John Stones

[KingMessi]

What if he's a bust?

 

[Trickykid]

Will be interesting to see if Pep can make a man of him. He obviously has most of the traits Pep looks for in a defender, but he was just so astoundingly bad at actual defending on so many occasions last season.

 

[KingMessi]

Next Ukrainian Jesus.

 

[BarçaBarça]

Buying expensive CB's is a game you can't win apparently - it hasn't worked for City/PSG yet, and I doubt he will be worth the money. At least I'm glad we didn't use the ManCity-approach to centerbacks with our limited budget!

 

[El Flaco]

 

[Xavinho]

Buying expensive CB's is a game you can't win apparently - it hasn't worked for City/PSG yet, and I doubt he will be worth the money. At least I'm glad we didn't use the ManCity-approach to centerbacks with our limited budget!

In what way has buying Thiago Silva and Marquinhos not worked out for PSG? Even David Luiz has been good for them.

 

[Barcilliant]

Stones is going to be a liability in big games. 8 can see him doing well against average opposition but against the big guns he will be found wanting.

 

[Jenks]

In what way has buying Thiago Silva and Marquinhos not worked out for PSG? Even David Luiz has been good for them.

Against who though? Ligue 1 sides? Luiz has looked like a liability in the CL at times.

 

[opjeoff]

Hes the best young English defender imo. Good transfer, he clearly needs to improve but i think the transfer fee reflects his potential more than anything. If Pep can smack some basic defending traits into his head, he'll become a starter for England for many years. Plus Mangala is rumoured to be on his way out of City so he'll probably be a starter there whenever Kompany is injured

 

[Nucky]

In what way has buying Thiago Silva and Marquinhos not worked out for PSG? Even David Luiz has been good for them.

Honestly they were nothing special in Champions League.. I'm not saying Thiago Silva isn't top defender because he is.. Maquinhos and Luiz are also very good..

 

[Messi983]

What if he's a bust?

Then they'll pay 70M for next season.

 

[KingMessi]

Then they'll pay 70M for next season.

That's why we loaned him instead of selling him. Barto's master plan.

 

[Messi983]

Exactly.

 

[Xavinho]

Against who though? Ligue 1 sides? Luiz has looked like a liability in the CL at times.

Well, you can only play what's in front of you. And as for the Champions League, since they signed Thiago Silva they've made the quarter finals for the last four or five years straight. So, unless you have a very narrow definition of something working i.e. winning the Champions League (which relies on a lot of factors coming together), I'd say buying expensive defenders has worked out pretty well for them.

It's worked for plenty of clubs in the past too. Rio Ferdinand, Thuram, Nesta etc

 

[BADGERBHOY]

Hes the best young English defender imo. Good transfer, he clearly needs to improve but i think the transfer fee reflects his potential more than anything. If Pep can smack some basic defending traits into his head, he'll become a starter for England for many years. Plus Mangala is rumoured to be on his way out of City so he'll probably be a starter there whenever Kompany is injured

Surely for the price they paid he should already have these traits.

It really is incredible the amount of money being spent there on mediocre players.