John Stones - 2016/17 performances

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I think we'd have gone as far as £70m or £80m for Stones and still thought it'd be worth it in the long run. Amazing potential.
 
Strange to think a few months ago he was a bit of a nervous wreck at Everton with the crowd on his back, being shunted out to RB or even left on the bench... showing real leadership in his play this season. 22 and he was dictating England's play from centre half.
 
He doesn't just lump the ball, he doesn't just pass the ball. Watch closely, whenever he can he waites and draws a pressing opposition forward close to him before he passes, so taking that player out of the game, cool as fuck, pure class.
 
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John Stones v Slovakia
 
mansour's tow ropes said:
Strange to think a few months ago he was a bit of a nervous wreck at Everton with the crowd on his back, being shunted out to RB or even left on the bench... showing real leadership in his play this season. 22 and he was dictating England's play from centre half.
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I agree. It's incredible to me how calm and composed he looks at such a young age. If you just watched him play you'd never guess he's 22!
 
mansour's tow ropes said:
Strange to think a few months ago he was a bit of a nervous wreck at Everton with the crowd on his back, being shunted out to RB or even left on the bench... showing real leadership in his play this season. 22 and he was dictating England's play from centre half.
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He was benched at Everton, he was benched with England. Man City came in and saved his career. Will the media give Pep credit? Nope.
 
bucks said:
He doesn't just lump the ball, he doesn't just pass the ball. Watch closely, whenever he can he waites and draws a pressing opposition forward close to him before he passes, so taking that player out of the game, cool as fuck, pure class.
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This bit is Pep coaching. The whole idea is to break the lines, if it is 1 player, 2 or 3 players. Yesterday too, Stones realised with the sending off, England were often 3v1 in defense against Slovakia's forward, so he went forward knowing thats what Pep would ask him to do in such instances. I see some Everton fans complain, that he used to do the same thing before, but now he is being praised whereas he was slated before. The whole thing about coaching is not about coaching talent or potential, its about teaching intelligence and unlocking that potential, improving the decision-making in match situations, ability to read the game, WHEN to do WHAT with the ball. Btw, Pep doesnt look for credit for his coaching. His whole idea is to bring his players' talent to the forefront! Thats why, with his offensive system, it appears he has been lucky to coach such talent. The truth is that Pep has the balls to back that talent, not reduce your best dribblers to wing-backs.

The irony in football is that, it is always perceived that if you are a defensive coach, who knows how to organize 9-10 men behind the ball, you are considered a tactical genius. While if you are an offensive coach, it is perceived that the players' talent is winning games for the coach. Ask any coach, even a division-3 coach: organising 10 men behind the ball is the easiest thing in football. Try "creating" an offensive, yet defensively-stable structure. Pep is probably the ONLY coach in Europe who does that and wins loads of trophies, more than any other. And he has conceded the least goals in EVERY season he has coached. No mean feat! It goes against every rule-book "pundits" and "coaches" follow in Italy, England or Germany!
 
All the defence stood up heroically under the Pulis tactics in the second half. Stones probably won't get as much credit as some of the others, but I thought he handled Big Nose exceptionally well during the aerial bombardment.
 
Showed he is able to do the unattractive defending as well as his silky passing. Lost count the number of times he got the ball clear.
 
Just looking across some other forums and I've seen loads of comments saying he was shit today. He was fucking brilliant, handled ibra well, which was predicted to be a mis-match before the game. He lost the ball a couple of times but that's the player he is.
 
Absolute quality a great defensive performance, he does seem to be too casual at times and mis placed passes but the kid is still learning and is some player
 
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