I once scored an own goal when I passed back without looking, with Edwin van der Sar out near the edge of our box. And I wasn’t a young player. I was 28. It was at Portsmouth and Manchester United were chasing the title. So listen, every defender, we’ve all made mistakes. Give John Stones a break.
He is still trying to learn when you play and when you’re taking too much of a risk. He has to find that right balance. He gets compared to how I was as a young ball-playing defender — and finding the right balance took me a while.
It took me going to Leeds and playing Champions League football at 21, 22: the same age as Stones is now. At the start of my career, at West Ham, I was just enjoying football. And when I signed for United there were even higher stakes than at Leeds and the thought: “If we lose this game or draw, I’m not winning a league medal.” So I stopped doing things that could put the side in danger.
I became a more conventional centre-half. Do I regret that? Yes, when I look back I would have liked to play with more freedom. As a person and individual I’d love to have been able to explore my instincts and run with the ball and come out with it in midfield. But I was told not to do that and within the team at United it was not something we really needed.
You won’t find me complaining. If it was a choice between all the medals we won and me indulging my expressive side, I’d take my medals all day long. You have to believe in your manager and what he asks and I believed in Fergie. Stones believes in Pep Guardiola 100% and why not? And Guardiola asks something different.
Advertisement
That’s what people miss. Is Stones doing what we all want, or is he doing what Guardiola wants? In my mind you follow your manager and don’t bow to public opinion — and Stones is playing the way Guardiola asks.
“If Guardiola is making the same mistakes next season, that is when you can judge him
In difficult circumstances he is showing the courage and personality to stick with that. And to me it looks like he needs help because Guardiola doesn’t have the players elsewhere, yet, for the whole team to carry out his style of play.
I wouldn’t want to be a defender right now at Manchester City, in this transitional period. I would be thinking: “Whoa, there’s no protection, we’re open and I’m there to be exploited.” For a player so young, it’s a very hard and brutal beginning to Stones’ City career. It is certainly a test of his personality; is he strong enough to come through this?
Guardiola’s quality is such that City will get there in time. I’m not into this: “Ooh, Pep’s got to change the way he manages.” He has achieved enormous success in two countries and he will get it right in England. He has already invested heavily in players but is going to have to invest in the rest of his squad too.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out there were players at City who were not good enough before he arrived, and they are definitely not going to be good enough for him. The way he plays demands so much more of a player than in a normal team: the risk-taking, taking the ball, the positional play and the application and courage on top of it all that you need to be a Guardiola player. Not enough players in City’s squad measure up.
Advertisement
Overall, Guardiola is still learning about English football. Second balls? I’m sure that will be something he didn’t contend with before. And the importance of set-pieces: there are teams here who live and breathe off set-pieces. He does not have to revamp his style, just adapt in those small details — to playing in a league with more second balls, more aerial duels and bigger players.
Not everybody can be a whirlwind and succeed immediately here like Jose Mourinho and Arsène Wenger did. Next season, if Guardiola is still making the same mistakes, that’s when you can judge him. Stones needs time as well.
Carrick bringing best out of Pogba
There is a long list to which we need to add Paul Pogba’s name, and that is of teammates who have appreciated Michael Carrick. I have spoken to Pogba about it, and Carrick has set him free.
Pogba had a prickly start to his second United career but now he is looking like his real self and it’s down to several factors. One is Mourinho finding his best team and finding the best position for him, but Pogba will be the first to say that the biggest change has been the reintroduction of Carrick.
Carrick feeds him the ball early, quickly and in areas where he can do damage before teams get set the way they were doing before. No disrespect to Marouane Fellaini — Fellaini has other attributes — but his first instinct when he gets the ball is not to pass it forward, unlike Carrick. I am on the list of Carrick’s fans. I loved playing with him. He was the perfect shield for a defence.
Advertisement
As well as the experience and know-how of where to be, he had the ability to listen to instructions. I’d shout “left” “right”, “up” and “back” — simple information — and without turning round he would take a step to the right place. He would intercept and close gaps and when he got the ball he would quickly turn defence into attack with a pass.
You get a lot of midfielders who are all huff and puff, but one touch, two touches, break the lines and quickly get the ball to a No 10? By the time those guys see the passes Carrick does, the gaps have gone.
It is a disgrace, a travesty, that he didn’t play a bigger part for England. As Xabi Alonso said, Carrick would have had 80 caps for Spain if he were Spanish.
The casual fan, watching a quick game of football on television, might not spot the things Carrick does. But he is a player other players appreciate. And now Pogba is thriving, and in his fan club.
Rio Ferdinand is a BT Sport expert. BT Sport broadcasts live football from the Uefa Champions and Europa Leagues, The Premier League and Emirates FA Cup. Visit www.btsport.com
ON TV TODAY
Manchester City v Arsenal
Sky Sports 1, 4pm