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Manchester City FC 2017/2018 Player Preview-John Stones

By Duncan Kwok

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 08: Manchester City player John Stones in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Hull City at Etihad Stadium on April 8, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 08: Manchester City player John Stones in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Hull City at Etihad Stadium on April 8, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) /
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One of England’s best young defenders transferred to Manchester City for a whopping fee of £47.5 million last season. However, he didn’t have the greatest of seasons mainly because he lacked an experienced partner-in-crime in the centre-back position like Vincent Kompany. This season will be a make or break season for John Stones but one would expect him to be a lot better with Vincent Kompany fit and firing again.

John Stones was chased by major English clubs with John Stones pushing through a move out of Everton last season, Manchester City fans were expecting an elegant ball-playing centre-back when he signed for them, what they got was a ball-playing centre-back that was plagued by bouts of loss of concentration and bad judgement. Pep Guardiola switching to a back three didn’t help Stones with him regularly dealing with pacy forwards or wingers running at him without the protection of full-backs, having Aleksandar Kolarov a converted centre-back alongside didn’t help. However, as Pep switched to a back four, a gradual improvement was seen in John Stone’s performances.

Tactically, John Stones is a perfect fit for Pep Guardiola’s tactical systems. He is good in the air and can spray the ball to four corners of the pitch. He is still young, just 23 and he has time to develop and this season will see him understand the intricacies of Pep’s tactical ideology. With Vincent Kompany alongside him this season, Stones can and will probably be bailed by his captain. All of Pep Guardiola’s successful teams had an accomplished ball-playing centre-back, at Barcelona, it was Gerard Pique and at Bayern, it was Jerome Boateng.  One will hope that at Manchester City, it will be John Stones.

Related Story: Manchester City FC 2017/18 Player Preview – Vincent Kompany

The 2017/2018 season will be a massive season for John Stones, another bad or sub par season will make it hard for Pep to persist with him. Manchester City was said to be interested in Southampton’s Virgil Van Dijk and with the Dutch defender handing in a transfer request, Manchester City could sign him even if John Stones puts in a good couple of games. Guardiola is still looking for reinforcements at the back to strengthen competition for Stones. This season might very well be the season that Stones delivers on his undoubted potential.