John Stones is talking about control, what he can and cannot bend to the force of his talent and will, and there are plenty of things at Manchester City right now that fit squarely into the latter category.
It is an unsettling time for the club where Stones has practically become part of the furniture, with the charges brought against them by the Premier League, the conflict over associated party transactions (APT), the open hostility on both sides. Meanwhile the director of football, Txiki Begiristain, is poised to leave at the end of the season, which could have implications for the future of the manager, Pep Guardiola. Yes, there is that, too.
“The honest truth is that no, it doesn’t worry me,” Stones says with an easy smile. “I am very much someone if I cannot control it I don’t give it the headspace or attention. That might seem a bit wrong in some ways but that is how I deal with it. It is out of my hands and I put a lot of trust in the club. I have quite a simple mindset towards things that I can control.”
What Stones can affect is his game, his involvement for Guardiola’s team, and the truth is it has meant dealing mainly with frustration so far this season, which was the case, too, for much of the previous campaign.
It was a strange season for Stones at City, scarred by fitness issues and one statistic stood out; he was an unused substitute on 17 occasions. After picking up an injury for England against Belgium on 26 March, he played in only six more games for City. Overall he started 12 league matches. The idea was that the new season would bring improved fortunes but Stones has started just three games for City; one of them in the league.
Yet when it is time for England, there is no doubt that Stones remains at the top of the central defensive pecking order. It was the case at Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate keeping faith in him, playing him in every minute of the team’s run to the final. And it remains the case under the interim manager, Lee Carsley, who is about to hand Stones his 82nd cap in the Nations League tie against Greece at Wembley on Thursday night – his first as the captain, with Harry Kane not fit to start because of a groin problem. Stones will move ahead of Rio Ferdinand and Jordan Henderson on the all‑time England appearances list.
Carsley has made it clear early in his tenure that he wants players who are playing for their clubs and in form. When he named his first squad in September he could not justify a call-up for Kyle Walker, who had not featured for City. This time he dropped Harry Maguire, who had struggled for involvement in the league at Manchester United since the last international break.
It was interesting to hear Carsley say “you get diluted as a head coach or manager if you’re picking players who are out of form or aren’t playing well based on what they’ve done in the past”. Then again, the dynamics of selection are rarely black or white and with Stones it would be easy to see why Carsley might want to bend the guidelines slightly. Aged 30, Stones has seen the lot, winning it all with City; going so close with England. It was his perspective and focus that came to the fore as he considered his situation at club level.
“I’m in a positive mindset and that is really important because, at times like these, more inexperienced players can maybe get frustrated and that has a bad effect when called upon,” he says. “It means you’re not ready. It’s something I’ve learnt over the years … to put my personal problems or feelings to one side and be there for the team.
“It’s always frustrating when you want to play. Coming back later than the majority of the squad after the Euros, the team being in good form … there have been a lot of factors. But I’ve been in this position before, where you are in and out, and you know how important you are and not to get frustrated. I am always going to say I wish I could start every game, but it is a long season and there are a lot of important games coming up.”
It felt as though Stones’s injury for England in the Belgium match was a turning point, and not in a good way, albeit it was an erratic season for him in general. Southgate had also started him against Brazil three days earlier and it was not difficult to pick up on Guardiola’s irritation, especially as City played Arsenal when the league resumed.
“Straight away, you know he’s not very happy with [me] getting injured while not on his watch, which is understandable,” Stones says. “As players we want to play every game, especially with England. But it’s also about managing minutes and fixtures, all kinds of different things.
“You feel a lot of weight, a lot of pressure from a lot of places, especially when you come away from club and are going back injured. You know how upset, angry and frustrated people there will be because they need you.
“It’s really difficult with the amount of games and in the summer again [at Euro 2024]. He [Guardiola] was generous with the amount of time off he gave us, which I was very thankful for. But it has a knock‑on effect.”
