John Stones

[SchoolOfScience]

Hopefully he will take a leaf out of Seamus Colemans book after his night in Benfica, He will of learnt a lot today that will stand him in good stead for the future but he was absolutely horrendous today

 

[Tubey]

Hopefully young Stones will have learned a lot about football defending today. He was up against world class strikers...and got spanked.

It didn't help that Barry and McCarthy didn't turn up like.

 

[Walken]

No but when our options are so poor in that position then the very least you can do is make sure you are not vulnerable in that area by taking silly gambles on unproven players in that position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esXJN_OTkmU

 

[Kiwi]

I honestly thought he had a bit of a mixed bag, caught out of position a few times when we lost the ball stupidly but did really well keeping suarez mostly quiet. Couple of outstanding tackles on suarez imo, clean as a whistle. Just needs to continue to play, gain experience and iron the mistakes out of his game. Oh and his crossing was gash

 

[bainesontoast]

No but when our options are so poor in that position then the very least you can do is make sure you are not vulnerable in that area by taking silly gambles on unproven players in that position.

Stones had a lesson yesterday which cannot be taught in training or even competitively at lower levels. Cruelly, they are only ever taught when you are up against high-level opponents (precisely what Suarez and Sturridge are). Before the game, he was being praised left, right and centre and rightfully so. He deserved the start based on his form. There's no use in talking about if it was right or wrong to play him like a hindsight hero, instead the focus should be on how he applies himself after adversity.

There's a reason why the phrase "make or break" became so popular, because there genuinely is make or break situations throughout life.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

It didn't help that Barry and McCarthy didn't turn up like.

McCarthy was total mince, Barry was Ok IMO.

Stones had a poor game, they targeted his flank & he was continually caught out.

 

[TX Bill]

Stones should never have been playing RB with Hibbert on the bench, i'm sorry but that was a terrible mistake by Martinez and although alot of us take the piss out of Hibbert, in my opinion he is a solid defender with bags of experience.

Agreed here and I actually thought that before the match. Seriously.

If you're not going to play Hibbert in that match with the injury situation we have, then why is he in the squad?

 

[TX Bill]

hibbert is dreadful, can totally understand why martinez went with stones, didnt have a great game, but using a fantastic hindsight argument is absolute nonsense, lol at the little hibbert fan club

Wrong.

 

[TX Bill]

A talented player in the making, playing Hibbert wouldn't have made a jot of difference to the outcome.

Don't see Hibbert getting caught out for that third goal like Stones did. Too much experience for that to happen there.

 

[Walken]

Don't see Hibbert getting caught out for that third goal like Stones did. Too much experience for that to happen there.

Unless hibbert has suddenly become tassoti in his own absence he would not have limited anything except the attack, he refused to get forward against stevenage let alone liverpool, Stones had to cope with an out of sorts ch pairing as well, it was the right decision to play stones, saying hibbert could have made a difference is romantic nonsense, and his positional play was never that great anyway. Do some people really want to go back to the moyes days of picking experience over talent and form

 

[DanEFC92]

Unless hibbert has suddenly become tassoti in his own absence he would not have limited anything except the attack, he refused to get forward against stevenage let alone liverpool, Stones had to cope with an out of sorts ch pairing as well, it was the right decision to play stones, saying hibbert could have made a difference is romantic nonsense, and his positional play was never that great anyway. Do some people really want to go back to the moyes days of picking experience over talent and form

Maybe Hibbert not going forward much would have been a good thing. We were too adventurous at times, leaving MASSIVE gaps in the backline, which was exposed on numerous occasions

 

[Walken]

we still would have played a high line, but with a worse player on the pitch, would people want coleman dropped for hibbert in big games, because he gets forward more than stones even

 

[DanEFC92]

we still would have played a high line, but with a worse player on the pitch, would people want coleman dropped for hibbert in big games, because he gets forward more than stones even

But Coleman's more than capable in attack and defence so...no.

 

[Southall1EFC]

But Coleman's more than capable in attack and defence so...no.

you're aware of how horribly slow hibbert is right? besides that, stones had a decent game. given, he was exposed defensively a few times, I thought he provided an excellent outlet from defense that was desperately needed. can't blame the lid for being caught in possession a few times when we're being utterly overrun.

 

[Walken]

But Coleman's more than capable in attack and defence so...no.

personally i would say so is stones, he also adds height against a known set piece team, saying we should have picked hibbert after the fact because stones had a less than perfect game is all well and good, but i back berto on this one, it was the right call