STONES IS NO ROCKFORPEP

He shoulders blame but City’s defensive woes are deep-rooted

INCREDULITY continued to pulsate late into Saturday night. ‘They need to learn to close the f****** door,’ one Manchester City source said. ‘OK, so get to 2-1, now ciao.’ Instead, it was Crystal Palace saying their goodbyes with a gift-wrapped point. City worked tirelessly to nudge themselves in front late on, Sergio Aguero flipping the afternoon on its head, only for a lack of concentration to prove their undoing again. Just two home clean sheets since the start of October, a run spanning 13 matches. Four more goals conceded (27) than in the entirety of last season. The prevailing feeling that John Stones ought to shoulder the majority of the blame for this feels slightly unfair. while Stones struggled, particularly with the tricky wilfried Zaha, the defensive problems are deep-rooted and talk is of collective responsibility inside the club. The return of Aymeric Laporte, hoped to be in the FA Cup on Sunday, is a colossal boost. ‘I still think John is every bit the player we expected him to be,’ Palace boss roy Hodgson said. ‘But he’s playing in a very important goldfish bowl at the moment. every mistake or every good thing is magnified 10 times over.’ Hodgson sympathised but City manager Pep Guardiola (below) was less forgiving. He gesticulated widely, with a sense of predictability, when Stones chased a 50-50 and was turned by Zaha on halfway. Zaha’s appeals for a penalty when Stones eventually challenged him were turned away. Stones lost a header from a corner as Cenk Tosun scored the opener, while the england international allowed Zaha to hit the City area to ping a cross at Fernandinho and beyond ederson. Undoubtedly, this was a tough assignment for Stones, whose position is under threat in the coming weeks, but those around him cannot escape rebuke. Perhaps it is coincidental that City have dropped points in stoppage time, against Newcastle and now Palace, since rodri was introduced to shore things up. Joao Cancelo’s defending is inferior to that of Kyle walker, who was on the bench again. Generally, there is not a great deal of organisation. Laporte will change that as he makes those around him improve and the likes of Stones and Fernandinho will relish that. ‘They didn’t need much to score goals,’ Guardiola said. ‘we have to improve. we struggled a bit to win the second ball and they attacked the channels with Tosun and especially Zaha. we cannot expect that Aymeric is going to solve all of the problems.’ They hope that one issue being slowly resolved is at left back. Benjamin Mendy is beginning to look the part having retrained himself to trust his body. It is no mean feat after two years battling knee injuries and the four months he devoted to nothing but rehabilitation last summer has proven worthwhile. Mendy rampaged up and down the left wing, constantly flinging countless crosses in — as per the manager’s instructions — despite a restless grumbling from the stands. His ball found Aguero to head in the second, a moment that should have secured City victory. ‘The crosses were well delivered, especially on the left side with Mendy,’ Guardiola said. ‘His decision-making in the final third was really good.’ The France international is the sort of character who needs to learn on the job, better for experiences, and Guardiola seems to be affording him that. Mendy said: ‘Now it’s my time and I want to enjoy every game I play for this team and these fans. I have a lot, not to prove, but to give to this team and staff because they trust me and were not on my back when I was injured.’