John Stones - 2016/17 performances

[City_Sean]

Actually thought he was pretty good, should have done a bit better with the Falcao goal, but the finish was special. Needs to develop more physically.

 

[domalino]

Bollocks. I just finished watching the game again and the only thing he did wrong was the Falcao goal. Everything else he was fine, played some great passes and scored the goal that got us the lead.

He's not the first, and won't be the last CB to be shown up by Falcao either. Plenty of world class CB's have got that treatment off him.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I think it's fair to say he has been very hit and miss so far but it's his first season with us and he will get better, much as Sterling has done this season.

I don't like how he lets people run at him and backs off and off until he is in our area. He did it in the first half last night.

Once he has a better defender alongside him he will pick up. Ottamendi is not than man.

 

[Benarbia]

I don't see it with him. Sure he's ok on the ball but defending which is what he is paid to do he is shocking

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

I thought he was really good today. Obviously an error for Falcaos goal but made that up with his goal. Apart from that he was very good and clever on the ball and very good defensivly. Otamendi was a fkn mess however.

Really? He was bloody terrible mate(as was Otamendi).

1st goal, he should be getting a head to that or at the very least be on Falcao. How Falcao becomes Sagna's responsibility on a crossed ball is beyond me.

2nd goal, Otamendi makes a bloody mess of it, but there's a split second where a top defender reads the issues and goes in to help. Stones saw it develop but didnt. Not his fault, but Kompany is over there preventing that from getting worse.

3rd goal, all 100% down to him.

He also continuously messed up attempts to play the offside trap by doing what he does best...drop back, drop back, drop back. He's f**king idiotic at it.

The guy is a bloody mess, but people are still defending him based on how he looks with the ball.

 

[Callum Ramsey]

Really? He was bloody terrible mate(as was Otamendi).

1st goal, he should be getting a head to that or at the very least be on Falcao. How Falcao becomes Sagna's responsibility on a crossed ball is beyond me.

2nd goal, Otamendi makes a bloody mess of it, but there's a split second where a top defender reads the issues and goes in to help. Stones saw it develop but didnt. Not his fault, but Kompany is over there preventing that from getting worse.

3rd goal, all 100% down to him.

He also continuously messed up attempts to play the offside trap by doing what he does best...drop back, drop back, drop back. He's f**king idiotic at it.

The guy is a bloody mess, but people are still defending him based on how he looks with the ball.

I wouldn't go as far and say he was terrible but I would agree that generally speaking, he just doesn't have the defensive awareness that you would expect of someone who is going to be a top defender at his age. He is very indecisive in his play and that's the last thing you want from a defender. As poor as otamendi has been at times this season, the last thing you could accuse him of is indecisiveness. Stones on the other-hand dithers on everything he does, from tackling to pressuring to passing and for a team which plays on the front foot like pep wants that's a recipe for disaster. I just don't see him improving the basic aspects of his game he needs to become a top defender for a team looking to compete at the very highest level. It's all fine being good technically but when you lack in many regards of the mental side which is the most important for defenders, it's very hard to improve.

I'm not one to write off players after a poor first season at a new club but this is also not a case like sterling last season where most knew what he was capable of from his spell at pool and such would be forgiven for keeping faith after an underwhelming first season as it was clear he had more abilty than he showed. But with stones, many who saw him at everton could see exactly was has transpired here and its not like there has been any improvements in his game since that time. Pep clearly bought him mainly for his ability on the ball and maybe thought he had enough in the mental side to work with and improve upon but I just don't see it, hopefully I'm proven wrong.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

other then not beign strong with falcao, i actually thought he played pretty well. a work in progress

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Very poor I thought and not for the first time.

Really pleased he got the winner though.

 

[City_Sean]

He needs a settled back four and goalkeeper around him. Otamendi is way too prone to these errors and it's stifling him.

He needs a leader next to him, if we pulled off a Bonucci signing this summer then Stones would become world class within six months.

 

[Easy]

He needs a settled back four and goalkeeper around him. Otamendi is way too prone to these errors and it's stifling him.

He needs a leader next to him, if we pulled off a Bonucci signing this summer then Stones would become world class within six months.

I am sure of it, he already has improved a lot this season. In the beginning of the season he would always play out with the ball and never kick it into row z, not anymore. Still makes the odd mistake but I believe he is on an upward trajectory. Think we need to sign two CBs this summer. Was hoping Kompany could maintain his fitness but I am now convinced its not going to happen. Laporte/Van Dijk plus an experienced CB like Bonucci would be perfect.