Manuel Akanji has said that he has watched videos of John Stones to understand how he plays in his much-discussed hybrid role.
The Swiss international told BBC Sport, as Stones made headlines last season by operating as either a centre-back or a right-back when Manchester City were off the ball and in midfield when his side were on the ball.
Conor Coady revealed that he sent a text message to the £47.5 million (Guardian) man after the Sky Blues won the Premier League last season, saying, “Mate, you’re reinventing the game.”
Manuel Akanji says he has studied videos of John Stones
According to Mateo Kovacic, Josko Gvardiol can “learn a lot” if he studies how the 29-year-old operates on the pitch as well.
Lately, Akanji has been deployed in Stones’ hybrid role, due to the latter being sidelined with injury in recent weeks.
Now, it seems like Manchester City centre-half Manuel Akanji is learning the tricks of the trade from John Stones.
“When I played my first game there [in the midfield], I looked at tapes of John [Stones] and the way they play and try to adapt this to my game. I think it got better, game by game”, he told BBC Sport.
Manuel Akanji still has plenty of room to improve in this role
In Manchester City’s latest 3-2 win against RB Leipzig, Manuel Akanji looked far from his best in the so-called “John Stones role.”
What makes the role such a challenge is to be a key component in City’s build-up while drifting across all phases of play and also being a reliable defender simultaneously.
In our view, against Leipzig, Akanji proved to master neither of those facets, especially as he made a howler at the back to let the visitors take the lead at the Etihad Stadium.
However, the former Borussia Dortmund colossus has looked assured in this role in recent encounters against Chelsea and Liverpool.
The more Manuel Akanji studies how his Manchester City teammate plays the role, the better it will be for his progression when deployed there in the future.
