Let’s be fair, John Stones is still young and is one of the most promising defensive prospects in the country.
This said, his first few months at Manchester City haven’t always been the smoothest. Having moved there from Everton, his hefty £50m transfer fee has led to more scrutiny and pressure.
On more than a couple of occasions, he’s been guilty of mistakes, and some have doubted whether he really does have what it takes to become one of the finest defenders in the game.
But at Bournemouth on Monday night, Stones looked solid. The unnecessary risk taking that has drawn criticism of late was nowhere to be seen and, when called upon, he anchored the City defence expertly.
Those watching had noticed it, too…
We've literally made john stones look good
— – (@ffswilson) February 13, 2017
Where's all the John Stones is a rip off tweets tonight? He's been class! #mcfc
— Andrew Whiston (@whiston90) February 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/free8s/status/831256756219150337
https://twitter.com/WHU_MR2013/status/831255608431108097
John Stones has been quietly excellent tonight. Really good on the ball and his decision making on and off it has been great.
— 𓌳 (@Calciodiction) February 13, 2017
John Stones has been brilliant recently, hasn't put a foot wrong for weeks, his passing and tackling has been quality #MCFC
— Elias (@eliasbuckleyyy) February 13, 2017
But just as it seemed that people were queueing up to shower him in praise, there was always going to be some that still weren’t all that convinced.
https://twitter.com/curtiswoodhous8/status/831255468655906817
City won the game 2-0, closing he gap between themselves and table-topping Chelsea to eight points. They return to league action away at Sunderland on March 5, with an FA Cup at Huddersfield and a Champions League date with Monaco their next two matches.
Catch up with this week’s episode of 888sport Football Friday Live
