Decision-making has never been Phil Jones’ strong point.
There was plenty wrong with Manchester United when Chelsea broke free and earned a penalty in the first half of Saturday’s FA Cup final.
A gorgeous pass from Cesc Fabregas released Eden Hazard, whose first touch gave Jones one hell of a job to do to catch up.
Once Hazard got into the United penalty area, Jones inexplicably dived in when there was little to no chance of winning the ball and gave away a clear spot-kick, which was predictably dispatched by Hazard.
The challenge sparked questions about why Jones had started ahead of Eric Bailly for the final, as the Ivorian centre-half was left on the bench for United’s biggest game of the season.
https://twitter.com/ChelseaGIFs/status/997880850980261889
Earlier this month, manager Jose Mourinho explained that he was giving more first-team opportunities to players who would be going to the World Cup this summer when asked why Bailly hadn’t been receiving much game time.
“There’s no situation. He is fine, no injury. He is one of our five central defenders and, honestly, my work is not about World Cups and preparing players for the World Cup or giving chances to players at the World Cup,” Mourinho said at the start of May.
“But he’s the only central defender whose country is not in the World Cup, so if I have to make a kind of more emotional, effective choice to try to help my players, he’s the one I’m not going to help until the end of the season.
“Rojo, Lindelof, Jones, Smalling, all of them are wishing to make the squad for the World Cup and Eric is not under that pressure. I try not to (make those sentimental decisions). I try to be a good team manager and that means being a bit cold, a bit selfish.
“But I’m not as bad as that, and I still have space for a little bit of feelings, so when I look to the other four central defenders fighting for a position in the World Cup I am giving less to Eric.”
Now while Jones will be heading to Russia this summer, perhaps it’s not wise for club managers to decide against utilising their best players.
And that’s the argument that United fans belted out after Jones’ error allowed Chelsea to open the scoring.
https://twitter.com/chepkole/status/997878995222958080
Jose this is your boy that you play over Bailly?
— Hernan Crespo (@Tezskii) May 19, 2018
Eric Bailly sits on the bench while this dickhead Phil Jones just giving away pens kmt
— A.B (@af_deen) May 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/JH477/status/997878974851272705
Exactly what you deserve when you start Jones ahead of Bailly
— Thomas Norris (@Thomasnorris1) May 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/UnitedEz/status/997878971349000192
I mean, this is Mou's fault for starting Jones over Bailly
— Moses Gates (@MosesNYC) May 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/ifrha3/status/997878962788413440
How the fuck is jones keeping bailly out of this team
— Nandeep Singh (@nandeepsingh) May 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/Banksyyyy_/status/997882976653410304
