John Stones - 2016/17 performances

[ADegenerate]

Likewise, Otamendi seems to be defended and his partner blamed. Otamendi has been positionally awful, cost us plenty of goals regardless of partner.
Kompany + Demichellis, Otamendi or Managala all offered a solid defence. Take Kompany away and we never look good.

I'm prepaired to give both Otamendi and Stones a chance when we have top level centre backs.
Stones & Otamendi both look better on the right hand side, normally with Sagna at rightback.

They both have clear qualities and some failings. I think Stones' faults are easier to iron out. Otamendi's fault seems totally ingrained in him.

What's your definition of a top level CB? How many of them play in england? I think everyone here has had unrealistic expectations for Stones, Mangala, Otamendi, and I'm sure it'll be the same with whoever is next in line. We all want somebody with the quality of vinnie but good luck buying that. There are loads of great forwards, midfielders, fullbacks and wingers out there and very few complete CB's. It's impossible to buy this mythical CB like all of you guys seem to have expected us to have now by now or are expecting us to buy our next go round.. The problem is that England has been complete garbage at producing quality CB's and your best are dispersed throughout the country and never have a chance to develop together. The ones that could have been great never got a chance to play because everyone wants a quick fix. Maybe Tosin and Cam would be the next Ramos/Pique? We'll never find out. This isn't Germany/Italy/Spain where we you can just pick up the best in the country anytime you like.

Who would you poach from the premier league and be legitimately stoked about it? The tottenham CB's maybe, then what? Whoever comes in is going to be flawed.

1) Barca: Spainish, aregentine (converted midfielder).
2) Real: Spain, port.
3) Bayern: German pairing.
4) Juve: Italian pairing.
5) PSG: Brazilian pairing
6) City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal (luiz/cahill, smalling/blind/baily, kosc/and two second rate german defenders) Random mix of nationalities and none of them elite CBs.
7) Athleti: Uruguayan/Uruguayan.
8) Tottenham: Belgium/Belgium.

You see the trend there? They keep the best in their country and partner them together and if they don't they link up two that actually know how the hell to talk to one another. Whoever comes in next will be a gamble and will be flawed. Maybe just stick with the same thing and see how that works out instead of having a revolving door.

Hey, just an observation though.

 

[Paul Lake's Left Knee]

What's your definition of a top level CB? How many of them play in england? I think everyone here has had unrealistic expectations for Stones, Mangala, Otamendi, and I'm sure it'll be the same with whoever is next in line. We all want somebody with the quality of vinnie but good luck buying that. There are loads of great forwards, midfielders, fullbacks and wingers out there and very few complete CB's. It's impossible to buy this mythical CB like all of you guys seem to have expected us to have now by now or are expecting us to buy our next go round.. The problem is that England has been complete garbage at producing quality CB's and your best are dispersed throughout the country and never have a chance to develop together. The ones that could have been great never got a chance to play because everyone wants a quick fix. Maybe Tosin and Cam would be the next Ramos/Pique? We'll never find out. This isn't Germany/Italy/Spain where we you can just pick up the best in the country anytime you like.

Who would you poach from the premier league and be legitimately stoked about it? The tottenham CB's maybe, then what? Whoever comes in is going to be flawed.

1) Barca: Spainish, aregentine (converted midfielder).
2) Real: Spain, port.
3) Bayern: German pairing.
4) Juve: Italian pairing.
5) PSG: Brazilian pairing
6) City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal (luiz/cahill, smalling/blind/baily, kosc/and two second rate german defenders) Random mix of nationalities and none of them elite CBs.
7) Athleti: Uruguayan/Uruguayan.
8) Tottenham: Belgium/Belgium.

You see the trend there? They keep the best in their country and partner them together and if they don't they link up two that actually know how the hell to talk to one another. Whoever comes in next will be a gamble and will be flawed. Maybe just stick with the same thing and see how that works out instead of having a revolving door.

Hey, just an observation though.

You are right, the English CBs at the moment are fucking shocking, the worst that I can remember going back to the 70s, and up until the last few years it was always one of our strongest positions, historically there were CBs that couldnt get a sniff of a game, who would walk into the England team now. Hopefully we can get Laporte and he will be fully over his injury to live up to his promise he has shown, that and of course the unicorn of Kompany coming back to full fitness, which if it happened would be the answer to many many issues at the back. 2 energetic full backs would make the CBs jobs easier as well but they wont stop Ota going AWOL. There is no way we will be sticking with things as they are, going into next season with Kompany, Ota, Stones and Kolarov as our CB options.

I think the reason that Stones gets more slack from most posters on here is down to the age gap between him and Ota, Stones is 5 or 6 years from even starting to come into his peak as a CB whereas Ota should be at his peak now. Nothing to do with nationalities of the the players, certainly isnt from my point of view.

 

[schfc6]

What's your definition of a top level CB? How many of them play in england? I think everyone here has had unrealistic expectations for Stones, Mangala, Otamendi, and I'm sure it'll be the same with whoever is next in line. We all want somebody with the quality of vinnie but good luck buying that. There are loads of great forwards, midfielders, fullbacks and wingers out there and very few complete CB's. It's impossible to buy this mythical CB like all of you guys seem to have expected us to have now by now or are expecting us to buy our next go round.. The problem is that England has been complete garbage at producing quality CB's and your best are dispersed throughout the country and never have a chance to develop together. The ones that could have been great never got a chance to play because everyone wants a quick fix. Maybe Tosin and Cam would be the next Ramos/Pique? We'll never find out. This isn't Germany/Italy/Spain where we you can just pick up the best in the country anytime you like.

Who would you poach from the premier league and be legitimately stoked about it? The tottenham CB's maybe, then what? Whoever comes in is going to be flawed.

1) Barca: Spainish, aregentine (converted midfielder).
2) Real: Spain, port.
3) Bayern: German pairing.
4) Juve: Italian pairing.
5) PSG: Brazilian pairing
6) City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal (luiz/cahill, smalling/blind/baily, kosc/and two second rate german defenders) Random mix of nationalities and none of them elite CBs.
7) Athleti: Uruguayan/Uruguayan.
8) Tottenham: Belgium/Belgium.

You see the trend there? They keep the best in their country and partner them together and if they don't they link up two that actually know how the hell to talk to one another. Whoever comes in next will be a gamble and will be flawed. Maybe just stick with the same thing and see how that works out instead of having a revolving door.

Hey, just an observation though.

I actually meant full backs...

 

[rapidCT]

Lescott, Boateng, Savic, Nastasic, Otamendi, Mangala, Stones - they all needed Kompany. What does it says to us? Kompany is just to good to be true.

 

[Dax777]

Lescott, Boateng, Savic, Nastasic, Otamendi, Mangala, Stones - they all needed Kompany. What does it says to us? Kompany is just to good to be true.

Kompany had a great year or 2 then injury has marred his play ever since. He hasn't been consistently great since the 2012 I believe, bit his injury and absence has made his legend greater. And every time there is a correlation btw him being healthy and a good run, the good run is attributed to him. Or the beginning of the bad run attributed to his absence. This notion often ignores the fact that we've had similar good rums with him not being in the side. And have equally has bad runs with him in it.

Its a fallacy that the return of Kompany will cure our problems. It wouldn't. He is a good player, probably no better than the guys we have starting. But folks hope and dream the same player from 2012 will show up after so many layoffs. Its strange that people believe this.

The year Kompany was a top 2 in the Europe, Thiago was often deemed the only guy who was superior. 5 years later most don't think of Silva as a top 5 CB anymore. The 2 years following being deemed the best in the world, he went on to have a few inconsistent years.

But somehow, lots of our fans believe Kompany is impervious to down years, even though he has shown rough patches before.

Kompany was a great defender, might still be good now. But the solutions to our defensive woes (if you could call it that) don't lie with him.

 

[rapidCT]

Kompany had a great year or 2 then injury has marred his play ever since. He hasn't been consistently great since the 2012 I believe, bit his injury and absence has made his legend greater. And every time there is a correlation btw him being healthy and a good run, the good run is attributed to him. Or the beginning of the bad run attributed to his absence. This notion often ignores the fact that we've had similar good rums with him not being in the side. And have equally has bad runs with him in it.

Its a fallacy that the return of Kompany will cure our problems. It wouldn't. He is a good player, probably no better than the guys we have starting. But folks hope and dream the same player from 2012 will show up after so many layoffs. Its strange that people believe this.

The year Kompany was a top 2 in the Europe, Thiago was often deemed the only guy who was superior. 5 years later most don't think of Silva as a top 5 CB anymore. The 2 years following being deemed the best in the world, he went on to have a few inconsistent years.

But somehow, lots of our fans believe Kompany is impervious to down years, even though he has shown rough patches before.

Kompany was a great defender, might still be good now. But the solutions to our defensive woes (if you could call it that) don't lie with him.

Well, you kind of answered for yourself. We cannot count the last two years as he was always injured but, whenever he is fit, he is showing his class. Him and Ramos are the best CB s in the world. To bad the injuries finished Kompanys career so early.

 

[Rolee]

Kompany had a great year or 2 then injury has marred his play ever since. He hasn't been consistently great since the 2012 I believe, bit his injury and absence has made his legend greater. And every time there is a correlation btw him being healthy and a good run, the good run is attributed to him. Or the beginning of the bad run attributed to his absence. This notion often ignores the fact that we've had similar good rums with him not being in the side. And have equally has bad runs with him in it.

Its a fallacy that the return of Kompany will cure our problems. It wouldn't. He is a good player, probably no better than the guys we have starting. But folks hope and dream the same player from 2012 will show up after so many layoffs. Its strange that people believe this.

The year Kompany was a top 2 in the Europe, Thiago was often deemed the only guy who was superior. 5 years later most don't think of Silva as a top 5 CB anymore. The 2 years following being deemed the best in the world, he went on to have a few inconsistent years.

But somehow, lots of our fans believe Kompany is impervious to down years, even though he has shown rough patches before.

Kompany was a great defender, might still be good now. But the solutions to our defensive woes (if you could call it that) don't lie with him.

Re your last paragraph, I completely agree, the solution is adequately replacing him.

 

[Brian Boland]

Stones is class - just needs similarly classy players like the ilk of Kompany with him

 

[RandomJ]

Think today confirmed Stones' biggest problem has been who is next to him. With Otamendi next to him he is constantly left isolated as Ota goes walkabouts or takes himself out of the game sliding in. But him and Kolarov have formed a solid partnership. Both played very well and did their defensive duties with ease.

 

[blueinsa]

Excellent today and with Alex at his side, out best CB partnership by far.