Don Hutchison has lavished praise upon Manchester City defender John Stones.
The £47.5 million (Eurosport) man started his first game this season against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 2-1 victory, in which he was a class act, as per usual.
Speaking on ESPN FC, Don Hutchison lauded John Stones, who is finally fit and firing for Manchester City.
Don Hutchison says John Stones is a ‘Rolls-Royce of a player’
Branded as ‘unbelievable’ by Kevin De Bruyne, the 29-year-old is one of, if not the best centre-back in the world, especially considering how he has mastered his signature hybrid role in midfield.
Against Brighton as well, Stones was deployed in the same role alongside Rodri, as he was a dream both in and out of possession for the hosts.
When quizzed about whether Manuel Akanji’s late sending off would be a cause for concern for Manchester City, Don Hutchison emphasised that the return of John Stones into the side alleviates any of the pressure that comes with the former’s absence.
“John Stones came back today, he’s a Rolls-Royce of a player”, he briefly said.
John Stones is the glue to this system
Don Hutchison is spot on and it is not emphasized enough by many how Manchester City’s current tactical setup works at its absolute best due to John Stones’ malleability.
Not many, if any centre-back in the entirety of world football could both be comfortable enough on the ball to operate in every phase of play as well as be elite defensively inside their box.
In fact, to even expect any to do so would be a bit of an unreasonable demand.
Unless they’re John Stones, who proved in his side’s treble-winning season and reminded observers against Brighton as well that he could execute such a complex role in his sleep.
