England legend Alan Shearer lambasted John Stones after Manchester City’s 4-0 loss to Everton, insisting the defender makes “mistake after mistake”.
John Stones joined Manchester City from Everton last summer for an initial transfer fee of £47.5m. The English defender has failed to the match the standards at Man City under new boss Pep Guardiola.
Stones struggled against his former side Everton on Sunday and his blunder helped Ronald Koeman’s side to clinch the final goal on Sunday.
Seamus Coleman forced Stones to make a panicky clearance during the fag end of the game.
The 22-year-old English defender fired the ball, which hit the Irish player and the rebound fell into the path of debutant Ademola Lookman, who slotted the ball home.
While speaking on BBC Match of the Day after the game, Shearer took a dig at the Man City defender’s sloppy performance.
Shearer said: “My concern with him, and I don’t want to criticise him, but he is 22 now.”
“He has played nearly 100 Premier League games and everyone keeps saying to me and to the rest of the football world, that he is going to be a top player.”
“But I keep seeing John Stones makes mistake after mistake after mistake.”
But former Manchester United player and football pundit Phil Neville came out in defence of the English defender and insisted that Stones was let down by his teammates when he was put under pressure by Coleman.
But Shearer added: “I don’t know what’s happening with him at Man City but I don’t think he has improved as much as people would think he has this season.”
“If I’m a centre forward, a young guy and I keep on missing chances, I don’t expect to be in the team. Eventually you are going to get left out.”