John Stones has removed Marc Guehi from England’s starting XI and will protect his spot for the second World Cup leg against Ghana despite a wobble in Croatia’s win.
John Stones started ahead of Marc Gehi vs Croatia (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Manager Thomas Tuchel is determined to continue protecting John Stones after England’s defense was shaky at the World Cup.
England played well in their opening group game against Croatia, but scoring two goals left big doubts about their back four. Stones, 32, was a big pick for Tuchel as the England manager was looking for experience and quality over recent form.
But Tuchel’s faith in Stones remains strong even after England’s defense appeared to be their weakest link in this tournament. Incredibly, Stones started just five Premier League games for Manchester City last season, a season so frustrating that even the veteran centre-back admitted he was starting to have doubts about Pep Guardiola.
Stones started the final game of the season, but his contract with City has expired and he is now a free agent, including those with close ties to his former club Everton. But Stones looked rusty and looked unfamiliar alongside Ezri Konsa, with tensions showing at full-backs Reece James and Nico O’Reilly.
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Keeper Jordan Pickford was also not spared Tuchel’s hairdryer treatment, and the Everton shot-stopper actually put in his best performance while having a public shouting match on the pitch.
There were some defensive issues, but they were masked by a great performance in the second half, which will go down as one of the best performances of recent tournaments.
This was a victory against Croatia, a heavyweight opponent and arguably the most difficult opponent in the group. But their defense will be tested even more against even better teams.
But Tuchel’s message since then and his thoughts have not changed: Stones are my main man. He certainly won’t start every game, but he’ll start the games we have to win. Tuchel wants England to play in a different way, developing from the back, drawing opponents in and evading the press to create space.
John Stones is trusted by Thomas Tuchel (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
They want to play exactly the Premier League way and Tuchel is fully confident that his players, including Pickford and others, can do that.
England fans had better get ready to watch their team fight, go round and imitate Manchester City and other teams who have established such an art form in the Premier League.
Tuchel has said he wants to play with the handbrake off, but that falls under the same ideology of being highly effective from the back. And at the center of that is John Stones, England’s best ball-playing centre-half. England’s coaching staff see Stones as absolutely essential to their plans.
Coach Tuchel then reviewed the match and analyzed that Croatia closed in on Stones, preventing him from stepping up into midfield and limiting his passing. The blame wasn’t on Stones, but on those around him who didn’t provide angles, push themselves forward, and react more quickly. If we could do that, the problem would be solved and England were better in the second half.
Thomas Tuchel sticks to his approach (Image: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)
Stones won’t play in every game. He exited the game with cramps, which must have contributed to his lack of playing time this season. There is some rust. But Tuchel still has faith in his defender. You can be sure that change will happen. There are big calls for Marc Gehi to start the next game.
However, Tuchel has Stones in the world-class category and it is not a given that he would be dropped if there is a change. Tuchel likes Konsa’s physicality and reading of the game. Guehi appears to have become a force for good in his own right without starting in Dallas.
But Tuchel actually believes in Stones and Konsa, and this first partnership may speak for itself. Guehi offers great competition and another option. But no one in the team, at least in Tuchel’s eyes, can do what Stones can do.
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