John Stones’ move to the blue half of Manchester was one of the most spectacular businesses in the summer transfer window of 2016. Despite not being an elite entity, a whooping £47.5 million was splashed on the English defender. He isn’t a finished article either, which urged us to question the requirement of signing him for such a hefty amount.
A sound tactical genius in the shape of Pep Guardiola would not talk so highly of Stones, had he been like any other overhyped English international which leaves us with the only option of trying to know 22-year-old better. The move is from the Merseyside was an upgrade for Stones in every sense. The chance to work under the tutelage of Guardiola, engagements in the Champions League and fight for nothing less than silverwares isn’t something a rapidly rising star could afford to miss.
Stones is a class act to say the least. He may not be a heavily experienced comrade but he is tailor made for a side like Manchester City. He may not be an elite figure but he has become a household name owing to the qualities he possesses. The central defender is a perfect deputy to let Guardiola implement his tactical nous at the back because he is a thoroughly cultured defender who has an undeniable knack to keep the ball at his feet and at the same time, he does have a prolific passing range- in brief, the type of commodity likened by the Spaniard.
At City, Stones is developing further at a brisk pace. Being surrounded by like-minded personnel under his new employers can certainly uplift his calibre. The ball playing centre back has been reading the danger perfectly, showing awareness and precision when on the ball, surging forward during the set pieces and also remaining calm and composed in the crunchy circumstances. To be honest, he is on the verge of becoming a multifunctional football at Manchester City.
His passing the ball up the field is his prime asset which is accompanied by precision. He steps out of the defence to distribute passes to his teammates which is why he is seen as a prototype for what the emerging English defenders must aspire to become. Of course he had shown glimpses of his loopholes in his Everton days which comprises of inconsistency, committing errors which led to goals and was erratic time and again. But his woes can only get eradicated under Guardiola.
At Manchester City, Stones has made 8 league appearances so far, winning 3 tackles, 15 interceptions, 37 clearances and 5 blocks. Now what is interesting to see is that he has averaged a stupendous pass percentage of 90% and has made no defensive errors to validate the appraisal he has been getting lately. There are some aspects he needs to work on but given the perception that Guardiola doesn’t forces his man to shy away from their natural game, the trajectory will most likely go upward for Stones at Manchester City.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.
