Jones finding new strength under Jose
Mourinho may be the ideal man to harness a talent in danger of being lost James Robson
JOSE Mourinho had an issue with Phil Jones - he just didn’t know how good he was.
From a distance the would-be United manager had identified the need to improve the centre of the Reds’ defence even before succeeding Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford.
Eric Bailly was his first signing despite inheriting a squad that already included Jones, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind as senior centre-halves.
Of that group, Jones was the mystery.
Plagued with injuries, Mourinho simply hadn’t seen enough of a player Sir Alex Ferguson infamously tipped to be United’s ‘greatest ever’ to make a judgement.
But he was determined to find out.
Jones was placed in an exclusive bracket of players Mourinho considered ‘untransferable’ in his first summer in charge, along with more likely names such as David de Gea and Marcus Rashford.
Despite interest from Stoke and Hull, Mourinho was adamant he would give the England international chance to prove he could overcome his nightmare.
Twelve months on and that faith has been rewarded, with Jones establishing a commanding partnership with Bailly in United’s 100 per cent start to the season, which is yet to see them concede a goal.
Despite the £31m signing of Victor Lindelof this summer, it is Jones who has been preferred alongside Bailly - and barring another injury setback, it is a pairing that will take some breaking up.
That, however, remains the concern with the 25-year-old.
A series of freak injuries - from blood clots to training ground collisions - have seriously hindered his progress.
But the nature of those setbacks offer a source of encouragement to United’s medical staff.
While Jones may be unlucky, he does not suffer from chronic issues such as weak knees, ankle ligaments or muscular problems.
That will have also fed into Mourinho’s decision to bear with him even if suggesting the player was ‘cautious’ with regards to his recovery time last season.
If anything, Jones could be accused of being too brave over the years - even reckless towards his own safety on the pitch at times. It has cost him. Six years after his £16.5m move from Blackburn he was expected to be established for club and country - potential captain material. Taken as a snap shot, the opening weeks of this campaign - with Jones at the heart of Mourinho’s defence and starting back-to-back World Cup qualifiers - he is where he was supposed to be by now. It is a measure of a natural ability that so excited Ferguson - and intrigued Mourinho. England manager Gareth Southgate now describes him as the country’s best defender - and on current form it is difficult to argue with that assessment. Mourinho - who built three titlewinning sides around John Terry at Chelsea - recognised the potential for Jones to be a similar influence at United. He has the make-up of a classic Mourinho defender. And the United manager may be the ideal man to harness a talent in danger of being lost.