John Stones

[Moonchesteri]

He has been better than I expected tbh and I've liked what I've seen.
Even Maldini and Beckenbauer would have been in trouble playing next to Otters.

It's a big shame that Vinnie is not fit as JS could have learned a lot from him

[london blue 2]

He has been better than I expected tbh and I've liked what I've seen.
Even Maldini and Beckenbauer would have been in trouble playing next to Otters.
It's a big shame that Vinnie is not fit as JS could have learned a lot from him

Wait a min, vinnie is injured!?

[MilnersJaw]

He has been better than I expected tbh and I've liked what I've seen.
Even Maldini and Beckenbauer would have been in trouble playing next to Otters.

It's a big shame that Vinnie is not fit as JS could have learned a lot from him

and how low were your expectations?

His defending and decision making isn't good enough imo. Its cost us points (not all his fault btw). Our whole back line is a shambles and we just spent £50 million on a defender who cant defend at the level required.

I am sick and tired of hearing about players being young and building for the future. Traditionally defenders have cost less and are cheaper to pay because of footballing reasons. For that £50 mil we could have got 2 centre halves that COULD defend much better.

If we had a defence that could defend and a competent keeper from the start, we'd be first or on level with chelsea and have bested Monico.

[johnny crossan]

He has been better than I expected tbh and I've liked what I've seen.
Even Maldini and Beckenbauer would have been in trouble playing next to Otters.
It's a big shame that Vinnie is not fit as JS could have learned a lot from him

and how low were your expectations?
His defending and decision making isn't good enough imo. Its cost us points (not all his fault btw). Our whole back line is a shambles and we just spent £50 million on a defender who cant defend at the level required.
I am sick and tired of hearing about players being young and building for the future. Traditionally defenders have cost less and are cheaper to pay because of footballing reasons. For that £50 mil we could have got 2 centre halves that COULD defend much better.
If we had a defence that could defend and a competent keeper from the start, we'd be first or on level with chelsea and have bested Monico.

I can visualise your lantern shaped mandible rippling as you wrote that

[Dubciteh]

He has been better than I expected tbh and I've liked what I've seen.
Even Maldini and Beckenbauer would have been in trouble playing next to Otters.

It's a big shame that Vinnie is not fit as JS could have learned a lot from him

and how low were your expectations?

His defending and decision making isn't good enough imo. Its cost us points (not all his fault btw). Our whole back line is a shambles and we just spent £50 million on a defender who cant defend at the level required.

I am sick and tired of hearing about players being young and building for the future. Traditionally defenders have cost less and are cheaper to pay because of footballing reasons. For that £50 mil we could have got 2 centre halves that COULD defend much better.

If we had a defence that could defend and a competent keeper from the start, we'd be first or on level with chelsea and have bested Monico.

Who are these two defenders we could have had for 25m each??

[PeterParker]

He got a lot of heat last season, but slowly he is turning into the minister of defence. He became really solid, confident and rarely makes a mistake. It shows how much a good keeper can help you grow.

Still early days, but Stones is the player that impressed me the most so far this season. He stepped up and replaced Vinnie like a proper leader.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

He got a lot of heat last season, but slowly he is turning into the minister of defence. He became really solid, confident and rarely makes a mistake. It shows how much a good keeper can help you grow.

Still early days, but Stones is the player that impressed me the most so far this season. He stepped up and replaced Vinnie like a proper leader.

Good call PP.

He looks now as though he has the potential to be THE consumate defender for us.

[sheblue]

A lot of the shit he got last season was not justified. It seemed to be a fashionable thing to slag him off. Fucking idiots. It is/was obsious he would progress. But some thick cunts just couldn't get it.
He is still young for a centre back in my book. And he will get better with further experience.
Best young English centre back in decades.

[johnny crossan]

A lot of the shit he got last season was not justified. It seemed to be a fashionable thing to slag him off. Fucking idiots. It is/was obsious he would progress. But some thick cunts just couldn't get it.
He is still young for a centre back in my book. And he will get better with further experience.
Best young English centre back in decades.

a few blushes on here now too

[sheblue]

A lot of the shit he got last season was not justified. It seemed to be a fashionable thing to slag him off. Fucking idiots. It is/was obsious he would progress. But some thick cunts just couldn't get it.
He is still young for a centre back in my book. And he will get better with further experience.
Best young English centre back in decades.

a few blushes on here now too

Possibly. But I was more referring to the sheep and parrots in the media. you know these pundit expert types they are either parrots or sheep. Sheep all follow one another and parrots all copy each other. There are loads of them, completely incapable of thinking. They just blurt out a load of old shit they heard some other twat banging on about. The domino affect.

[Blackadder]

Always liked him. Aggressive, good feet and a footballing brain. Now coming of age and one of the best defenders in the world. If Smalling or fckning Jones ever get into an England team ahead of him I will sink a toasting fork into my head.

[london blue 2]

Always liked him. Aggressive, good feet and a footballing brain. Now coming of age and one of the best defenders in the world. If Smalling or fckning Jones ever get into an England team ahead of him I will sink a toasting fork into my head.

Thing is smalling adds the option to play up front as well

[patrickblue]

Had another really good game today.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

He got a lot of heat last season, but slowly he is turning into the minister of defence. He became really solid, confident and rarely makes a mistake. It shows how much a good keeper can help you grow.

Still early days, but Stones is the player that impressed me the most so far this season. He stepped up and replaced Vinnie like a proper leader.

And this season he is mustard...

[Dameerto]

Still makes a dodgy pass attempt every now and then BUT he is a player who is looking to start attacks with his passing (I get the feeling Pep has been working with him as part of our total football approach), and some of the moves he starts can more than make up for giving the ball away occasionally. Pleased with his defending this season too when called upon.

[Tokyo Blue]

It is not coincidence that having a consistent back four and goalkeeper produces better performances. They are all looking a lot better.

[sidSmith]

And what a keeper. Always seems calm and brave as hell coming out and commanding the area. It's funny watching us and Stones this year as the old guard still groan when we play it from the back and can't get away from the days of simply hoofing it upfield to basically hand possession back to the opposition. Yes, occasionally we'll give it away or make a mistake, like v Napoli, but it's one hell of a leap forward and I can live with the odd blip. Like said above, Stones is a huge part of our success.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

It is not coincidence that having a consistent back four and goalkeeper produces better performances. They are all looking a lot better.

Agreed TB; just hope our current, impressive left back can stay fit.

[Nigels Tackle]

It is not coincidence that having a consistent back four and goalkeeper produces better performances. They are all looking a lot better.

something loads of us have been banging on about for fucking years

[Swales4ever]

In a couple of those pretty always "attempts to make it all about me and never about football"... I expressed how much I am impressed by the consistency and quality of Stones improvement, constantly on show since, imo, finally gaining the proper level of confidence on his qualities, also thanks to early partnership with Kompany early, this season.

I did by willingly using a bold analogy to keiser Franz Beckenbauer style, as I actually found myself thinking of that resemblance a few times.

Think it was Peter Doherty, who rang a bell to me on how that was much premature (of course). and he was right in saying so.

but I cant really help thinking of that this lad has pretty much all in him, leadership and humbleness alltogether included, to consider that, if the stars keep aligning on him as it has gone so far this season, in a couple of years England may probably finds Its next Bobby Moore.