We Need to Talk About John Stones

John Stones has seemingly been blamed for Everton's poor season, with some questioning if his 'ability' has been over-rated

Leicester City have won the Premier League. It is a momentous and fascinating occasion. Credit to the club, the manager, all the backroom staff who aren't seen or known but whose contribution is invaluable, and of course the players. It is truly remarkable. And while Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez are getting the awards and accolades, with even N’Golo Kante receiving much recognition (all deserved I might add), the two key men for Leicester this season has been their centre back pairing of Wes Morgan and Robert Huth. 

It has been these two where Leicester have built their success, especially since January when the team became more formidable as they pushed towards that most shocking of possibilities of winning the league. Watching these two this season has been a pleasure, they defend properly, with passion, determination and aggression as well as showing a great reading of the game with their positioning and anticipation. 

It really has been great to see two genuinely fantastic defenders, creating a brilliant partnership in the middle of Leicester’s defence and the team has profited from it. Interestingly both of these players are in their early 30’s and discounting the initial impressive stature of Huth when he arrived at Chelsea a decade ago it is fair to say since then both players didn’t seem destined to be part of a Premier League title winning team. And yet here they are on the brink of an historic success. And this is what brings me on to John Stones and Roberto Martinez and the situation which has arisen this season in relation to precocious young talent.

Defending is an art. That is a touch cliché perhaps yet the value of this 'art' has started to soar once again in the world of football. In the era of Barcelona and Spain’s success people have (misguidedly) focused on what happens when these sides and players have the ball and thus the importance of ‘possession’ has become the dominating feature of their play. 

Defending is back in vogue

Because of this 'defensive' sides and their respective managers were regarded as ‘out-dated’, ‘boring’ and 'negative'. "Beautiful football" was the only way to play the game, defending was a thing of the past. 

Now of course to think that Barca’s success wasn’t attributed to their defending is naïve and ignorant but there are coaches, both with young players and seniors who looked at Barca’s football, particularly under Guardiola and sought to replicate it. However forgetting there was more to it than just keeping possession. Their belief after watching Barca was that is was all about what their team did with the ball, and it was this which would determine how successful they would be. How wrong. 

There were hints that ‘defensive teams’ may actually be able to succeed in this world of possession based football. Inter in 2010 and Chelsea in 2012, one team led by Mourinho and the other playing in his spirit showcased a very defensive form of football which overcame their opposition and brought them the Champions League. But this was merely seen as fortunate and lucky, for many the real value lay in the possession sides. And the success of Barca and Spain since 2006 in club and country tournaments which indicated that in this era of football this style was certainly beneficial and fruitful. 

In 2013 Germany’s top two contested Europe’s top prize with both embracing ‘gegenpressing’ (counter-pressing) and succeeding on being very well defensively organised and solid while being ruthless in transition. Real Madrid had a similar approach in their 2014 success, overcoming Guardiola’s Bayern with some scintillating transition football (Mourinho’s fingerprints over this success also).  It was this year also that Barca were knocked out by the up and coming rising power of Atletico Madrid whose deep defensive block (a deep compact, very defensive 442) would prove almost impossible for Barca to overcome, and was it not for just a couple of minutes that season Diego Simeone's side may have actually won the Champions League, winning 1-0 against their local rivals going in to stoppage time. 

Now in 2016 we have just seen Atletico overcome the two best sides in world football, especially those who seek to dominate possession the most in Barcelona and Bayern (Guardiola's fingerprints on these sides). Atletico’s strength is their defence, we all know that. Simeone’s team who play to their coach’s ethos with near perfect application. And it is clear that while ‘defending has been seen as negative in recent years, Simeone has made defending 'cool' again. 

The classic centre back returns

And this is perhaps why we see value in players like Morgan and Huth. These are two players who have been seen as average/decent in the past decade, who are now being held up as the pinnacle of defensive greatness in the Premier League. It’s not unwarranted praise, they’ve been fantastic, however they’ve been good because they have benefitted from the coaching and guidance of their coach Claudio Ranieri. They don’t just defend in terms of heading, tackling and being aggressive (yet they certainly do these things and do them well), but they work together as a pair better than we’ve seen in the league since Ferdinand and Vidic (and we know how successful this partnership was for United). 

In fact it’s a push to really consider who’s been a great centre back partnership this past decade. Terry and Carvalho were excellent, they only conceded 22 goals in the 2005/06 season, an incredible achievement  Yet has there been any great ones since, except for Vidic and Ferdinand? None spring to mind. 

Perhaps this leads to a wider issue regarding the level of defending in English football, perhaps it’s why the league is so exciting because of the poor levels of defending/defenders in the league? That seems plausible. Or perhaps in this modern world of rotation (and constant injury crisis’) a great defence hasn’t been able to play enough together effectively enough to build the level of understanding and cohesion required to be a great defence.  

Now whether it is a short term mindset of myself I do believe this season we have seen in Leicester and Spurs two of the best defensive partnerships the league has seen for some time. In Vertonghen and Alderweireld we have seen the reunion of a partnership which played together at Ajax and which plays together for the Belgium national team. Their understanding as a pair has been excellent and Spurs boast the best defensive record in the league in large part because of the strength of their two centre backs and their partnership together.

Now in respects to what Ranieri has done with Morgan and Huth he has played to their strengths; denied space behind, made the opposition cross from wide more than play through them, defend compact and limit transitions. It appears to go against the ‘modern’ version of the centre back. The ‘ball playing’ defender who is seemingly respected and valued more for what he does with the ball at his feet in possession more so than what he does defensively. That is the modern mindset of football, one which has come from the rise of Spanish football and their ‘style’. 

But Ranieri has not embraced this, in fact he has limited how much they are on the ball, with statistics showing that it is in fact the goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel who has had the most passes into the final third this season in the Premier League – highlighting Raneiri’s lack of trust or willingness to play out through the centre backs. 

One could make the argument that Ranieri is actually evolving the role of the goalkeeper to become the modern version of the “Quarterback” role. Schmeichel has played the ‘keeper sweeper’ role excellently all season, yet to say Ranieri is pushing footballs boundaries is something of a push (however had Guardiola been seen to be doing this it may be this argument could be viewed more seriously!). This is in fact safe, no risk, minimal errors football and it’s brought Leicester the title! 

It’s clear that Ranieiri wants the ball further away from the goal as possible. He wants to play in the opponents half and seek to expose high line defence and transitions. And it’s worked. This is the trend Leicester and Atletico are setting, one which Mourinho has always been keen to stress, to play ‘no risk’ football and thus succeed. Leicester don’t get caught overplaying from the back and thus they don’t get caught taking unnecessary risks. If it has to go, it goes. And this is what brings me to John Stones and Roberto Martinez.

Martinez's flaws clear for all to see 

While Leicester are winning the league Everton, their opponents this coming weekend, sit in 11^th position on 44 points. That’s 10 points above the relegation zone and 33 points off Leicester at the top. When you compare Leicester and Everton you see two very different philosophies and styles. One seeks to play out from the back, retain and dominate possession and look at 'controlling' the game with the ball, while the other cedes possession and position, uses a deep compact block and seeks to create chances through transitions and set pieces (attempting to control the game without the ball). 

It is a very different form of 'football' these two sides use. And the evidence is clear which has reaped the most benefits. And it’s not just points gained and league position but player progression which is being affected. Leicester’s players, notably Kante, Mahrez and Vardy (yet age affects his value somewhat) are seen now as £30m players. 12 months ago Everton had this same situation with their ‘stars’ in Stones, Barkley and Lukaku. And while Barkley and Lukaku had good starts and have contributed well, if not seen to have dropped off significantly in recent months, there has been genuine concern over the progression of John Stones. 

Now I don’t know how much the Chelsea transfer situation affected him mentally, usually players in these situations do suffer due to distraction and the pressure of these type of ‘saga’s’. But usually the outcome is that the player moves and he feels at ease and positive. Stones was denied his move, quite impressively it seemed at the time by Everton and Martinez who were very steadfast in their refusal to sell, whatever the cost. Incredibly £40m didn’t sway them! And it’s fair to say that Chelsea suffered greatly for this, missing out on what we’ve witnessed to be a key need for the team; a dynamic, quick defender. Yet has Stones has suffered by not moving? 

There were some who argued he wouldn’t get a game at Chelsea and his career would stagnate, yet if you pay £40m for a player I’m pretty confident he would be a regular feature in the team and as we've seen Chelsea certainly needed a new face in the defence. By not getting his move he didn’t necessarily complain, in fact he stayed very professional, but has he made the forward steps necessary for a player regarded as one of the best defenders England have produced for a decade? 

The concern over John Stones

For me John Stones is the ‘modern defender’, he is accomplished and confident to have the ball. His ability to run out from the back is one of his best attributes, looking like a proper ‘libero’ with his ability to break lines at speed and with quality. He has shown this attribute for both Everton and England this season to good effect, notably in the FA Cup semi-final and in the England friendly vs Holland. 

However there are many who only see his faults and mistakes. Many have criticised his tendency for errors, for giving the ball away which has led to the conceding of goals. There are some who see what he does and what he offers as a problem, not an advantage. These are the safety first brigade, those who prefer the ball to go in to Row Z instead of looking to play out. When Stones tried to lose his man in his area in a game versus Spurs earlier in the season he was criticised for being cocky, not commended for being brave and confident to have the ball. Remember he won a free kick for this and didn’t concede a goal or possession from this moment, yet some just aren’t having it. Carragher said after seeing this "I've had five or six foreign managers and not one of them would want me - or any defender - to be doing Cruyff turns in the six-yard box. Hopefully Roberto Martinez is telling him that.”

Well, no, in fact Martinez's response to it was, “In those moments you need to trust the player to make the right decision. He's an out and out defender and then, for me, he's the best footballing centre half in Europe, so he's allowed to make his own decisions. As a player you need to do that. If you take an extra touch and lose it then it's a mistake, but don't lose it and it's not a mistake. In football I like to trust a player to trust his decisions and I like to back him up. With his ability he knows what he's doing, but at 21 he's a young man and he's still learning.”

Still learning indeed. But unfortunately John Stones has taken the flak for Everton’s poor season. He has become the ‘poster boy’ for Martinez’s (flawed) tactics and style. And it’s a real shame for him. Because this is a player who has all the components to be a world class player. He is 21 years old and is criticised far too harshly, and compared to players when they were at their peak like Rio Ferdinand. He has years ahead to become even better. And he will, but he needs a new coach to nurture him forward. Because under Martinez there is a concern he is not going to fulfil his potential. 

There is a clear developmental success which Martinez has achieved both at Wigan and at Everton in his appreciation for possession based football, for the need for high technical ability and a willingness for players to be confident and composed in possession. He has helped to develop players like John Stones, Seamus Coleman and also Brendan Galloway into very 'modern' players. He wants players who can ‘play’ and play in a way which allows these players to enjoy the ball and seek to keep the ball. For me this works in the development of young players, who are asked to take responsibility, to want the ball, and to show composure when they have the ball. 

Neglect defending at your peril

Now Martinez does have a problem in addressing the balance of his side and there are genuine points to raise regarding Everton’s often poor defending. And unfortunately Stones is suffering from the philosophy and ultimately failure of Roberto Martinez’s coaching when it comes to defending. 

We all know that Martinez believes in a certain style of play. Unfortunately for Martinez there is a sense of naivety and even folly to his style of football, especially in terms of defending and thus results. His teams really can’t defend very well and are prone to a lot of mistakes. This is the issue with playing with this expansive style; firstly in possession as we’ve seen with Stones particularly, playing out and through midfield (especially when the midfielders lack the positional understanding, intelligence and technical ability to deal with these passes effectively) is that it can lead to loss of possession and quick transitions. We saw this in the Merseyside derby recently. 

And with the expansive style asking it’s defence to split and go very wide and high, it exposes teams defensively and especially in transition with large spaces to exploit. This also happens in the build up phase due to players moving up the pitch supporting the attack leaving the back two or three players very stretched. 

For this style to work effectively you need players who can defend solo in 1v1’s, who can read the game well and who have the athleticism to cover distances at speed. It is not easy, we've seen Bayern come up short because of their defensive shortcomings in recent years, and this is one of the top sides in world football. It does appear that the expansive, totalfootball coach struggles to ‘develop’ a great centre back. 

In my beliefs about universality, of fluid football, positional rotation and universal players I do believe that the centre back, a libero type player who can come out with the ball, who is confident to pass and run with the ball yet a player who can also defend excellently, is essential for a team to succeed. It is the players in the back three (my ideal system for this to work best would be a 3-3-1-3) who are key to making sure the team is secure defensively. 

Unfortunately we are seeing coaches who want to ‘play’ more than ‘defend’ and seeking players who aren’t really defenders. It shows in performances, results and ultimately sackings. Coaches like Martinez, Wenger and perhaps even Guardiola in his time at Bayern have sought to be so dominating with the ball, that they neglect or forget the importance of great defending. 

When Arsenal were England’s best side they had a world class defence. When Barca were at their peak under Guardiola they had the colossal Puyol, the excellent Pique and the impressive yet undervalued Abidal. These teams were successful because of their defence and defenders as much as to what they did with the ball in possession. Balance is key and this applies to all moments in a game. Because of the speed of the game and importance of transitions and counter attacks we are seeing teams who defend with more compactness and utilise a more defensive first mentality, and they are succeeding because of it.

Going back to John Stones, it is clear to me that he needs the right coach to bring out the best in him. And I’m not talking about a functional defensive coach who prefers Row Z to a forward pass or run. Stones needs a coach who understands the modern defender both in and out of possession, who wants his defenders coming out with the ball, driving forwards breaking lines. And yet he needs a coach who expects and demands great defending and organisation. 

A lot of people are linking Stones with Guardiola’s new revolution at City, and while I think he could be perfect for what Guardiola wants in his style and of his defenders. And while Barcelona have been reported to be monitoring him (which could be brilliant for him) I actually think Stones would be perfect for Conte at Chelsea. In truth I think Pochettino would be fantastic for Stones also but I can't see Spurs being able to afford him. Chelsea can though and whether Conte will play a 433, 442 or 353 at Chelsea (he may feel the 352 may be too much too soon, or not suited for the players he has.) it is clear that Stones ticks a lot of boxes for what Chelsea need. 

In Conte's time at Juve he proved he knows what a great defender is and needs. He worked with three of the best in the game right now in Chiellini  Bonucci and Barzagli. He would be the perfect coach for Stones next step in his career. 

Had Stones moved to Chelsea last summer the season may have been very different for the respective clubs and player. Chelsea could have got the piece they needed, Mourinho might have been happier and all the issues that came about might not have happened. Stones would’ve been around a great coach and tactician and learnt daily from John Terry (a much better upgrade on Jagielka). 

As for Everton though I’m not sure selling Stones would’ve changed their season all too much though. The longer Martinez has been there, the worse they are looking. And a lot of it has to do with the degradation in the quality of the defence. His first season built on Moyes strong foundations, yet as he has changed and evolved the defence to his designs and desires, it’s gotten a lot worse. Worryingly for Everton if he is loathe to change and adapt, it may be the best thing to move on from Martinez as relegation seems more likely than Champions League. 

Martinez isn't a bad coach, I share some of his beliefs on the game in terms of possession and how to play, the freedom to give your players etc. But he has serious flaws and shortcomings in his coaching and philosophy. His neglect of defending is a concern and it is showing in the results. As well as in the development of his defenders. 

Ranieri has won the league playing a defensive form of the game (which has been entertaining as well might I add!), Simeone has reached his second Champions League final in three seasons playing a very defensive form of the game. These coaches appreciate the game is not just about what happens with the ball and for those think this is the case, they will not go far as coaches and their teams will not succeed. Defending wins championships says the cliche, some still haven't figured this out. 

As for Stones, he is destined for great things, I think he has a terrific skill set in all areas, what he needs now is an elite coach and team who can help and nurture his development to become one of the world’s best.

The Whitehouse Address @The_W_Address