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John Stones

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I've been on the John Stones train since THAT pre season penalty... Everytime he uses his world class ball control to humiliate attackers I scream in joy the closer to our goal line the better... And why?

Because it will be another lifetime until we witness it performed at Goodison again! I also have absolute faith in him


In Stones I Trust
 
MACCA75 said:
I think the crowd are within their rights to want a central defender to knock the ball safe, just days after the same player has conceded a penalty in injury time, to let in the 7th home goal inside 2 games.
He's not the messiah, he's a naughty boy.
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He did not concede a penalty... The feckin mother fecker of a referee gave a penalty... Where to all but him and that other mother fecker on the far touch line including all of the stoke cretins...saw a perfectly fair feckin' tackle. Phewwww!!!
 
BlueToff said:
People have suggested Shawcross as a Stones replacement.

Yesterday, there were a few moments when,despite having ample time and space to turn out of defence, Shawcross elected to boot it out of play.

And on every occasion, Liverpool applied the pressure from their throw-in high upfield, and pressed Stoke into a mistake.

If that had been Stones, he'd have played his way out and remained in control.

The game has evolved and against teams that press high, the best way to get out of trouble is not to 'boot it out'. It is to retain the ball and work a move forward.

Give me that any day.
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Agreed.

In that first half against Spurs we struggled to get on the ball and get out of our half. Spurs were pressing well and covering any passing options so normally the option would be to punt it or try to pick out a high ball up the lines. We did a bit of that, but I also noticed that Stones helped us a lot just by having the skill to receive possession when being pressed and turning his man and shielding the ball whilst he looked for a passing option.

He didn't always have the option and would have to go backwards at times, but it really took a lot of pressure off us to know that even though they were pressing us high we weren't going to just keep kicking long and letting them come back at us. IF....a big if...the manager is going to be with us a long time, then those qualities in our defence will be needed.
 
bicycleheader said:
Agreed.

In that first half against Spurs we struggled to get on the ball and get out of our half. Spurs were pressing well and covering any passing options so normally the option would be to punt it or try to pick out a high ball up the lines. We did a bit of that, but I also noticed that Stones helped us a lot just by having the skill to receive possession when being pressed and turning his man and shielding the ball whilst he looked for a passing option.

He didn't always have the option and would have to go backwards at times, but it really took a lot of pressure off us to know that even though they were pressing us high we weren't going to just keep kicking long and letting them come back at us. IF....a big if...the manager is going to be with us a long time, then those qualities in our defence will be needed.
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You lads make some great points
 

He is the best defender I have seen in my life time at his age not far from being the best I've ever seen full stop. (I'm 35) I'm usually ultra critical of those in that position as I watch centre halves more closely than any others on the park having been one myself. He is utterly brilliant.

Compare him to a funes mori who under pressure panics and hits it as hard as he can in the direction he faces or jags who is a ball watcher that often gets caught out due to that reason sometimes resulting in a great block as he recovers from being out of position that masks the fact the positioning was wrong to begin with. Stones has both the composure and the positional sense that both lack.

I've been lucky enough to see some fantastic players in that position up close at the same age as stones. None come close. Even those who were considered the best in the world when they reached 26-30. He is just utterly fantastic and we are so lucky to have him. Savour it because it won't be for long.
 
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I'm no lip-reading expert but from my obstructed view in the main stand I cold clearly say he was slagging us off again, again no expert but it looked to me like he was saying "FFS these fans telling me off for being basically Maldini, can't wait to sign for Chelsea and do the first ever rabona Penenka penalty, yerse".

Could have been saying "Come short" but hard to tell.

Thoughts?
 

[QUOTE="Flynnthistle, post: 4101450, member: 23965"]He is the best defender I have seen in my life time at his age not far from being the best I've ever seen full stop. (I'm 35) I'm usually ultra critical of those in that position as I watch centre halves more closely than any others on the park having been one myself. He is utterly brilliant.

Compare him to a funes mori who under pressure panics and hits it as hard as he can in the direction he faces or jags who is a ball watcher that often gets caught out due to that reason sometimes resulting in a great block as he recovers from being out of position that masks the fact the positioning was wrong to begin with. Stones has both the composure and the positional sense that both lack.

I've been lucky enough to see some fantastic players in that position up close at the same age as stones. None come close. Even those who were considered the best in the world when they reached 26-30. He is just utterly fantastic and we are so lucky to have him. Savour it because it won't be for long.[/QUOTE]

Have you never seen Beckenbauer/Maldini/Cannavaro/Baresi to name but 4? he's top drawer mate, but he has a long way to go before he reaches those heights.
 
d34noj said:
[QUOTE="Flynnthistle, post: 4101450, member: 23965"]He is the best defender I have seen in my life time at his age not far from being the best I've ever seen full stop. (I'm 35) I'm usually ultra critical of those in that position as I watch centre halves more closely than any others on the park having been one myself. He is utterly brilliant.

Compare him to a funes mori who under pressure panics and hits it as hard as he can in the direction he faces or jags who is a ball watcher that often gets caught out due to that reason sometimes resulting in a great block as he recovers from being out of position that masks the fact the positioning was wrong to begin with. Stones has both the composure and the positional sense that both lack.

I've been lucky enough to see some fantastic players in that position up close at the same age as stones. None come close. Even those who were considered the best in the world when they reached 26-30. He is just utterly fantastic and we are so lucky to have him. Savour it because it won't be for long.
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Have you never seen Beckenbauer/Maldini/Cannavaro/Baresi to name but 4? he's top drawer mate, but he has a long way to go before he reaches those heights.[/QUOTE]


How much of those did you see at the age of 21 yourself mate?
 
bluestevon said:
Have you never seen Beckenbauer/Maldini/Cannavaro/Baresi to name but 4? he's top drawer mate, but he has a long way to go before he reaches those heights.


How much of those did you see at the age of 21 yourself mate?
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I have seen plenty of the Italians mate, Beckenbauer is limited to videos/youtube i'm afraid! I'm 37 and can remember watching Cannavaro at Parma when he was young (not sure how old), and the great Italian national sides of the 90s (Maldini/Baresi/Cannavaro), i'm the same as you mate, used to play full back and I prefer a nice meaty tackle (ooooer) over a stepover any day.

I'm just not getting carried away with the whole 'John Stones' thing. He's good, VERY good, but he's not the best defender I've seen - IMO he's not even the best defender at the club... But he will be, and will be one of the best ever if his progress stays at the current rate.
 
d34noj said:
[QUOTE="Flynnthistle, post: 4101450, member: 23965"]He is the best defender I have seen in my life time at his age not far from being the best I've ever seen full stop. (I'm 35)

Have you never seen Beckenbauer/Maldini/Cannavaro/Baresi to name but 4? he's top drawer mate, but he has a long way to go before he reaches those heights.
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I have seen maldini and cannavaro on numerous occasions in the flesh and yeah stones is as good if not better as they were at his age and not far off them at their peak mate. Baresi I seen also, towards end of his career, completely different type of defender but very elegant like stones on the ball. At 21 stones is every bit as good as these guys. In my opinion of course.
 

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