Jones backs Reds to find answers

MANY of the Premier League's foreigners may struggle to understand the concept behind England's packed festive football calendar, but Manchester United defender Phil Jones is not among those complaining.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Chelsea’s Andre Villas–Boas are among those to have made their feelings known about a fixture list that has forced them to play five games in little over a fortnight.

With some bizarre scores for most teams, it is easy to see why they feel it makes a mockery of their intense planning.

However, it remains the time of year when crowds are at their highest.

And, even though United are one of those who suffered, when they were beaten 3-2 at Old Trafford by Blackburn on New Year's Eve, Jones has no axe to grind.

"Everyone has a little bit of a moan about how many games there are around Christmas, but the beauty of it is that everyone is in the same position," he said. "We just have to get on with it.

"It is about how we cope with injuries.

"We have been unfortunate, but we are still up there fighting with the best."

Jones was scathing of United's performance against Blackburn but the aftermath has been full of conjecture about Wayne Rooney, and to a lesser extent, Darron Gibson, both of whom watched from an executive box at Old Trafford when it had been anticipated they would be involved.

Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Rooney will be available at Newcastle tonight, which is hardly a surprise given the speed with which both parties have expressed a desire to move on from the disciplinary measures invoked by Ferguson following Rooney’s Boxing Day night out.

That offers the best chance of United bouncing back from their first league defeat since that 6–1 hammering by Manchester City in October.

And the response from that defeat, eight wins from nine games, leaves Jones suggesting United have what it takes to eventually clinch title number 20.

He said: "The way we bounced back from the Manchester City game was unbelievable.

"Not everyone thought we would. But that is what Manchester United does best; prove people wrong.”