Scholes: Phil Jones not ‘clever enough’ to play Centre-Back

Manchester United’s legendary midfileder Paul Scholes has questioned United and English defender Phil Jones’ ability to play as centre back.

Talking as a pundit during England’s friendly match against Ireland, Scholes said that Jones is “not clever enough” to play as a centre back and believed that the defender’s best position is playing at the position in which he started the match, right-back.

Scholes pointed out that Jones has a habit of being caught out of position too often.

Speaking to ITV prior to England’s game with Ireland, Scholes said: “I just think at centre back, when he is playing against clever forwards, he tends to get dragged out of position quite easily.

“At right-back you still need to be clever positionally, but I think he can use his pace and power and he hasn’t got a bad delivery either.

“I just think at centre half he is not quite clever enough to do it.”

Phil Jones, 23, signed for United in 2011 and was tipped to take over the legacy of Vidic and Ferdinand, but 4-years later, he is often in and out of the team and has major fitness issues.

Fellow pundit Lee Dixon was more surprised to see Jones on the right, and was disappointed not to see Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne in that position.

”Phil Jones has got the nod but he has been playing at United as a centre-back and he has been in a decent run of form. I’m still not sure about him, I’m really not.

”I think it would have been better to give Clyne a game today.”