It was hard not to crack a smile in July when Inter confirmed the arrival of John Stones. The Serie A club’s official website announced the deal with an 800-word story that romanticised Stones’ journey from the ‘village’ of Barnsley to Champions League winner and now Inter.
The Manchester City favourite deserved a lavish greeting, even if there was not the same fanfare that has welcomed previous big name signings to Italian football. Former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay was swamped by supporters in Naples when he moved to Serie A – even though his trophy cabinet pales in comparison to Stones’.
However, Football Italia editor Lorenzo Bettoni told MEN Sport that context matters. “I mean in Italy, it wasn’t for example like with Scott McTominay in the past with hundreds of people waiting for him at the airport,” he explained.
“What you have got to consider is the different environments. Naples is not quite like Milan. So you would never get that many fans unless it’s a very big name, like you would usually get in Rome or in Naples. For the very beginning, it is very different from the north cities and from the north fans, like in Milan, for example.
“That being said, generally speaking on social media, the reaction from journalists is quite positive because Inter managed to get an experienced defender – although he was no longer a key Manchester City player. Let’s say it was a positive welcome, not overly positive, but not negative.
“Nobody was saying about the signing in Italy, that he could not help the team. That is not the general view. The general view is that Inter have made a potentially smart signing, but just a regular signing, I would say.”
Stones joined a team that is on the up. After replacing Simone Inzaghi last year, Cristian Chivu led the Milan club to the league and cup double, and has enjoyed a positive start to this campaign. Like City, Inter have a perfect record in the league.
Wisely, Stones has not been rushed into his new team’s starting XI. He made brief cameos in the opening two victories over Monza and Cagliari, before starting on matchday four after an impressive display in the second half against Real Madrid in the Champions League.
“Chivu was hot on Stones’ experience,” Bettoni continued. “So, the main thing was that he wanted to rely on his experience and he knew that Stones didn’t quite have the same characteristics of some of the players who had left, like Francesco Acerbi, and Stefan de Vrij.
“The plan that he had in mind was using his experience inside the dressing room, and then tactically try to introduce him slowly to the team. He made a very good appearance, for example, against Real Madrid, when he was introduced at the break replacing Benjamin Pavard.
“He started the following game against Udinese, but then he got his injury. So, It’s kind of a disruptive start to the plans. But his injury story was well known.”
Sadly for City fans, Bettoni is right. During his ten-year stint at the Etihad Stadium, Stones was plagued with different injuries – ranging from moderate problems to serious issues that were costing him months of his career.
Last season, Pep Guardiola looked almost exasperated when asked for updates on Stones’ fitness. Not that he was impatient with the defender, but clearly Guardiola was disappointed as he knew the talent Stones possessed, and sympathised with his recurring injuries.
This time it is Stones’ hamstring that has let him down. Inter are confident the centre-back will return following the international break. But outside the club, there’s a feeling he could be out for at least a month.
Stones’ image in Italy has, thankfully, not been tarnished by this injury. Rather, the conversation among pundits has questioned whether or not he can actually improve Inter, once he returns.
Bettoni explained: “Probably the biggest, in no reason for concern, but the biggest talking point, is something that Beppe Bergomi talked about a few days ago after the latest Serie A round. He said that Stones hasn’t actually improved Inter’s defence because he’s not a man-marker, like Acerbi and De Vrij. He’s a player who has experience, he’s a player who knows how to control the ball really well, how to handle the ball, very strong in the build-up play, but he’s not that sort of man-marker.
“He’s not the sort of man who you would put in the middle of a three-man defence and he would be at his best marking an opponent. So, maybe the biggest concern is tactical rather than physical at this moment, even though, again, Stones has started fairly good.
“I think he balanced the defence pretty well and he was very smooth on the ball. Against Udinese it was so/so. But yeah, maybe the biggest concern, let me put it this way, is that he’s not an actual man-marker, he has other skillsets that are very appreciated, but not quite the same as Acerbi and De Vrij, who left as free agents last summer.”
Upon arriving in Italy, Stones mentioned about how much he looked forward to playing with Manuel Akanji, this season. Akanji made his loan move from City to Inter permanent in the summer.
As of yet, the duo have not played much together, with Akanji’s struggling form and Stones’ injury setback, putting those plans on ice. But Bettoni is confident the City legend can muscle his way into the Inter defence.
“I think he will [get back into the team], especially because Inter are making a few changes in the defence,” he concluded. “It’s true the starting centre backs are the same, pretty much the same, as last season.
“I mentioned to you Francesco Acerbi before. But the truth is that Acerbi was not an Inter starter last season because Yann Aurel Bisseck was used in the middle of defence. So in terms of players, they have the same as they had last year. So the starting centre-backs, technically, are Akanji, Bisseck and [Alessandro] Bastoni.
“I think he can still squeeze into the eleven, especially in a moment where Inter are kind of struggling to find the defensive solidity. They are the best attack in Serie A, but they’ve conceded eight goals in five Serie A games. It’s quite a lot for a team that wants to win this league, especially in the league where usually the best defence wins the titles.
“It depends as well on whether he can adapt to this playing style. Can he adapt to playing with the higher line? Can he adapt to pressing a lot? Because there are some common features between Inter and Guardiola’s City.
“Inter want to keep the ball more than they wanted to under Simone Inzaghi. Stones can be one of those players who gives you that stability and gives you that confidence when you have to build-up from the back. But then at the same time, he doesn’t quite have the features of playing high and keeping a high line and be that type of defender.
“So, it’s a little bit of both, surely it’s not that Inter are wanting him to return because they are missing a starter – we are not in that situation. But, if you can get him minutes, he’s a player that can have the chance to play important games as well.”
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