John Stones
“I am not going to apologise” – Pep Guardiola to Manchester City fans after comments about Etihad Stadium
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola claims he won’t apologise for urging more supporters to come to the Etihad Stadium for their upcoming match against Southampton. The Spaniard said he “would like more people” for the Saturday encounter against the Saints, which brought him criticism from some of the club’s fans. However, the City manager said he won’t apologise for that, insisting that his comments were misinterpreted. He said (as per BBC): “Did I say after the game that I was disappointed that the stadium was not full?” “An interpretation is an interpretation. I am not going to apologise. I know how difficult last season was, and we make an approach to do something together on Saturday. “It doesn’t matter how many come, I enjoy them. After five seasons they misunderstan...
Euro 2020: Gareth Southgate invites Bukayo Saka, 24 others
Gareth Southgate hit back at the critics after selecting Trent Alexander-Arnold for England’s Euro 2020 squad as the Three Lions boss admitted Harry Maguire is a doubt for the opener against Croatia. Alexander-Arnold had to endure a nervous wait before learning he had made the cut after spending much of the season out of favour with Southgate. The 22-year-old was left out of Southgate’s England squad for their World Cup qualifiers in March. But Alexander-Arnold’s strong end to the season with Liverpool convinced Southgate to restore the right-back to his squad. Alexander-Arnold responded to his selection by tweeting: “Always believe in yourself. Silence the doubters.” Irritated by the inaccurate pre-announcement reports that he would drop Alexander-Arnold, Southgate insisted he never lost ...
‘Different class’, ‘Absolute quality’: Some Man City fans praise 26-year-old’s display at Fulham
A selection of Manchester City fans on Twitter praised the performance of John Stones during the Premier League clash at Fulham yesterday. The Englishman has been in exceptional form this term and he has formed a solid partnership alongside Ruben Dias at the heart of the defence. He bagged yet another clean sheet in the 3-0 win over the Cottagers on Saturday, but his most important involvement came in the final third of the pitch. The Cityzens struggled to find the breakthrough in the opening half which ended goalless as the Cottagers showed good defensive resolve. The deadlock was broken in the 47th minute as Stones beat Alphonso Areola with a right-footed effort from six yards out after a wonderful Joao Cancelo cross from the left flank. Pep Guardiola’s side eventually secured a comforta...
Micah Richards slams Manchester City defenders after Leicester thrashing
Micah Richards has slammed the Manchester City defence for their performance in their hammering by Leicester, accusing them of being “reactive, rather than proactive”. City’s weaknesses at the back were ruthlessly exposed by the Foxes, who fought back from a goal down to claim a famous 5-2 victory. Jamie Vardy was the star performer, hitting a hat-trick, with further goals from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans sealing the win. It is the first time a team managed by Pep Guardiola has shipped five goals and the first time City have conceded five goals at home in 17 years. It is not, however, the first time the team’s defence has been questioned, with a shaky back line one of the reasons why City failed to mount a sustained defence of their title last season. Richards certainly didn’t hold ...
Report: PL rival looking to secure a ‘cut-price deal’ for 26 y/o West Ham target
According to reports from the Daily Mail, Chelsea are looking to secure a cut-price deal for Manchester City defender, John Stones, in the summer transfer window. The 26-year-old only made 16 appearances in the Premier League last season, and he has dropped down the pecking order at the club. It has been reported that City could offload Stones this summer. Frank Lampard is desperate to bolster the Chelsea defence. The Blues have been heavily linked with a move for Declan Rice, but West Ham are reluctant to sell their prized asset. In fact, the Hammers are demanding a fee in the region of £80m for Rice, and Chelsea aren’t willing to meet that amount. As a result, the Blues have turned their attention towards signing Stones. The report claims that Blues might be able to secure a cu...
Report: Boost for Newcastle as rival club ‘will listen to offers’ for £47m target
According to reports from The Times, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is looking to rebuild the squad in the summer transfer window. He feels that if Manchester City are to win the title back from Liverpool next season, they need to invest in the squad and bring the right profile of players. The report claims that the Spaniard will meet the City board to discuss which players should be leaving the club. After City fell 23 points behind Jürgen Klopp’s side, Guardiola feels that signing a central defender is a necessity. City are keen to offload Argentine defender Nicolas Otamendi while the club will listen to offers for John Stones. The 26-year-old defender joined City in 2016 from Everton for a reported fee of £47.5m. He was the world’s second most expensive defender at...
Newcastle reportedly want £40m player Pep Guardiola once said has ‘a special quality’
According to 90min, Newcastle United are interested in signing John Stones from Premier League rivals Manchester City in the summer transfer window. It has been reported that Newcastle’s prospective new owners, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, have identified the former Everton central defender as a transfer target this summer once they have bought the club from Mike Ashley. The report has added that City will want £40 million as transfer fee for the 25-year-old England international, who has “got a special quality”, according to his manager Pep Guardiola, as quoted in The Guardian in November 2016. Stats Stones has been at City since 2016 when he joined from Premier League rivals Everton. Much was expected of the Englishman when he arrived at the Etihad Stadium, but the defender has...
