What is the 'John Stones role'?

[chucklehead]

Hi folks. I was going to ask this down in the football forum, but the topics there seem much less specific. 

So what is this 'John Stones role' I keep reading about, and how it's difficult to replicate in-game? I'm a Gooner, so I don't normally watch loads of City. Is it much the same as Zinchenko at Arsenal, just from the right? 

Cheers! 

[GIMN]

Zinchenko is kind of a good example, in so much as towards the end of the season Stones was stepping into midfield to become part of the double-pivot alongside Rodri.  Whilst there were some occasions he would defend as a right-back and invert in possession (e.g. an inverted wing-back), he was also deployed in this manner from a centre-back position; stepping up more like a libero.

FM is currently a little limited when it comes to recreating this.  A libero can only be used from the middle spot of the defence, which would then leave your defensive shape awkwardly lopsided.  That lopsidedness also continues in possession, as he doesn't naturally settle on the right of the double pivot.  It's also tricky to get FBs to tuck inside to create a back three effectively.

Essentially this is how (sometimes) Man City lined up in and out of possession:

(also, ignore roles - I just threw this together for the sake of example, not to be fully representative of exactly how they played)

[chucklehead]

Hi GIMN, thanks for taking the time to explain that, much appreciated mate