Will the John Stones that Guardiola and Southgate see please stand up ...this is your time!
WHEN it was suggested that John Stones might be allowed to leave Manchester City, Pep Guardiola pretty much went into meltdown.
There were expletives followed by as emphatic a declaration of support as any player could wish for.
“As long as I am in Manchester, John Stones stays…”
You could have been forgiven for thinking Pep was protesting too much.
And exaggerating for effect, as he went on to insist Stones was a “huge part” of why City won the title.
He was a significant part, sure, but huge?
After an inconsistent first season under Guardiola, Stones started the last campaign impressively.
And if you consider City’s single-goal victory at Stamford Bridge in late September to be huge in terms of the title, then Pep had a point.
Stones was immaculate, assertive, strong, read the game well, and was wise in distribution. He was everything his many champions, including myself, have been talking about since he established himself at Goodison Park after the move from Barnsley. The next big defensive thing – the next Beckenbauer, Rio, Pique, whoever – had officially arrived. But in a familiar chapter to his tale, an injury arrived in November and his form on returning was sketchy. In mid-January, he was bullied by Roberto Firmino in City’s spectacular 4-3 defeat at Anfield. A couple of weeks’ later, Aymeric Laporte signed and Stones soon became fourth in the central defensive pecking order. He did suffer more injury niggles but, since the end of January, Stones has had more international minutes than Premier League minutes. Yet, while Laporte appears to be not even considered for the French squad, Stones is a shoo-in for England’s World Cup starting line-up. Of his many admirers, few are as ardent as Gareth Southgate, who selected him for his first game as Under-21 manager back in 2013.
There is no doubt spending your England ‘school days’ under Southgate counts for something.
Stones has not been foot-perfect for England, far from it, but understanding Southgate’s faith in him is easy.
At his best, his anticipation is firstclass, he is better in the air than given credit for and, of course, he is not one to lump possession back to the opponent.
Yet, after a second half of the season that must have taken frequent potshots at his confidence, Stones will, as the central man of a three, essentially be the leader of England’s defence.
Assuming that is how Southgate does indeed have them lined up – and the only question seems to be whether it is Gary Cahill or Harry Maguire alongside Stones and Kyle Walker – it is an onerous responsibility on a player whose mental fortitude has not been proven. On the defensive front, it seems harsh to suggest there is any great weakness at the back for Southgate to be worried about. In their last eight matches, this England team has conceded only two goals. Stones started every one of those eight. Yet the deployment of three centre-halves, albeit one a converted right-back, with Stones as the main man is essentially a gamble. And to make it pay off, we will have to see the Stones that Guardiola, Southgate and many more of us believe he should have become already. One of the slights made against this England squad is that it has very few genuinely world-class players. But at World Cup 2018, 24-year-old Stones can prove he is one – and England will need him to do just that.