Juanma Lillo gone to Al Saad - Enzo Maresca coming back?

[johnny crossan]

Stones used to get loads of stick in the British media for only being able to pass and not being able to actually defend. This was heightened during Peps first season when he kept encouraging him to carry on trying to play and we were pretty shit! He proved all those detractors wrong and earned his new City contract when it looked like he was on his way.

Now 64 is saying he can only defend and not pass (a complete lie).

Sunday wasn't his best game by a long way but let's not rewrite history.

Main issue with Stones is staying fit long enough to get a run of games to reach his best form. He has always been ropy when being chopped and changed.

I think our 4 CBs are the envy of the league. Especially looking at the state of all our rivals

Oi Billy Bullshit , John Stones cannot pass a ball forward out of defence FACT .
A lie ????
Fuck off !
John Stones main issue is the FACT he cannot pass a ball forward out of defence so he doesn’t get selected very often. And the fact he is even worse under Southgate with England proves this point . He can defend though and is good in the air . He isn’t a bad player but the opposite. BUT he can’t pass the ball forward out of defence which is vital in OUR system !!!!


Clown .

This is surreal, Stones is England's best CB by a distance. Before Sunday he hadn't played a competitive match for two months since the internationals. He needs minutes to get up to speed - and as has already been pointed out - more than most. Stones' main problem is his tendency to crumble mentally in big games and hostile surroundings - his footballing ability is top drawer.

[stupot]

Being England's best CB isn't really a compliment when you're up against Slabhead who's just been dropped, Mings who's had the captaincy taken off him and Coady who's been deemed not good enough for Wolves

[Nick]

Stones used to get loads of stick in the British media for only being able to pass and not being able to actually defend. This was heightened during Peps first season when he kept encouraging him to carry on trying to play and we were pretty shit! He proved all those detractors wrong and earned his new City contract when it looked like he was on his way.

Now 64 is saying he can only defend and not pass (a complete lie).

Sunday wasn't his best game by a long way but let's not rewrite history.

Main issue with Stones is staying fit long enough to get a run of games to reach his best form. He has always been ropy when being chopped and changed.

I think our 4 CBs are the envy of the league. Especially looking at the state of all our rivals

Oi Billy Bullshit , John Stones cannot pass a ball forward out of defence FACT .
A lie ????
Fuck off !
John Stones main issue is the FACT he cannot pass a ball forward out of defence so he doesn’t get selected very often. And the fact he is even worse under Southgate with England proves this point . He can defend though and is good in the air . He isn’t a bad player but the opposite. BUT he can’t pass the ball forward out of defence which is vital in OUR system !!!!


Clown .

This is surreal, Stones is England's best CB by a distance. Before Sunday he hadn't played a competitive match for two months since the internationals. He needs minutes to get up to speed - and as has already been pointed out - more than most. Stones' main problem is his tendency to crumble mentally in big games and hostile surroundings - his footballing ability is top drawer.

Agree

[Outcast]

Stones is a Rolls-Royce when in form and a Lada out of.
He is a ball playing defender that's why Pep bought him. He's not as good as laporte passing forward, but overall he can bring ball forward and comfortable in position.

Newcastle wasn't the ideal match to bring him in and ask him to hit the ground running. Maybe Pep underestimated their intensity. Bournemouth would have been more ideal.

The way Pep demand of his defenders to play, it takes time to bed in and get into the groove. Ake has been outstanding but it took him time to adjust.

[carl_feedthegoat]

Why is laporte still injured ? he had the whole of the summer to get over it ffs!

[Dimples]

Why is laporte still injured ? he had the whole of the summer to get over it ffs!

He had surgery (knee) during the Summer and is recovering from that.
He played on a dodgy knee at he end of last season because we were stuck for defensive cover.
Probably making the injury worse.
We learnt a great deal from this experience though.
We used it to sell Zinch, retire Fern, Mendy in court and replace all three with a novice LB.

No way will we have the same injury driven defensive issues as last year.

[johnny crossan]

Being England's best CB isn't really a compliment when you're up against Slabhead who's just been dropped, Mings who's had the captaincy taken off him and Coady who's been deemed not good enough for Wolves

Guehi & Tomori are quite promising and both have senior caps.

[Nickyboy]

Stones used to get loads of stick in the British media for only being able to pass and not being able to actually defend. This was heightened during Peps first season when he kept encouraging him to carry on trying to play and we were pretty shit! He proved all those detractors wrong and earned his new City contract when it looked like he was on his way.

Now 64 is saying he can only defend and not pass (a complete lie).

Sunday wasn't his best game by a long way but let's not rewrite history.

Main issue with Stones is staying fit long enough to get a run of games to reach his best form. He has always been ropy when being chopped and changed.

I think our 4 CBs are the envy of the league. Especially looking at the state of all our rivals

Oi Billy Bullshit , John Stones cannot pass a ball forward out of defence FACT .
A lie ????
Fuck off !
John Stones main issue is the FACT he cannot pass a ball forward out of defence so he doesn’t get selected very often. And the fact he is even worse under Southgate with England proves this point . He can defend though and is good in the air . He isn’t a bad player but the opposite. BUT he can’t pass the ball forward out of defence which is vital in OUR system !!!!


Clown .

Plenty of evidence available here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiWUblctun8 (and many more videos to choose from).

A key tactic against Liverpool the last few seasons was to draw them onto the CBs and play triangles with Ederson to pass through their press - Stones played superbly in those games.

What part don't you understand about him taking time to get back up to speed again. His poor injury record is the concern and not his ability. If you honestly believe he is not one of the best ball playing centre backs in the league that I really don't understand what you watch every week

[Nickyboy]

Granted the below is from 2 seasons ago - but last season he was dogged by injuries.

But just as striking, and perhaps even more pleasing for Guardiola, has been the improvement shown by Stones.

“John Stones has more personality than all of us here together in this room,” Guardiola said after the 1-1 draw agaisnt Liverpool in March. “More balls than everyone here. I like that. I love him.”

Guardiola was referring to how difficult centre-halves have it under his leadership. As well as being expected to defend vast spaces behind them, they must also step forward in both defensive and attacking senses. And after an inconsistent debut season at City, this term Stones has showed why Guardiola is so fond of him.

In Vincent Kompany’s absence, the 23-year-old has stepped up to see to it that the captain, so often the decisive presence at the heart of the back four when fit, has not been missed – which is handy considering he often isn’t it these days.

Kompany, to his credit, foresaw Stones’ improvement, when many outside the Etihad wondered last season whether the Barnsley-born stopper was destined to become yet another over-hyped English youngster who would fail to fulfil their perceived potential.

“I think Stonesy will be one of the world’s best defenders,” Kompany said at the end of last season. “I have no doubt about it.

“He is in that period now where he has experienced a lot of new things and has had to go through a lot of stuff that he hasn’t come across before. He will thrive once the team gets going again.

“He has everything the manager likes – that ability to play from the back. But he also recognises how important it is for him to win his challenges, win his physical battles, and he has improved a lot in that.”

Stones stats
That improvement has been even more rapid in the captain’s absence, with Stones imposing himself more in every aspect of City’s game.

Defensively, he is engaging in more duels and winning more aerial battles, while the former Everton centre-half has made half the number of the tackles he made last season in just a third of the minutes.

It was undoubtedly in those defensive duties that Stones had the most scope for development. In possession, few doubted his talent.

However, even on the ball the England star has been much improved.

In fact, no one in the Premier League to have played at least one hour of football this season has a higher passing accuracy rate. Stones has completed a hugely impressive 97.12 per cent of his 555 passes, which is an improvement on last season’s average of 91.7 per cent.


Think i'll take Pep and Kompany's views on his best attributes over the ramblings of a drunken fool

[stupot]

It's Pep who preferrred Dias and Laporte last season.

[Mase]

It's Pep who preferrred Dias and Laporte last season.

And also made a comment directed at Stones about “some players aren’t fit for City but when it’s international they play all the time”.

[stupot]

It's Pep who preferrred Dias and Laporte last season.

And also made a comment directed at Stones about “some players aren’t fit for City but when it’s international they play all the time”.

I think he was also pretty pissed off about the covid injection situation and Stones's missus posting all her conspiracy stuff at the same time as he lost his mother to it.

[CTID Hants]

It's Pep who preferrred Dias and Laporte last season.

And also made a comment directed at Stones about “some players aren’t fit for City but when it’s international they play all the time”.

Hmmmm fairly sure that was you mate

[Mase]

It's Pep who preferrred Dias and Laporte last season.

And also made a comment directed at Stones about “some players aren’t fit for City but when it’s international they play all the time”.

Hmmmm fairly sure that was you mate

Haha I’ve probably changed it in my head about a million times.

Thinking back now I think he used Foden as an example of a player that wanted to play even though they had niggles, whereas some are able to play but choose not to because of “injury”. I can’t remember the full quote.

[Nickyboy]

He was definitely pissed off at Stones for playing every available minute for England and coming back from international duty injured.

It was that the same him drop down Peps pecking order, not his ability

[City64]

Stones used to get loads of stick in the British media for only being able to pass and not being able to actually defend. This was heightened during Peps first season when he kept encouraging him to carry on trying to play and we were pretty shit! He proved all those detractors wrong and earned his new City contract when it looked like he was on his way.

Now 64 is saying he can only defend and not pass (a complete lie).

Sunday wasn't his best game by a long way but let's not rewrite history.

Main issue with Stones is staying fit long enough to get a run of games to reach his best form. He has always been ropy when being chopped and changed.

I think our 4 CBs are the envy of the league. Especially looking at the state of all our rivals

Oi Billy Bullshit , John Stones cannot pass a ball forward out of defence FACT .
A lie ????
Fuck off !
John Stones main issue is the FACT he cannot pass a ball forward out of defence so he doesn’t get selected very often. And the fact he is even worse under Southgate with England proves this point . He can defend though and is good in the air . He isn’t a bad player but the opposite. BUT he can’t pass the ball forward out of defence which is vital in OUR system !!!!


Clown .

Plenty of evidence available here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiWUblctun8 (and many more videos to choose from).

A key tactic against Liverpool the last few seasons was to draw them onto the CBs and play triangles with Ederson to pass through their press - Stones played superbly in those games.

What part don't you understand about him taking time to get back up to speed again. His poor injury record is the concern and not his ability. If you honestly believe he is not one of the best ball playing centre backs in the league that I really don't understand what you watch every week

You massively contradict yourself with this post . Stones was magnificent that season but we have moved on and we play a different style yet again .
I will just leave this here ……..

JOHN STONES CANT PASS A FUCKING BALL FORWARD OUT OF DEFENCE, which is crucial in our system.

HE IS A TOP DEFENDER THOUGH, which I have repeated many times .
Now jog on !

Fucking Nicks ffs

[mr_nool]

Currently:

Ake
Dias

On form, stones and dias as above. He was shocking yesterday but first game in months after injury.

I love laportes passing and goal threat, but always always drops a bollock defensively in big games.

Dropped a couple but Stones is far worse in my opinion. That foul for the 3rd goal was crazy especially with Trippier in their team.
Also Laporte's record with Dias last season is better than the Stones/ Dias famous bromance of the previous year.
Dias, Laporte, Ake, Stones for me.

Bang on , saved me posting the same .
Stones can’t pass it is painful watching him live at a game and players moving for him for space to pass into but he hasn’t got the ability to make that forward pass so it goes backwards or a short sideways one .

Wasn't the Stones/Laporte partnership before Dias joined even better statistically? Problem was that they both missed a lot of games, so we had to play Otter and Garcia too often.

[City64]

Level of current English CB is pretty piss poor but the media will big them up with the three lions bullshit and the Southgate love in despite the fact Southgate is shite and destroying a golden generation of attacking young players. John Stones is the best English CB by some distance but his fellow English CBs are utter dog shit as has already been mentioned.

[City64]

Currently:

Ake
Dias

On form, stones and dias as above. He was shocking yesterday but first game in months after injury.

I love laportes passing and goal threat, but always always drops a bollock defensively in big games.

Dropped a couple but Stones is far worse in my opinion. That foul for the 3rd goal was crazy especially with Trippier in their team.
Also Laporte's record with Dias last season is better than the Stones/ Dias famous bromance of the previous year.
Dias, Laporte, Ake, Stones for me.

Bang on , saved me posting the same .
Stones can’t pass it is painful watching him live at a game and players moving for him for space to pass into but he hasn’t got the ability to make that forward pass so it goes backwards or a short sideways one .

Wasn't the Stones/Laporte partnership before Dias joined even better statistically? Problem was that they both missed a lot of games, so we had to play Otter and Garcia too often.

Laporte carried Stones with his excellent passing .

[Nickyboy]

Stones used to get loads of stick in the British media for only being able to pass and not being able to actually defend. This was heightened during Peps first season when he kept encouraging him to carry on trying to play and we were pretty shit! He proved all those detractors wrong and earned his new City contract when it looked like he was on his way.

Now 64 is saying he can only defend and not pass (a complete lie).

Sunday wasn't his best game by a long way but let's not rewrite history.

Main issue with Stones is staying fit long enough to get a run of games to reach his best form. He has always been ropy when being chopped and changed.

I think our 4 CBs are the envy of the league. Especially looking at the state of all our rivals

Oi Billy Bullshit , John Stones cannot pass a ball forward out of defence FACT .
A lie ????
Fuck off !
John Stones main issue is the FACT he cannot pass a ball forward out of defence so he doesn’t get selected very often. And the fact he is even worse under Southgate with England proves this point . He can defend though and is good in the air . He isn’t a bad player but the opposite. BUT he can’t pass the ball forward out of defence which is vital in OUR system !!!!


Clown .

Plenty of evidence available here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiWUblctun8 (and many more videos to choose from).

A key tactic against Liverpool the last few seasons was to draw them onto the CBs and play triangles with Ederson to pass through their press - Stones played superbly in those games.

What part don't you understand about him taking time to get back up to speed again. His poor injury record is the concern and not his ability. If you honestly believe he is not one of the best ball playing centre backs in the league that I really don't understand what you watch every week

You massively contradict yourself with this post . Stones was magnificent that season but we have moved on and we play a different style yet again .
I will just leave this here ……..

JOHN STONES CANT PASS A FUCKING BALL FORWARD OUT OF DEFENCE, which is crucial in our system.

HE IS A TOP DEFENDER THOUGH, which I have repeated many times .
Now jog on !

Fucking Nicks ffs

He is literally known as a ball playing centre half. His passing is one of the things he gets most credit for.

Do you deliberately say the opposite of everyone else for a reaction?

I didn't contradict myself. The reason the Dias Laporte partnership played last year because Stones was always out injured (because of international duty) as I've previously mentioned.

All 4 of our defenders are excellent passers. That's why they're in Peps squad.

If you want an example of a defender who was shit at passing, look at Lescott (Carl dog whistle blown!)