Jack Grealish | Set to join Everton on season-long loan

[Dribble]

This was his chance to shine. No kdb, no Rodri, Foden and Bernie not on form.

It was in his grasp to take the midfield role. He didn’t take his chance. I know he was injured but he still had a window to stand up and be counted.

He won’t be sold but will become a bit part player in our the rebuild. Pep calling him out is a big deal. He really doesn’t do that unless he is pissed.

I've seen Pep use Grealish centrally maybe two times, & he seemed more effective there than out wide. Far be it from me to question Baldy, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'd rather see Jack as a No 6 or a No 8, than watch Gundog being out-stronged & bullied as our elderly No 6.

Kovacic doesn't have the positional awareness to be a No 6, so in my mind a re-imagining of Jack's role is well in order. However, as you've pointed out, Pep seems to have lost faith & patience with him, which doesn't bode well.

 

[wolviedinho]

I've seen Pep use Grealish centrally maybe two times, & he seemed more effective there than out wide. Far be it from me to question Baldy, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'd rather see Jack as a No 6 or a No 8, that see Gundog being out-stronged & bullied as our elderly No 6.

Kovacic doesn't have the positional awareness to be a No 6, so in my mind a re-imagining of Jack's role is well in order. However, as you've pointed out, Pep seems to have lost faith & patience with him, which doesn't bode well.

You have summed it up perfectly. Why the fuck is pep playing Gundo and kova and ignoring Grealish?

It would suggest pep is not happy with the player.

I still think he would have a better argument for a central role if he was delivering on the left regularly. It’s all about trust and he hasn’t earned it.

Pep only sees him as a lm who is not performing. I suppose the boss could be wrong but we only see a glimpse on match days. He is training the group every day.

Surly someone on the coaching staff would have suggested Grealish for the midfield role instead of the slow players he is using?

 

[Dribble]

You have summed it up perfectly. Why the fuck is pep playing Gundo and kova and ignoring Grealish?

It would suggest pep is not happy with the player.

I still think he would have a better argument for a central role if he was delivering on the left regularly. It’s all about trust and he hasn’t earned it.

Pep only sees him as a lm who is not performing. I suppose the boss could be wrong but we only see a glimpse on match days. He is training the group every day.

Surly someone on the coaching staff would have suggested Grealish for the midfield role instead of the slow players he is using?

I've no idea, but going back to our treble season, a poster on BM claimed he had family who worked at the Etihad, & they told him that during pre-season in Japan, the boys were given a couple of days off & allowed drinks in moderation. Apparently Grealish went on another bender, & the club saw their arses with him.

His form plummeted & he picked up a dead-leg injury that kept him out for weeks, which seems an extraordinarily long time. There were rumours of domestic strife after he was pictured in Ibiza partying with an air stewardess he'd met in Las Vegas a couple of weeks earlier.

It seems things were unraveling for him, so much so, he admitted asking to meet with Pep in private to see what he should do to get his career back on track & get back into the team. Things have been patchy for him ever since.

I like Jack & have always supported him, but his decline at City was self inflicted & it seems it's becoming terminal. Rarely have I seen Pep publicly admonish a player the way he did Grealish during his last press conference.

The saloon Jack seems to be in right now isn't a drinking one, it's the one called The Last Chance...

 

[Kippaxpete]

Rather than fritter away money in January how about give him one more chance for this season?

But in central midfield where he belongs and can (and did, occasionally) demonstrate his true worth to us. My fear is that he moves on in the summer for a fraction of what we paid and blossoms in his natural position.

 

[SWPISHOME]

You have summed it up perfectly. Why the fuck is pep playing Gundo and kova and ignoring Grealish?

It would suggest pep is not happy with the player.

I still think he would have a better argument for a central role if he was delivering on the left regularly. It’s all about trust and he hasn’t earned it.

Pep only sees him as a lm who is not performing. I suppose the boss could be wrong but we only see a glimpse on match days. He is training the group every day.

Surly someone on the coaching staff would have suggested Grealish for the midfield role instead of the slow players he is using?

Agreed.

Gundogan and Kovacic play in deeper roles when they play, We rarely see Gundogan as high up the pitch anymore compared to his previous time at the club as he was the midfielder to run in behind.

We lack seriously legs in midfield, Surely Grealish should get the nod in a central role playing in a more attacking role ahead of Kovavic in midfield.

As you said it would suggest he's not happy with Grealish right now. If he's not getting game time in a central role now when we have injuries and lacking legs to cover ground it's very doubtful he'll ever get the opportunity to play in midfield.

He played centrally against Forest at home and played well, Then we didn't see him play there again.

 

[urban genie]

I actually think Kev could be asked to sit back much deeper like Pirlo in his latter years as a play maker with foden and grealish ahead of him in a 3.

this would require our defence to play a much more flat back 4 role and not as high however.

 

[wolviedinho]

Agreed.

Gundogan and Kovacic play in deeper roles when they play, We rarely see Gundogan as high up the pitch anymore compared to his previous time at the club as he was the midfielder to run in behind.

We lack seriously legs in midfield, Surely Grealish should get the nod in a central role playing in a more attacking role ahead of Kovavic in midfield.

As you said it would suggest he's not happy with Grealish right now. If he's not getting game time in a central role now when we have injuries and lacking legs to cover ground it's very doubtful he'll ever get the opportunity to play in midfield.

He played centrally against Forest at home and played well, Then we didn't see him play there again.

That last part is telling. Pep knows he can play midfield but hasn’t earned it nor deserves it. We only see it from a clinical point. Team is struggle apart put said player in another role. For the boss it’s far more complicated. He has a squad to manage. Jack has lost his trust. I don’t know what he does on his days off so can’t comment.

Something is not right and how that’s resolved is anyone’s guess.

 

[SWPISHOME]

That last part is telling. Pep knows he can play midfield but hasn’t earned it nor deserves it. We only see it from a clinical point. Team is struggle apart put said player in another role. For the boss it’s far more complicated. He has a squad to manage. Jack has lost his trust. I don’t know what he does on his days off so can’t comment.

Something is not right and how that’s resolved is anyone’s guess.

That's exactly it, Pep was really impressed with Jack after that performance against Forest, So whatever has happened after that is anyone's guess.

He did say Jack has had injuries, Along with Peps other comments it proves that it boils down more than just injuries.

As you said we don't know what's going on, Personally when Pep comes out likes he's done I don't think it's looking good for Grealish, I hope I'm wrong and whatever is going on gets resolved as we need players back and back playing at a high level.

 

[RayCTID]

But in central midfield where he belongs and can (and did, occasionally) demonstrate his true worth to us. My fear is that he moves on in the summer for a fraction of what we paid and blossoms in his natural position.

Doesn't matter if we lose out in the summer. Still a valuable squad member for this season.

 

[kaz7]

You have summed it up perfectly. Why the fuck is pep playing Gundo and kova and ignoring Grealish?

It would suggest pep is not happy with the player.

I still think he would have a better argument for a central role if he was delivering on the left regularly. It’s all about trust and he hasn’t earned it.

Pep only sees him as a lm who is not performing. I suppose the boss could be wrong but we only see a glimpse on match days. He is training the group every day.

Surly someone on the coaching staff would have suggested Grealish for the midfield role instead of the slow players he is using?

He is not interested in football so no he wont be trusted in the middle ,he has checked out

 

[abellwillring]

Even 200k a week on a standard 5 year deal is over £50m. Add in your estimated £50m fee and thats already over £100m. You think a team not in the champions league will be willing to commit £100m on a 29 year old who hasnt scored a goal in over a year?

You are of course entitled to your own opinion but i think thats completely mental.

Not sure we will see who is correct. I don't think we will be able to get rid of him. Most likely scenario in my eyes is he'll be here until his contract is up and he leaves on a free.

Sterling was nearly 28 when he sold for £47.5m with only one year left on his deal and his contract at his new club was over £300k a week. Obviously he left in better form than Jack, but I think many clubs will look at Jack and assume he's being held back by City's style of play more than he just lost all ability to play well. Maybe you're right and City will just be stuck with him until he runs his contract out but I can't see it. Spurs already want to sign him in January.. there's very little likelihood there are no suitors for him going forward.

In my scenario I did suggest his new team would probably give him a 4-year deal rather than a 5-year one, for what it's worth.

 

[OntarioBlue]

I've seen Pep use Grealish centrally maybe two times, & he seemed more effective there than out wide. Far be it from me to question Baldy, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'd rather see Jack as a No 6 or a No 8, than watch Gundog being out-stronged & bullied as our elderly No 6.

Kovacic doesn't have the positional awareness to be a No 6, so in my mind a re-imagining of Jack's role is well in order. However, as you've pointed out, Pep seems to have lost faith & patience with him, which doesn't bode well.

Pep has had three plus years to work with Jack and clearly just doesn’t see him as a midfielder.

The current Pep thinking seems to be to play with conventional wingers and as Jack isn’t actually very good as a winger he appears to have fallen down the pecking order.

I have no idea if the Club are trying to move him on but tbh I can’t see many other Clubs being interested in paying a big fee and big wages for him.

 

[Dribble]

Pep has had three plus years to work with Jack and clearly just doesn’t see him as a midfielder.

The current Pep thinking seems to be to play with conventional wingers and as Jack isn’t actually very good as a winger he appears to have fallen down the pecking order.

I have no idea if the Club are trying to move him on but tbh I can’t see many other Clubs being interested in paying a big fee and big wages for him.

Agreed on the lack of trust, but we're in the midst of an injury crisis. Can you honestly say that Jack would be any worse as a No 6 than Kovacic, Nunes or Gundog?

There's a difference between buying him to fill a central midfield role, & utilising him because needs necessitate. Where I do agree with you, is there seems more to Jack's slow demise than we overtly know about.

 

[King Jay]

At this point I wanna see Gvardiol as our RW. What a take this is. Grealish as a 6.

 

[woody1968]

Agreed on the lack of trust, but we're in the midst of an injury crisis. Can you honestly say that Jack would be any worse as a No 6 than Kovacic, Nunes or Gundog?

There's a difference between buying him to fill a central midfield role, & utilising him because needs necessitate. Where I do agree with you, is there seems more to Jack's slow demise than we overtly know about.

I like Jack but I fear Pep has tried to fit a square peg in a round hole. Granted he wins free kicks but not in dangerous places. He has little or no pace, can’t ( or isn’t encouraged to ) beat a man, has no final ball, little or no assists and very few goals - and he is one of our attackers. Such a shame but I don’t think he was ever suited to our style of play. But like I say I like him and am sorry to sound so negative about such a likeable lad.

 

[Dribble]

I like Jack but I fear Pep has tried to fit a square peg in a round hole. Granted he wins free kicks but not in dangerous places. He has little or no pace, can’t ( or isn’t encouraged to ) beat a man, has no final ball, little or no assists and very few goals - and he is one of our attackers. Such a shame but I don’t think he was ever suited to our style of play. But like I say I like him and am sorry to sound so negative about such a likeable lad.

Pep has played Bernardo at LB, Nunes at LW, Gundog at RW & introduced the inverted defender. Grealish is quicker than most realise & can retain possession.

When he came here & was made to change his game to retain possession, it baffled many including myself, what was the point in his signing. Then I saw the stat that Grealish was the king of assisting the assister. He was streets & lanes ahead of everyone else in the PL, which must have had a major bearing on our decision to trigger his £100m buy out clause.

In the absence of Rodri & a viable alternative, I don't see Jack as a No 6/8 being a square peg in a round hole. I honestly believe he'd be more use to us in this crisis playing centrally, than being unproductive on the bench. IMHO, he'd offer more centrally from deep than Kovacic, Gundog or Nunes.

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Agreed on the lack of trust, but we're in the midst of an injury crisis. Can you honestly say that Jack would be any worse as a No 6 than Kovacic, Nunes or Gundog?

There's a difference between buying him to fill a central midfield role, & utilising him because needs necessitate. Where I do agree with you, is there seems more to Jack's slow demise than we overtly know about.

Someone's biography from the dressing room this season is gonna be a great read..

 

[OntarioBlue]

Agreed on the lack of trust, but we're in the midst of an injury crisis. Can you honestly say that Jack would be any worse as a No 6 than Kovacic, Nunes or Gundog?

There's a difference between buying him to fill a central midfield role, & utilising him because needs necessitate. Where I do agree with you, is there seems more to Jack's slow demise than we overtly know about.

I like Kovacic but don’t think he can handle the DM role on his own.Maybe Jack could help him there but I just don’t see Pep giving him an opportunity to show what he can do. I agree about Nunes and Gundo. The former just doesn’t look like the quality of player we need and the latter, regrettably, looks way past his best.

 

[Dribble]

I like Kovacic but don’t think he can handle the DM role on his own.Maybe Jack could help him there but I just don’t see Pep giving him an opportunity to show what he can do. I agree about Nunes and Gundo. The former just doesn’t look like the quality of player we need and the latter, regrettably, looks way past his best.

We need to do something about our CDM position, as nothing we're trying is working. As Micah pointed out on MoTD, there were gaping holes between our midfield & defence against WHU, & a more clinical team would've slaughtered us.

A win's a win, but the same issues plaguing us recently, were laid bare again. If we don't get a top class CDM this window or change the way we play to accommodate the players we currently have fit & available, it's gonna be a long 5 months until the end of the season.

 

[Blue Calx]

You just know when Jack cuts in and dances into the box to unleash a shot it either goes wide,over the bar or hits a defender.One day he'll score and i'll be fuckin amazed.