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Football

07th Jun 2019

Jamie Carragher absolutely tears into John Stones after Netherlands defeat

Wil Jones

Some more years of hurt

Jamie Carragher launched a savage attack on England defender John Stones, following Gareth Southgate’s side’s defeat to Holland on Thursday night.

Despite high expectation, England failed to progress past the semi-finals of the Nation’s League after losing to the Netherlands 3-1 after extra times.

The game was tied 1-1 at full time, mistakes from John Stones and Ross Barkley cost England a place in the final.

After the game, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher laid into Stones for his error

“England never took risks tonight, the goals never came from risks,” the former England and Liverpool man said on punditry for Sky Sports.

“They came from stupid decisions,” said Carragher of the Netherland’s goals. “Stones is facing his goalkeeper, he doesn’t have to go long, just pass it to your goalkeeper. He has made a stupid mistake and a stupid decision there.

“As a centre-back you play what’s on. When you’re facing your goalkeeper and there’s no pass on, you pass it back to the goalkeeper and make an angle yourself.

“It wasn’t about playing from the back, it was about a stupid decision.”

“Forget this talk that we’re playing too much out from the back. This thing with Stones, he’s made a stupid decision. That is the way people play now, and if someone comes unstuck, well that’s the way the modern game is played now. I don’t want to see Stones just smash it up the pitch.”

Carragher wasn’t the only pundit to lay into Stones – former Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton also criticismed him, saying on 5Live that “If that happened in a U12’s game, you’d be telling your centre-half off.”