5 | John Stones - 2023/24

[Saddleworth2]

I think John has looked a little sluggish to be honest. I don’t think he is 100% fit. He must be frustrated with his lack if an out ball too. Invariably it is Kyle that is receiving. Mainoo and Rice snuffed out by Solvakian forwards for most of last night.

 

[Paladin]

I think John has looked a little sluggish to be honest. I don’t think he is 100% fit. He must be frustrated with his lack if an out ball too. Invariably it is Kyle that is receiving. Mainoo and Rice snuffed out by Solvakian forwards for most of last night.

Same with Palmer. Numerous times he was holding his palms out asking where his passing options were. Hardly anyone was showing for the ball.

 

[jrb]

Fuck me, John Stones has tuned into the six million dollar man.

Has he been rebuilt?

 

[mattcity5]

Johnny is looking far from right.

Where has the John Stones gone that was MOM in the Champions League final?

Totally disagree. He's the one holding the team together and the one getting them playing anything near to a passing game. Without him we'd be complete shite.

He's limited to playing a more straightforward centre-back role by Southgate, but don't ignore how important he is still.

 

[madloaf]

He's managing that whole defence. He does the same when maguire is there. He's babysitter and defender. Guehi has been good to be fair, but he's still prone to the odd mistake. Whoever comes in there for the next game - john will see them through - though that might not be enough for us to win.

 

[Keeper!]

Totally disagree. He's the one holding the team together and the one getting them playing anything near to a passing game. Without him we'd be complete shite.

He's limited to playing a more straightforward centre-back role by Southgate, but don't ignore how important he is still.

He was utter gash yesterday, come on.

Guehi was done well considering his lack of big game experience.

No one in this squad though comes out with any sort of credit.

 

[mexico1970]

He was utter gash yesterday, come on.

He was but I see it another way, imagine getting the ball as a defender and realising your entire midfield have fucked off looking to score and you have no one to pass to?

Slightly different to his day job.

 

[Keeper!]

I think John has looked a little sluggish to be honest. I don’t think he is 100% fit. He must be frustrated with his lack if an out ball too. Invariably it is Kyle that is receiving. Mainoo and Rice snuffed out by Solvakian forwards for most of last night.

He has looked sluggish all season, sadly gone backwards from the player who was simply magnificent in the treble season.

He still looks way off peak fitness and has lost so much pace, although to be fair that probably from lack of confidence.

 

[mattcity5]

He was utter gash yesterday, come on.

Guehi was done well considering his lack of big game experience.

No one in this squad though comes out with any sort of credit.

Nonsense. What did he do wrong?

I don't think he did great on the goal, but he was less at fault than Guehi (for not tracking the runner, though he had just taken a knock to the head), and Walker, who played the runner onside.

Guehi's doing okay, but getting the helping hand of lower expectations thanks to playing for a lesser team. Kalvin Phillips made a career out of it, but then was eventually found out. Guehi may end up the same, who knows.

As @madloaf mentioned, he's also babysitting the defence. It's what he used to do when Maguire was there too, but Maguire would get the praise for winning some headers or hoofing some clearances. Being calm in that veritable shit storm takes some doing, and John pretty much manages it. Despite often having nobody showing for the ball.

The only negative I'll say is that any kind of topline speed seems to have gone, hopefully he's not totally broken when he gets back to us.

 

[Keeper!]

Nonsense. What did he do wrong?

I don't think he did great on the goal, but he was less at fault than Guehi (for not tracking the runner, though he had just taken a knock to the head), and Walker, who played the runner onside.

Guehi's doing okay, but getting the helping hand of lower expectations thanks to playing for a lesser team. Kalvin Phillips made a career out of it, but then was eventually found out. Guehi may end up the same, who knows.

As @madloaf mentioned, he's also babysitting the defence. It's what he used to do when Maguire was there too, but Maguire would get the praise for winning some headers or hoofing some clearances. Being calm in that veritable shit storm takes some doing, and John pretty much manages it. Despite often having nobody showing for the ball.

The only negative I'll say is that any kind of topline speed seems to have gone, hopefully he's not totally broken when he gets back to us.

No english player so far comes out with any credit.

Yes the manager is shit but so what, your playing for your country and this squad has been appalling to a man.

Take off the blue glasses.

 

[mattcity5]

No english player so far comes out with any credit.

Yes the manager is shit but so what, your playing for your country and this squad has been appalling to a man.

Take off the blue glasses.

The blue glasses stay on! :-)

I don't totally disagree with you, but there are mitigating circumstances for those used to playing in a positional system under Pep.

I'm not totally blinkered though. I think Phil's not done much, but isn't helped by having to rely on supply from the likes of Rice and Trippier. John's done fine - as I said, he's trying to get us playing football, but it's not how most of the team play, so it's a struggle. I think he's been quite dominant in the air and led the defence well mostly. His pace does look gone though. Kyle's looking clumsy to me, nothing like a Pep player.

 

[Keeper!]

The blue glasses stay on! :-)

I don't totally disagree with you, but there are mitigating circumstances for those used to playing in a positional system under Pep.

I'm not totally blinkered though. I think Phil's not done much, but isn't helped by having to rely on supply from the likes of Rice and Trippier. John's done fine - as I said, he's trying to get us playing football, but it's not how most of the team play, so it's a struggle. I think he's been quite dominant in the air and led the defence well mostly. His pace does look gone though. Kyle's looking clumsy to me, nothing like a Pep player.

Stone's tournament sums up his season. just like Walker, both hugely underwhelming.

12 months ago there was no better CB in Europe than Stones, that sadly is far from the case now, injuries and loss of form have destroyed him, he was not playing at the end of last season for a reason.

This argument sums up why I hate the English national team, far too tribal with club players.

 

[mattcity5]

Stone's tournament sums up his season. just like Walker, both hugely underwhelming.

12 months ago there was no better CB in Europe than Stones, that sadly is far from the case now, injuries and loss of form have destroyed him, he was not playing at the end of last season for a reason.

This argument sums up why I hate the English national team, far too tribal with club players.

Hard to say I'm being 'tribal' really, I'd say I've actually been quite balanced. I do want to see our players do well and that should be by using them similarly to how Pep uses them, but Southgate can't do that, too many playing their own random games. This was always going to be a problem.

Also hard to say either Kyle or John have been 'the problem', when we've let in 2 goals in 4 games. However, the team should be building attacks from the defence, and everything hits a sluggish, disjointed, wall in midfield. Rice is frustrating the hell out of me.

 

[Eccles Blue]

Totally disagree. He's the one holding the team together and the one getting them playing anything near to a passing game. Without him we'd be complete shite.

He's limited to playing a more straightforward centre-back role by Southgate, but don't ignore how important he is still.

I would like to press like for this at least 10 times. I wanted to say something similar in that for me he played extremely well yesterday in a turgid embarrassing game. In fact he was my MOTM. I knew that because of my allegiance to said player folk would say I was wearing John Stones tinted glasses. :-)
He made a couple of mistakes but he hasn't got the players around him to trust unfortunately. :-)

 

[Macca77macca]

Stone's tournament sums up his season. just like Walker, both hugely underwhelming.

12 months ago there was no better CB in Europe than Stones, that sadly is far from the case now, injuries and loss of form have destroyed him, he was not playing at the end of last season for a reason.

This argument sums up why I hate the English national team, far too tribal with club players.

This is ridiculously OTT

 

[1894southstander]

I think he's been decent. He's had an out of sorts walker on one side and a centre back partner who's at his first tournament.

He's also got a midfield in front of him who's are not playing in their proper positions and not creating any space.

Three different players have played next to rice and nothing has changed.

At least Stones looks calm and is taking to the experienced centre back role

 

[Jonas.shaffer]

This is ridiculously OTT

It's really not. He had a poor second half of the season and has had a poor tournament.

 

[meltonblue]

I think he’s been fine given who he’s got around him, can tell he hasn’t got the passing channels and can’t get forward as Rice and whoever he plays with are so deep themselves.

 

[Macca77macca]

It's really not. He had a poor second half of the season and has had a poor tournament.

Stone's tournament sums up his season. just like Walker, both hugely underwhelming.

12 months ago there was no better CB in Europe than Stones, that sadly is far from the case now, injuries and loss of form have destroyed him, he was not playing at the end of last season for a reason.

This argument sums up why I hate the English national team, far too tribal with club players.

Have you noticed no one likes your rude posts about johnny

Booooooo to yous

 

[Eccles Blue]

In all the excitement’ (!) of the game and the repercussions a message from John Stones appears not to have been widely reported.
He dedicated last night’s win to a little 5 yr old cancer sufferer who died during the game. Little Dillan Ramsay, according to the MEN, passed away during the match.
John Stones said:
“Tonight was for Dillan," he shared. "A special little boy that touched mine and my family’s hearts. He’s an inspiration to us all. Rest in peace little fighter, our thoughts are with his family during this unimaginably difficult time."

RIP little one.