5 | John Stones - 2022/23

[M Gaudino]

We are going to sell one of them next summer, maintaining 5 CB for next season is nightmare.

i thought laporte would be the one to go.

 

[dickie davies]

Hello, is that Eddie Howe!
Are you in the market for a top quality centre half whos very established at international level?

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Doubt it's about luck. Either he isn't a great athlete or he isn't sufficiently professional off the pitch to be in a top physical shape. For 6 years since moving to City he's had only one relatively injury free season, 20/21. Shame, he's a very good CB when fit.

It’s looking more and more like that. It seems to be only him and Ake that can’t stay fit.

 

[Kamaro011]

Not really, because we'll almost never have all 5 fit.

If we do its for a short period of time, I can't honestly remember any recent time where we had say 4 fit CBs for more than 2 months for a LONG time.

Why only 5, why not 6 7 8 just to make sure we are not short of CB because recurring injury? You see what i am getting at?

Some of our CB are unfortunately can't play regulary for more than three games. Rather than keep them, we need to move them out and bring the CB that is more harder to get injured.

Ideally we have 4 CB with low injury risk to be able to play regularly all throughout season, employing more than that it's just asking for trouble.

 

[WestGorton]

Madness giving John a 5 year contract last year. Great player when fit but he isn't fit anywhere near enough.

Agreed

 

[mccity]

I thought he had a particularly good game too before the injury.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

For me, he’s our best all round defender. But if one defender has to go next season it’s John, he’s becoming a liability with these injuries.

 

[WallyA]

Why only 5, why not 6 7 8 just to make sure we are not short of CB because recurring injury? You see what i am getting at?

Right but your making a point that I am not even talking about. 5 seems to be a good balance if we nearly continually have 2 CBs out, that's why we don't need more.

We have these CBs, their with us right now. Maybe we sell some of them for potentially fitter ones I never said we won't do that in the future... but then again, how often is it we buy someone who is rarely injured who comes here and now succombs to injuries, happens more than you think considering how demanding it is playing for us.

And the fact is CB is simply not a position we can skimp on, when we were forced to play Dinho that one season there, we lost a DM and gained an inferior CB, its a position we need experience in. Every other position on the pitch (other than goalie) has way more flexibility in moving personell around.

 

[Zin 'messiah' Zimmer]

Probably miss the World Cup given the time he take to heal

Feel for him but he should have been more mindful with his extensive injury record; bollocks to all this ‘patriotism’, he needs to manage his career here on in, and that starts with not over extending his game time at the expense of a continued stop and start career, he’ll get floated so it’s crunch time decision wise!

 

[Kamaro011]

Right but your making a point that I am not even talking about. 5 seems to be a good balance if we nearly continually have 2 CBs out, that's why we don't need more.

We have these CBs, their with us right now. Maybe we sell some of them for potentially fitter ones I never said we won't do that in the future... but then again, how often is it we buy someone who is rarely injured who comes here and now succombs to injuries, happens more than you think considering how demanding it is playing for us.

And the fact is CB is simply not a position we can skimp on, when we were forced to play Dinho that one season there, we lost a DM and gained an inferior CB, its a position we need experience in. Every other position on the pitch (other than goalie) has way more flexibility in moving personell around.

On last transfer windows our club are not problem selling Ake to Chelsea despite we are short of CB because Stones dan Laporte injury at start of season.

Our club maybe thinks 5 CB is too much and we brought in Akanji because the opportunity is too good to pass him out because his quality that he can bring to our team.

Again 5 CB is so unneccasary especially if all of them is fit to play for full season, you don't want to keep one or two CB in bench for most of time just because injury scare. It's only leads to unhappy player, wasting a spot on team and money.

 

[City of Troy]

I love John, think he’s our best centre back on his day but my word this is getting silly now

 

[SWP's back]

On last transfer windows our club are not problem selling Ake to Chelsea despite we are short of CB because Stones dan Laporte injury at start of season.

Our club maybe thinks 5 CB is too much and we brought in Akanji because the opportunity is too good to pass him out because his quality that he can bring to our team.

Again 5 CB is so unneccasary especially if all of them is fit to play for full season, you don't want to keep one or two CB in bench for most of time just because injury scare. It's only leads to unhappy player, wasting a spot on team and money.

This season is currently proving you quite wrong though. It’s a fucking good job we have 5.

 

[alexmcity]

I love John, think he’s our best centre back on his day but my word this is getting silly now

He's a nice lad and English, but he isn't guaranteed to start games even when fully fit. Dias was better in 20/21, and Laporte was better in most of the other seasons. Let's hope Stones has a great season after the WC, but personally I doubt Pep prefers him to Dias or Akanji. Dias offers leadership and Akanji is a bit more athletic plus his passes can break the lines like Laporte's, as Pep himself observed. Laporte's untouchable if he regains form, he's too important for our build-up play to get benched.

 

[Withnail]

He's a nice lad and English, but he isn't guaranteed to start games even when fully fit. Dias was better in 20/21, and Laporte was better in most of the other seasons. Let's hope Stones has a great season after the WC, but personally I doubt Pep prefers him to Dias or Akanji. Dias offers leadership and Akanji is a bit more athletic plus his passes can break the lines like Laporte's, as Pep himself observed. Laporte's untouchable if he regains form, he's too important for our build-up play to get benched.

I agree with CTID1979 a fit Stones is our best cb, unfortunately his fitness issues are the main problem as his ability is not in question.

 

[jimharri]

Unfortunately, the guy seems to be made of glass these days.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Fucking England again.

Fractured cheekbone, hammy, concussion.

Always with them.

 

[Cricket Blue]

Fucking England again.

Fractured cheekbone, hammy, concussion.

Always with them.

Yep, it's got back to the point where it cannot be considered a coincidence.
Every time with Stones and England

 

[Cobra]

It’s a shame him and his girlfriend can’t use their extensive medical knowledge to figure out why he keeps getting injured all the time!

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

I think he’s our best defender but this is precisely why I was going nuts in august before Akanji came in.

Wait until after the World Cup and watch squads really suffer with injuries.

Hopefully John recovers well, it’s looking like 5 cb’s was a master stroke and a lot of teams will regret not doing similar this season.

 

[normskih]

Fucking England again.

Fractured cheekbone, hammy, concussion.

Always with them.

I don’t think it makes any odds that it happens to be England when he gets injured. Last night he was just running when he pulled up. In the old days you’d say he’s injury prone, it seems he doesn’t seem to go many weeks then another lengthy stretch on the treatment table. Such a shame because he just gets his rhythm going, starts playing really well and then another setback.