John Stones

[BlueToff]

For me, said it before I see him as a CM rather than a CB. ALA Beckenbaur!

He hasn't actually played and he's still getting slagged for being a bad defender?

He's quite easily the best centre half England have got. Cahill is awful, Smalling makes more mistakes than Stones does. Yet people jump on the few errors that cost us goals last season and believe that he's suddenly a bad defender.

He isn't. It's a myth.

 

[BlueToff]

Also worth noting that the lad / his agent have made no noises at all about wanting to leave.

By the looks of it City are set to sign Laporte in the coming days. That'll be £30mil + easy. I can't see Pep partnering two 22 year old's together in his first season in the Prem, tbh

 

[Titus Bramble]

Why have people suddenly decided he's no good? He's boss FFS

 

[BlueToff]

Why have people suddenly decided he's no good? He's boss FFS

Cos he didn't play in an England side that failed to beat a dreadful Russia team, mate

 

[Dymak]

Cos he didn't play in an England side that failed to beat a dreadful Russia team, mate

Is that the reason? Or is it because he was crap for most of last season?

 

[BlueToff]

Is that the reason? Or is it because he was crap for most of last season?

he wasn't 'crap' at all though. Read some of the comments in this thread alone from the first half of the season. He was superb.

He hit a rocky patch around Christmas and struggled to re-find his best form before getting an injury that kept him out of the side for six weeks (combined with the good form of both Mori and Jagielka).

He came back into a struggling team in late March and was comfortably one of our stronger performances as the season wore on - including a fantastic individual display in the semi-final - a game in which too many of our 'big' players failed to turn up.

He was then as good as anybody else in an England shirt in the warm up games, multiple times making up for Smalling's ridiculous diving in against Australia.

He hasn't had the best of seasons, but it really wasn't bad like you and others make out.

 

[Brendan Janus]

Why have people suddenly decided he's no good? He's boss FFS

Positional sense when defending needs improving, plus he ends up on his backside to often when tackling !!##

But yes he 'COULD' become world class !

 

[Dymak]

he wasn't 'crap' at all though. Read some of the comments in this thread alone from the first half of the season. He was superb.

He hit a rocky patch around Christmas and struggled to re-find his best form before getting an injury that kept him out of the side for six weeks (combined with the good form of both Mori and Jagielka).

He came back into a struggling team in late March and was comfortably one of our stronger performances as the season wore on - including a fantastic individual display in the semi-final - a game in which too many of our 'big' players failed to turn up.

He was then as good as anybody else in an England shirt in the warm up games, multiple times making up for Smalling's ridiculous diving in against Australia.

He hasn't had the best of seasons, but it really wasn't bad like you and others make out.

I disagree mate. I thought he was very poor for the majority of last season. His 'performances' against Liverpool and Sunderland were god awful. Although I imagine you will no doubt claim that he was deliberately pretending to be unable to win a heading duel for the latter half of last season, and that it was all Martinez' fault that he put in such disgraceful performances.

 

[BlueToff]

I disagree mate. I thought he was very poor for the majority of last season. His 'performances' against Liverpool and Sunderland were god awful. Although I imagine you will no doubt claim that he was deliberately pretending to be unable to win a heading duel for the latter half of last season, and that it was all Martinez' fault that he put in such disgraceful performances.

Not at all - they were bad. And while it can't have been easy for any of the players in the last few months of Martinez's tenure, that's no excuses for poor displays.

However, how you can say he was poor for the majority of the campaign is baffling.

I imagine you were one of the first to turn against Stones last year, yes, when he handed the request in? And that really it would have taken him to transform fully into the new Beckenbauer this season for you to not want him to be sold?

 

[Dymak]

Not at all - they were bad. And while it can't have been easy for any of the players in the last few months of Martinez's tenure, that's no excuses for poor displays.

However, how you can say he was poor for the majority of the campaign is baffling.

I imagine you were one of the first to turn against Stones last year, yes, when he handed the request in? And that really it would have taken him to transform fully into the new Beckenbauer this season for you to not want him to be sold?

Absolutely not. I'm not saying he was crap for the majority of last season because his transfer request may have hurt my feelings. I'm saying it because he was crap for most of last season.

 

[BlueToff]

Absolutely not. I'm not saying he was crap for the majority of last season because his transfer request may have hurt my feelings. I'm saying it because he was crap for most of last season.

Okay then, fair enough if that's your opinion.

I can't agree. I thought for the first half of the campaign he was quite easily one of our best performers. As I said, many of the posts in this thread from that time back up that sentiment. A struggle midway thtough the campaign with form and injuries, plus an apparent disagreement with the manager - but turned up with a stellar performance in our biggest game of the season - unlike so many of our other players.

 

[Khalekan]

Why have people suddenly decided he's no good? He's boss FFS

Here's what I think.

People haven't "suddenly" decided he is no good. Nor is he "boss".

Over the course of the season just gone people have gradually come to the realisation that John is not as good as many of us thought he was this time last year.

That is not his fault.....ridiculous levels of hyperbole were heaped upon the lid on foot of one full season playing regularly as a centre back in the EPL.

A totally absurd amount of money was offered for him by Chelsea and this enhanced his reputation among Evertonians, myself included, whom bought into the hype for a time.

Now we are seeing John for what he is.

A youngish centre back with great potential, still learning the trade and who may or may not mature into a great centre back.

Only time will tell.

FWIW I think John Stones would be best suited by staying at Everton and letting one of the best centre backs we have ever seen take him under his wing and whom might help him realise that potential.

(assuming Ronald is coming to us, that is.......Blimey O'Riley, this wait is getting old now )

If there was one thing we learned about John this past twelve months it is that he found it hard living up to the expectation and the hype hence him being taken out the firing line in the middle of the season when his limitations were being exposed on a regular basis. He came back all the stronger for that, but he still has a bit to do to start living up to the hype.

And this pressure will be ratcheted up many fold if he goes to City or Chelsea for a massive fee and fails to set the place alight immediately.

As ever, all IMO

 

[Blue Cheese]

Working under someone who himself was a world class defender should see John Stones give us another season, if Koeman ever shows up like.

 

[Abraders]

Stones is boss, keep him

 

[Connor]

Also worth noting that the lad / his agent have made no noises at all about wanting to leave.

By the looks of it City are set to sign Laporte in the coming days. That'll be £30mil + easy. I can't see Pep partnering two 22 year old's together in his first season in the Prem, tbh

Just extended his contract with Bilbao.

Release clause now up to 70 million.