Manchester CIty have just completed the biggest season in the history of their club. They have won the highly coveted Treble, achieved by any European team winning their domestic league and cup, as well as the Champions League in the same season. In England, this had so far only been won by their cross-city rivals, Manchester United. There have been numerous articles discussing the impact of other players such as Haaland, Gundugan and Jack Grealish. But I believe there is another player who deserves just as many plaudits for City’s success: John Stones.
A Long Learning Curve
John Stones moved to Manchester City from Everton in 2016 for ￡47.5 million. At the time, that seemed a ridiculous amount for a player with no Champions League experience. But Guardiola saw then what the world now knows: Stones is a defender with amazing composure on the ball. This was evidenced by his 6 completed dribbles in the Champions League FInal victory over Inter Milan. This, by the way, is the most by any player in a Final since, you guessed it, Messi in 2015.
A defender with such composure is a rare animal in football. Most defenders are either defensively sound but unable to add to attacking build-up or highly skilled with average defensive abilities. On top of those skills, Stones also has the footballing mind to make the “educated movements” that Guardiola wants from his central players. This combination is why Stones has managed to excel in what some are saying is a more modern version of the “libero” role, while other great players like Walker and Cancelo have struggled.
John Stones only lost possession of the ball with 6.7% of his touches in the Premier League this season. This is the lowest of any player with more than 150 touches.
Mancity.com
How It Worked
Attacking
Guardiola’s intent of using Stones in the midfield is really two-fold. From an attacking sense, having an extra man in the midfield confers an obvious numerical advantage. But because Stones has such composure and vision, City are able to destabilize their opponents through quick, short passes, followed by movement to create space. Stones and another midfielder, usually Rodri, form a double pivot in the midfield. When one of the pivots has the ball, the other is always working provide a short passing option for the other. This is where we see the passing triangles that have become so synonymous with Guardiola’s teams over the years.
Since Stones starts as a center back and then moves forward, one of the opposing attacking line has to break shape to press him in the midfield. This in turn disrupts their carefully constructed defensive shape. Once this disruption occurs, Stones has the option to either pass to Rodri for a quick one-two to bypass the opposing attacking player, or find a higher placed City midfielder who has now been left open by the defending team’s unorganized press.
Picture It
To visually show this, consider the diagrams below. On the left, you see how most teams would set up in a rough 4-4-2. Every player is man marked by the opposition, with the only open passing lanes between the two center backs and the goalkeeper. Any attempt to move the ball forward can be quickly closed down. On the right, you can see the confusion of the defending team when Stones moves into midfield. The defender on Akanji is unsure if he should move inside to mark Stones or stay wide. As the opposing forward attempts to press Dias, he is able to pass to the open Stones.
In the third diagram, two defenders have moved positions. The defender on Akanji has moved inside to press Stones, opening a passing lane. Additionally, the defender on Rodri has stepped inside. This allows him to step forward into the space originally occupied by the opposing forward and provide a passing lane to Stones. Stones could now also pass to any of Akanji, Gundogan, or Rodri. With quick tempo, they would then be able to quickly progress the ball forward (Diagram 4).
Defending
Destabilizing the opponent’s defense is not the only benefit of Stone’s quick, short passing. By keeping the ball constantly moving, the opponent’s players are steadily pulled out of position in an effort to regain the ball. Because of this, even if they are able to regain possession, they are now so out of shape that any counterattack can be quickly squashed, as was noted by Matias Manna in a 2020 interview with The Athletic. Since switching to using a merged center back/midfield role, two key defensive metrics have improved. City have conceded less counter attacks and slowed down the speed of opponents attacks, as discussed in this article from OptaAnalyst.
Some teams have attempted to null the Stones advantage with constant pressing, not allowing City players any time on the ball. This was most obviously seen against Southampton in the second half of the season. While the high press worked initially to prevent City any time on the ball, they eventually tired, returning the advantage to City.
A Fresh Take on an Old Idea
But how is what Guardiola is doing with John Stones any different from Liverpool’s use of Trent Alexander-Arnold or Arsenal’s Zinchenko? Guardiola initially used Stones in a similar role to those teams, playing him as a right-back in a back four. However, one issue teams using this tactic have found is the time it takes their players to return to their outside defensive position. There is also a lot of energy wasted moving between their outside defensive position and the center of midfield.
Liverpool have adjusted to this by having TAA drop into the center of defense and shifting a center back outside. However, while he is a high quality player, his defending is not considered by many to be “top notch”. Much of his value to the Liverpool squad has come from his passing skills further up the field and not his defensive strength. That’s not usually the player you want in the center of your defense during a counter attack.
In opposition to the TAA issues, Stones provides a central stability to the players in front of and around him. They are able to play with more freedom because of his strength and composure on the ball. Additionally, because Guardiola has built a team of strong defensive players (Rodri, Dias, Akanji, Ake, etc.), Stones has the freedom to take risks with those quick, short passes. Having the ability to know when he is safe to move forward, versus when to not take the risk, is what sets Stones apart from a lot of other players that have tried to fill this role.