Player Focus: Jermaine Jones Will Reinvigorate New England Revolution

Jermaine Jones has become Major League Soccer’s Arturo Vidal this summer. Both are midfielders, but the comparison between the two can be found in the transfer sagas they have sparked over the past few weeks and months.

But while Manchester United have thus far been left disappointed in their pursuit of Vidal, Jones made his switch to MLS last week. But the 32-year-old didn’t end up at the club that chased him most; the Chicago Fire.

Instead Jones was allocated to the New England Revolution through a ‘blind draw’ – essentially a league official picked between two sealed envelopes, each with a team’s name in it. But which team needed Jones most? And how will Jay Heaps and the Revolution use him?

The midfielder arrives in MLS with his stock at an all-time high. Often derided as the US national team’s weak link, Jones enjoyed a hugely successful World Cup, shining the brightest of the Americans in Brazil alongside Fabian Johnson. At a time when soccer went mainstream in the States, Jones was a poster-boy

What Jones brings to midfield is energy and thrust, which is always difficult to plot with statistics. However, the performance of both the Fire and the Revs up to this point this season gives us an idea of how the midfielder would have fitted into either team.

At the World Cup Jones made an average of 1.3 key passes per game, a credible tally given that inventiveness is not really the prime quality of his game and considering the calibre of opposition the USA found themselves up against in Brazil.

His average of 36.5 passes per game also stacked up favourably in comparison with his American teammates, and of course he provided one of the moments of the World Cup (certainly from a US perspective) by lashing in a thunderous strike from distance against Portugal.

For someone who spends most of their time on the run, Jones’ passing statistics are surprisingly impressive. Before the World Cup it was often claimed that someone like Michael Bradley - his USA midfield partner - made Jones look clumsy and frankly uncoordinated. And yet both his MLS suitors this summer targeted him for how he could help them control and dictate games.

The Chicago Fire have the second lowest average share of possession in the league, with 44.9%. Only Chivas USA have a lower average share. New England certainly can’t claim such midfield deficiency, but the Revolution could also do with a more solid central platform, boasting an average possession share of just 49.8% per game.

However, it is the Fire in particular that are lacking threat from the central midfield area. Jeff Larentowicz – a defensive player – is their most dangerous midfielder on the basis of shots per game, with 1.3 per game.

That statistic demonstrates just how anaemic Frank Yallop’s side is in midfield, and how badly they needed Jones. They also needed him for his key passes, with the Fire’s top three performers in the corresponding stats column all forwards.

They needed Jones to provide some sort of grit and resolution in the centre of the pitch. In that sense there perhaps is another parallel to be drawn between Chicago’s chase of Jones and Man Utd’s of Vidal.

But the MLS magic eight ball didn’t take that into account and the New England Revolution were allocated America’s latest big name soccer star. The Revs are a much more resolute side than the Fire. In fact, you could argue that New England’s strongest position is their midfield, although their defence has been pretty handy of late too.

Yet while Chicago wanted Jones to provide structure, New England want him to break the structure they already have, illustrating just how versatile the midfielder is. He is different things to different teams.

Alongside Lee Nguyen New England will have one of the best central midfields in the league, with the former PSV man averaging 2.2 key passes and 48.2 passes overall per game this season.

With Diego Fagundez, one of MLS’ brightest young wide operators on one side, Daigo Kobayashi on the other, Andy Dorman as the anchor and Nguyen and Jones in the centre, the Revolution will be a formidable outfit.

The signing of Jones is seen as a renewal of interest in the New England Revolution by the Kraft family, who have been accused of treating the club as a secondary concern to the more illustrious NFL team the New England Patriots, who they also own.

However, with something of a corner turned following a mid-season slide of eight straight defeats, the arrival of Jones at Gillette Stadium could see the Revolution become genuine contenders. All the while the Chicago Fire look on wistfully.

What can Jermaine Jones bring to New England Revolution? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below