Let's remember in the first 90 minutes he didn't put a foot wrong, whilst everyone around him made several mistakes each. Yes he's made a really bad mistake in extra time, but the whole team were woeful tonight - particularly the mid field who gave it straight back to the back line whenever they got the ball.
Alan Mullery was one of best players to grace an England shirt. Euro 68 he was sent off in Semi Final and we lost. I still respect Alan Mullery as one of my Dad's Tottenham heroes. Granted England lost but it's a massive responsibility to take on. You're supposed to be best in your proffession but only best over this neck of woods to rest you're a **** house. I'll never forget first time I opened batting in under 13's for Pontefract. I was proud to represent my town but I had weight of all the world upon my shoulder. I took a long sebatical and started playing for Knottingley second team. I opened the batting for them too. However, I was met by the same demons No matter how much it was friday night or sarurday the expectancy n' drive to win never changes. Best example I can liken things to is England's defeat to Pakistan. You're set 348 you know there's a pretty good chance you're not making it but you get your Hundred. I couldn't do that. All or nowt.
I'm not a prolific watcher of football on the TV. But almost every time I've seen John Stones play for Man City or England he's been dreadful. He was a cracking young player for us. He's still a very good player. But he doesn't look anywhere near some of his peers. Time after time he doesn't.
Absolutely shocking performance. Deserved to lose by more. Schoolboy errors all over the pitch. Stones, Walker, Barkley, Maguire and Sterling could all be accused of outright sloppiness. I made a point of watching Van Dijk. Usual calm, composed self. Brilliant example of how a defender should play.
He lost his man for the first goal and made two bad mistakes in extra-time. The ball to Barkley for the third was an invitation to the Dutch to put pressure on. In any case mistakes in extra-time mean you have less time to get back into the game.
Sterling gave the ball away almost everytime he got it he was absolutely fecking useless. Difference is he has 10 players behind him. Unfortunately Stones one mistake was costly. Doesn’t mean he had a bad game
I'm not on an anti Stones crusade here. He's told to play that way by Southgate....but he had a bad game. He's a defender and his errors were responsible for the first two goals and contributed to the third.
Then sterling’s mistakes contributed to us not scoring s sack load . I’m not of the opinion stones can’t do owt wrong because he’s from Barnsley. Just very annoying Sterling can be absolute ***** every time and get picked. Same with Delph and others
The thing was SR and Glen Hoddle said as much in commentary, there seemed to be an undercurrent of doubt throughout the team. I purposely didn't look on the BBC website for updates ,didn't watch it on my iPad or listen to the news on TV, so that when I watched the highlights on ITV later, I truly didn't know the final result. Thinking about it now, Lee Dixon and Ian Wright's " kippers" should have told me everything at the start of the programme. Not too far into the game, I felt really concerned as to how we were dithering on the ball and the way we kept conceding possession. Ben Chilwell showed some good touches, but there were times when he too seemed to get into trouble in potentially threatening positions. As the game wore on and we started to make further mistakes, I sensed that we weren't going to win and that unfortunately became a reality in extra time. We were far too ponderous and created few clear cut chances. In short, we got what we deserved, absolutely nothing. Needs to be some changes for me, if we are to have any hopes of beating Switzerland to see who finishes third. Normally, that should have been a formality, but it wouldn't be, if we sent that same team out for that particular game.
There's two things I cannot fathom. Almost exclusively a team that has a corner leaves back one extra defender to the opposition attackers on the half way line to avoid being caught one on one on the break. So why would you repeatedly CHOOSE to play one on one in your own penalty area. Southgate insists that's the way he wants to play, presumably to retain possession rather than clear it indiscriminately. So why, if possession is so important, did we voluntarily surrender it for forty minutes when we were 1-0 up?
Is Stones suffering from his lack of game time this season or is that the reason he isn't getting game time?
Nothing wrong with playing out from the back. Everything wrong with dithering on the ball and allowing yourself to be closed down.
I missed most of the game playing golf but got int to the club house to see the last few minutes + extra time and a few small comments - had Lingard been 2cm futher back we would have won and no one would be talking about Stones Magure made a massive howler in injury time and we should have lost in injury time - no one would be talking about Stones Stones made a massive howler which he would have got away with but for and own goal - it was also poor from Walker - who made a couple of other errors in the time I saw. As for the 3rd goal I dont really see how you blame Stones there was no real pressure on Barclay and its how the players are being told to play -in fact Barnsley have been doing the same all season. I do think Stones is being scapegoated for some rerason - on here I can get it a bit because there are always people who want to knock players who leave us. I am not quite so sure why in the media - unless its because he came through Barnsley Acadamy - had he come up through the acadamy at Arsenal I am sure he would be given more slack by the pundits. That said if he isnt getting regular football for Man City - he probably shouldnt be playing for England and maybe looking for a move to a club where he will be in the first 11 most of the time
The move to City might have been good for us financially but.for Stones as a footballer it was too much too soon. Should have stayed at Everton for another two or three years before taking the step up. Kompany's return after injury shows to me that he was bought as a Squad Player!.