The Andy Gray Column: Phil Jones could be given chance to shine at centre back, if Fergie believes he is the future

Sharethematch.com ambassador Andy Gray was talking to Ben Baker, exclusively for Mancunian Matters….

I think it is a massive blow, the Nemanja Vidic injury. You can always tell when a player shows as much agony as he did, and he is a tough cookie Nemanja Vidic and he doesn’t normally go down too easy.

It does give Sir Alex the opportunity to say to Phil Jones, ‘in you go, play centre back and show me what you’ve got.’

It is an interesting choice as he could have done that against Basel. When Vidic got injured he could have said to Phil, ‘you pop back in there and I will bring somebody else on in midfield or maybe a front man and I will play 4-4-2 and we can go from there because we need a goal.’

But he didn’t and maybe he will play Evans and Rio.

But if Sir Alex believes that Phil Jones is the future and that he is a centre back then I think Sir Alex will get him in there, as quick as he can, and say go and play, but right now he seems to like him as a central midfielder and the boy is doing well in there.

And I think that is part of the problem for David De Gea is that this is a young goalkeeper and every game he is walking out, looking at his back for and seeing that it has changed.

Goalkeepers need to be comfortable by what is in front of him. But he walks out every game and sees a different back four in front of him.

So it is really difficult for a goalkeeper, particularly a young one and particularly one who has come to Manchester United with all the pressure on them to find real form and cohesion with a back four that is changing every game and I don’t think that has helped him at all.

I think he is a really fine goalkeeper and I think he will be a real star for Manchester United but I think on thing Sir Alex never did was the change the back four but this season, OK through injury, he has had to alternate the back four.

But he has to find a back four and say that is it – whoever is in there.

When you get to know players and their strength and weaknesses it really helps.

Andy Gray is an official ambassador for Sharethematch.com – Football’s Social Network. Available now at the App Store or join for FREE online.