John Stones

[Nymzee]

I'd have less heart attacks if we made him into some jarg defensive midfielder I think.

 

[ilikecheese]

I'd have less heart attacks if we made him into some jarg defensive midfielder I think.

I hate it when I spend time on a post and it ends up as the last one on page 474.

 

[Nymzee]

I hate it when I spend time on a post and it ends up as the last one on page 474.

TL;DR

 

[Tramps_mate]

Sell. 40m would be robbing City.

 

[ilikecheese]

TL;DR

FFS....words and stuff.

 

[Eggs]

...he's certainly not progressed since the transfer shenanigans started.

 

[AndyC]

Last night, basically the same side as last season played out a drab, but creditable draw at Old Trafford gains a squad widely be tipped - by a Manu loving media - to be champions elect or very, very close to it.

John Stones played between his fellow Barnsleyman Mason Holgate and RFM, and but for a couple of glaring aerial errors, he continues to look a cultured, ball-playing footballer.

But, is he a defender or a midfielder?
This question was posed last season in a front page article, and needs to be re-visited.

Stones oozes class when on the ball and especially in space where he can stretch his legs and move forward with positive intentions in his mind.

Stones looks less comfortable when needing to combat a big, strong, aerial threat... and there will be much stronger aerial threats this season than Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Stones seems to enjoy timing a tackle, but part of that art is positioning and this too is an area within his game that needs a little attention.

John Stones, despite being tempted by or pushing for a big money move to Manchester City and Pep Guardiola might actually be better advised to stay at Everton and learn more from the new manager Ronald Koeman. He was a classy, ball-playing defender and if anyone can correct the imperfections within John Stones, surely it's Koeman and not Guardiola who is best placed to do so.

At City, where after spending hugely on their new manager and two or three new players already, the pressure to win and consistently to justify that kind of outlay, will be enormous and if Stones were to be a part of that, would that pressure really help him iron out the flaws in his defensive game?

There will be increased pressure surrounding Everton this season too, but Stones knows Everton and in my opinion, would be better advised to stay and work with Koeman as a regular first team player rather than chancing his arm with ?City and possibly ending up as a bit part player.

 

[jackyboy]

If you think John Stones is in anyway a better defender than Ashley Williams you are just wrong.

 

[Jags..class]

Lets just get rid. Every summer we can't plan because of him wanting out. It will be the same next season, if he had another bad season and makes more mistakes then his value will drop and he will be 24 and just another defender.

We could get 2 quality players, one who can defend and head the ball. Stones will suit city rather then us as he will do less defending

 

[Billy Dean]

Make no mistake. Stones is going to be a world class central defender. Much rather lose Lukaku than this kid.

 

[blueblue]

Make no mistake. Stones is going to be a world class central defender. Much rather lose Lukaku than this kid.

I really don't see why you would say that. We can all see the talent that he has, but equally we can all see the mistakes and errors he makes and those mistakes will be magnified at City.
I do not see where he has improved as a defender in the last two seasons and that ultimately is what he will be judged as.

 

[Billy Dean]

I really don't see why you would say that. We can all see the talent that he has, but equally we can all see the mistakes and errors he makes and those mistakes will be magnified at City.
I do not see where he has improved as a defender in the last two seasons and that ultimately is what he will be judged as.

He had a few bad months at the end of last season. Prior to that he's been consistently ace. 22 year old kids make errors. It's just how it is.

 

[Nyhus]

Stones was pretty terrible, last night. Yes, he had his moments, but as a defender, you cannot make the mistakes he keeps on making. Luckily Funes Mori and, especially, Holgate were really good against the mancs.

 

[Lazio]

Vastly overrated player; Ferguson let Pique go because he knows you need more than impressive technical ability on the ball to succeed as an elite defender in England.

Holgate looks like a steadier version already, and Matt Pennington for me has the potential to become a John Terry-type stalwart for both club and eventually England. The intensity and positional nous with which he plays already eclipses Stones. Signing Williams is a great move, as it'll allow those two to develop and learn from and ultimately replace him and Jagielka within a few years.

 

[DownOnTheUpside]

I hate this thread...and I blame John Stones.

He is so damn good on the ball and does things that frankly no other center halves have done or do in a blue shirt. He exudes class...top rate talent with the ball in his feet. Looking like literally a world class player at a very young age.

That said, he's also equally frustrating as a defender for me. He shows flashes...which I suppose is down to his age...but more often than not he is a liability defensively, and has been from the jump.

Aerial defense? Non existent.
Positional awareness? Ball watches way too much.
Discipline? 'What is this discipline thing?' -John Stones

He has the potential to be one of the best in the world. We all know it and see it. BUT he is nowhere near that player today, and hasn't shown much to say he's going to make that leap as a defender.

Stones is sexy as hell, but so is 50 mil.

For me, today, Ashley Williams is the better defender, and defenders are paid to defend. Our biggest problem for the last two years have been shambolic defending. What a weird place to be when you are choosing Ashley William over John Stones in your head.

It's a difficult truth for me, and if we pull off the Williams deal, we will be better defensively...which is the #1 reason we've fallen so far in the table.

this