“Discuss John Stones. Please before Haaland.” And Pep Guardiola banged his skull mockingly on the podium during the press conference. In September of last year, at the height of Erling-mania, Manchester City had just defeated Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League thanks to a goal from their new huge striker. But Guardiola was eager to redirect the conversation.
In retrospect, Guardiola was not teasing. Instead, he was attempting to provide a hint. As usual, he was urging us to peer beneath the surface to determine what was happening. The season that may be remembered as the finest in the City’s history was built not only on the goals of Haaland and the assists of Kevin De Bruyne but also on the subtle adjustments and innovations that occurred earlier. It has been primarily the Stones season.
At this juncture, it is worthwhile to zoom out to get a sense of the transformation that has occurred here.
During the 2019-20 season, when a pandemic interrupted Liverpool’s march to the Premier League title, Stones found himself adrift. Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte were the first-choice central defenders, with Nathan Aké and Eric Garca following closely behind.
Stones had lost his position with England. His relationship with his long-term companion had ended, and his personal life was in disarray. One of the most promising defensive prospects in English football was fading into irrelevance.
But Guardiola never quite lost faith. Perhaps these two individuals, whom both arrived in Manchester during the transitional summer of 2016, have always shared a bond. Similar to Guardiola, another exceptional talent with a propensity for attractive passing football, Stones arrived with a large number of admirers and skeptics. Could they dismantle it? Could they evolve? Could they do what it takes to achieve English football’s biggest prizes? And so, in a sense, the narrative of Guardiola at City is also the story of Stones: a journey of learning and development, of removing – one by one – every potential barrier to greatness.
They refer to him as the Barnsley Beckenbauer, and in many respects, the seeds of Stones’ current role – a sophisticated defensive-midfield hybrid – were planted at Oakwell under the guidance of Ronnie Branson and Mark Burton.
The academy coaches at Barnsley were heavily influenced by the Barcelona team of the late 2000s and, despite considerable internal skepticism, were attempting to reconstruct their pathways according to the principles of Guardiola’s squad. Frequently, they lined up without a striker. Mason Holgate, another refined central defender, graduated from the academy around the same time. The hero of that generation, however, was Stones, a large central defender with the touch and vision of a playmaker.
Stones would later say, “Many of my former coaches said that they could see me playing in the midfield.” “I was the one who had doubts. Perhaps I should have believed in myself more in this situation. Now, football is so fluid. Understanding your responsibility and knowing where your colleagues are is essential. Being higher up the pitch, I appreciate the fluidity immensely. Teams have so many players behind the ball, so we must be deft in the final third.”
Stones’ new position at City stems from a Guardiola obsession: how to create overloads in possession without leaving his team vulnerable to the counterattack.
Philipp Lahm, Joo Cancelo, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, among others, have all previously served in this capacity for him. But it also creates a potential pressure point by requiring the full-back to cover a great deal of ground and sprint with near-perfect positioning and timing. Guardiola adopted a different strategy after Cancelo (on loan) and Zinchenko left the club. What if the additional midfield fulcrum alongside Rodri was a central defender instead of a wide player?
Observing Stones in midfield, what stands out most is the speed and efficacy with which he advances the ball. One touch, two touches, no flourish: it appears elementary, and in a sense it is, but the cumulative effect of these basic passes is significant. The objective is to instigate the press, compelling the opponent to engage him higher up the pitch, thereby creating space in the rear. Stones desires to feel the attacker’s heated breath on the back of his neck. It indicates that they are likely not where they should be.
And when City does lose possession of the ball, Stones can easily slide back into the four-man defense, with three men already in place behind him to thwart any potential break.
Since Stones began playing in midfield at the beginning of March, City has conceded every 171 minutes. Previously, they conceded every 103 minutes. Despite his spectacular returns, Haaland was not the secret to turning around City’s season. It was Stones who entered the room quietly. And with Trent Alexander-Arnold assuming a more central role for Liverpool, Gareth Southgate has a bevy of enticing options if he desires to tinker with England’s midfield.
Stones’s focus is currently on Wembley and the second leg of City’s treble quest. On Saturday, Manchester United will be tasked with preventing Stones from dictating the game, and determining whether it is even worth the effort. Has Bruno Fernandes the self-control to prod him? Would Fred eventually be displaced from his position?
Guardiola has always enjoyed outwitting his opponents and posing progressively complex riddles. Stones, his latest tease, always seems to know what he’s doing, even when we don’t.
