Red card will benefit Stones

Lyndon Lloyd , 20 February, 44comments | Jump to most recent

Roberto Martinez sees John Stones's dismissal against Young Boys as a positive for the young defender, saying that it will make him a better player.

The 20 year-old was shown a straight red card by referee Manuel De Sousa for denying what the official interpreted as a clear goalscoring opportunity for Guillerme Hoarau in last night's first leg match, reducing the Blues to ten men for the final half hour.

He also had to be shielded with an umbrella from projectiles thrown by home fans as he made his way from the field.

Stones's error was not punished, however, as the French striker fired the resulting penalty high over the bar and the 4-1 scoreline remained unchanged.

Typically, his manager took the positives from the situation as he continues to hone the impressive young defender alongside captain Phil Jagielka.

“It has affected him but in a positive manner because he will become a better player as a result," Martinez said. "Young players benefit from experiences like big European games. Clearly John will do that.

“In a game when you're going to be in a hostile environment you need to be very clear in your decisions and John will be a better player because of it."

Stones will miss the second leg against Young Boys next Thursday but will be available should, as looks likely, the Blues progress to the round of 16.

Reader Comments (44)

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Steve Harris
2 Posted 20/02/2015 at 19:02:09

Only Martinez could put a positive spin on a sending off!

Scott Hall
3 Posted 20/02/2015 at 19:10:54

What should he do? Criticise him and knock the lad when heÂ’s probably feeling a bit gutted? All he is saying is that heÂ’ll learn from it and heÂ’s right.

Andrew Ellams
4 Posted 20/02/2015 at 19:18:48

HeÂ’s right. Experience comes from positives and negatives, itÂ’s all part of the learning curve. Still not convinced it was a red card offence though.

Helen Mallon
5 Posted 20/02/2015 at 19:26:21

Me neither, Andrew.

Mark Tanton
6 Posted 20/02/2015 at 19:53:23

He is right. Though I think if I nailed his wife, heÂ’d see more positives than she did.

Lyndon Lloyd
7 Posted 20/02/2015 at 20:22:53

Of course Martinez is right. ItÂ’s a learning experience for a player of whom so much is now expected because of his precocious talent and usually composed play.

He got sent off for a mistake that wasnÂ’t punished by a goal from the penalty or any further damage to the scoreline after that. If youÂ’re going to make errors and learn from them, thatÂ’s exactly the way to do it.

HeÂ’s learning on the job as he becomes a future Everton captain and weÂ’re not getting punished for it. Seems frigginÂ’ ideal to me...

Phil Walling
9 Posted 20/02/2015 at 20:38:02

Every goal he lets in makes Timmy a better keeper. ItÂ’s all part of the learning process!

Robbie Farmer
10 Posted 20/02/2015 at 20:39:46

I canÂ’t wait to see Stones in the future. He could be one of the best defenders in the world in a few years.

Guy Hastings
11 Posted 20/02/2015 at 20:49:58

ItÂ’s the end of the world as we know it but I feel fine must be on the dressing room playlist.

Lyndon Lloyd
12 Posted 20/02/2015 at 20:55:04

ThatÂ’s an asinine comment, Phil (9), sorry.

Howard is 35 and there ainÂ’t no teachinÂ’ that old dog new tricks. If you seriously think that Stones has nothing left to learn at aged 20 well, I canÂ’t help you...

Tony Abrahams
13 Posted 20/02/2015 at 20:54:56

Especially to his left Phil, because after all these years, itÂ’s still very much his weaker side.

Andy Meighan
14 Posted 20/02/2015 at 21:23:35

Stones is one of the best talents I've seen Â– not just at Everton but anywhere for years Â– but he was naÃ¯ve last night. OK, hindsight is a wonderful thing but he should've let the lad go... but hey, he'll learn... but at times he does have a tendency to dwell on the ball.

But that'll come with experience, a future Everton captain in my view and a England regular. Can't agree with what Martinez said, though. It'll benefit him... How?

Eric Paul
15 Posted 20/02/2015 at 21:23:18

Every day is a school day. The day we stop learning is the day we die.

Martinez has more to learn than Stones. Sunday will tell us more about our manager than it will about Stones.

Darryl Ritchie
16 Posted 20/02/2015 at 21:36:16

It was a red, but because their striker put the penalty into the cheap seats, in retrospect, it probably saved us goal. Live and learn.

Paul Dark
17 Posted 20/02/2015 at 21:43:46

Martinez really is a walking advertisement for the dangers of ideology, of doctrine before reality.

Jim Stephens
18 Posted 20/02/2015 at 21:39:55

Phil (9) - either disagree or agree with what Bobby said. Don't invent a new discussion about a completely different issue/player.

And yes, appreciate it was an ironic comment on our managers positive approach (rightly or wrongly). But if he's right on this one Â– he's just right.

Sam Rangle
19 Posted 20/02/2015 at 21:52:18

I thought Swiss people were friendly. Didn't see that he had to be shielded by an umbrella.... Unjust red card + worst pk since Baggio = Good learning experience

Peter Mills
20 Posted 20/02/2015 at 21:56:10

I'm with Lyndon on this.

Mike Hughes
21 Posted 20/02/2015 at 22:27:47

Anyone know how many games Stones will miss? EL? PL? I thought he was naive in the extreme Â– especially given we were cruising at the time Â– but, as others have said, hopefully he'll learn. At least he didn't do that in a derby match.

Colin Glassar
22 Posted 20/02/2015 at 22:45:03

The return leg, Mike, as it looks like it's only a one-game ban. He won't miss any Premier League games.

Mike Hughes
23 Posted 20/02/2015 at 22:49:36

Thanks Colin. In hindsight, it doesn't look too bad now. Let's just hope he doesn't do it again as it was out of character.

Ciaran Duff
24 Posted 20/02/2015 at 23:22:20

I thought he missed 3 European games for a straight red.

Tom Bowers
25 Posted 20/02/2015 at 23:39:49

The lad is still learning. I am sure in future he will hoof the ball out when under pressure.

In any event, Distin and Jags have been caught doing the same thing in recent memory and they are both old pros.

On the plus side, they missed the penalty and may have scored had he not dragged the guy back.

Colin Grierson
26 Posted 21/02/2015 at 00:32:29

I was under the impression he will miss 3 Euro games for his straight red. It's a shame but he deserved to go IMO. Let's hope we don't miss him too much if we draw tough opponents in the next round.

Phil Smith
27 Posted 21/02/2015 at 01:16:29

3 games for violent conduct, I believe. He'll be back for the first leg of the next round, where we'll probably face Spanish opposition.

Phil Chatterley
28 Posted 21/02/2015 at 02:15:47

Phil Walling, this is my first post, but can I tell you Roberto Martinez will win us more trophies than your beloved Moyes. We win 4-1 and you still manage to put a negative spin on Roberto's comments. Let's see what next season brings when he has his own side. I am willing to bet you as much has you like top 6.

Joe Foster
29 Posted 21/02/2015 at 07:17:09

I thought it was a yellow. Poor officiating in the main that night. RM is right he will learn but he is just stating the obvious really. Nothing to see here, I am afraid... now move along.

James Marshall
30 Posted 21/02/2015 at 04:35:54

1 game EL ban. It depends what the offence is for Â– if it's violent conduct then it's 3 games but since it was for a 'minor' offence he only gets 1 game. Minor being a professional foul and nothing out of order.

Sam Hoare
31 Posted 21/02/2015 at 08:34:11

I love Stones. He rocks.

Ray Roche
33 Posted 21/02/2015 at 09:50:40

I thought Stones offence was "Preventing a goalscoring opportunity" as opposed to violent conduct.

Phil Walling
34 Posted 21/02/2015 at 10:04:47

Phil Chatterley @28. What Moyes has got to do with this thread, I fail to recognise, but kids in the park know if you behave like Stones did in that incident you will get sent off. You shouldn't need to be learning that lesson playing in a European game at 21, surely? It was a daft thing to say.

Brian Harrison
35 Posted 21/02/2015 at 10:13:08

Stones is a very talented footballer but he needs to learn when and when not to try and dribble the ball out of defence and certainly don't risk it on the edge of the box.

He did something similar a couple of weeks back and RM said he wouldn't criticize him for it; well, maybe if he had, he wouldn't have made the same mistake only weeks later. I could well imagine what Ferguson or Mourinho would have said if their young defender had made the same mistake again.

Mike Hughes
36 Posted 21/02/2015 at 12:33:26

It doesn't justify Stones's actions but it amazes me how Skrtel and Carragher seem to have got away unpunished with similar down the years. As soon as I saw the incident live on the telly, I thought of those two tools.

Paul Dark
37 Posted 21/02/2015 at 12:41:50

Stones makes many more mistakes than fans on here acknowledge.

Colin Glassar
38 Posted 21/02/2015 at 13:19:07

If Roberto won't criticise him (at least publicly), then it's up to his captain, and fellow defender, to have a word with him and tell him to cut out all the unnecessary crap in and around the box.

The lad will learn from his mistakes but the older, more experienced players need to help him with this.

Brian Hennessy
39 Posted 21/02/2015 at 13:54:02

He has talked a lot of rubbish this season, but I agree with Roberto on this one.

Stones needs to learn when to get rid of the ball and nothing like a red card to focus the mind.

I still think Stones is going to be an incredible player in the future.

Chris Gould
40 Posted 21/02/2015 at 15:14:57

Mark 6 - very funny, made me spit out some Mars bar.

Stones should have known better, but no harm done, so a positive outlook is appropriate for such a fantastic prospect.

John 32 - I don't think the 'Martinez Out' brigade is as small as you think. If we fail to beat Leicester tomorrow, it will grow bigger, regardless of Thursday's performance.

Phil Walling
41 Posted 21/02/2015 at 15:41:20

Can anybody help me with this morning's utterances, please.

"In the league we have carried a bit of responsibility for the expectations we have created ourselves. And that's a process that you need to be able to develop to have the mentality to cope with that."

Que?

Ross Edwards
42 Posted 21/02/2015 at 15:50:31

Phil, I think that means: 'We have to handle increasing expectations better and in the league we haven't done that'.

Ian Burns
43 Posted 21/02/2015 at 15:59:24

Thanks Ross, phenomenal explanation.

I was just talking to a friend of mine who is a Leicester supporter and going to the game tomorrow. Interestingly, he doesn't expect to lose and with a bit of luck the general feeling is that they could sneak it.

Of course I told him to piss off but it is interesting that nobody seems to fear us.

Jay Harris
44 Posted 21/02/2015 at 16:05:35

Phil, he probably means the expectations that he raised when he said he would get us in the CL and it's true he hasn't managed that very well in the league.

John #32 I don't want to turn this into a Martinez out rant but a couple of good results will not disguise a totally disgraceful showing since the end of last season.

Paul Hughes
45 Posted 21/02/2015 at 20:29:28

Has nobody ever heard the expression, "you learn by your mistakes?". The key here is that young Stones does learn. If he repeats giving the ball away on the edge of the area and then dragging a player back when there is cover, then we need to worry.

I remember Rio Ferdinand playing an absolute shocker when he was about Stone's age, when we beat West Ham 6-0. He didn't repeat it very often.

David Holroyd
46 Posted 22/02/2015 at 16:00:20

What a shambles the passing was... far to slow and we nearly paid for it. The only bright spot was Gibson because his passing was going forward.

Lukaku Â– what do we make of him, shit for most of the game but he kept going. Atsu may've had a good African Nations Cup but I think he should go back to Chelsea.

The real shambles is Howard he must go at end of the season. Another debate is midfield as there is no-one who really scores goals. There needs to be some serious thinking about the squad at the end of the season, with more players who can score added.

Lenny Kingman
47 Posted 22/02/2015 at 20:22:05

The Stones off discussion isn't really the issue. It's Martinez's amusing positive spin on anything and everything. I'm sure he has got his positive relegation speech hidden away somewhere just in case.

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