder but his defensive capabilities are too good to lose. There is little point in moving him to a defensive midfield role where his running would be shackled and tenacity inside his own penalty box largely given up.
So United and England are entitled to hope they have unearthed a luxury centre-back from the continental school. We already know his surges are devastating to lesser opposition. Less clear is how they will be received by a Barcelona or Milan if United lack the added security of a specialist holding player. Vidic, not Ferdinand, looks the best mentor to teach him when he can go and when to stay.
Not that one nervy night should get in the way of enjoying his versatility, self-assurance, athleticism and big-stage aura. Basel's fightback reminded him that defence will always be his primary responsibility. The elaboration comes on top.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/sep/28/phil-jones-defending-paul-hayward
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