John Stones | Performances

[Jazz]

Can you imagine if we'd bought him for £50M and he's performing like this? The press would have crucified him and make fun of us 'wasting money'.
He's lucky he plays for City - he can make mistakes and improve without the press getting on his case.

 

[FC Ronaldo]

Can you imagine if we'd bought him for £50M and he's performing like this? The press would have crucified him and make fun of us 'wasting money'.
He's lucky he plays for City - he can make mistakes and improve without the press getting on his case.

He'd have been lucky if wasting money is all they said!

 

[VorZakone]

He's pretty atrocious if you ask me.

 

[Kubalionzzale]

Can you all see now how English people overrate their own players? If we bought him we would've wasted a shitload of money.

 

[AllezLesDiables]

He's got little defensive awareness and appears to have the footballing brain of a cucumber. Andy Caroll's deal looks like a steal in comparison at this point. Maybe he'll come good but he looks completely put of place and might be more at home playing for Sunderland or some such ilk.

 

[Jaybomb]

He's rubbish. Remember when some of our fans were raving on about signing Stones and pairing him with Smalling? Imagine how shit we would be!

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Has been dropped or criticized in public by Pep this season? For all the grief he gets here he seems to be Pep's most trusted defender.

 

[saivet]

Has been dropped or criticized in public by Pep this season? For all the grief he gets here he seems to be Pep's most trusted defender.

All their defenders are shaky. You drop him and he's just replaced with another liability.

 

[Orc]

Don't see a single English journalist or pundit slaughtering him like they did with David Luiz. Wonder why that could be...

I honestly think Stones buys into his own hype. He dwells on the ball needlessly all the time and takes stupid risks. It even sometimes looks like he intentionally invites pressure just to show a trick or two with the ball at his feet.

He's a very good footballer (or can be when he's keeping it simple) but a terrible defender. I remember there was a thread here just before the season started asking who was better between Luiz and Stones. Most people agreed it is Luiz and based on what we've seen this season it's not close.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

I honestly think Stones buys into his own hype. He dwells on the ball needlessly all the time and takes stupid risks. It even sometimes looks like he intentionally invites pressure just to show a trick or two with the ball at his feet.

Just wanted to post this, i was a fan of Stones and i still am but he is really making life difficult for both himself and his teammates. Its great that he has confidence to try it, its great that he has ability to pull it of but he needs to find the right balance if he wants to be a good/great player and now there is no balance in his game. Playing yourself out of tough situations has to come naturally and at the moment he isnt natural.

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

He's not had a good start, but I have a hard time believing he's rubbish. A bit overrated, and young/learning, but hardly rubbish.

 

[TheSweeper]

Can you all see now how English people overrate their own players? If we bought him we would've wasted a shitload of money.

Well you tell me a club that has succeeded Atleast without some players from their own country? If we ain't going to put hype on them who else is going to be interested?

 

[VorZakone]

Can someone get a hold of Ja Rule so I can make sense of Stones' hype.

 

[robinamicrowave]

Obviously I have to defend him.

John was poor for Gladbach's goal tonight but he's been pretty solid this season given the circumstances. He wasn't signed to be our leading defender but unfortunately it's turned out that way - he's been thrown in at the deep end essentially. Kompany was supposed to be fit and lead Stones in but he's always injured; Otamendi was supposed to be level-headed but he's erratic and clumsy; Kolarov was supposed to retain his form from the opening weeks but he's gone back to being uncomfortable; Clichy was supposed to be a decent rotation option but his weaknesses have been exposed each time he's featured. Poor Zabaleta is getting on now, so it's only really Sagna who's been reliable at the back for us.

So Stones, at the age of 22, has become the core of a brand new Pep Guardiola defence when he should be learning from the older, more experienced players around him. Next season, when Pep's had time to make his mark, I imagine Stones will be the only survivor of the back four who finished the game tonight (Sagna, Stones, Otamendi, Kolarov). We're already looking at Alex Grimaldo from Benfica and we've been linked with Hector Bellerin, Leonardo Bonucci, Aymeric Laporte and Kostas Manolas in recent months - we're clearly looking at defenders.

I'm confident that Stones will turn out to be a solid defender. He might never reach the heights of Pique, Ramos, Bonucci, Chiellini, Mascherano, Boateng, etc. but he doesn't really need to in order for him to still be worth the money we paid for him.

 

[DWelbz19]

I'm confident that Stones will turn out to be a solid defender. He might never reach the heights of Pique, Ramos, Bonucci, Chiellini, Mascherano, Boateng, etc. but he doesn't really need to in order for him to still be worth the money we paid for him.

... He sort of does, mate.

 

[robinamicrowave]

... He sort of does, mate.

I'm not sure he does have to be in that absolute top, top bracket, though. By the end of his career, if it looks anything like Rio Ferdinand's I think he'll be considered a success.

 

[adamwest]

I'm not sure he does have to be in that absolute top, top bracket, though. By the end of his career, if it looks anything like Rio Ferdinand's I think he'll be considered a success.

Tall order it has to be said.

 

[Zoo]

I'm not sure he does have to be in that absolute top, top bracket, though. By the end of his career, if it looks anything like Rio Ferdinand's I think he'll be considered a success.

Rio was in that absolute top bracket as well as having the medals too.

 

[robinamicrowave]

Rio was in that absolute top bracket as well as having the medals too.

That's true. It wasn't really what I meant (I don't want to put Rio down because England needs to produce more defenders like him).

But Pique and Ramos have won it all. Stones doesn't have to be as good as they were to be considered a great in ten/eleven years' time when his days are numbered.

 

[DWelbz19]

But Pique and Ramos have won it all. Stones doesn't have to be as good as they were to be considered a great in ten/eleven years' time when his days are numbered.

So did Ferdinand, as well as probably being a better defender than both. Your posts are a little confusing here.

 

[Red_toad]

Can you all see now how English people overrate their own players? If we bought him we would've wasted a shitload of money.

So if we can all see, does that also include the English people who can see?
As I'm English why don't I over rate him?

As for whether City have wasted money, really never judge a players worth to a club within their first season at the club. They're generally bought and put on a 4/5 year contract. At the end of his contract we'll all know if he was worth their investment. Right now looks vastly over priced. But as the manager a lot of fans wanted at our club purchased him, I'd guess Pep thought there was value in there somewhere.

 

[Billy Blaggs]

I'm not sure he does have to be in that absolute top, top bracket, though. By the end of his career, if it looks anything like Rio Ferdinand's I think he'll be considered a success.

Rio was as good as all of them.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Obviously I have to defend him.

Why?

I don't just blindly defend United players.

Stones has made a tonne of mistakes already in a City shirt, it's the reason this thread exists.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

I'm not sure he does have to be in that absolute top, top bracket, though. By the end of his career, if it looks anything like Rio Ferdinand's I think he'll be considered a success.

So if by the end of his career he's won the lot like Rio and is a serial winner and one one of the best defenders of his generation he'll be a success.

Errr no fecking shit, but I'd say on current evidence that as much chance as Memphis' career looking like Ronaldo's.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

If Stones wins a bunch of medals with City all this stuff will be forgotten.

 

[11101]

Harsh to blame the other defenders when Stones fecked them all over, you need that vid to start 2 seconds earlier but you can at least see the Ihni binni dimi diniwiny anitaime on the floor there right at the start of the vid after making a right mess of a situation.

I particularly like the way he recovers just in time to unsight Bravo as the shot comes in.

 

[luke511]

Unless the man gets a new brain he'll never reach the top level, he's incredibly thick..

 

[GifLord]

 

[Hemil]

Thank you for the gif. Stones just falls over so easily like a fanny and his position at the end is also bad to play everyone onside. He has to learn the basics of defending right and Pep is the worst coach for him to develop. If he stays under Pep for long, he is not going to be a good defender in the long run.

 

[Mciahel Goodman]

It's not so much that he falls over, but that he falls over and stays on the ground for too long expecting the ref to blow. You have to get on with it at this level, especially as a defender. You can't just assume you'll get the decision.

 

[SirHenryPercy]

If Stones wins a bunch of medals with City all this stuff will be forgotten.

Like in May when they'll be champions.

 

[rollingstoned1]

So if he's as good as England's best defender and one of the best CBs in 2 decades then he will have done well for himself? Good to know.

 

[The BlackGaijin]

Oh my God it’s happening again!! It’s the curse of having the next ‘English gem’ in your team.
We defended cleverly as a future English Midfielder because Sir Alex backed him (most of you will deny it but a majority of us actually bought it for a minute). We all saw how long it took before people finally accepted that Rooney is gone. Arsenals are just coming to terms with the fact that maybe Wilshire, is not the next Pirlo.

So I urge non –City supporters to sit down relax and enjoy the excuses that will be made on behalf of Stones in the next few years. I have seen this so many times with English players that I feel like I am watching a re-run.
Next English Captain? Lingard is more reliable and can dab.

 

[Amar__]

I like how everyone talks about him maybe getting as good as the likes of Pique, Ferdinand, whoever, even though he is not even Phil Jones level for two years running. But for some reason he is expected to make some major improvements.

 

[Lurpak99]

England have fallen so far behind in football it's shocking. 20 years ago Stones wouldn't even have played in the PL with defensive abilities like that, he's just all over the place and costing goals in almost every game. Despite that he's one of the new hopes of English football, jesus....

 

[Rossa]

I'm not sure he does have to be in that absolute top, top bracket, though. By the end of his career, if it looks anything like Rio Ferdinand's I think he'll be considered a success.

If Rio had played for any other top club than United, he would have been regarded as one of the all time best centre backs.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

And I have a feeling Pep is not really worried about Stones right now. I think he would live with his brain farts defensively because of his ability on the ball. He is probably the only guy in the backline Pep will not try to replace in the summer.

 

[SteveW]

I'm not sure he does have to be in that absolute top, top bracket, though. By the end of his career, if it looks anything like Rio Ferdinand's I think he'll be considered a success.

Rio was better than any of the others you named there.

 

[Chaky_Best]

Stones is not better than Wes Brown at the same age. Not even talking about Rio.

English football is not producing good players and the English press is always overestimating them.

If you count on Hart, Walker, Stones, Cahill, Gibbs, Henderson, Dier, Alli, Walcott, Lallana and Kane to win the WC or the Euros....

Long gone the Scholes, Becks, Gerrard, Lampard, Hargreaves, Rooney, Rio, Terry, Cole etc

 

[SirHenryPercy]

Stones is not better than Wes Brown at the same age. Not even talking about Rio.

English football is not producing good players and the English press is always overestimating them.

If you count on Hart, Walker, Stones, Cahill, Gibbs, Henderson, Dier, Alli, Walcott, Lallana and Kane to win the WC or the Euros....

Long gone the Scholes, Becks, Gerrard, Lampard, Hargreaves, Rooney, Rio, Terry, Cole etc

Yeah because that lot and including Ferdinand much mentioned in this thread did brilliant at international football didn't they?

 

[Chaky_Best]

Yeah because that lot and including Ferdinand much mentioned in this thread did brilliant at international football didn't they?

They usually stopped in quarter, but you can't deny that they were miles better than the current group of players.

In 2008 you had Rio and Terry, today Stones and Cahill !