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Jones wants out at Schalke, will miss upcoming Qatar trip

Jermaine Jones Schalke 3 (Getty Images)

By FRANCO PANIZO

The new year might bring a new place to call home for Jermaine Jones, whose days at Schalke appear to be all but over.

Schalke released a statement on their official website on Thursday that said Jones would not partake in their upcoming trip to Qatar to prepare for the second half of the Bundesliga season. Jones has instead requested an immediate transfer, a wish which seems likely to be granted given that the U.S. Men’s National Team’s midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the season.

Jones asking a move elsewhere may seem surprising seeing as how the World Cup is a mere five months away, but things have not been all rosy this season for him. Earlier this season, he was dropped from Schalke’s squad for a UEFA Champions League game vs. FC Basel and the 32-year-old veteran also reportedly wanted to undergo a procedure to repair his knee during his winter break before changing his mind and postponing any surgery.

The Washington Post reported in October 2013 that Jones had hired a U.S.-based agency to explore the possibility of signing with MLS as early as during this winter transfer window. Jones allegedly wants to move his family into a home in Los Angeles and prefers to play for a club in Southern California, which means the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA are two possible destinations.

A regular in Schalke’s lineup since joining the club in 2007, Jones has made 14 league appearances this season and five in the Champions League. He scored one goal in league play back on Nov. 30 against Stuttgart.

Schalke are currently in seventh place in the Bundesliga, and are set to begin a Round of 16 Champions League series with Real Madrid in February.

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What do you think of Jones wanting out at Schalke? Hoping he comes to MLS or stays abroad? Worried about how this might affect his form ahead of the World Cup?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Jermaine Jones is far more trouble than he is worth. His on-the-field fouls indicate that he should consider seeking professional help. I hope that JK does not elect him for the national team. Leave the “grinder’ at home. We have quality players without serious character flaws who can fill his place. I also feel that MLS does not need someone with his record and his potential for causing trouble. Again, he is simply more trouble than he is worth.

    Reply
    • Certainly for a player whose game is largely built on speed, strength and covering a lot of ground, it’s going to catch up to you faster.

      Reply
  2. time for Chivas USA to get their act together!.. with LAG maxed out on DP’s for the foreseeable future there are all kinds of marquee players that really want to play in So.Cal

    JJ would be a force in MLS. Remember the January camp games vs Panama and Venezuela in 2012, when he was surrounded by MLS players up against similar level of opponents, he was a box-to-box attacker, ball winner, destroyer and leader. In MLS he would be a great player to build a team around. –> personally i think he just fits San Jose’s team perfectly. Kansas City or Colorado could work too…

    Reply
  3. To paraphrase from the last five years: “A house in LA? But I thought he only liked the US because he didn’t make it in Germany!”

    Or maybe he has opinions and feelings of his own that the internet fan doesn’t consider, and maybe only dual-nationals truly understand their individual situations and loyalties.
    Ditto for every other dual national on our team who feels American despite being raised elsewhere.

    Reply
      • Are they citizens? Were their parents? Did they have a history there before buying the houses? Or are we comparing apples to oranges by including context?

      • I don`t see why Jermaine Jones owning a house in LA is different from those cases. Why is the background of one`s person so important. Many rich people from all around the world own houses in California.

      • Every child around the globe drinks coca cola at some point. Are you really saying that the act of drinking cola means something different/special/patriotic for children with American heritage?

      • I am not denying that JJ identifies with the US btw. But I don`t see how owning a house in the US makes him different from any other rich German who owns a house in the US. Rich people own houses all over the world.

  4. jones is clearly in decline.. and now over-rated by those who think a jermaine jones-in-decline is better than guys like sacha and danny williams

    why is jones pretty severely over-rated? as mentioned in just about every post his biggest assets are “grinding” and ball-winning, yet he is too careless/casual with the ball to play a position, DM, that fully utilizes his best skills. at 32 he no longer gets around the park like he used to and is pretty limited in a CM role. at the highest levels you cant play an 8 who gives you so little in the attacking half. that would be fine if JJ adapted to a 6… but he hasnt, and as noted above, his inclination to give the bal away precludes him playing so close to the back line

    this season for schalke

    jones starting: 3-6-6
    — 3 wins in his 15 starts
    jones not starting: 9-2

    good bye JJ. the writing was on the wall… before schalke picked up kirchhoff from bayern…

    can JK read?

    as an 8 sacha makes up for any defensive misgivings by actually helping keep the ball in tight spaces and by offering both a creative and goal-scoring threat going forward. 8 and 2 so far this season. and his defensive game is massively improved since moving to anderlecht

    danny williams is the choice if looking for a pure DM. there is really no comparison with jones since jones is not a DM

    —–kljestan—bradley—–
    ———-williams———–

    Reply
    • You can’t be serious about that being your midfield trio. You would have to look at how that impacts the rest of the usmnt lineup. To have those three would require only Jozy in front of them and two wings (Dempsey and Landon, maybe???) Whether it were Williams or Jones as the DM with Kljestan and Bradley in front of them, that is not producing any semblance of an attack. Jozy has shown he needs that second forward (either Dempsey or Donovan in a withdrawn forward role or a second strike partner up top with him) to be effective and not look like is left stranded on an island.

      Reply
      • what do you like? dempsey underneath jozy? seriously?
        jones/bradley? seriously?
        donovan as a midfielder? seriously?
        zusi, bedoya or beasley in starting line-up? seriously?
        you cant be serious? right?

        ———–altidore—-donovan————-
        ——–kljestan———-bradley————
        fabian———-williams———–chandler
        ——-besler–goodson–cameron———

        for those who dont watch enough soccer to realize that a 3-5-2 is a formation that exists outside of “FIFA” – such as when arena deployed with USMNT in RO16 for the 1st time after losing to poland in 3rd group stage game in 02… choose either sacha or williams – both are better compliments to MB… and then fill the rest in with a comfortable 4-4-2 (4-2-3-1 / 4-4-1-1) that keeps you feeling relaxed…

      • If you were going to go with that formation then at least replace Williams with Bradley and put in Diskerud. Bradley is best dropping back setting the tempo. I know Williams is doing alright in the Championship but he was awful the last 2 times he played for the US in Russia and Honduras. I’d even take Beckerman over him any day.

      • if you are playing 3 in the back you need your DM tethered to the back line – not a good option for MB, who needs to have more freedom

        offensively, williams could basically drop onto back line – allowing bradley (and kljestan) more room to operate and also providing cover for wing-backs to get forward

        as ball turns over williams step into midfield to defend

      • you mean like the attack facilitated by the jones / bradley 4-2-3-1 in november? which of the zero goals in those games did you find particularly impressed with?

      • A few games is far too small a sample size to determine if JJ is on the decline, especially when he’s been nicked up or not in form for many of those. It’s a debatable issue but hardly as much of a done deal as you make out.

      • a few games? i mentioned schalke record for this season with and without jones in starting line-up above.

        jones is ranked by bild 229 out of 234 eligible bundesliga players

        he has been increasingly inconsistent for US over last 2 years

        at this point jones should have to win a starting spot should, not his to lose

      • Yes, you’re talking about 12 games. That’s NOTHING. one thing that drives me crazy on these boards is that nobody, no matter their pedigree, is allowed a run of bad form. Donovan was done, Howard was done, Dempsey is done, Altidore can’t hack it, Bradley was never that good. Its absurd. Yes, at his age, there is some concern of decline, no question, but players get nicked up, players fall out of and back in favor, they go through bad runs. Let’s just see if he bounces back before we shovel dirt over him.

  5. I think Kljestan should think about trying to force a move here as well. His stock is about as high right now as it’s going to be and Anderlecht is a very young squad. I think trying to play out the season in a top 4 league, or perhaps even France would help his chance of going to Brazil greatly. At 28 this is probably his best shot at a World Cup and might be still on the fence.

    Reply
  6. Welp there goes the “consistent starter in the Bundesliga” argument from the Jones fan kinds. Lets hope this finally wakes up Klinsi and Jones has to earn his spot on our roster. In my mind, Mix is the man until Jones proves otherwise.

    Reply
    • Until Mix proves he can take physical play, which, at the World Cup, will be a quantum leap level above the Norwegian league, taking him to Brazil is risky.

      Reply
      • If by “taking physical play” you mean coughing up turnovers and taking some yellow cards like our “enforcer” does, I think I’d prefer Mix’s style in the wc.

      • I’d be shocked if Mixx didn’t make the trip at this point. He’s been pretty much a fixture of late. He may not be physical enough for some opponents, but he gives you technical and aggressive creativity that arguably no other US midfielder has, so he’s certainly worth having as a situational substitute.

      • Mix convinced me last summer and in the autumn WCQs that is not a wimp. It seemed to me he can handle himself with the big boys. He definitely can dish it out, capable of a dirty foul to make a Jermaine Jones type statement. Not saying that he should be picked for Brazil, but he is close to make the cut, I think, probably in the Top 30. I wish he could make a move in January to a better league to improve his game between now and June.

  7. He wants to move his family to America? Why is everyone so bothered by this. Let him do what’s best for his family. People need to stop being so d4mn entitled or selfish. He needs to move here so I can him play here. He should move here cuz blah blah blah. He sucks. I mean geez I’m glad I stopped coming to these forums. Bunch of negative people who think they’re soccer knowledge gods

    Reply
    • Thanks you for correcting us and instead suggesting that the best move for a professional athlete, with a limited career length, earnings potential, and chance for success, is to go where his family would like.

      Reply
  8. It’s interesting that some of the dual-nationals the US picked up, formerly Germany based, are now moving outside Germany on loan or transfer (Williams also).

    Reply
    • Being a US international makes increases their value in English speaking football countries. If Jones wants to get a decent contract, he has to leave Germany – a German midtable team won`t overspend for a 32 y.o. with dodgy knees while English clubs have more money than German clubs.

      After his previous stint at Hoffenheim, Williams would have struggled to get a decent contract in Germany – again, Chmapionship clubs have more money than 2nd Bundesliga clubs. And being a US international certainly helps to find a club in England.

      Reply
  9. HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    hey, Nate Dollars, my comment above about Sunderland was spot on…

    Jones set for Schalke exit as Villa, West Brom and Sunderland eye USA midfielder
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2532703/Jermaine-Jones-set-Schalke-exit-Villa-West-Brom-Sunderland-eye-USA-midfielder.html

    I actually think it is possible with some sweet words from the man who loves him (Herr Klinsmann) to get a gig with a Top Six team in the Premier League. But I truly believe the safer bet would be to go to Sunderland where he would be an immediate star. Poyet would love him. And let’s not forgot, Jones is capable of some very sweet passes from the midfield to Jozy.

    Reply
    • Jozy would love this move, I remember that sweet long ball Jones sent to Jozy for a goal, a couple years ago against Poland in a friendly. I have watched a handful of Sunderland matches unforgettably lol and I haven’t seen anyone in that midfield capable of such a pass, well maybe Ki but he’s hot and cold.

      Reply
      • yeah, and the pass to Dempsey for the goal in Honduras in February also was great. Unlike Michael Bradley, Jones does not get proper credit for his good performances and Jones gets 10x the criticism teflon-coated MB gets for his mistakes, not mention that Jones often gets unfairly treated with player ratings from some media types.

        A move to Sunderland would be a PR bonanza for all involved and inject the excitement of bad boy Jermaine Jones, not mention lift the level of the midfield and give JJ90Y plenty of playing time until Brazil. The billionaire who owns Sunderland has to make this happen.

      • @TomG: Would you mind explaining how I bashed MB? I mean really, what exactly in my comment do you perceive as bashing. With all due respect, I think your comment confirms my teflon statement.

      • The phrase Teflon coated implies that he is overrated and doesn’t get criticized which seems crazy to me. He’s one of the most unjustly critiqued US players in history. Though I suppose you could say that about any of the top US players (Deuce, Landon, Jozy). They all receive an amazing amount of irrational hatred IMO.

      • okay. thanks. in my opinion, what you are saying might have been valid when MB was playing for his dad. But I think those days are long gone with MB’s move to Italy and his subsequent huge improvement and not many maintain now under Klinsmann that he does not deserve his place on the team. That said, it seems to me that MB is now handled with kid gloves compared to basically every other player on the team and anyone voicing even the mildest of critiques about an MB performances is immediately attacked by the pit bulls. Sort of a chilling effect, if you will. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum are guys like Jones and Kyle Beckerman who are open game.

      • Beckerman can’t be mentioned in remotely the same class as MB and JJ so I think that’s apples and oranges. I tend to try to provide positive perspective for all top players as there is so much unreasonable hatred for all of them being flung around IMO. It seems as soon as a guy has some level of success, then they automatically completely suck in the eyes of some posters. I’m not a huge fan of JJ’s game, personally, and I don’t think he’s been able to consistently replicate his UCL form with USMNT so I don’t generally come to his defense as much as other players, but that’s just personal preference. His pedigree is among the best of any USMNT player in history and it’s absurd to say he’s not a tremendous player. Is age beginning to take its toll and is he necessarily a perfect fit to start in the USA midfield? Those are different questions and could be debated reasonably IMO.

      • I don’t think he was bashing Bradley, but Bradley is beloved around these parts now a days, wasn’t always that way but certainly is true now. Bradley is not so much better than Jones but the way people praise Bradley you would think otherwise. Jones is pretty good himself and doesn’t get enough credit. I will say he tries to do too much at times and Bradley keeps it too simple to cover for Jones when they’re both partnered together. If both Jone and Bradley find a way to balance it out and form a better understanding it will do wonders for us this summer.

      • well put, Jay in Florida. I do think JJ at his best is much better defensively than MB, but MB now holds the edge as a distributor. so yeah, agree that it would be great if they could play well together.

      • biif has a very long standing dislike for the Bradleys in general.

        Nevertheless, the teflon comment is accurate and people on SBI act like Mikey is an untouchable god.

        His primary importance stems from the fact that he is remarkably consistent. Which is vital since he has assumed the ” Reyna role” on this club i.e, he is the time keeper, the man who sets the tempo and keeps things circulating. At this late date the US has no one to really replace him. Jones or even Sacha could do it but JJ is not as consistent and Sacha would need a run of games at the job to take it over and he won’t get that.

        Mikey is a fine player but on SBI if you don’t start out every discussion on him by saying how world class he is you immediately draw fire.

      • not true, GW, about a “dislike for the Bradleys in general.” I do feel that MB was given preferential under his father and that in the end the guaranteed 90 minutes every game without trying new options held the team back from being as good as it could have been and I do feel that MB has in Italy evolved into a very good player and now deserves a starting role on the USMNT. Unlike his big fans who post on this board, I do not think he is the most important player on the team or that he is irreplaceable to the team or that he should be the current captain. I do feel he should be judged by the same standards that all the other USMNT players are judged, meaning that his poor performances should be open to criticism just like other players have to endure and that his good performances should be praised, but not over-exaggerated beyond the level of performance.

      • I think whats so frustrating to most US supporters is we know he is very capable of a solid performance. However is also capable of giving up 17 turnovers in a half, or silly fouls that could get him sent off. Its not knowing what you might get from him that is worries people.

      • thinking more about the double standard for bradley and jones, i do think that part of it is that some fans have ‘grown up’ with bradley, and tend to look at him favorably.

        BUT, it’s also worth mentioning that, jones can be all over the place in terms of performance level (sometimes MOTM, sometimes godawful), whereas bradley rarely has a bad game.

        and when bradley screws up, it’s usually a sin of *omission* (not tracking a runner), rather than *commission* (bad turnover, bad tackle), so it’s not as noticeable (or stat-friendly).

        simply put: when jones screws up, he usually screws up big. therefore, he’s going to get the most criticism.

      • Good thing JJ never runs hot and cold, huh ;)? I actually dont see Ki as hot and cold at all. Ki is a much more accurate passer. He was at or near the top of Liverpool’s passing stats last year, I think. JJ is much more of a gambler. JJ is obviously a much more physical and athletic ball winning type of CM. They might complement eachother well.

      • Ki doesn’t seem to take risks at Sunderland this year like Jones does and I think because sometimes teams don’t expect that killer ball from Jones is why he can pull it off. I do think Ki is capable maybe he’s restricted because of Sunderland’s defensive limitations but having Jones there with his defensive presence and threat offensively can give Ki more freedom to create such passes.

      • Ki is no different from a number of Sunderland players.

        He is used to playing on a team, not a disorganized group of talented players which is what Sunderland is right now.

        That is why you see so many hopeful 30 yard bombs.

        That is why Fletcher is so valuable right now because Route One football does not need as much practice as other styles.

        Once they get more organized then maybe we will see just how good Ki is. Maybe.

      • Not sure if KI has that killer through ball mentality in him. He’s an extremely accurate, safe passer, much like MB. He’s more likely to set up the pass that leads to the goal.

    • Sunderland DO desperately need a ball winning engine like JJ in the midfield to pair with Ki. I don’t see them paying him big money, though, after their disastrous off season signings.

      Reply
  10. If he is serious about wanting/needing knee surgery, MLS makes some sense since he would have a couple months to recover before playing. The thing I don’t understand is how he will pass a physical if his knee is not sound, it appears he and Shalke disagreed on the need for surgery; that might make any team reluctant to pick him up without the surgery that he claimed (at one time) that he needed.

    Reply
    • Jones made that comment about having surgery in a fit of anger after Schalke announced he would be left off the next game’s roster as punishment and then later retracted it, making a joke as if he had been misquoted by the Bild newspaper which he was not. He made the comment on TV. If he would have truly needed surgery Schalke would have had no choice but to let him have it.

      Reply
  11. I can only see this as a positive move for the usmnt. The fans here aren’t concerned with his club future, only his immediate future and how it best prepares him for Brazil.
    His season at Shalke has become an oil/water doesn’t mix situation, so if he can play somewhere that helps get him ready for Brazil, that’s good.
    As far as a locker room guy, there has been nothing but positive things said about him in the usmnt locker room ever since Bradley brought him in… and that’s the only locker room we really care about.
    And come WC time, we’re gonna need his experience and tenacity, the guy who played against Mexico and who went 110% with a gash in his ankle…. not the guy with 17 turnovers against CR….
    So if a move gives him a little break to heal up and get in a better place… I say good for us

    Reply
    • Everything else aside, Jones remains the only man on the USMNT roster who remotely resembles a true enforcer.

      At some point in the World Cup it is guaranteed to get chippy and ugly and they will want Jones around.

      Reply
      • This comment reminds me of the Brazil IF. When Marcelo kicked the ball at Cherundolo’s head when Cherundolo was on the ground. 10 seconds later, Neymar gets up-ended by JJ sending a message. Sometimes you need someone like JJ when the other side starts playing ugly. That said, we need JJ at his best and not coughing the ball up. 20 turnovers isn’t a good trade-off for having an enforcer on the field.

      • What was interesting about the tackle that JJ put on Neymar was that it could have injured Neymar but Jones did it in such a way so that the chances for serious injury were minimized.

        Still, the point was made.

        People are also underestimating how utterly motivated and focused JJ can be when the US really needs him. The bigger the occasion, the more focused JJ seems to get.

        It will never be any bigger for Jones than playing Germany in the World Cup for real.

      • another thing that was interesting about that tackle was that jones did it in such a way that it could have easily gotten a red card from some refs. but hey, at least he would’ve made his point.

      • Mr. Dollars,

        DId you see the game ?
        The US was getting “owned” by that little p***k Marcelo who was pushing the US players around and having things his own way.

        At the time, the US had no way of knowing if they were going to meet Brazil in Brazil so this is not a good thing, you know that mental edge business?

        I think a yellow card in a friendly , which is what Jones got , was worth making a statement to Brazil. Had it been a red it still would have been worth it.

      • of course i saw it.

        a yellow card might be worth ‘making a statement’, if brazil even noticed (i’m sure neymar did).

        a red card (which it could have been)–along with the resulting suspension–would not have been worth it.

        i’d rather have one of our best players still on the field, rather than this ‘mental edge’ you think is so important.

      • This comment reminds me of a response Ives said in his last Q & A when asked about what was going to happen when you have Jones and Pepe on the same field. His response was something like:

        Pepe is crazy but Jones is a true hardman from a tough neighborhood. Crazy people tend to sober up when confronted by a true hardman.

      • The flip side of this, of course, gets emphasized when people go back to describing JJ as a yellow/red car waiting to happen, or words to that effect.

  12. From the perspective of MLS, getting Jones, another WC lock and likely starter would be big for marketing the league. Not so sure he’d actually be a draw to many MLS fans though. He is certainly good enough to be a strong MLS player though.

    Reply
    • I don’t know if MLS teams would pay $5 million for his services. For that kind of money, you want someone to score goals. In MLS, there are many competent ball winners you could get away with paying a working man’s salary.

      Reply
      • $5 million a year? I think the real debate is whether he: (a) gets offered DP money and avoids the allocation process, or (b) does not get offered a DP salary and goes through allocation. If he gets an offer for DP money, I would think we’re talking about $500k, not $5M.

      • If Jones go to MLS between now and next year, he’ll be a DP no doubt. If he goes to MLS in 2016/2017 he won’t be, IMO. It all depends on whether he keeps performing at a high level, and how this next move pans out.

  13. I think you guys are being a bit harsh, Jermaine Jones is no cancer. He is at worse the second best midfielder in our pool and one can argue he is the best when he is on form. We absolutely need him this summer, heck had he been available back in 2010 we would of gotten past Ghana no doubt.

    There certainly has been lots of ups and down during his time at Schalke and I doubt he gets resigned on a new contract, so why not ask for transfer? He was bound to leave after the season anyway and Schalke already seems to be bleeding in new players to replace him. When he was at Blackburn in 2011, there was nothing but positives that was said about him and Blackburn wanted him on a permanent transfer. It didn’t happen.

    Jones certainly was a handful in his younger days but those days are behind him at 32, he is certainly a veteran player with years of experience playing 1st division German football and Champions League experience. He will a valuable assist to who ever decided to pursue as long as there is no drop in his performance.

    Reply
    • Agree with just about everything you say, Jay in Florida. All I am saying above is that he did not handle himself well last autumn. There were some news stories last summer and into August and September saying that Schalke was open to extending his contract, but not at 4m a year and from that point on Jone’s form on the field deteriorated sharply. Did not seem cool to me. Why would Shalke want to waste 4m a year on an aging defensive midfielder when at that price they can bring in young stars?

      Reply
      • Mikey couldn’t cut it in the Bundesliga and was run out of M’Gladbach when they were bottom of the table.

      • Didn’t MB 90 do well his first year with Gladbach and then run into problems with a new coach in year 2?

      • Wrong. He was one of the biggest reasons they stayed up. EVERYONE picked them to be relegated in his first season there. He only got benched when he demanded a transfer.

      • Good point Biff, he did reject a contract extension last summer at a reduced salary. He can defiantly make more money elsewhere like England for instance and that was most likely his thinking in rejecting that extension, he is in a good position to make a better financial motivated move this transfer window. For a 32 year old aging midfielder, who at best has 3, 4 maybe 5 years if he lucky to play at high level.

        I can’t fault his logic and in the grand scheme of things, it will most likely work out in his favor. Let’s say he transferred at low fee, he signs a contract for two years at Mid to Low level premier league club in England and afterwards play a few years with the LA Galaxy or Chivas USA. That is what would be ideal for him in his career and if it pans out that way he would of made the right decision at the end of the day.

      • Wouldn’t be so different that what Carlos Bocanegra did, he signed for the Rangers in Scotland and once that ship sailed he went to MLS to play for Chivas. I see something similar with Jones. He signs with lets say Fulham or Sunderland, they’re both in dire need of a play like Jones. He plays until his contract is up or the team is relegated and he moves to MLS, signs to a LA club just like Bocanegra did.

  14. I would like for him to hold off on the MLS until after the WC, would rather see him in a more competative league leading up to this summer. Like it or not JJ will be a starter this summer and we need him at his best/beast.

    @white kix, I dont see any evidence of Jones being a bad lockeroom guy, seems like a good teamate.

    Reply
  15. I have been a long-time Jones supporter, but I was turned off by his childish bratty antics this autumn when Schalke did not want to extend his contract, which at 4m euros a year is much too generous and I am amazed that Schalke agreed to such a rich contract for him in the first place and am not surprised they refused to extend at the same lucrative terms. It seemed to me that Jones was a disruptive force on the team the past few months, like the one game when he seemed almost happy to get a second yellow called and was sent from the field.

    All that said, I still think an in-form Jermaine Jones would be a tremendous asset for the USMNT in Brazil and I would be real happy to see him move to good team. You know, like Sunderland, which could use a man like Jones. Trouble is, the only league in the world that might be able to match Jones’s 4m expectations is MLS and no doubt some team will jump at the chance to squander a DP contract on him and he will become Jermaine-Cakes.

    Reply
    • so at first i was wondering why you thought sunderland could use someone like jones, and then i realized you could name almost any decent player in the world and say that sunderland could use someone like them. 🙂

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      • I still rate Jones highly and think when he is in his best form he is without a doubt the best and most tenacious defender in the US midfielder pool and I think he could help that leaky backline of Sunderland and now and then move forward to join in the attack.

      • Sunderland IS in desperate need of an athletic, ball winning midfielder, but JJ makes way too much for them to afford. I was thinking Mo Edu would be a cheap alternative if they can’t afford a proven commodity or as a guy to come off the bench. One of their biggest problems is that they get slaughtered in the center of the pitch. They don’t win balls, they don’t cover ground and they give it away too easily when they do get it. Mo would actually help in those aspects as a DM.

    • -repeating from earlier thread-

      Pleased with this as a Schalke supporter. Jones was way too inconsistent to be a feature player. Suddenly, that Kirchoff loan (which is basically a signing at 1 1/2 years) looks even better as he can effectively play a defensive midfield role – probably at a higher level than Jones. JJ contributed some very strong campaigns for the club, but it seems like the right time for both to part ways. He can still play well for a mid-table European team, or take a big payday to come to MLS, where I think he’d thrive in the later stages of his career.

      Also dig it because I no longer have to irrationally defend his spot on the depth chart for the USMNT.

      Reply
  16. Be interesting to see if MLS bends/forces the allocation rules for Jones as they have done for many others in the past – McBride, Bocanegra, et. al.
    I can understand wanting to help a player be where they want to be, but DC is at the top of the allocation order and Chivas USA, which seems a likely destination, is 13th.

    Reply
    • Jones has played bad the MNT but he is by no means a BAD player. He has quality and teams need a guys like him, a punisher.

      Reply
    • Have you watched an MLS game? Did you see the Cup Final?
      That was grinding soccer at its finest – or worst, depending on your point of view, I guess.

      Reply
    • Because that’s what defensive midfielders do? I know the KlinsiToTheExtreme set seems to believe that all we have to play is offense, but someone has to do the dirty work, particularly with our draw. What do you think the likelihood of escaping our group trying to win games 3-2 is?

      Reply
      • What do you mean by “dirty work”? Kicking people in the shins, which is what the German idiom for “grinding people” means? If that’s the only way we can hope to win, it’s a very sad statement.

      • A couple of years ago, I read an interview with Michael Bradley in which he proudly described his role on the field with a German term that translates as “dirty pig” or something similar. He explained that the value he brought to his team was the willingness and ability to do the dirty work– tracking back on defense so other players could take on the more glamorous attacking roles, providing constant midfield pressure to make the defense’s job easier, etc. In other words, doing the hard, less-rewarding work so that the team as a whole can shine. It doesn’t have to mean trying to hurt your opponents.

      • By dirty work I mean ball winning in the midfield. Given the speed of play and ground to be covered, as well as the skill of opposition, it sometimes involves sliding tackles, occasionally hard ones. Teams taking the responsibility serious, on up to the level of Italy, generally have a dedicated player in the ball winner role. Gattuso, et al. He wins the ball, passes it to the ballerinas, they set up the goal.

        Some people live in this world where poke leg tackles and positioning suffice and everything is about how well you get forward. But I think the best teams also defend well and pin the opposition on the other end, as opposed to this eredivisie two-way dreamland.

        You need at least one player willing to take on this role or your defense becomes swiss cheese. I’m not a fan of empty bucket but nor do I take seriously the talk like we don’t need anyone in the legbreaker role. The reason US teams have historically had a Mastro or Armas or Reyna is to fulfill this part of the division of labor. You can up the skill quotient — and I actually see Jones and Beckerman as a relative improvement — but you can’t get away without someone halting opposing midfielders before they’re in our 18.

      • Mr. M.,

        Check your history.

        Brazil has had a long list of very impressive, skilled, physical, tough tackling ball winners, many of whom make Jermaine look warm and fuzzy, since at least the early 90’s. Their beautiful game has had a steel edge in the velvet glove for a long time.

        Spain developed tiki taka in great part because they could not develop that kind of physical player and got tired of being pushed around. And that is great but you may find it very difficult to replicate that style for any number of reasons.

      • If Lyle Yorks is his agent then we will be seeing MLS pay a $5 Million buy-out to sign him in January just to sit until the season starts in April. He will also have a DP contract at about twice what any other club in the world would ever pay for him.

    • He has a home in the LA area, has stated his interest in living here, and has also stated that he wants to finish out his career in the MLS. He may be a German-American, but he seems to be all American in spirit. This could be the time he moves to MLS.

      Reply
  17. Every few months we get a Jones out/trouble/issue at Schalke story. It amazes me that 1) he is still playing there, 2) Klinsmann keeps this guy around for his leadership/presence. He seems like a locker room cancer dwarfing the legend of EJ.

    Reply
    • Schalke is a mess. They’ve always has been a mess despite their success over the years. For whatever reason, sans Bayern Munich, they seem to be the Bundesliga club riddled with rumors, rifts, and constant attention. I don’t always think it’s JJ causing the issues. I’m not saying he isn’t innocent but Schalke have a way souring relationships. It’s what they do. JJ has had on-again, off-again relationship with Schalke since he’s been there yet he’s been one of their most consistent, important players. I feel sure he will have some nice offers coming in. I would love to see him in MLS but it would take a truck load of money for it to happen.

      Reply
    • “He seems like a locker room cancer dwarfing the legend of EJ.”

      And you would know since you have been in the locker room so much and are real tight with those guys right? So what is it like?

      Does everyone get along as well as they try to make it sound or are they all really a bunch of egomaniacal backstabbers?

      Reply
      • I used the term “Legend” in refernce to EJ, because I (and most of you) don’t know the details. I also don’t know the details in the multiple issues I have seen reported about Jermaine Jones. The one thing I do know is that I have seen multiple issues reported between Jones and his club. Without knowing the legitimacy and details of these reports, I am making the assumption that there is Some truth to Some of the reports.

        Hence, I am suprised that he has been with the club for so many years. Also, due to the frequency of the reports, it seems at odds with a lot of the reasons that Klinsmann praises JJ. Now, maybe these stories are more frequent in Germany than they are in MLS due to the amount of media coverage, and I (as a US soccer fan) only hear about the ones involving Jones. But my comparison to EJ was intended to highlight how most US soccer fans consider EJ a locker room cancer due to these type of stories, yet Jones is seen as a grizzled veteran with important leadership qualities. It seems to me that the stories reported on these two are similar, yet the public perception are very different.

      • White Kix,

        That’s how you rate a person’s character? By trusting the media? Especially the German media?

        I’m a little more cynical than you. How does that saying go?
        Believe half of what you see and almost none of what you read or something like that.

        If either EJ or JJ are locker room cancers I see little concrete evidence of that on the field for the US.

        In fact, last year, when it really mattered, by and large, both guys mostly came through.

        And even if they are cancers, one of the nice things about a national team is they don’t spend a lot of time together compared to club teams.

    • Hold on fellas. Let’s not excoriate White Kix too fast.

      My recollection is that Jones has fallen out of favor more than once during his time at Schalke. He seems to be the go-to scapegoat for the coach or who ever is in charge of player management at the club during down periods. Wasn’t that the (or at least “a”)reason for his loan to Blackburn in the EPL a few years ago? His stay at Schalke has not been free from drama.

      And earlier this year, there were the season ending knee surgery rumors. This are obviously not well for JJ at Schalke. I assume that this recent “I’m not going to Qatar” is his push to get away from a coach/manager who does not appreciate him.

      Does this make him a locker room cancer? JK certainly doesn’t seem to think so, but I think it is at least a concern worth noting.

      Reply
      • Yeah? Why is it worth noting?

        If it is a problem , it’s JK’s problem and as far as I’m concerned JJ has, for the most part, been there when the US needed him.

      • I seem to recall when Michael Bradley, after several successful years, fell out of favor at Moenchengladbach and they basically kicked him out the door. Sometimes management is all messed up. I was just talking today with a friend who is close to his degree in management (and has been a ;manager himself for some years) and we both agreed that as a %, there are not very many good managers in business in general. I certainly wouldn’t automatically assume it is a player’s fault if he “falls out of favor.”

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