John Stones - 2016/17 performances

[Steve68]

This is what a forty mill plus defender really looks like.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Exactly.

Wow! Michael Owen talking actual sense?!?!

 

[gkmcfc]

Before we signed him too many blues thought he wasn't worth the money due to his Everton performances. Yet, at Everton he operated in a poor side overall and under a coach that wasn't renowned for his defensive qualities. He's proved a lot of people wrong. Very impressive, very composed and calm under pressure.

 

[City_Sean]

He's absolutely world class. He's come through two of the hardest tests this season (Stoke away and OT) unscathed and looks a class act.

 

[bluesoup]

Was this before he joined city? Sure in my anti Owen world, he'd not say that again on camera

 

[Neville Kneville]

Before we signed him too many blues thought he wasn't worth the money due to his Everton performances. Yet, at Everton he operated in a poor side overall and under a coach that wasn't renowned for his defensive qualities. He's proved a lot of people wrong. Very impressive, very composed and calm under pressure.

It's his personality which is the key imo.

He has made very few mistakes but he still gets his first touch wrong sometimes or lets a ball bounce when he shouldn't etc, but rather than do something desperate to rectify it, like Mangala would (or Stones himself would often do last season) he mainly chooses the best option to repair it.

That's what has impressed me most about him. It's not the kind of genius some suggest, to knock a ball 20 yards, it's having the right mental approach to get it right without fucking it up. Mangala 'could' do it, but he won't. That's not because he can't control a football or pass it, it's because of what's going on in his head at that moment imo.

Stones is already talking up Aguero & asking why he's not been voted poty. He feels as if he belongs here & is talking as if he's been around for years.

Really impressed me.

I would add though, I don't think I'd be praising him in this way if we had, let's say 'another' manager right now. I recon that would have been one hell of a test.

Pep is very very special & is doing wonders for Stones & others.

 

[cheddar404]

Reminds me of Alan Hansen and what a player he was.

 

[gkmcfc]

It's his personality which is the key imo.

He has made very few mistakes but he still gets his first touch wrong sometimes or lets a ball bounce when he shouldn't etc, but rather than do something desperate to rectify it, like Mangala would (or Stones himself would often do last season) he mainly chooses the best option to repair it.

That's what has impressed me most about him. It's not the kind of genius some suggest, to knock a ball 20 yards, it's having the right mental approach to get it right without fucking it up. Mangala 'could' do it, but he won't. That's not because he can't control a football or pass it, it's because of what's going on in his head at that moment imo.

Stones is already talking up Aguero & asking why he's not been voted poty. He feels as if he belongs here & is talking as if he's been around for years.

Really impressed me.

I would add though, I don't think I'd be praising him in this way if we had, let's say 'another' manager right now. I recon that would have been one hell of a test.

Pep is very very special & is doing wonders for Stones & others.

Very true. There has been improvement across the board.

 

[Delphacito]

It's his personality which is the key imo.

He has made very few mistakes but he still gets his first touch wrong sometimes or lets a ball bounce when he shouldn't etc, but rather than do something desperate to rectify it, like Mangala would (or Stones himself would often do last season) he mainly chooses the best option to repair it.

That's what has impressed me most about him. It's not the kind of genius some suggest, to knock a ball 20 yards, it's having the right mental approach to get it right without fucking it up. Mangala 'could' do it, but he won't. That's not because he can't control a football or pass it, it's because of what's going on in his head at that moment imo.

Stones is already talking up Aguero & asking why he's not been voted poty. He feels as if he belongs here & is talking as if he's been around for years.

Really impressed me.

I would add though, I don't think I'd be praising him in this way if we had, let's say 'another' manager right now. I recon that would have been one hell of a test.

Pep is very very special & is doing wonders for Stones & others.

Agreed. From the first interview Stones had with us, it's very much obvious that he's our future captain. He's one of the most intelligent player in our club too. Notice whenever Pep has one of those sideline rant/instruction, he always speaks it to Stones. He didn't call in Kolarov or Zaba even though they're closer to him. He always calls in Stones as he's the smartest of our back line and felt like Stones is the best way to get his message across.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Agreed. From the first interview Stones had with us, it's very much obvious that he's our future captain. He's one of the most intelligent player in our club too. Notice whenever Pep has one of those sideline rant/instruction, he always speaks it to Stones. He didn't call in Kolarov or Zaba even though they're closer to him. He always calls in Stones as he's the smartest of our back line and felt like Stones is the best way to get his message across.

I was very concerned about what I saw as a gamble, with Stones, in that we were signing potential which hadn't appeared yet, as opposed to a proven player. But when I saw him interviewed, it really made me realise what we had signed, as opposed to purely the footballer I had been watching in an Everton & England shirt.

He is obviously someone with personality, drive, confidence & intelligence. So when teaching him stuff, is not so much a gamble as I thought, that he'll get it fairly quickly.

Under a proper manager like Pep that is.