John Stones

[Paul Lake's Left Knee]

Except he's stronger, quicker, a better tackler, better positionally and stronger in the air than Stones and mugs we are we're probably going to sell him for less than we spend on Stones.

Stones offers things that the Mangler doesnt, they should work well together in theory. Both have bags of potential for me.

 

[razman]

Check out @GFFN's Tweet:

Mangala now will start euro 2016...along side that arsenal defender.... Big Opportunity if he plays well there... Pep maybe forced to think about not selling him..

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Except he's stronger, quicker, a better tackler, better positionally and stronger in the air than Stones and mugs we are we're probably going to sell him for less than we spend on Stones.

who have you been watching ? mangala has been average.

 

[johnmc]

Used to be a big fan but the more I've watched him the less I've liked him.

I'd swerve him especially at the prices being mooted.

Aye but you are probably judging him on the games since his transfer request where he definitely went off the boil.

 

[TRUE BLUE NO1]

For me...either Stones or Laporte would offer more upside than Mangala....sadly, he seems a mistake waiting to happen and looks lost when playing against smaller, quicker strikers that have good movement(gets dragged out of position far too much)...both Stones and Laporte are also better with the ball at their feet which seems to be something Pep is looking for out of his CB's.....

 

[aguero93:20]

who have you been watching ? mangala has been average.

Who have you been watching, Stones has been utter shite.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

Are you being serious here?

Is that all the blame on the one player because either way, its down to Pep who has continually put his faith in the lad, probably because they have won everything else there is to win with him.

not just him, but he was culpable at times. Put it this way, if Pep had had Vinnie or Pique instead of Boateng I genuinely believe they'd have won at least one of those semis. If they'd been partnered with him then I think the same, but they'd have been carrying him. Boateng's not top class and has made crucial errors at big moments, particularly in Europe, regardless of the mistakes other have made in the build-up, which has cost Bayern. He hasn't been good enough as their lead CB when it's really counted, forget German Cups or a 34 game Bundesliga season when they're by miles the better side, in those really competitive CL ties he has been found wanting.

I think John Stones will be the same, except he'll drop clangers in regular league games as well because unless Pep can teach him to defend properly (which he failed to do with Boateng) then Stones is an even poorer defender and will get found out repeatedly in a Pep system. For me, Stones and this City defence will be Pep's make or break challenge, because at Bayern the heart of that defence has been his undoing. Stones & Laporte doesn't fill with me a whole lot of confidence, in fact Stones drains it.

 

[blueparrot]

Who have you been watching, Stones has been utter shite.

If you only need to watch to see that, are we assuming Pep is buying without watching ?

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Check out @GFFN's Tweet:

Mangala now will start euro 2016...along side that arsenal defender.... Big Opportunity if he plays well there... Pep maybe forced to think about not selling him..

Or we might get some of the over-inflated price we paid for him back.

 

[decmancity]

For me...either Stones or Laporte would offer more upside than Mangala....sadly, he seems a mistake waiting to happen and looks lost when playing against smaller, quicker strikers that have good movement(gets dragged out of position far too much)...both Stones and Laporte are also better with the ball at their feet which seems to be something Pep is looking for out of his CB's.....

I think Stones struggles with this as well, switches off far too quick. I haven't seen Laporte play but I trust in Pep to coach any of the defenders to levels they haven't reached before.