John Stones

[nmc]

I genuinely like Stones and want him to do well but you can’t coach the basic errors he displays out of his game. He lost concentration a couple of times last night and his man ran off the back of him. If he was 18 or 19 you’d say that might improve with age but he’s nearing his peak years but he still switches off in games - hence his high rate of errors. I honestly think City are unfortunately too big a stage for Stones and he needs to move on and drop down a level where there is slightly less scrutiny and maybe less expectation.

 

[the_tevez_wiggle]

Can't see why people are wanting rid this window.
Garcia - wants to go, no point developing him
Nico - legs have gone, reactions have gone. Thanks for everything but time to move on.
Zinchenko - lovely lad, love his passion but he isn't good enough in his own position and is bang average at left back.
Gundogan - same as zinchenko but isn't a cdm.
Mahrez - lovely player, me personally I don't think he fits the team mentality. He just doesn't fit!!! Goes missing far to often puts in token tackles never full blooded challenges.

we could get £80m there easily and a shit load of wages off the books. If we buy a rcb eventually, we still need a lb & a winger to replace mahrez which getting 5 players out and 2 + rcb would do wonders for us. Koulibaly/stones laporte/ake is phenomenal. Stones only plays terrible with nico, get rid of nico and no problem.

 

[mosssideblue]

Last night was the best JS we have seen in a long while.

He naturally tired, as everyone else did in the second half, but nothing but kudos to the fella for last night

 

[Delphinho]

He was great last night, if he builds up his confidence he would be a brilliant defender for us, but as long as we sign a new defender he`ll never get a good run of games and it will be hard for him to perform well if he only plays every third game or so

 

[Phil1]

He’s not going to be first choice when everyone is fit and a new CB is brought in, but, if he’s happy to fight for his place and be ready to step up when required then we have ourselves a very good, capable squad player who knows how we play and has the ability to do all the things Pep requires.
No brainier that we try and keep him above Otamendi and Garcia.

 

[Neville Kneville]

While he had a decent enough game positionally he was caught out a couple of times, him and Mendy both being culpable for the goal. For once we were fortunate, Wolves missed four good chances and on another night we'd have lost after being 2-0 up. I appreciate we lacked match fitness and Ake and Stones hadn't played together before but a decent European team or the dippers wouldn't have let us off the hook. For me his faults are still there, nothings changed, last night luck was on his and our side.

I don't think there's a centre half in history would have stopped the goal.

If someone had cut the cross out, first, or Mendy got in front properly, then different. But putting the ball on a striker's head like that, near post, from so close, almost impossible to stop it from behind.

Edit: dippers did let us off with a shedload of chancres, much easier to defend, just a few months ago.

 

[Neville Kneville]

He’s not going to be first choice when everyone is fit and a new CB is brought in, but, if he’s happy to fight for his place and be ready to step up when required then we have ourselves a very good, capable squad player who knows how we play and has the ability to do all the things Pep requires.
No brainier that we try and keep him above Otamendi and Garcia.

Tbf, it should be whoever is best, gets the job.

 

[willipp]

Last night was the best JS we have seen in a long while.

He naturally tired, as everyone else did in the second half, but nothing but kudos to the fella for last night

What bugs the crap out of me is every time he gets the slightest thing wrong everyone jumps all over it. All CB's make mistakes, even the best in the world, its why its such a difficult position to play. If he can minimise those mistakes and keep doing and improving on what he did last night, he will have a very good season for us.

 

[Phil1]

Tbf, it should be whoever is best, gets the job.

If he’s playing then it means he’s earned his place (injuries aside) and that can only be a good thing for us and him.

 

[Semper aggressus]

I wouldn't like to see Stones playing for Arsenal or any other top club, I think he's a very good defender who because of injury and off-field issues had a poor season.

This year he deserves the chance to fight for his place, he's certainly good enough if he plays to his potential. He's a lot better than Garcia or Otamendi.

 

[domalino]

I thought his confident passing was back, it really showed up the difference between a CB who is deemed good on the ball like Ake and Stones who is on another level.

It's underrated because they aren't flashy long balls or through balls like some can do, just the ability to read the runs of the midfielders when we are controlling possession slowly, play the ball with pace at the right time into the right space, and then the number 8 gets the ball and can turn and attack instantly with the defenders backpedalling and we've gone from controlling the ball at the back to running at their box in numbers in 5 seconds and 1 pass.

However I thought he did lose his head for a bit and let Podence get in a few times through sloppy defending when we were under pressure.

But we took all 3 points so no harm done, hopefully that was the first brick put down in building his confidence back up.

 

[paulchapo]

I don't think there's a centre half in history would have stopped the goal.

If someone had cut the cross out, first, or Mendy got in front properly, then different. But putting the ball on a striker's head like that, near post, from so close, almost impossible to stop it from behind.

Edit: dippers did let us off with a shedload of chancres, much easier to defend, just a few months ago.

Some decent points.

 

[southamptonblue]

What bugs the crap out of me is every time he gets the slightest thing wrong everyone jumps all over it. All CB's make mistakes, even the best in the world, its why its such a difficult position to play. If he can minimise those mistakes and keep doing and improving on what he did last night, he will have a very good season for us.

You do realise that anyone who makes a mistake is crap to the PlayStation experts on here...and should be replaced by the amazing player on their computer who they'd never heard of before, or ever seen play ;)

 

[mexico1970]

Thought both Stones and Ake did well last night, better than VVD's first game of the season that's for sure.

 

[sir baconface]

Ability this ability that, we know he is capable, but inconsistent, and injury prone. Yesterday's performance doesn't change that and the fact that Koundé is coming in probably reiterates it.

Hey Rafa, that‘s a possibility, not a fact.

 

[wolviedinho]

Echo most people here in that we all hope he comes good. He did have a good game and he was trying to organise the back 4 throughout the dodgy 15 min spell.

He was getting stuck in which was great to see. Pity he could not bulk up a little as he gets beat too easy for strength. I would still keep him over Garcia.

Good 3/4 choice but should be pushing for no 1 spot. Needs a run and a good year.

 

[leo_city]

Hey Rafa, that‘s a possibility, not a fact.

Haha like the reference there. Well, my bad. Do believe we will buy a centre back tho.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Fine last night apart from that silly crossfield pass to Mendy that Traore intercepted, it was never on and he neess to be more careful in those areas.

 

[applecentral]

Sign Aouar, keep Stones and Garcia this season and use the DC money to try and sign a quality ST as I fear Aguero may miss large chunks of this season. Aour would give us enough quality DM,s to rotate 2 players to protect our central defenders. Jobs a goodun!!

 

[eastmanc]

What bugs the crap out of me is every time he gets the slightest thing wrong everyone jumps all over it. All CB's make mistakes, even the best in the world, its why its such a difficult position to play. If he can minimise those mistakes and keep doing and improving on what he did last night, he will have a very good season for us.

Bang on. Thank fuck he never made a mistake like Vyrgil Van Hype made against Leeds,
he would have never heard the last of it. We love a scapegoat at City, always have.