Versatility can be both a boon and a curse. That is the problem that Wayne Rooney has had in the big European games for Manchester United. Ideally he would prefer to play behind the main striker but he is often shunted out to the wing to accommodate Alex Ferguson’s tactics on a given matchday.

Phil Jones is another player who has yet to nail down an exact position. During the first 18 months of his United and international career he has played at right back and defensive midfield, while he has always been seen as a centre-back in the making.

Judging from his performance directly alongside Michael Carrick at the heart of the midfield against Real Madrid, he is fully capable of providing a defensive shield at the highest level.

That showing at the Bernabeu followed a combative performance against Everton where he shackled the dangerous Marouane Fellaini who had caused so much damage in the opening game of the Premier League season.

Jones’ pass success rate against Real Madrid was just 59 per cent as United wisely ceded possession to the home side but even the normally metronomic Michael Carrick only completed three quarters of his passes.

Average passer

Apart from the fact he was positionally disciplined as an anchor, a back to the wall performance tells us little about how Jones would cope in midfield when United have to be more proactive.

His pass success rate in the Premier League is distinctly average for a midfielder at 79 per cent and drops down to 68 per cent in the opposition half. That would be an area to work on but at 20 he still has a number of years to improve the technical side of his game if he is to have a future in midfield.

Jones does have the pace and power to cope defensively at right back with a tackle completion rate of 85 per cent. Last season he did provide three assists while his cross accuracy rate this season is a respectable 20 per cent.

While his future is seen at centre-back, he has rarely played in that position for United. But he does have the height, strength and tackling capabilities to be a success there. However positional awareness in the back two is an issue that has yet to be tested.

For now it seems that Ferguson has earmarked him to fill in at defensive midfield despite uneven distribution but whether that will become his default position is still open to question.