City fans writing John Stones off too early?

[CWMCFC]

I keep reading Stones being completely written off.

But if we’re going to win the Champions League this season, I think he’s absolutely key to it.

People forget he started more games than Kompany in the Centurions season. And started 50% more games than Kompany in the Domestic Treble season.

He was easily England’s best centre back in the World Cup and was an automatic starter, way ahead of Slab Head.

He’s easily our best defender on the ball and our build up play from the back invariably starts with him.

He’s got an incredible record alongside Laporte, they complement each other so well. Laporte attacks on the front foot, allowing Stones to sweep in behind.

He’s not capable of leading the line himself, and should never play alongside Otamendi ever again. But alongside Laporte, that’s a combination with a proven track record of winning big games and winning trophies.

I like Garcia, and don’t mind Otamendi as a 4th choice back up. Fernandinho is a City legend, but we’ve never looked entirely comfortable with him at centre back.

I just can’t see us going all the way to winning the CL with any of those at centre back.

But Stones alongside Laporte, if they can both stay fit and in form, they’re the best chance we’ve got.

Think you need Pep Guardiola to start thinking he's up for the task before asking the fanbase.

 

[decmancity]

He's one of a small army of our players that's absolutely amazing when confident, but for their own reasons consistently struggle for confidence.

Mendy, Sterling, Jesus, Bernardo are currently the others. Chances are we'll have other similar players as the years go by.

Given how good they can all be, I'm willing and ready to back them and support them until the day they leave.

Take Jesus out of that list and I would argue that Mendy, Sterling and Bernardo have been a victim of calculated social media and traditional media hatchet jobs. Its tough enough being a footballer as it is never mind the media in this country coming after you because of X, Y and Z all completely unrelated to football.

Stones has had personal issues which can cause problems for any man, couple that with trying to also be a professional footballer than you have a recipe for disaster.

 

[SebastianBlue]

I think it might be helpful to direct readers of this thread to the recent thread discussing The Athletic’s Michael Johnson write-up/interview for perspective on how mental health issues can derail a person’s life and why players are not some miraculous exception to that universal rule of human existence (if anything, given the constant, unabating scrutiny on all corners of their lives, which very few of us will ever experience or fully comprehend, they are one of the extreme examples of it):

https://forums.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk/threads/michael-johnson-the-athletic.346493/

 

[Blue Til Death]

Stones had had periods where he has been supreme for us, I like him and I just wish they could get him some treatment or give him more support... i obviously don’t know the ins and outs of his mental state or what’s affecting him but he has reams of talent and it’s such a waste just abandoning him if that what City intend ??

 

[BLUEMATT23]

Stones had had periods where he has been supreme for us, I like him and I just wish they could get him some treatment or give him more support... i obviously don’t know the ins and outs of his mental state or what’s affecting him but he has reams of talent and it’s such a waste just abandoning him if that what City intend ??

I totally agree, some fans and press etc think because a player earns a fortune and has a great lifestyle that they are a super human who you can say anything to. Not the case, who knows what is happens in stones's head?, I think he may have some issues going on that noone knows about.
Personally I would hate for someone shouting at me all game and bollocking me every minute irrespective of my pay packet. It would destroy me.

 

[mccity]

Take Jesus out of that list and I would argue that Mendy, Sterling and Bernardo have been a victim of calculated social media and traditional media hatchet jobs. Its tough enough being a footballer as it is never mind the media in this country coming after you because of X, Y and Z all completely unrelated to football.

Stones has had personal issues which can cause problems for any man, couple that with trying to also be a professional footballer than you have a recipe for disaster.

I 100% agree on the damage of the media. Sterling has been ridiculously targeted.

I don't think Mendy has been particularly affected by media/social media. I think pressures from internal expectations on top of his injuries have just heavily knocked his confidence. I reckon he's the most likely to get over his issues, but that's just my opinion.

For the reasons you said I think Stones is the furthest away, but I'll be ignorantly optimistic.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

I agree totally with the OP. I thought stones and laporte would become the best pairing in Europe this year. But what’s happened? Why is he not getting games? Does anyone actually know?

 

[OliMCFC]

As many have alluded to, Stones' worst enemy has been himself. He's had personal life issues which would affect anyone, he's had consistently injuries and by the time he returns to fitness he's often been replaced well and all this together has wrecked his confidence. I still think Stones can have a good career, and at his best he's England's best CB by miles as well as a great partner for Laporte. But I don't think we've seen anywhere near his best in well over a year.

I think for his sake, with the evident lack of confidence Pep has in him, he needs to go and start again somewhere else with a fresh head and mindset where he will be the top guy. He can definitely still be a top player, but unfortunately I don't think it'll ever be at Manchester City now.

 

[spiny]

No doubt personal issues have played a part. Top top players have a single minded mentality. Stones seems to have taken his eye off the ball.

 

[we are the east stand]

Soft as shit, we need to move on from him. Likeable bloke but gets physically bullied far too often for a lad of decent size.