MANCHESTER // Phil Jones says Manchester United have been spurred on by criticism of their performances.
United have lost only two of their past 20 Premier League games, but they had been deemed ponderous, direct and over-reliant on goalkeeper David de Gea until their last two matches, when they excelled in defeating Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
Sunday’s 2-1 victory at Anfield cemented their grip on fourth place and opened up a five-point advantage over Brendan Rodgers’s side, who are their closest challengers.
“We have proved people wrong up to now,” centre-back Jones said. “People can assume and predict and it is up to us to prove them all wrong. That is what the lads enjoy doing. We enjoy proving them wrong.
“People criticising does spur you on. You are always going to get critics. We are at a massive club here at Manchester United, and if things aren’t going as well as they should be then there is always going to be people wanting to have a pop at you.
“We just take it on the chin. It is water off a duck’s back to us. We know if we continue to produce performances like this week and last then I am sure we will be fine.”
While some players prefer to ignore outsiders’ opinions, Jones said United have not taken that approach.
“We have been well aware of the criticism we have had,” he said. “We are professionals and we are in a job where people have an opinion about you, and they are entitled to it and we just have to get on with it.”
While Jones joined United in 2011 and Chris Smalling the previous year, the two Englishmen, who used to understudy the old firm of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, have begun to establish a partnership in the past two games, when Jonny Evans has been suspended and Marcos Rojo has not been fully fit.
“It has been difficult for us,” Jones said. “It had been documented that me and Chris were going to be the next centre-backs at United, but it has not gone how we would have liked it.
“Somebody told me the other day that we have actually only played alongside each other about four times in four seasons. You cannot build a partnership on four games.
“Hopefully, now can keep it going and keep playing well together. We complement each other well.”
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