Manchester United defender Phil Jones believes the club were a “laughing stock” at the beginning of the season.
Former manager Jose Mourinho was sacked in December and replaced with caretaker boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Just how bad were United? Five things you need to know…
- United lost two of their opening three Premier League fixtures, conceding seven goals.
- At one stage, they were 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
- They lost to Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool, while also failing to beat Arsenal and Chelsea.
- Following Mourinho’s sacking, the club have won 10 out of 11 matches, beating both Spurs and Arsenal away from home.
- They now sit in fourth place, the last Champions League qualifying spot.
United defender Jones – who recently penned a new deal at the club, extending his stay from the end of this season until 2023 – acknowledged his side’s poor form at the start of the season.
Speaking to reporters, Jones labelled the club as a “laughing stock” but insists now their form has drastically improved, people will start taking them more seriously.
“Everyone’s got to take us seriously now,” Jones said.
“We might have been a bit of a laughing stock at the beginning of the season but we’re certainly not now. We’ve proven that in the last 10 or 12 games. We’re improving, we’re still getting better.
“It was tough for everyone involved. The club, the supporters, everyone. But it’s about becoming stronger and seeing that through.
“I’ve said it in the past, we’ve not achieved anything yet, we’re under no illusions but we’re heading in the right direction.”
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“Consistency is key”
A fantastic performance from Paul Pogba against Fulham saw the French World Cup winner bag two goals in their 3-0 win over the Premier League strugglers.
The win pushed United above both Chelsea and Arsenal after looking seriously unlikely to challenge for a Champions League place earlier this season.
Jones insists that the club always knew they could get back in the top four this season, but now need to build on their performances as the season progresses.
He continued: “We knew we could get into the top four. It’s a big statement from where we were. We just need to keep improving and keep picking up points.
“Consistency is key in any sport and it’s no different here. We’re putting a run together, we need to keep momentum going and pick up points. It’s a tough period coming up, but these are the games you want to play in, the games you want to be available for. Bring it on!”
The post Jones: Man Utd were a “laughing stock” at the start of the season appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka News http://bit.ly/2DGLLu3
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