Watching John Stones play against us last night

Was it just me or was it a bit like seeing your ex with another bloke when you was younger. Just wanted him to boot ball past there keeper every time he got it. Was funny when was singing giz a wave stonesy. Two right sly waves. Hope he stays at Everton least until January I don't think Chelsea would be a good move for him atm

 

He had all the look of a pretty bewildered young man who's struggling to understand where he fit anymore. I think it showed in his performance, he wasn't poor but I've seen him play a lot better than that.. What's going on is a helluva lot for a young kid to cope with, irrespective of whether he will become the best central defender in Europe, which I think he will. I felt sorry for the lad last night

 

There's a lot of pressure on young shoulders. The more I hear about it the less I am thinking of Everton as a club.

 

Totally agree man. I've always had a soft spot for Everton but it's wearing thin. Footballers are very well paid and they are commodities but they are also human beings and in Sonesy case, a good one.

 

Yes just that. Can tell it starting to get to him now if it all too much stonesy you can always come back to oakwell no pressure just run that contract down n come back here. You'll still get criticism on bbs though no one is exempt.

 

Whereas we treated Holgate brilliantly...

 

Holgate wanted to go refused to train ect ect been through this one....

 

And I suppose the money Barnsley are missing out on by him staying has no bearing on your thoughts? Everton should be applauded for standing up to the big bullies who think they can buy anyone and anything. Roberto Martinez is a superb , sympathetic, inspiring manager and Everton is a great club for John Stones to be developing at - and thats what he is - still developing, making mistakes. Mourinho and Chelsea ? Not so sure.

 

Nope. I'm not fussed if he gets sold this summer. And weren't Everton wearing the big bully hat when they took him from us? What goes around...

Everton are just being greedy. They're making a big deal about our sell on clause, sorry but they agreed to it. They are set to make a huge profit on a lad they took from us at a steal.

For Stones the move to a big club playing in Europe and challenging for honours is a must, not only for his club career but also for his England chances. It's a fact that the players at the big clubs get picked ahead of others, probably because they have experience against the clubs in the European comps.

Martinez is a good coach, encourages football to be played right etc, but I've heard it said from a few quarters that for a defender he isn't that great. He'll learn more from working with Jose and Terry.

 

^^^ This ^^^

Someone show me what on earth Everton have done wrong? He's their player, they like him and want to keep him. He's young and can only improve and they see him as part of their plans to get the club back up among the big-hitters.

 

Been on RS this morning that Everton have turned down a final offer of 37 million or was it 38,

 

Are they making a big deal about the sell-on clause? Really?? Not just one speculative story in the shitsheets and the usual rabid speculation on here then? It's frankly ridiculous to think they would deny themselves £30-odd million just to save £3m paying us off. Utter claptrap.

 

They've tried to buy it out haven't they? Thought that had been clarified?

Regardless I still think they are being greedy, they've been offered silly money for a lad who wants to leave to further his career. A lad they bought at basement price too. I'm not swallowing that they are being bullied by a big club either because it's exactly the same situation as when we lost him.

 

Not quite sure of that, 3million + sell on seems about right for a talented young defender from the Championship.

 

This morning's story is that his home in Widnes has come under attack from Everton thugs. This is becoming a saga of how to try to trash the career of a promising and maybe not very street-wise young player. My main concern is for Stones as a person, let alone a footballer. He is only 21. How would anyone have coped with all this at that age? I sincerely hope it turns out well for him, but fear that it might not. If it doesn't, Mourinho and Kenwright need to look very hard at themselves and how they have managed the whole deal from start to finish. He was a model professional at Oakwell and he has certainly presented himself in the same way at Everton, being level-headed and not big-headed in any way. His transfer to Everton showed seemingly sensible negotiating both by agent and player to get a deal which was good for Stones and yet also considerate towards us. I don't believe that Stones will have changed his mind-set in the way he has approached this saga. It looks to me as though he is caught up innocently in the dark side of the game's politics. It is those who manipulate the dark side of football who need to reflect on what they are doing to the beautiful game and to some promising stars of the future within it.

 

I am sure. He was clearly going to go on to be an international. Look at the silly prices paid for championship players who are clearly not at the level Stones was and has proved to be.

 

For some reason Forwards are regarded higher than defenders when it comes to transfers. Of course Ross McCormack isn't worth 11 million but just because his transfer was 'silly money' doesn't mean Everton shafted you. At Dale we had Craig Dawson, the best defender I've seen at that level, and he got 10 goals in both seasons for us . Sold to West Brom for 700k and a year later starring for Eng U21's and selected for the Olympics.

 

I actually agree with you. He was happy to sign a five year contract and so if Everton want him to see out the remaining four years that is there choice. Martinez is trying to build a club challenging for regular european football and the cups. It makes a refreshing change a club standing up to the bigger clubs and not letting them get their way as they always expect. I'm sure we can wait until after the euros when he will hopefully be worth 50-60 million

 

Absolutely right. I feel myself getting increasing angry about how this lad is being treated, especially by those lunatic fans. To me the 'sell on' issue is now secondary to the physical and mental wellbeing of a thoroughly decent young man and one of our favourite sons.

 

Dawson isn't a patch on Stones. The Kyles from Sheff Utd all those years ago? Everton got him cheap.

Opinions eh?