John Stones / Paul Lake

[BufordUSABlue]

You are just trying to upset me and make me choose between two great players!!
I’ve met Lakey a few times, lovely man, brilliant player, great Ambassador for our club.
John Boy, I’ve never met but he is a great player and also a great Ambassador.

Soooo, different skill sets in different eras of football. I don’t need to choose Mr @jimharri ! They are both great. Happy Birthday Lakey. Have a great day. :-)

Well said mate.
Totally different era’s but both great players.
Without even beginning to criticize Johnny, Lakey IMO was the complete footballer and would have gone on to be truly world class!
I honestly think Pep sees Johnny as our Busquets & IF he stays injury free could well go onto become a modern day version of such!
Here’s hoping !!

 

[ancoats]

It Pains me to say this But Paul Lake was only going right to the top of the game and sadly Manchester City wasn't.
Lakey would have been sold to Liverpool or one of the big teams in Europe Because of Swales, We were in the shit and anybody that stood out had to be sold, Everybody knew how badly we were financially and Clubs had us by the balls and really we could not hold on to talent.

Pretty much like Stones at Everton, He was going to be sold because just like City the clowns running the club
But for the Question Stones, Lake, its pretty much from the same mould

 

[manimanc]

Lakey was and still is my hero. Stonesy is right up there. I'll kind of quote what ex city manager once said.
With Stonesy it's love but with Lakey it's marriage.

Paul Lake was a Pep player before the phrase pep player was even thought of. He'd be immense in this team.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

It Pains me to say this But Paul Lake was only going right to the top of the game and sadly Manchester City wasn't.
Lakey would have been sold to Liverpool or one of the big teams in Europe Because of Swales, We were in the shit and anybody that stood out had to be sold, Everybody knew how badly we were financially and Clubs had us by the balls and really we could not hold on to talent.

Pretty much like Stones at Everton, He was going to be sold because just like City the clowns running the club
But for the Question Stones, Lake, its pretty much from the same mould

Swales turned down a bid from Liverpool in the summer before he was injured.

Believe the fee was around £5M

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

Swales turned down a bid from Liverpool in the summer before he was injured.

Believe the fee was around £5M

Maybe true but it is inconceivable to think he wouldnt have been sold within a couple of seasons. He was a rolls royce footballer

 

[Corky]

Swales turned down a bid from Liverpool in the summer before he was injured.

Believe the fee was around £5M

Shearer was the record £3.3m 2 years later.

Seems a fantastical amount and he didn't write about it.

 

[kippaxwarrior]

Maybe true but it is inconceivable to think he wouldnt have been sold within a couple of seasons. He was a rolls royce footballer

I agree.

Think it was inevitable that he would leave to go to a bigger club at the time. I always thought Cruyff would have loved to have him at Barcelona in the 90's due to his versatility

I also think he would of been pivotal for Terry Venables England side in Euro 96

 

[kippaxwarrior]

Shearer was the record £3.3m 2 years later.

Seems a fantastical amount and he didn't write about it.

Lake has talked about it. This is from an interview with him in 2016.

Were you ever subject of a bid from any other club or close to ever leaving City?

"I was never close to leaving City – there was no way I would have ever left the club – but Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish both offered Peter Swales an open cheque to sign me. Ironically, if I’d damaged my knee playing for either of those two clubs, I believe would have received the correct care from the outset."

Exclusive: Paul Lake lifts the lid on injury heartbreak, let-downs and club loyalty

www.footballfancast.com

 

[Corky]

Lake has talked about it. This is from an interview with him in 2016.

Were you ever subject of a bid from any other club or close to ever leaving City?

"I was never close to leaving City – there was no way I would have ever left the club – but Alex Ferguson and Kenny Dalglish both offered Peter Swales an open cheque to sign me. Ironically, if I’d damaged my knee playing for either of those two clubs, I believe would have received the correct care from the outset."

Exclusive: Paul Lake lifts the lid on injury heartbreak, let-downs and club loyalty

www.footballfancast.com

"Open cheque" so £100m then? Or more like Paul Parker or Dean Saunders money?

Clearly he was exaggerating at a fan forum.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Loved watching John Stones play football in his Everton days and ,when we signed him I was in dreamland.a proper ball playing centre half turning out for City.Wow... watching him evolve into midfield,..a transistion as smooth as his style of play .His centre back play is immaculate,he is as rugged as required,winning meat and drink headers all day long,has great awareness/ positioning and of course brings the ball out of the backline superbly,and his passing game is top notch.

Lake,imo,tho is the better all round footballer.a rolls Royce of a player who destroyed 1st Division Watford and Forest at Maine rd during our league cup run under Machin, (as a 2nd div team)..with marauding yet graceful runs from centre midfield,a knife through butter it seemed as the two top level teams were torn apart and exposed on our wide, old Maine road pitch.

When Ferguson's utd turned up ,Sept 1989 Machin was forced to play Lake left midfield due to injuries..up against former England defender Viv Anderson ,our home grown teenager rose to the challenge and utterly destroyed the full back,laying on 2 goals in The Maine rd Massacre.

Lake was classy brave skifull versatile and simply drifted over the turf with the ball at his feet..at speed. A joy to watch play football.

I have so many great memories of Lakes supreme ability,etched on my brain,at a time when you rarely saw City on the box,you had to be there. ..Still remember his classy display at Stamford bridge 1988,when our young Blues smashed an experienced Chelsea team 3-1..Lake outstanding.

Great comparison with Stones who is easily the better centre half but Lake,imo,is out in front..,having watched him play for City in every single outfield posistion ,a great player,who Pep would have turned into a world beater, without a doubt.