[Archived] Phil Jones

[PAFELL]

Why? It only gave him permission to speak to United. The choice was up to him.

I still think he should have stayed at least a year before moving on, but whatever. That's the nature of the game these days.

He was put in a position at a young age to better his career. Playing football is his job.

If we were all put into a possition to better our own careers, even if it meant moving home etc, especially if success was guarrenteed. Most of us would take it.

PJ moving to man U more or less gave him a cast iron chance of having a successful football career. Hate that fact, but it is the nature of the football world today. If there was a level playing field and he still moved, then I could understand the critcs.

[cesus]

Completely back Jones on his move to United, people are in a 15 year time warp if they think we are any sort of rivals to United. He WILL succeed we all know how good he is, this thread still being active still shows how good we all thought he was.

Man Utd are too good to turn down and unfortunately for us Phil Jones is too good for us. He doesn't owe us anything, he earnt us £16.5m he has done his bit for us.

Alan Shearer showed loyalty to his club and turned down United, for a success point of view ... BAD MOVE!

[Stuart]

Alan Shearer showed loyalty to his club and turned down United, for a success point of view ... BAD MOVE!

Not sure that was down to Shearer's loyalty...

[Amo]

He was put in a position at a young age to better his career. Playing football is his job.

If we were all put into a possition to better our own careers, even if it meant moving home etc, especially if success was guarrenteed. Most of us would take it.

PJ moving to man U more or less gave him a cast iron chance of having a successful football career. Hate that fact, but it is the nature of the football world today. If there was a level playing field and he still moved, then I could understand the critcs.

Then don't pretend he didn't have a choice. He wanted the 'big time' and took the first opportunity to take it. It's the way our young footballers are raised these days. You no longer have to earn your corn at a club before you climb the ladder. Just show you have some potential and the giants will come a poachin'.

The guy's only 19 years-old. He has his whole career ahead of him. He could have easily stayed at Rovers for another year or two and still spend the best part of his career at a big club.

[MeanGreenMachine]

How dare a player join one of the worlds biggest and best clubs in the world.

Playing under the (statistically) best manager in history.

How dare he want to play with some of the best players in the world.

Some people need a grasp on reality.

[Mattyblue]

Then don't pretend he didn't have a choice. He wanted the 'big time' and took the first opportunity to take it. It's the way our young footballers are raised these days. You no longer have to earn your corn at a club before you climb the ladder. Just show you have some potential and the giants will come a poachin'.

The guy's only 19 years-old. He has his whole career ahead of him. He could have easily stayed at Rovers for another year or two and still spend the best part of his career at a big club.

I agree with you 100% Toppers, but over the last 10 years football has changed out of all recognition. Clubs like ours can't and WILL NEVER compete (that's why I find those defenders of Keano's comments on top 4 so ludicrous).

Everything is now geared up to the 'top clubs', the media, the Champions League riches, the fact you won't get a sniff at England unless you move.

So, though I think he should, telling lads like Jones 'stay at Rovers, we are trying to build something' will fall on deaf ears, yes we are trying to grow, but he knows we will only get so far. The days of building a club and eventually challenging- a la Forest in the 70s, Leeds in the early 90s have gone.

In conclusion- the top echelons are now a closed shop without billions and it fecking stinks.

[Parsonblue]

Then don't pretend he didn't have a choice. He wanted the 'big time' and took the first opportunity to take it. It's the way our young footballers are raised these days. You no longer have to earn your corn at a club before you climb the ladder. Just show you have some potential and the giants will come a poachin'.

The guy's only 19 years-old. He has his whole career ahead of him. He could have easily stayed at Rovers for another year or two and still spend the best part of his career at a big club.

And he could easily have picked up an injury and never been the same player again. Football is their job. A move to United will set the lad up for life financially and give him the opportunity to improve as a player not to mention the opportunity to win things. I doubt any other lad in his position, at any other club, would have turned their back on the opportunity to join United.

[Stuart]

I agree with you 100% Toppers, but over the last 10 years football has changed out of all recognition. Clubs like ours can't and WILL NEVER compete (that's why I find those defenders of Keano's comments on top 4 so ludicrous).

Everything is now geared up to the 'top clubs', the media, the Champions League riches, the fact you won't get a sniff at England unless you move.

So, though I think he should, telling lads like Jones 'stay at Rovers, we are trying to build something' will fall on deaf ears, yes we are trying to grow, but he knows we will only get so far. The days of building a club and eventually challenging- a la Forest in the 70s, Leeds in the early 90s have gone.

In conclusion- the top echelons are now a closed shop without billions and it fecking stinks.

It's no wonder everyone is so miserable then, is it?

We've literally nothing to aspire to in the League and the cups are also being skewed due to the strength in depth of those very same clubs -and Rovers are one of the "luckiest" over the last 20 years or so in terms of relative success.

If we can't hold on to our best talent for even one season following them showing their true potential, there is no hope of ever breaking that cycle. It does indeed stink.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Most players never get the call from Arsenal/Liverpool/Utd at 19 years of age. You cannot expect him to turn that down simply for one more year at Blackburn. Will those offers ever come around again? One bad injury, half a season out and then he'd have blown it. He earned us £20m or so and thats that. Good luck to him.

[Al]

Stinks to high heaven. The scum should never have known about the clause if they hadn't tapped him up. They really are the pits and should be shown up and fined and made to repay their debts like we Rovers were.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

It's no wonder everyone is so miserable then, is it?

We've literally nothing to aspire to in the League and the cups are also being skewed due to the strength in depth of those very same clubs -and Rovers are one of the "luckiest" over the last 20 years or so in terms of relative success.

If we can't hold on to our best talent for even one season following them showing their true potential, there is no hope of ever breaking that cycle. It does indeed stink.

We were the Man City of the early 90's dont forget. We were ripping the best players from smaller clubs for several years. We just took Dundee Utd's best player but I doubt anyone on here really gave a damn about them. Its the nature of the game.

[Steve Moss]

I think Al is speaking from the heart, not from true hatred.

Jones was purportedly a home town boy, a Blackburn supporter, who had great things in store for him at the Rovers. But when the first big club came around, he jumped ship. It's hard not to be angry and/or disappointed with him.

I do think he'll have a very successful career at ManU. He'll win medals and earn a ton of money.

But I think he lost his chance to be an icon for the way footballers once were. In the long run, I think he blew it.

Though I think the club is itself to blame, in large part. Over last nine month, the owners have shown no loyalty to long time staff and have underscored its all about the finances. So who can really blame Jones if he took something from those lessons?

[Al]

We were the Man City of the early 90's dont forget. We were ripping the best players from smaller clubs for several years. We just took Dundee Utd's best player but I doubt anyone on here really gave a damn about them. Its the nature of the game.

We negotiated with their clubs and paid a fair price for the players we signed, including Goodwille, who was leaving Dundee anyway. In any case your comment is entirely negated by the fact that you were seven years old in 1995. What in hell's name do you know what the situation was like then or what the feeling between the Rovers and the Scum was like. You are talking through your arse, but never let the facts get in the way of a good argument.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

I think Al is speaking from the heart, not from true hatred.

Jones was purportedly a home town boy, a Blackburn supporter, who had great things in store for him at the Rovers. But when the first big club came around, he jumped ship. It's hard not to be angry and/or disappointed with him.

I do think he'll have a very successful career at ManU. He'll win medals and earn a ton of money.

But I think he lost his chance to be an icon for the way footballers once were. In the long run, I think he blew it.

Though I think the club is itself to blame, in large part. Over last nine month, the owners have shown no loyalty to long time staff and have underscored its all about the finances. So who can really blame Jones if he took something from those lessons?

There's a difference between letting staff go and Manchester United coming in and bidding £20m for your best player. For most players the chance to join such a top club only comes around once in a career. Its sad and it was a shame that he didn't stay for longer, however I dont think its fair to abuse him for taking the decision to leave. If he had left for Spurs or Liverpool then that would have been different, but with Utd I can understand. Champions League, favourites for the prem etc, he'd have been foolish to turn them down.

We negotiated with their clubs and paid a fair price for the players we signed, including Goodwille, who was leaving Dundee anyway. In any case your comment is entirely negated by the fact that you were seven years old in 1995. What in hell's name do you know what the situation was like then or what the feeling between the Rovers and the Scum was like. You are talking through your arse, but never let the facts get in the way of a good argument.

Sorry, I thought I was discussing this topic with an adult, clearly I was mistaken.

What the hell do I know eh?

[Al]

I think Al is speaking from the heart, not from true hatred.

Jones was purportedly a home town boy, a Blackburn supporter, who had great things in store for him at the Rovers. But when the first big club came around, he jumped ship. It's hard not to be angry and/or disappointed with him.

I do think he'll have a very successful career at ManU. He'll win medals and earn a ton of money.

But I think he lost his chance to be an icon for the way footballers once were. In the long run, I think he blew it.

Though I think the club is itself to blame, in large part. Over last nine month, the owners have shown no loyalty to long time staff and have underscored its all about the finances. So who can really blame Jones if he took something from those lessons?

I can't argue with most of that. There is no true hatred for Phil Jones, just disgust and extreme disappointment in someone who purports to support Blackburn Rovers. I do however hate the Scum with a passion. That is my right as a person who wishes to see fairness in football, which they do not subscribe to.

[Stuart]

We were the Man City of the early 90's dont forget. We were ripping the best players from smaller clubs for several years. We just took Dundee Utd's best player but I doubt anyone on here really gave a damn about them. Its the nature of the game.

You say that but we didn't have the best squad even in the 94/95 season and although we did break transfer records at the time they weren't by the obscene percentages City have today. I suggest wages weren't nearly as bloated. We were also quickly caught and overtaken in terms of spending. Do you see anyone ever being able to outspend City?

I can understand all of the arguments that in the current market players are wise to take that payday. It's the market that I'm challenging - where City's (and others) reserve teams are filled with players who would walk into most other Premier League club's first team. Was that the case for Rovers in 1995? The nearest example I can think of was signing Duncan Shearer from Swindon (IIRC) in 1991 - to prevent them pipping us to promotion. A little underhand but surely not as bad as collecting multimillion-pound strikers to Armani-up the subs bench.

The Dundee United transfer seems much more conventional a signing, albeit he seems to have some baggage, but then I might be guilty of wearing blue and white googles on that one.

Jones was right, it's the current system that's wrong.

[Al]

Sorry, I thought I was discussing this topic with an adult, clearly I was mistaken.

What the hell do I know eh?

On the other hand I was under no such illusion.

[Exiled_Rover]

I for one will be booing him if he turns out for Manchester United at Ewood Park. Absolutely no respect for him as a man.

[Stuart]

I think Al is speaking from the heart, not from true hatred.

Jones was purportedly a home town boy, a Blackburn supporter, who had great things in store for him at the Rovers. But when the first big club came around, he jumped ship. It's hard not to be angry and/or disappointed with him.

I do think he'll have a very successful career at ManU. He'll win medals and earn a ton of money.

But I think he lost his chance to be an icon for the way footballers once were. In the long run, I think he blew it.

Though I think the club is itself to blame, in large part. Over last nine month, the owners have shown no loyalty to long time staff and have underscored its all about the finances. So who can really blame Jones if he took something from those lessons?

By way of backing that up, the other thing of note is that when Arsenal were rumoured to be linked with a bid, he was busy making his come-to-bed-eyebrows, tweeting at what great football them play. So it seems fair to say that he'd have gone to them if United hadn't come in.

On the other hand I was under no such illusion.

What's up with you today?

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

You say that but we didn't have the best squad even in the 94/95 season and although we did break transfer records at the time they weren't by the obscene percentages City have today. I suggest wages weren't nearly as bloated. We were also quickly caught and overtaken in terms of spending. Do you see anyone ever being able to outspend City?

I can understand all of the arguments that in the current market players are wise to take that payday. It's the market that I'm challenging - where City's (and others) reserve teams are filled with players who would walk into most other Premier League club's first team. Was that the case for Rovers in 1995? The nearest example I can think of was signing Duncan Shearer from Swindon (IIRC) in 1991 - to prevent them pipping us to promotion. A little underhand but surely not as bad as collecting multimillion-pound strikers to Armani-up the subs bench.

The Dundee United transfer seems much more conventional a signing, albeit he seems to have some baggage, but then I might be guilty of wearing blue and white googles on that one.

Jones was right, it's the current system that's wrong.

We were the City of the 90's in terms of our club 'buying' success. I agree that City far outweigh our spending compared to back then and the gap between City and the rest of the league financially is far far greater than it was when we were at the top. But the point is that big clubs buying the best players from smaller clubs has been going on for decades and we were one such club in the early 90's

[phildinio]

i wanted some one to break his legs during the game, he's a tratoir dont leave blackburn for 1 of our rivals, november doesnt excist on my blackburn calender.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

On the other hand I was under no such illusion.

Id quite like to see Jones do well this season just to see how miserable you can get.

[levi]

how did he play today?

[Eddie]

The difference is that Duff served his time. He contributed to this club for several seasons and left when he was presented with a chance to take that next step up, but this was well into his career. He didn't ditch us at 18/19 when the first suitor came knocking, he didn't immediately ask for a release clause to be put into his contract.

When Duff left us he was the best left sided player in the world and he deserved his move to show that on the biggest stage (although he had already impressed at the 2002 World Cup). Jones could have easily continued to develop here and enjoyed playing for 'his' club in the biggest league in the world. He's going to be a very good player, he could have waited another year or two.

I don't wish him luck. I hope that he, like Bentley and many others before him, rots away on a bench and wastes his talent.

[Stuart]

We were the City of the 90's in terms of our club 'buying' success. I agree that City far outweigh our spending compared to back then and the gap between City and the rest of the league financially is far far greater than it was when we were at the top. But the point is that big clubs buying the best players from smaller clubs has been going on for decades and we were one such club in the early 90's

You are almost describing the football pyramid.

What we have now, because of the Champions League, is a disproportionate number of top quality players at the top clubs, sat on the bench or in the stands because the rules still only allow 11 players on the pitch.

Once of a day, these players would have been playing at mid-table clubs, taking turns at upsetting the big boys. Forget Rovers in the 90s this has happened in the Abramovich era, and the idea of 23-man squads, filled to the edges will all of each countries talent, to support a Champions League campaign, is what has killed domestic football as a completion.

And it's only getting worse.