John Stones

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

@davek you and Eamon are on the same page it seems

Actually, I've never see the two of you together in the same room at the same time...

 

[Papa Shango]

We did see TWO 5th's on the run from the ginger divvy though

Imagine what we could have done if we actually went for it in big games.

 

[davek]

@davek you and Eamon are on the same page it seems

Actually, I've never see the two of you together in the same room at the same time...

It doesn't matter what coach you put him in with, he's not fit to be in a back four.

I've said for ages, just look at Stones in isolation when he plays. He is so aloof from the rest of the back line and GK it's incredible. It;s like a fan sauntered onto the pitch and tried to slot in. He is an individual playing in a unit that requires iron discipline - you move as one or you;re in a lot of trouble.

He's a Carrick type. Said it for years. Give him the responsibility of screening a back four and playing forward balls and he'll shine. Guardiola did the reverse move with Martinez at Bayern: took a CM of note and eventually adapted him into a CB. He needs to do that with Stones only in the opposite direction.

 

[degsy]

Eamon is right Stones IS gash, (in fact Pep's whole back 4 is gash and the goalies) he's been done no favours Re. development under Pep-lite and now under the real thing.
we did them over good style...or rather they did themselves over.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Truth is that we absolutely robbed City for him

 

[davek]

Eamon is right Stones IS gash, (in fact Pep's whole back 4 is gash and the goalies) he's been done no favours Re. development under Pep-lite and now under the real thing.
we did them over good style...or rather they did themselves over.

They're appalling. He had Puyol and Pique to thank for the success at Barcelona. The defending those two players did was astonishing. Never seen a CB pairing like them.

 

[davek]

Truth is that we absolutely robbed City for him

We have Roberto to thank for that. He brought him through as a ball playing centre back and persevered with his sometimes costly mistakes and the media were onto it - and then England.

All the talking up by the likes of Glenn Hoddle (who really should have know better) heaped millions on his fee.

In reality he's a very decent (potentially very good) defensive midfielder worth about £30M in the current transfer market.

 

[degsy]

It doesn't matter what coach you put him in with, he's not fit to be in a back four.

I've said for ages, just look at Stones in isolation when he plays. He is so aloof from the rest of the back line and GK it's incredible. It;s like a fan sauntered onto the pitch and tried to slot in. He is an individual playing in a unit that requires iron discipline - you move as one or you;re in a lot of trouble.

He's a Carrick type. Said it for years. Give him the responsibility of screening the back four and playing forward balls and he'll shine. Guardiola did the reverse move with Martinez at Bayern: took a CM of note and eventually adapted him into a CB. He needs to do that with Stones only in the opposite direction.

If you're right and Pep's as sharp as they say he is, it will happen*
*only 1 of these conditions is true...and Pep didn't get where he is today by not being sharp.

 

[davek]

If you're right and Pep's as sharp as they say he is, it will happen*
*only 1 of these conditions is true...and Pep didn't get where he is today by not being sharp.

He's too big a fee signing to completely drop. So it makes sense he'll seek to do again what he did with a relative (and expensive) flop at Bayern and change the players position.

 

[degsy]

He's too big a fee signing to completely drop. So it makes sense he'll seek to do again what he did with a relative (and expensive) flop at Bayern and change the players position.

So every coach he's had since he was 13 through Barnsley, Everton reserves / first team, England and now City have all somehow missed this all so obvious thing.
I
Wonder
Why.

Just be happy we skinned them for 60M for him and Rodwell...tbf they got some decent use out of Lescott, but we still made 17M net. on him. ( back when 17M WAS 17M)
The ability to look 'cool' bringing the ball out does not make you able to screen the back 4, you need a brain for that.
some have it built in, he don't...he's forever getting caught on the wrong side - zigging when he should zag...the sort of person who goes through life pushing doors marked 'pull'

 

[chrismpw]

The ability to look 'cool' bringing the ball out does not make you able to screen the back 4, you need a brain for that.
some have it built in, he don't...he's forever getting caught on the wrong side - zigging when he should zag...the sort of person who goes through life pushing doors marked 'pull'

Hey! Steady on, I do this! I put it down to being able to read mirror writing without noticing. So if the word pull is written on the other side of the glass, viewed in reverse, I'll see the word pull. Happens every time ffs and look a right idiot.

Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

 

[degsy]

Or maybe I'm just an idiot.

gave you a like for self awareness, but you've got more chance of being a defensive screener than Stones

 

[Caolam]

The jury can stay out for only so long. Judgement day must be near.

 

[The Cowboy]

The jury can stay out for only so long. Judgement day must be near.

Read some guff over someone's shoulder this morning that 17 players are at risk of that chop at City. Highly doubtful that Stones would be one of them, but if he doesn't improve markedly with a better compatriot alongside him, then I reckon this time next year could well be the day of reckoning.

In that respect he's a lucky boy; City's central defence has always been vulnerable when Kompany isn't playing, so Stones gets a free pass most of the time. Can't last forever though.

 

[davek]

So every coach he's had since he was 13 through Barnsley, Everton reserves / first team, England and now City have all somehow missed this all so obvious thing.
I
Wonder
Why.

Just be happy we skinned them for 60M for him and Rodwell...tbf they got some decent use out of Lescott, but we still made 17M net. on him. ( back when 17M WAS 17M)
The ability to look 'cool' bringing the ball out does not make you able to screen the back 4, you need a brain for that.
some have it built in, he don't...he's forever getting caught on the wrong side - zigging when he should zag...the sort of person who goes through life pushing doors marked 'pull'

No, I think he's ok for screening. He can deal with danger in front of him and he is combative enough for the role. And if he wins the ball he can use it. He's just terrible in terms of falling back as part of a defensive unit and keeping positional discipline.