ABU DHABI // Manchester City centre-back John Stones says he will use the recent criticism of his performances to become a better defender.
The 22-year-old England international signed for the Premier League club from Everton last August for an initial £47.5 million (Dh217.4m) fee, making him the world’s second most expensive defender. However, he has struggled at times alongside Argentine Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of the City defence.
Stones was at fault for Monaco’s third goal in Tuesday night’s thrilling Uefa Champions League last-16 first leg at Etihad Stadium, when Radamel Falco turned inside the defender too easily to then chip Willy Caballero.
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That gave the French Ligue 1 leaders a 3-2 advantage on the night, yet Jones scored later to help City come back to triumph 5-3. The return fixture takes place at the Stade Louis II on March 15.
Speaking on Wednesday on the grounds of the Emirates Palace hotel as City enjoy a short warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi, Stones insisted the criticism of him can in fact serve as motivation going forward.
“It’s always going to be harsh, but you’ve got to take it in your stride and worry about yourself,” he said.
“I know when I’ve had a good game or had a bad game and I’ll always be honest with myself, be the first to hold my hands up and say I’ve made these mistakes. I can try to improve on it and move forward.
“And that’s how I believe you’re going to improve as a player. I’ve got the right people around me here and feel like I’m going in the right direction. So keep going and I should be all right.”
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Understandably, Stones has resolved to work hard to ensure he improves, while he said he has embraced the intensity of training under Pep Guardiola. The Spaniard, a two-time Champions League-winning manager, also joined the club last summer.
“People can overcomplicate things and think about things too much,” Stones said.
“I’m enjoying my football massively and how the gaffer explains things to us, and how hard we work on things in training.
“We know what to do in the games and we know our jobs, which makes it easier for us as footballers, both attacking and defending. Every player who doesn’t make the squad or make the bench, it’s a difficult decision for the gaffer and for us as well.
“We all know we want to play football and we all know how good every player is in the squad and we want everyone to be a part of that. That’s why training’s so good and so competitive for us to play in.”
City return to England on Saturday, with Championship side Huddersfield Town next up in Wednesday’s FA Cup fifth-round replay. After that, focus shifts to their bid to overhaul Chelsea at the top of the Premier League. With 13 matches remaining, City sit second in the table having won their past three league fixtures, but they remain eight points off Antonio Conte’s side.
“We just have to think about ourselves,” Stones said.
“If you start thinking about Chelsea and other teams and what games they’re playing, you can get a bit sidetracked and not focus on what’s important.
“Our form in the league has picked up and we’ve got to focus on that. We’re in three competitions, which is something we should be proud of at this stage.”
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