Roberto Martinez is wasting John Stones on the Everton bench

By Rucker Haringey | Feb 13, 2016

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 06: John Stones of Everton looks on during the Capital One Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park on January 6, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Everton manager Robert Martinez should consider a position switch to get John Stones into the starting 11

Everton defender John Stones has entirely too much talent to be wasting away on the Toffees’ bench. Manager Roberto Martinez needs to get creative in an effort to get his most talented 11 players on the pitch.

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There’s no question that Stones is one of the most talented players at Everton. While one can understand Martinez’s concern about his erratic play this season, continuing to leave the English international on the bench is not the best thing for the club. Martinez must get Stones into the lineup to maximize his team’s chances of winning.

That doesn’t mean that Martinez has to break up his centre back pairing of Phil Jagielka and Ramiro Funes Mori though. Central defense isn’t the only place that John Stones can provide value for Martinez.

I’m not suggesting that Martinez take a page out of Tony Pulis’ book and start deploying centre backs all along the back four. What I am suggesting, is that Stones talent on the ball and desire to surge forward make him a terrific candidate to play slightly further forward. Stones would be an upgrade over Gareth Barry in Everton’s defensive midfield.

It seems to be a strange suggestion at first, but when you think about it for a moment it makes perfect sense. Much like Mauricio Pochettino did with Eric Dier earlier this season at Tottenham, Martinez could shift his young, talented defender further forward to maximize his value.

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In terms of athleticism and skill, Stones has the advantage over Barry at this point in their careers. He has more foot speed, quickness and skill on the ball than the aging veteran. Whereas his forays forward were inappropriate for a central defender, they’d be seen as enterprising from a defensive midfielder.

The one advantage Barry has over Stones in the defensive midfield, is his positional awareness. He’s a wily veteran who knows how to position himself perfectly, whereas Stones would be learning on the job. It might make sense for Martinez to continue to play Barry against teams with potent attacks, but when Everton is going to have the lion’s share of possession, playing Stones would be the smarter choice.

Critics of Everton this season point out that they may have their most talented squad ever, yet are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Fans are understandably frustrated at the struggles of a side that has world-class talent like Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Stones. Some have even called for Martinez to be sacked as a result.

That pressure on Martinez should be the impetus for thinking outside the box. Playing Stones in a different position would be just that type of choice. It isn’t a brilliant move, but it’s a gamble that most managers are too conservative to make.

Related Story: Romelu Lukaku explains John Stones' struggles

At this point in the season, Everton can no longer afford to leave any of its most talented players on the bench. Roberto Martinez must find a way to get John Stones on the pitch. If he isn’t willing to play him at centre back, he must move him up the pitch to take Gareth Barry’s place in the defensive midfield.

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