13 Dec 2016

Collymore blasts: £47m international is 'rubbish' and 'really bad' at defending. Liverpool's Joel Matip better?

Ex-Red Stan Collymore has slated one of Manchester City's record signings.

In his column for The Mirror today, Collymore described 'skinny' Stones as 'rubbish', and suggested he's 'really bad' at defending. He further scathed:

"Shearer, Cole, myself, Ferdinand, Fowler, Dublin, Beardsley, Rideout, Yeboah, Rush, Cantona...every one of us must be wetting ourselves with laughter at the thoughts of what we’d do against John Stones. I’d have taken glee in having him for breakfast".

Stones is not 'rubbish'; he's a regular in the Premier League which means he's a decent footballer, but that doesn't mean he's a good as the ridiculous hype.

In my view, Stone is just the latest in a long line of grossly overhyped British players, and the fact that Man City paid £47m for him is simply staggering.

With Stones in the side, City have regressed defensively:

* 2015-16 (Without Stones): 16 goals conceded after 15 Premier League games. All competitions: 26 goals 24 games.

* 2016-17 (With Stones): 19 goals conceded after 15 Premier League games. All competitions: 32 goals in 24 games.

Maybe I've got it wrong, but when a club spends close to £50m on a defender, defensive solidity is supposed to improve, not regress. As a comparison, Joel Matip cost Liverpool nothing, and the Reds' defence has manifestly improved with him in the side. Granted, without him, the defensive is just as bad, but the point is, Matip - unlike Stones - is having a positive personal impact on the team (11 goals conceded in 12 games).

On a related note: Despite Matip's impact, it's disappointing to note that Liverpool have conceded 3 more goals in the league this season than at the same stage last season...


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