5 | John Stones - 2023/24

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

We’re a better side with him in the team in my opinion.

 

[Goater=Legend]

Is it not he prefers Akanji there atm due to his pace (he hasn't really let us down either to be dropped)

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

Is it not he prefers Akanji there atm due to his pace (he hasn't really let us down either to be dropped)

I think it's just that he's comfortable with the overall balance, of the starting 11 at the moment.

 

[toffee balls]

I think there are several cumulative reasons why he is watching and not contributing , the main one being his idiotic patriotism.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Is it not he prefers Akanji there atm due to his pace (he hasn't really let us down either to be dropped)

Akanji’s pace is a bonus but that’s not the reason. The reason is Gvardiol is now our left winger in possession. So if you picture the gap that leaves at left back, our left centre back has to shuffle over and basically play as a left back in possession. Stones can’t do that, which is why Ake was doing it pre-injury and then Akanji doing it since. Then Dias starts as the other CB for the leadership as he’s kind of the glue back there. This is the only reason Stones isn’t playing. The new role for Gvardiol is not to get the best out of Gvardiol, it’s to get the best out of Foden - it allows him to move from the left and into the middle, whilst still having Rodri AND Kovacic for control. So as of right now, Stones doesn’t really fit into this particular tactic that we’re playing, or at least not as well as others. Pep just picks the best players for what he wants to do. Makes sense really.

 

[northmr8]

He was playing after the England debacle though wasn't he? Then he was limping in Madrid and went off in the FA cup semi

he's had shit luck this season but he can still do a turn

 

[Middedon]

Akanji’s pace is a bonus but that’s not the reason. The reason is Gvardiol is now our left winger in possession. So if you picture the gap that leaves at left back, our left centre back has to shuffle over and basically play as a left back in possession. Stones can’t do that, which is why Ake was doing it pre-injury and then Akanji doing it since. Then Dias starts as the other CB for the leadership as he’s kind of the glue back there. This is the only reason Stones isn’t playing. The new role for Gvardiol is not to get the best out of Gvardiol, it’s to get the best out of Foden - it allows him to move from the left and into the middle, whilst still having Rodri AND Kovacic for control. So as of right now, Stones doesn’t really fit into this particular tactic that we’re playing, or at least not as well as others. Pep just picks the best players for what he wants to do. Makes sense really.

Super interesting. Thank you. It also seems to be a model that - while focused on Foden - also seems beneficial for Josko and Rodri (gets help). Do you think maybe Stones injuries forced Peps hand to try something different? Or would we haven gotten here anyway?

 

[toffee balls]

He was playing after the England debacle though wasn't he? Then he was limping in Madrid and went off in the FA cup semi

he's had shit luck this season but he can still do a turn

He has not played really since then.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Super interesting. Thank you. It also seems to be a model that - while focused on Foden - also seems beneficial for Josko and Rodri (gets help). Do you think maybe Stones injuries forced Peps hand to try something different? Or would we haven gotten here anyway?

I honestly think we’d get here anyway, as a lot of it stems from Pep not liking Foden playing in the midfield 3 with Rodri and KDB. In that setup, off the ball, Foden would have to defend side by side with Rodri, as we defend in a 442 shape and KDB makes the 2 with Haaland. Pep quite clearly doesn’t like this due to the off the ball issues - very few people considered this when there were all the clamours to play Foden and KDB fixed in the middle. The focus was only ever on what we do on the ball, but this has never been the issue with playing Phil there.

The solution at times in the season (when KDB was fit) was to have Foden come inside off the right and have Walker be our right winger. But then we lost having Walker in positions where he can stop counter attacks and there was a period where we simply did not keep clean sheets. By flipping the tactic and having Foden on the left, with Gvardiol as the winger, we get the extra benefit of having Walker in deeper areas more often, helping us to control counters.

So yeah, I honestly think Pep would have arrived at this setup with or without Stones’ injury problems because he is making it his priority to get Foden AND Kev in the middle. And this is the only way he can do it whilst also maintaining control and some defensive solidity.

 

[Macca77macca]

Stones can’t do that, which is why Ake was doing it pre-injury and then Akanji doing it since. Then Dias starts as the other CB for the leadership as he’s kind of the glue back there. This is the only reason Stones isn’t playing.

1) Stones can do that. Its pretty astonishing you think he can’t?
2) This is not the reason he is not playing - can you direct to where Pep has said this? When specifically asked about John he said others are playing well. He has said John has not been consistent. He did not say tactics. He has said in other interviews about other players that they are not playing for tactical reasons but not in this case.