10 | Jack Grealish - 2021/22 Performances

[WallyA]

How about we try him as the false nine while Foden plays on the left?

Might be an option down the line.

I think the reason they weren't is because Foden has atleast played false 9 before while Grealish hasn't.

Pep didn't want to mess with Grealish's rhythm as a LW.

 

[Hart of the Matter]

Second half performance his most convincing. Need to see it for full 90 mins and improve his defensive play. Him and Foden securely ahead of Sterling if that happens.

 

[OB1]

I don’t like Foden playing in that false 9 position. Feel his talent is wasted there.

Was Messi wasted in that role?

 

[OB1]

Jack came to Manchester to be a City player.

 

[Larry Stranger]

I don’t like Foden playing in that false 9 position. Feel his talent is wasted there.

Against a side like Chelsea or Liverpool and teams that high press I feel Foden is great as the false 9. When playing out of the back, he can drop deep, receive the ball in the midfield and either lay it off or make one of his mazing runs like a 10 which helps advance the ball up the pitch. See the Gladbach game last season where he laid it off to Gundogan to score. I was in favor of getting Grealish for the very reason he could go on the left and Phil in the middle in these types of games.

We may lose a little bit by not having an actual striker in the middle when we do get in the attacking half, but I think Pep figures he wants the ball first. Put pressure on the other team and make them defend. We don't want to be defending in our own half for much of the game.

Phil's pace and energy for pressing and counter pressing is impressive also.

 

[Brodymcfc]

I love his attitude, gives 100% and you can see how determined he is to impact games. Can see him being a superstar here and winning lots for us.
Imagine how much he would of improved man United if they would of got grealish instead of sancho

 

[Craig]

Was Messi wasted in that role?

In some games probably. As good as Phil is and will be it’s a little daft comparing anyone to the greatest ever. Foden definitely wasted as a false 9 but might end up there again next week as the team performance was superb yesterday.

 

[Dadsupportedthem]

Am I missing something? It seems to me that when we play with a false 9, the players interchange. For example, Grealish was up front when Foden slipped him in on goal. I don't think Foden was playing as our set false 9 as being discussed here.

 

[eastmanc]

Against a side like Chelsea or Liverpool and teams that high press I feel Foden is great as the false 9. When playing out of the back, he can drop deep, receive the ball in the midfield and either lay it off or make one of his mazing runs like a 10 which helps advance the ball up the pitch. See the Gladbach game last season where he laid it off to Gundogan to score. I was in favor of getting Grealish for the very reason he could go on the left and Phil in the middle in these types of games.

We may lose a little bit by not having an actual striker in the middle when we do get in the attacking half, but I think Pep figures he wants the ball first. Put pressure on the other team and make them defend. We don't want to be defending in our own half for much of the game.

Phil's pace and energy for pressing and counter pressing is impressive also.

Phil played against Liverpool at Khanfield, last season as a false nine and he wasn’t great, when he moved into the right hand side in the second half he ripped them a new one. KDB plays the role far better because he is physically stronger than Phil.

 

[eastmanc]

Was Messi wasted in that role?

No but he played wherever he wanted, like kids playing in the street.

 

[Tokyo32]

I love his attitude, gives 100% and you can see how determined he is to impact games. Can see him being a superstar here and winning lots for us.
Imagine how much he would of improved man United if they would of got grealish instead of sancho

Is that what you expect from your 100m forward ? I actually expect decisiveness in the final third and not just being tidy with the ball. That was a poor pass to foden and he can’t keep missing the one on ones he gets, surely I am not the only one expecting more in the final third

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Is that what you expect from your 100m forward ? I actually expect decisiveness in the final third and not just being tidy with the ball. That was a poor pass to foden and he can’t keep missing the one on ones he gets, surely I am not the only one expecting more in the final third

You were against Grealish the whole time so no surprise you're not happy with him. It usually takes players a full year to bed in to Pep's system. How about you give him more than half a dozen games?

 

[youngbob]

Is that what you expect from your 100m forward ? I actually expect decisiveness in the final third and not just being tidy with the ball. That was a poor pass to foden and he can’t keep missing the one on ones he gets, surely I am not the only one expecting more in the final third

He's come into a brand new team, has jumped up a level in the process, and is having a positive impact on how his team plays. The time to ask whether he's been worth £100m to City is the day he stops playing for us. Until then, he can only do his best and give his all, which he is doing thus far. If you'd told me when we signed him that he'd have played as well as he done, contributing to a decent handful of goals before the end of September, I'd have been very pleased and optimistic about the future. The price tag isn't his fault - he might be the most expensive English player ever but that's because of the market, not because he's the best English player of all time.

He struggled a bit in the first half but his improvement after the break, presumably after a word from Pep, was great. He looked really dangerous and kept Chelsea's defence very busy in periods of the game where they were trying to relax and set their stall out again. But for two great saves from Mendy he'd have had another goal - that first shot in particular, that Mendy tipped round the post, was a brilliant piece of sudden skill that caught everyone off guard and, against a weaker keeper, would have ended up in the back of the net. How many times has Raheem picked the ball up in that position and not even completed a pass? Pep's clearly a massive fan and I trust his judgement a lot.

 

[Dax777]

Second half performance his most convincing. Need to see it for full 90 mins and improve his defensive play. Him and Foden securely ahead of Sterling if that happens.

They are both already securely ahead of Sterling. Frankly the gulf between them and Raz seem a little more than minor.

 

[Utter bobbins]

Is that what you expect from your 100m forward ? I actually expect decisiveness in the final third and not just being tidy with the ball. That was a poor pass to foden and he can’t keep missing the one on ones he gets, surely I am not the only one expecting more in the final third

Yawn

 

[Tokyo32]

You were against Grealish the whole time so no surprise you're not happy with him. It usually takes players a full year to bed in to Pep's system. How about you give him more than half a dozen games?

I am not crucifying him or calling him a flop or anything like that. All I just said is that he has not done enough in the final third of the pitch to me.

 

[Tokyo32]

He's come into a brand new team, has jumped up a level in the process, and is having a positive impact on how his team plays. The time to ask whether he's been worth £100m to City is the day he stops playing for us. Until then, he can only do his best and give his all, which he is doing thus far. If you'd told me when we signed him that he'd have played as well as he done, contributing to a decent handful of goals before the end of September, I'd have been very pleased and optimistic about the future. The price tag isn't his fault - he might be the most expensive English player ever but that's because of the market, not because he's the best English player of all time.

He struggled a bit in the first half but his improvement after the break, presumably after a word from Pep, was great. He looked really dangerous and kept Chelsea's defence very busy in periods of the game where they were trying to relax and set their stall out again. But for two great saves from Mendy he'd have had another goal - that first shot in particular, that Mendy tipped round the post, was a brilliant piece of sudden skill that caught everyone off guard and, against a weaker keeper, would have ended up in the back of the net. How many times has Raheem picked the ball up in that position and not even completed a pass? Pep's clearly a massive fan and I trust his judgement a lot.

His second half performance was great? I really don’t get how you are grading the performance but it is what it is. I don’t doubt Pep or his judgments and I am not saying Grealish is a bad player though. All I said is that I expect more from one of our forwards in the final third

 

[akrh215]

Well, after KDB he's probably my favourite so far. I think he is good and hopefully he will improve match by match. He's a dangerous guy, I always like the way he drives the ball at the opponent, may or may not work, but he's dangerous for sure.

 

[bluevalley]

I think we need to stop asking him to justify the 100M price tag, we all know he is probably worth just half of that, and the rest is just a tax City has to pay because we are a buying team. If you are able to forget about the price tag you will find he is doing very well.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

I don’t like Foden playing in that false 9 position. Feel his talent is wasted there.

He possibly loses some of his attacking edge in that position, but on Saturday he was the most important player in the press. He was key to stopping them having a shot.