Keane/Stones swap in the summer

[Steve1956]

If City offered 15 million and John Stones in the summer, i would be inclined to say keep Stones just give us £20, Did Everton pull City's pants down, he's useless

[Cooperclaret]

Keane will leave us and good luck to the lad but I would be disappointed if it is lower than £50 m

And no, if we got Stones it would weaken us - he's dire !

[Bordeauxclaret]

Has he ever had a good defensive game?

[Steve1956]

Keane will leave us and good luck to the lad but I would be disappointed if it is lower than £50 m

And no, if we got Stones it would weaken us - he's dire !

Think Keane will be in his final year of contract we will get no where near 50 million

[Steve1956]

City insist on playing on the edge of their 18 yard box continually passing back to a keeper who is useless and puts them under pressure with **** passes, Pep must be the most overated coach in Europe

[Sidney1st]

City's defence probably don't have much confidence in their keeper.

Stones hasn't had the same central defensive partner all season.

The midfield aren't protecting the defence properly.

The manager stated in the media that he doesn't bother much with the defence.

Stones is at a new club.

Did they over pay?
Certainly looks like it, but he'd probably look better and more stable with a fully fit and commanding Kompany next to him.

[minnieclaret]

The first 30 mins Citeh back 4 consistently passed it forward to a MFer 30yds away. By the time the ball got to them they were closed down and the ball had to go back again. Utter madness. Just inviting pressure and boy did they get it.
Allez les frogs.

[DCWat]

Keane would be mad to go to City (wages aside).

Pep may well put together a title and champions league winning side over the next year or two but for a younge defender, I'd have thought it would be far better to develop with a club that appreciates defending and not just being able to bring the ball out of defence.

[RVclaret]

I think the problem is more Stones starting alongside Kolarov, Clichy and Sagna in a Champs League knockout game against the highest scoring home side in Europe. Put Keane in there instead of Stones tonight and the result would have been exactly the same. Give the guy a break. They paid too much for him but it's hardly his fault. They clearly need a leader in the back (Kompany massively missed) and two new full backs. And thats before their lack of protection provided in the midfield.

Keane is no doubt a top player but the amount of protection he gets from our midfield sitting right in front of him is completely different to how City play. Some people don't seem to get it.

[Quickenthetempo]

Stones has the highest pass completion rate in the premier league with 93% so to call him dire is stupid. He is way above Keanes level at the moment and if Keane went to City we would see it.
Every single mistake gets blown up for top clubs but gets accepted at the likes of Burnley who are punching above our weight.

[Leisure]

Stones has the highest pass completion rate in the premier league with 93% so to call him dire is stupid. He is way above Keanes level at the moment and if Keane went to City we would see it.
Every single mistake gets blown up for top clubs but gets accepted at the likes of Burnley who are punching above our weight.

Interesting stat but it doesn't explain where he's passing the ball, sideways, back to the keeper etc?? I'd have close to 100% doing that!

[Quickenthetempo]

Interesting stat but it doesn't explain where he's passing the ball, sideways, back to the keeper etc?? I'd have close to 100% doing that!

There's quite a few CHs playing the same way with far less success. He needs a proper tough CH next to him, if Kompany was playing and back to his best he would be a world beater.

[Bordeauxclaret]

City's defence probably don't have much confidence in their keeper.

Stones hasn't had the same central defensive partner all season.

The midfield aren't protecting the defence properly.

The manager stated in the media that he doesn't bother much with the defence.

Stones is at a new club.

Did they over pay?
Certainly looks like it, but he'd probably look better and more stable with a fully fit and commanding Kompany next to him.

I think he's got more chance of having a Unicorn next to him next season.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Stones has the highest pass completion rate in the premier league with 93% so to call him dire is stupid. He is way above Keanes level at the moment and if Keane went to City we would see it.
Every single mistake gets blown up for top clubs but gets accepted at the likes of Burnley who are punching above our weight.

Is that the benchmark of a good defender now? His pass completion rate?

[JohnMac]

He played some equisite balls forward tonight and looked much better than the other 7 players around him.

As a defensive unit City are shocking and tonight highlighted how poor they are.

[IanMcL]

Is that the benchmark of a good defender now? His pass completion rate?

It is for Guardiola. Ask Joe Hart why he was replaced by a lesser 'saver' but better passer.

[IanMcL]

Is that the benchmark of a good defender now? His pass completion rate?

It is for Guardiola. Ask Joe Hart why he was replaced by a lesser 'saver' but better passer.

[bigtackle]

Could see keane back at man utd.

[CombatClaret]

If you have a couple minutes I highly recommend this video from a great, insightful channel.

Lazy Punditry - Why we hate John Stones.
https://youtu.be/X29s48l9f7o

Might make you re-evaluate your thoughts on Stones and probably re-enforce a few thoughts on sports media.

[KefkaClaret]

90% sure that Keane will end up at Everton next year.

[Vegas Claret]

Stones was the best Man City player tonight, he'll be going nowhere. Hopefully they'll come in for Keane for 50 million

[Quickenthetempo]

Is that the benchmark of a good defender now? His pass completion rate?

It makes a big difference yes. The reason Steve Davis got a big money move and Pender didn't, the reason everyone talks about Keane instead of Mee. The reason David Luiz got back in the Chelsea side.

[IAmAClaret]

Surely Keane alongside Stones is one of the strongest pairings in the league, and with age to improve further.

Keane 24 and Stones 22 years old.

Chances are City will go chasing 'the next Vincent Kompany' from wherever the media say he is.

If Koeman goes to Barcelona, I think we would do very well to keep hold of Keane AND Dyche.

[jlup1980]

City wasn't the right move for Stones. Pretty much sums it up.

You can't put a young lad in a back 4 with 3 full backs, play him in front of a dubious goal keeper, give him little support from his midfield and expect him to succeed. My opinion is he'd be a different player right now had he gone to Chelsea. Put him in a back 3 with Luiz and Cahill and he'd learn, improve and become a very good defender. As it is he's not being given the basic support any centre half needs.

It's all about partnerships. Hart and Stones would have been great for him I'm sure, as would Kompany. We all rate Keane very highly but if we took his partnerships with Heaton and Mee away and put Robinson in goal and Darikwa next to him at centre half (no different from Kolorov playing CB for City), removed the protection from our defensive midfielders and expected him to play his way out from the back every week he'd soon start making mistakes!!

[claretblue]

'...i would be inclined to say keep Stones just give us £20...'

I think we should hold out for a touch more Steve!

[gawthorpe_view]

Heaton and Keane to Citeh in the summer?, Stranger things have happened in football.

[WestMidsClaret]

I know the amount of contract left makes a play in signings nowadays BUT when someone comes in fo Keane I'd be saying "you know Stones went for £47.5m well start there and we'll see how we get on!" Just because we are little old Burnley doesn't mean we should get bullied. Keane will be a better player then Stones if he isn't already!

[Lancasterclaret]

Thought Stones did well last night, as did Kolarov (apart from the third goal)

The problem was the complete lack of protection they had first half from the midfield

[Quickenthetempo]

I didn't realise Keane was two years older than Stones. Two years ago Keane had a little run in the Burnley team before getting replaced by Duff, a world away from playing in the champions league. Not a slight on Keane but put it in perspective.

[Bordeauxclaret]

It makes a big difference yes. The reason Steve Davis got a big money move and Pender didn't, the reason everyone talks about Keane instead of Mee. The reason David Luiz got back in the Chelsea side.

It might have also had something to do with Davis being a far far far better defender than Pender.

[Steve1956]

'...i would be inclined to say keep Stones just give us £20...'

I think we should hold out for a touch more Steve!

Hiya mate, realistically with Keane being in the final year of his contract 20 million seems about right, a snip at todays prices.

[Lancasterclaret]

I loved John Pender, but he was an ideal centre half for the level he was at, Davis only failing was he wasn't the quickest, or he'd have been playing in the prem.

[Rileybobs]

Heaton and Keane to Citeh in the summer?, Stranger things have happened in football.

Considering Man City let a better goalkeeper with better distribution than Heaton go out on loan then I'd suggest that would be one of the strangest things to happen in football.