The mancityfans.net football forum

Blue Blood wrote:Shocked to see so much hate from our own aimed at Stones.

Forget the fee, forget his previous season, forget what we know about traditional defending, traditional CB's. Our team is not like any other city team any of us has watched before, this is now a Pep team. People need to wrap there heads round how huge and sweeping the changes are that are happening at City. The football Pep wants is in another universe to what we have seen up to now and will evolve week on week. Pep is totally different in how he wants players to play, what wants players to do. I've no doubt Stones will utterly thrive under Pep.

I have no clue as to why so many are turned off to this signing. This is probably the most crucial signing for our season, we couldn't play Pep's system without a ball playing CB. This was utterly vital.

I'm not shocked, it's par for the course for a fair proportion of our fans to moan about everything and anything the club do these days.

Let's not jump the fence here.

Remember our last defender we got from here and how important was he in our defence and titles (even if some will disagree, Lescott was huge). If I could choose betweem Laporte and Stones, I would take John, he knows the league and here you need to settle as a defender.

What is a bit weird for me is money wise. If Everton really get Bony, How much would Stones really cost?

Anyway, welcome.

Now we need a LB and striker.

His ability to avoid penaltys when he makes poor tackles will be useful to us!

I really don't get how anyone gives a fuck about the money involved.

Not my money, the owners are incredibly rich and our ST prices are gonna go up regardless because that's modern day football.

Who gives a fuck, just enjoy it.

Blue Blood wrote:Shocked to see so much hate from our own aimed at Stones.

I will remain open minded, it's clear we need such a player otherwise Pep wouldn't have even looked at him in the first place.

Come Saturday, i think we will see a different team to those we've seen in the underwhelming pre-season games and i am hoping whatever it is that they have been taught in the last month or so from the new manager will become apparent.

At the minute I've no idea if we're going to win 4 or 5-0 or lose 0-1 to a lucky break for the mackems.

Cocacolajojo wrote:His ability to avoid penaltys when he makes poor tackles will be useful to us!

I don't think that is included in the price and will likely stay with his former club.

Get Micah back, He is over the injuries and Villa would give him a freebie.

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Blue Blood wrote:Shocked to see so much hate from our own aimed at Stones.

Forget the fee, forget his previous season, forget what we know about traditional defending, traditional CB's. Our team is not like any other city team any of us has watched before, this is now a Pep team. People need to wrap there heads round how huge and sweeping the changes are that are happening at City. The football Pep wants is in another universe to what we have seen up to now and will evolve week on week. Pep is totally different in how he wants players to play, what wants players to do. I've no doubt Stones will utterly thrive under Pep.

I have no clue as to why so many are turned off to this signing. This is probably the most crucial signing for our season, we couldn't play Pep's system without a ball playing CB. This was utterly vital.

I'm not shocked, it's par for the course for a fair proportion of our fans to moan about everything and anything the club do these days.

I don't know whether you caught the "Pep" documentary last night.

Pep's all conquering Barca lost the first game of his reign and drew the second. A loss could be a good omen!

Back on Stones, i just find it bemusing the attitude to signings currently. It's a case of "we can't win because we don't have x player, with x skills" and then when you buy a player it's "oh he's too much, theres x player for less who can do better, also why not promote youth".

Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

Hazy2 wrote:Get Micah back, He is over the injuries and Villa would give him a freebie.

Yeah, because he can't get in the team!

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Blue Blood wrote:Shocked to see so much hate from our own aimed at Stones.

Forget the fee, forget his previous season, forget what we know about traditional defending, traditional CB's. Our team is not like any other city team any of us has watched before, this is now a Pep team. People need to wrap there heads round how huge and sweeping the changes are that are happening at City. The football Pep wants is in another universe to what we have seen up to now and will evolve week on week. Pep is totally different in how he wants players to play, what wants players to do. I've no doubt Stones will utterly thrive under Pep.

I have no clue as to why so many are turned off to this signing. This is probably the most crucial signing for our season, we couldn't play Pep's system without a ball playing CB. This was utterly vital.

I'm not shocked, it's par for the course for a fair proportion of our fans to moan about everything and anything the club do these days.

We always moaned about everything. It's just that these days we have first world problems and we forget how our club has changed in 10 years.

Think we'll struggle this year but don't care. We'll play the best attacking football and be shit at the back. Max entertainment value as usual.

Brilliant signing, ticks all the boxes for me. A footballing defender, suits Pep's style to a tee, knows the league and he's English.
Totally agree with both John on the timing, took the wind right out of the rag's sails, and with Mark about the money, City paid what was needed to get the player they wanted and you can't slag off Everton for holding out for it.

Yep , huge upgrade on Kolarov and Fernando in that position .

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Blue Blood wrote:Shocked to see so much hate from our own aimed at Stones.

Forget the fee, forget his previous season, forget what we know about traditional defending, traditional CB's. Our team is not like any other city team any of us has watched before, this is now a Pep team. People need to wrap there heads round how huge and sweeping the changes are that are happening at City. The football Pep wants is in another universe to what we have seen up to now and will evolve week on week. Pep is totally different in how he wants players to play, what wants players to do. I've no doubt Stones will utterly thrive under Pep.

I have no clue as to why so many are turned off to this signing. This is probably the most crucial signing for our season, we couldn't play Pep's system without a ball playing CB. This was utterly vital.

I'm not shocked, it's par for the course for a fair proportion of our fans to moan about everything and anything the club do these days.

It's not about moaning or hating ones own players, it's calling a spade a spade. He can't defend and we had serious issues with defending last season. I'd rather see than money spent on a player or players that can defend even if it's short term. Would prefer Denya or however you spell his name a chance.

MilnersJaw wrote:He can't defend.

Really? Me thinks you are well overdue at Specsavers.........



You will find numerous other YT video's if this isn't enough for you......

Delighted we have our man, Great 1st interview as well, Top work. Now lets get A forward and a keeper.....

Stones can defend and is no slouch either. He is also excellent at bringing the ball out and finding a midfielder. He is just what we need to allow peps way to flourish.

Young and English, too so ticks all the boxes for me. Welcome to our library John. Very happy you decided to join us

The stats that show why City paid big for Stones

With Opta's help, we look at some of the stats that show why Manchester City have made John Stones England's most expensive defender.

The protracted transfer saga surrounding John Stones has finally ended, with Manchester City getting their man after agreeing a fee in the region of £50million with Everton.

Stones, who becomes the most expensive English defender in history, has long been earmarked as a cultured centre-half around whom Pep Guardiola is eager to build his back line, especially given captain Vincent Kompany's injury woes.

But is the former Barnsley trainee worth such a staggering price? With the help of Opta, we look at what made City fork out a fortune, and how he compares to the world's finest in his position.

A PASSING FANCY

Marc Bartra, who made his Barcelona debut under Guardiola, spoke recently about the importance the coach places on defenders being good on the ball.

Stones, it would seem, is the perfect fit for a possession game at City. Last season, he boasted an 88.7 per cent passing success rate - the best of any defender to play 25 games or more in the Premier League.

That figure also places him top of the tree at Everton. Of players who made more than one appearance last term, only James McCarthy (87 per cent) comes close.

What's more, Stones' passing accuracy also betters that of Jerome Boateng (86.45 per cent), the man Guardiola turned to at Bayern Munich to kick-start attacking moves with passes into midfield or long balls up to the attacking third. Bayern's new signing, Mats Hummels, was further back on 86.29 per cent.

Eliaquim Mangala, at 87.44 per cent, had the best rate of City's defenders last season.

BLOCK-BUSTING WARRIOR

Despite a proclivity to stay upright with the ball at his feet, Stones is not averse to throwing himself into the fray when the situation calls for it.

In last season's Premier League, only six players made more blocks than the 33 Stones managed, with Crystal Palace's Scott Dann leading the way on 43.

Stones is happy enough to mix it with the best in the air, too. He won 53 aerial challenges in the top flight last term, more than Leonardo Bonucci - himself linked with City over this close season - Boateng or Giorgio Chiellini managed in their respective leagues.

CONSISTENCY ON THE ROCKS

Stones has impressed in the past two years despite playing in an Everton defence that has been maligned for its instability.
He is not, however, exempt from blame. Last term, he made three mistakes leading directly to a goal in the Premier League - a tally matched by former team-mate Phil Jagielka, West Ham's Aaron Cresswell and Southampton's Maya Yoshida. No player made more.

BETTER THAN BONUCCI?

Stones' arrival would suggest Guardiola accepted defeat in his reported pursuit of Juventus stalwart Bonucci - a centre-back the Catalan famously described as "one of my favourite ever players" after Bayern Munich played Serie A's dominant force in the Champions League last season.

The youngster has the edge in passing stats from league football last season, his 88.7 per cent rate just beating Bonucci's 86.98. He also won more aerials (53, compared to 48) and more tackles (46 to 39) than the Italy international.

However, Bonucci's 147 clearances comfortably beats Stones' tally of 127, while his 82 interceptions dwarf the England man's 56.

MIXING IT WITH THE BEST

Stones, on the whole, measures up well with some of the world's best in his position.

Last season, he made more tackles than Gerard Pique, more clearances than Chiellini, intercepted more balls than Pepe and completed more passes than Sergio Ramos, though his average success rate was lower than the Real Madrid man's 90.35 per cent.

Indeed, his tackling proved to be better than the majority of the top centre-backs in Europe. Only Mats Hummels (61) Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva (52) managed more from the players listed here.

One man stands a cut above the rest from Europe's top sides, however. Thiago Silva won more aerials (73), made more interceptions (93) and had a better pass completion rate (94.63 per cent) than any other centre-back named here.

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/everton ... big-stones

He had the best passing accuracy at Everton last year. He also had the best passing accuracy of all the defenders in the premier league last year. Not bad for a shit season eh?

Everton were never going to let Stones leave for anything but a huge fee, they'd be stupid not to demand that kind of money.

I'm just happy he's coming to City. He's young, English and should be at the heart of our defense for the next ten years that's why we've paid so much for him.

Looking forward to seeing him develop as a player under Pep.

"He can't defend"

What a fucktard.