Where next for John Stones?

[Rozay]

‘£50 million, down the drain, as some no mark striker, scores again’...

Signed for £50m 4 years ago having been chased by City, Chelsea and Barcelona - Stones was supposed to be the cornerstone of the new English team and philosophy of total football. He was seen as the perfect Pep disciple, but now, midfielders and teenagers are ahead of him in the pecking order. He’s basically the opposite of Chris Smalling. Can play football but can’t defend as opposed to being able to defend and not play football. The choices made regarding both fo their careers maybe highlights the new focus in that position as well as anything.

Can he ever find his way back to the top of the game?

 

[balaks]

‘£50 million, down the drain, as some no mark striker, scores again’...

Signed for £50m 4 years ago having been chased by City, Chelsea and Barcelona - Stones was supposed to be the cornerstone of the new English team and philosophy of total football. He was seen as the perfect Pep disciple, but now, midfielders and teenagers are ahead of him in the pecking order. He’s basically the opposite of Chris Smalling. Can play football but can’t defend as opposed to being able to defend and not play football. The choices made regarding both fo their careers maybe highlights the new focus in that position as well as anything.

Can he ever find his way back to the top of the game?

No because he never was at the top of the game - he never fulfilled his potential. He is still capable of playing in the Premier League but I don't think anybody in the top 6 would be interested in him.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

I think he should play in a 3 man defense that covers him better. Like England did in the world cup and City did for a while.
So why not moving to Arsenal for a low fee? Arteta knows him or should do. Maybe do not want him though I guess.

If not he could try to move to Sheffield, Everton (again), Wolves.

 

[FootyGirl88]

Probably back to Everton

 

[Zen86]

Nobody heralded Carrick as leading the defensive revolution when he dropped into defence, so I’ll never understood why Stones was.

 

[Rozay]

Nobody heralded Carrick as leading the defensive revolution when he dropped into defence, so I’ll never understood why Stones was.

A 5 minute video of both players playing centre half should solve any mystery.

 

[arthurka]

Italy could do wonders for him, still think there is a decent player there.

 

[Rozay]

Italy could do wonders for him, still think there is a decent player there.

I agree. I obviously haven’t seen what happened behind the scenes, but I think Pep has some liability here. Stones at Everton had huge promise. He was a good defender too, and I think Pep has scrambled his brain trying to reinvent football and he’s suffered. If he went to another club I thin things could have turned out differently.

 

[vodrake]

Hasn't really seemed to progress since moving to City. Still a player with the same strengths and flaws as when he first broke through, but now he's a senior player and isn't given the same leeway anymore. City's constant search for new CB's indicate that they're not likely to give him many more chances as well.

Don't think they'll sell this summer, but he's going to see even less playing time that before. Will end up being sold in Jan or next summer to a midtable team

 

[Gary_Walsh_Nou_Camp_Hell]

The scrap heap.

 

[V.O.]

I know you love a good ... but sticking one after a question mark has to be where the line is drawn, surely.

 

[Pep's Suit]

Probably to Newcastle, West Ham or similar club.

 

[Mb194dc]

Italy could do wonders for him, still think there is a decent player there.

Agree, think he's had a lot of personal problems which can't have helped him concentrate on football. Will he go abroad though and get his attention solely on his game? If he did he might still fulfil his potential.

Pep obviously had enough, most likely will go down as yet another overhyped overpriced English player who couldn't hack it at the very top level.

 

[Rozay]

I know you love a good ... but sticking one after a question mark has to be where the line is drawn, surely.

I’ll think about it.

 

[Rozay]

Probably to Newcastle, West Ham or similar club.

The lower down the league he goes, the less they have scope for a centre half famed for his stepovers more than anything else. He’s screwed in the sense that his game is configured for the top, progressive teams. I think if he can’t secure a top 6 side next, he needs to move abroad and play in Spain or something for one of the too sides there. Maybe even a Benfica perhaps.

He’s not a mid table style defender.

 

[VorZakone]

"Hasn't fulfilled his potential"

What potential are we talking here? He never really shone as a youngster in the PL.

Somebody like Varane on the other hand did show great promise at 18 years old. Even in the Clasico's.

 

[Rozay]

"Hasn't fulfilled his potential"

What potential are we talking here? He never really shone as a youngster in the PL.

Somebody like Varane on the other hand did show great promise at 18 years old. Even in the Clasico's.

That’s not true to be fair to him. He certainly had huge promise, and most top clubs wanted him.

 

[VorZakone]

That’s not true to be fair to him. He certainly had huge promise, and most top clubs wanted him.

Frankly I didn't see the huge promise . Everton shipped plenty of goals with him and he was also at fault regularly if I recall correctly. Varane looked much more composed and solid.

 

[Robertd0803]

He should go somewhere where he has to actually defend first and foremost and not worry about being Beckenbauer.

 

[Zen86]

A 5 minute video of both players playing centre half should solve any mystery.

A 5 minute video sounds about right for John Stones’ career.

 

[tentan]

Was even pretty average at Everton I thought.

 

[Blades1889]

Can he overlap

 

[SambaBoy]

Will probably stay for the homegrown quota then they will replace him with Ben White next summer for £60m. Always had flaws at Everton but the expectation was that he'd iron them out of his game and develop into a top CB. Too easily bullied by strikers and I'm not talking about the likes of Traore and Antonio, but just most PL strikers. He needs to move on to save his career but can't see anyone going for his this summer and don't think there has been too many rumours about him leaving?

 

[Ludens the Red]

Easily the most over rated and undeservedly hyped English players of the last decade.
Basically because this guy as a centre back moved with the ball out of defence he was heralded as this next big thing. Most centre backs can do this and actually know how to defend properly something he hasn’t really done consistently.

I remember that weird Barca fan on here who sucks off Guardiola talking about how much Pep would improve him. Nothing of the sort has happened as expected.

 

[Maluco]

I think Arsenal to replace David Luiz in the 3 in another year. He is a good passer and footballer and can play that role well I think with two real defenders either side. Needs to have the burden of good positioning and defensive reading of the game taken off his shoulders.

There is a player there in the right role.

 

[Karel Podolsky]

Frankly I didn't see the huge promise . Everton shipped plenty of goals with him and he was also at fault regularly if I recall correctly. Varane looked much more composed and solid.

I didn't see it either, he had potential but not huge. Kind of Phil Jones', Smalling's potential.

 

[roonster09]

David Luiz is twice the player Stones is but got lot of Criticism whereas Stones mistakes barely got any criticism.

He was very poor in his last season at Everton too.

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

I’ve always thought he was overrated and didn’t really ever show that much promise. It seemed to all be media driven. I remember chatting to my City supporting mate who said Pep would turn him into the next Pique. I told him then that Stones would never be close to being a top player because he simply couldn’t defend. The guy has always been a liability when it comes to actual defending.

 

[redshaw]

Time for Joss Stone to go back to the studio

 

[Yagami]

I agree with @Paul_Scholes18 about his point about playing in a back 3 & @arthurka about him being suited to Serie A.

I think he'd suit Juventus. They're football is really poor and adding him (alongside the signing of Arthur) would really help their possession play.

 

[EwanI Ted]

Pep was the wrong manager for him. He needed to develop all the basics of defending but focussed on the stuff he could already do. Then when City needed a player could do the normal defensive stuff, he wasn't up to snuff.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Easily the most over rated and undeservedly hyped English players of the last decade.
Basically because this guy as a centre back moved with the ball out of defence he was heralded as this next big thing. Most centre backs can do this and actually know how to defend properly something he hasn’t really done consistently.

I remember that weird Barca fan on here who sucks off Guardiola talking about how much Pep would improve him. Nothing of the sort has happened as expected.

I don't think that's entirely fair, the stats showed that he was one of the very best passers of the ball in Europe whilst he was at City, in terms of both short and long passing. His issue has always been the major errors that he makes and he's failed to address that. He doesn't make subtle errors, he makes egregious errors that can only be attributed to a psychological frailty. You just can't trust him, England fans know that.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

How old is he?

Going to Celtic for a season or two might not be the worst choice before returning to the PL.

That said I have genuinely no idea without looking it up if he is 23 or 28. I'd guess 25 but I'm probably miles out.

 

[flappyjay]

I think Arsenal to replace David Luiz in the 3 in another year. He is a good passer and footballer and can play that role well I think with two real defenders either side. Needs to have the burden of good positioning and defensive reading of the game taken off his shoulders.

There is a player there in the right role.

This part also is very much exaggerated. He is comfortable and a decent passer, somewhere around lindelof level. But no where near the top class ball playing cb's.

 

[roonster09]

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/stones-vs-david-luiz.421325/

Old thread comparing poor man's Luiz vs David Luiz.

 

[Brophs]

Can he overlap

Yes, E Gan

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Never saw anything in him, even at Everton. Criminal he’s had 2 PL winners medals. Awful footballer.

 

[Ludens the Red]

I don't think that's entirely fair, the stats showed that he was one of the very best passers of the ball in Europe whilst he was at City, in terms of both short and long passing. His issue has always been the major errors that he makes and he's failed to address that. He doesn't make subtle errors, he makes egregious errors that can only be attributed to a psychological frailty. You just can't trust him, England fans know that.

Iirc Otamendi also had very good passing stats. City defenders have always been consistent in pointlessly passing the ball between themselves to boost their pass completion statistics.

 

[sun_tzu]

Probably stay at city - they dont have many UK / Homegrown players do they ref CL quotas

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Iirc Otamendi also had very good passing stats. City defenders have always been consistent in pointlessly passing the ball between themselves to boost their pass completion statistics.

I wasn't only talking about short passing, the whole range. In his first season for City IIRC he had the highest pass completion of any player in Europe or he was right at the top. His long passing was also at the very elite level. As many accurate long passes as VVD but less inaccurate passes, for example. Even so, if you just talk about his short passing then it's at the absolute elite level when he's at his best.