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Published on 2024-02-01 12:30:00
Richard Dunne has high praise for John Stones, claiming that the Englishman can do things on the football pitch that no other player can in Europe. The 29-year-old recently made a comeback to Manchester City’s starting line-up during their 3-1 victory against Burnley after recovering from an injury.
Man City manager Pep Guardiola must be thrilled to see Stones fit and in stellar form once again at Etihad Stadium. It is clear that Guardiola prefers Stones over other defenders when it comes to playing in an inverted role.
Despite the technical and mobile nature of every City defender, Guardiola seems to acknowledge that Stones is the best-suited player for this specific role, which is perhaps unparalleled by any defender in world football.
Richard Dunne believes the balance Stones provides, both defensively and offensively in his hybrid role, makes him a player who can do things that no other player can in Europe.
He also pointed out that Stones had an amazing season last year but injuries made this season a bit stop-start for him at times. When Stones is in play, he brings something unique to the team, making him a pleasure to watch in action.
“Yeah, he obviously had an amazing season last year and this season has been a bit stop-start for him at times with injuries. But when he’s in the side, he just brings something no other player in Europe I think can do”, he said on City’s pre-match show (via YouTube) on Wednesday.
As Dunne indicated, it seems that only Stones can play in the inverted centre-back role. This observation is supported by the fact that while several teams in the Premier League employ inverted full-backs, they tend not to use the same tactic when it comes to their centre-backs. Although many teams use inverted full-backs and other defensive roles, no Premier League team has a centre-half playing like John Stones simply because it is a formidable challenge for any centre-back to take on.
It seems that Richard Dunne sees something truly exceptional in John Stones that sets him apart from other players, making him an invaluable asset to Manchester City. Hopefully, Stones will continue to thrive in this unique role and contribute to the future success of the team.
Read Original article on Manchester City News
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