Stones: I’m learning fast under Guardiola
IT may still be early days in the Pep Guardiola revolution at Manchester City but one player already reaping the benefits is John Stones. With only 18 minutes on the clock against Steaua Bucharest on Wednesday night, Guardiola beckoned the 22-year- old over to the touchline and gave him a lecture in how he wanted the centre back to play.
The fact that City were all but assured progress to the Champions League group stage having won the first leg 5-0 was of little consequence. Guardiola also called 19-year-old right back Pablo Maffeo over for a conversation during the opening exchanges at the Etihad and it was clear the Spanish manager demanded improvement from his players regardless of the circumstances.
Stones has impressed in his four matches since completing a £47.5million move from Everton but is acutely aware that he must build on his promising start.
‘I’m trying hard to stay in the team and keep improving and keep winning games,’ said Stones. ‘Every footballer wants to win and be a winner. I’m enjoying playing, improving and learning every day.
‘I suppose everything happens fast but I’ve settled in so quickly and as a footballer everybody knows you’re not going to get any time to settle in too quickly. You’ve got to take each day as it comes but I feel great.
‘I just keep doing my thing and believe in my ability. Everyone around me knows what I can do. I suppose it’s fine-tuning and things like that that come with experience when you’re playing games.’
Another beneficiary of Guardiola’s arrival is Sam Allardyce. The England manager believes Stones’s development under Guardiola’s tutelage will help the national team in the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup. Allardyce said earlier this week: ‘We don’t want potential, do we? I want the thing, and right now. I think he (Stones) has got a great chance of becoming “right now” working with Manchester City, with all due respect to Everton.’
Stones, who did not play a single minute for England at Euro 2016 under Roy Hodgson, is enthused by Allardyce’s praise.
‘That’s the first I’ve heard of it,’ he added. ‘That’s great to hear — it’s a new challenge for me. I just want to keep improving my game and keep progressing as a person. I’m definitely enjoying myself.’