Phil Jones takes needless dig at Liverpool while facing Man Utd misery
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Phil Jones said that there would not have been anywhere near as many headlines surrounding Liverpool if it had been the Reds — not Manchester United — who lost to Grimsby in the League Cup.
Ruben Amorim's men were dumped out of the competition at the second-round stage by League Two opposition last week, going down on a penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw on the East Coast.
United was roundly mocked for the defeat, which was the latest in a string of disappointing results under new boss Amorim, who only arrived at Old Trafford 10 months ago but is already under significant pressure.
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A clip of Amorim tweaking a handheld tactics board in the dugout against Grimsby went viral, while even Grimsby's chairman got in on the mockery, saying that United's players "did not look like they were up for it" ahead of kickoff.
Jones, who played for United for 12 seasons between 2011 and 2023, defended his old club, saying that he believes the season has actually started in an encouraging fashion.
The Red Devils are ninth in the Premier League after three games, with a win, a draw and a defeat from meetings with Burnley, Fulham and Arsenal.
“There’s just no hiding place when it comes to United," Jones told Labrokes
"You know, I think Man City or Liverpool could go and do that [lose to Grimsby] and there won’t be anywhere near as many headlines as there was with United.
I talk about it a lot, but for me there’s only one other club that’s comparable to United, and that’s Real Madrid
People might say I’ve got a biased hat on, but no other club comes in the same bracket as those two.
“They come away from that Grimsby game and get three points – albeit late on – against Burnley, and now we’ve got an international break.
"It’s Man City and Chelsea up next, back-to-back… look, if you beat both and get six points, or if you take four points from those two, then all of a sudden the headlines are all about how United look a bit more stable.
"Peoples’ opinions change like the wind, and it should be water off a duck’s back for United’s players
It’s a heavy shirt to wear, but you’ve got to front that pressure.
"On the whole, though, I still don’t think it’s been a bad start to the season, albeit the terrible performance against Grimsby.”
Phil Jones was speaking to Ladbrokes at the launch of Ladisfaction