John Stones

[Ring master]

Stones took the chance big time,and give me heart attack-but he has guts to do it,-just think if that spurs player had done a sliding tackle and the ball ended in the net

 

[bicycleheader]

...and he could have seen his pursuer snake a leg out and the ball fall lose in our area with TH to beat...not odds I'd take, tbh.

Thats why you are on GOT winding up 73.8% of the membership and our boy John is one of the best young players in world football Davey

 

[davek]

At United where he wasn't fitting in or near the level of Ferdinand, where making a mistake or being too risky led to him not getting a game.

Goes to Barca, opens up more and has more faith in his ability, especially with Puyol next to him for cover.

But the point being is that, the type of player Pique is fits a top top side where the pressure is bigger. But it still doesn't change the player.

I agree...and where the defenders and GK who are around you have the capability to get you out of the brown stuff if it goes wrong. THERE'S the difference with doing it with us against a decent team.

 

[ToffeeDoug]

I loved watching do it though, or rather I did once he had succeeded. Stones has clearly chosen the path he wants to go along and how he wants to play the game, as fans we will have to respect that and learn to take the rough with the smooth. We can't purr once minute and then slam him the next, although a bit more pragmatism in his game might be helpful. For a cricketing comparison, Ben Stokes could go out in the next Test innings, stick the ball up in the air from a skied pull shot and be out for a duck. That's the way he plays, as fans we are the ones who have to adapt to that.

 

[BlueLlama]

The tits who were screaming at him as he effortlessly turned away under pressure in the box need to stab themselves in the eye

 

[bicycleheader]

At United where he wasn't fitting in or near the level of Ferdinand, where making a mistake or being too risky led to him not getting a game.

Goes to Barca, opens up more and has more faith in his ability, especially with Puyol next to him for cover.

But the point being is that, the type of player Pique is fits a top top side where the pressure is bigger. But it still doesn't change the player.

Im lucky enough to watch Barca live here every game and Busquets would give you a heartattack with the things he tries when there is zero cover behind him but I wouldn't change him a bit, because the same cheekiness gains you ground and catches teams slightly out of position. He has been encouraged to play without fear and has gone from an unheralded youth team player, to being IMO one of the top ten players in the world.

I realise Stones could have cost us a goal, but I'd prefer he is encouraged to trust himself and not be too afraid of making mistakes.

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

Exactly. It's just common sense: dial it down a bit...especially against a pressing team like Spurs. It was absolutely daft and he rightly got stick for it.

There's two sides, as always...the kids cocky but many just want to see a bit more simplicity right now to steady the ship. Thankfully nothing bad came of it and thankfully he's got that much belief in himself. If he feels he's got that situation under control then I'm impressed, on that front.

 

[kenada_blue]

I agree...and where the defenders and GK who are around you have the capability to get you out of the brown stuff if it goes wrong. THERE'S the difference with doing it with us against a decent team.

Yes.

The biggest thing that should get on peoples nerves was the lack of support and not what he did imo

 

[davek]

I loved watching do it though, or rather I did once he had succeeded. Stones has clearly chosen the path he wants to go along and how he wants to play the game, as fans we will have to respect that and learn to take the rough with the smooth. We can't purr once minute and then slam him the next, although a bit more pragmatism in his game might be helpful. For a cricketing comparison, Ben Stokes could go out in the next Test innings, stick the ball up in the air from a skied pull shot and be out for a duck. That's the way he plays, as fans we are the ones who have to adapt to that.

That's a fair point, but to be equally fair to those fans who had a go: Stones had already played his way out of trouble once but chose to over egg the pudding by turning inside again for another serving of it. That's not playing without inhibition and with intelligence, that's just being a show pony.

Fans got that right. Hopefully Stones took a massive hint.

 

[kenada_blue]

Im lucky enough to watch Barca live here every game and Busquets would give you a heartattack with the things he tries when there is zero cover behind him but I wouldn't change him a bit, because the same cheekiness gains you ground and catches teams slightly out of position. He has been encouraged to play without fear and has gone from an unheralded youth team player, to being IMO one of the top ten players in the world.

I realise Stones could have cost us a goal, but I'd prefer he is encouraged to trust himself and not be too afraid of making mistakes.

And rightly or wrongly, Martinez gives that to the players.

Frustrating and arguably not great management in terms of improving our defensive play..but he's clearly just encouraged the players to have more confidence in theor own game rather than going to basics

 

[The Reverand]

Stones is without doubt an excellent footballer - but you don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Him nor Howard have any right to have pop at the crowd after their recent performances.

 

[Lowste]

And there are times when you let the player trust his own talent and confidence and try make the more positive attacking move.

Stones gets rid plenty of times. So basically he does both.

Time and place for me
The great ball playing CH's knew when to get rid, he'd will learn

 

[ToffeeDoug]

That's a fair point, but to be equally fair to those fans who had a go: Stones had already played his way out of trouble once but chose to over egg the pudding by turning inside again for another serving of it. That's not playing without inhibition and with intelligence, that's just being a show pony.

Fans got that right. Hopefully Stones took a massive hint.

I'm not saying that Stones necessarily made the right choice, he probably did over do it and ignored a chance to batter it away, and I can understand why some fans were going ape, but the lad has made up his mind, that's the way it is going to be. We can huff and puff and fume and scratch our heads and cover our eyes as much as we want, but I can't see any outbreak of more pragmatic defending any time soon. Roberto tells our players to go and out and be arrogant and I'm sure he is a big supporter of Stone's approach.

 

[bicycleheader]

And rightly or wrongly, Martinez gives that to the players.

Frustrating and arguably not great management in terms of improving our defensive play..but he's clearly just encouraged the players to have more confidence in theor own game rather than going to basics

Well I think it is right that he does that, whether its what some fans want for the club right now is another argument though.

With the pressure put on us in that first half, and with Distin and Jags at CB for example....we would have just constantly been clearing lines or hitting not so accurate long balls. Stones, because of the environment at the club now, was able to regularly turn and beat an attacker so we could move forward on the ground which is crucial in a game like that. Sometimes you are struggling to see where the option is for the players once Howard passes out to them, but then Stones drops a shoulder and we are on the front foot.

 

[Woolly Blue]

The tits who were screaming at him as he effortlessly turned away under pressure in the box need to stab themselves in the eye

They'd probably miss.

Last season I was shouting stuff like that at him. This season I'm much more relaxed about it and just enjoy watching him dance around folk Defensively we've been shocking for a lot of the season, but very few of the mistakes made have been down to Stones' ball skills letting him down.