10 | Jack Grealish - 2021/22 Performances

[simon23]

I think this where we’re differing. Yes, you can post all the stats you like about the pass before the pass and key passes. But that’s not his job. He’s one of three attacking players. Comparing his stats to David Silva is utterly pointless, David Silva didn’t play forward left, he was an 8 the entire time under Pep.
Pep has played 1 striker or no strikers his entire time at City. So, that means you need productivity from your forwards.
Grealish, isn’t playing as an 8, or advanced midfielder, he’s playing as a left sided forward. That’s the same position Villa & Henry took up for Barca to put it into context. Mane/Salah take at Liverpool.

Mahrez, has doubled Grealish’s G&A in no where near the same minutes. That’s what he’s there for.

Be painfully honest with yourself, when we were labouring at home to Palace or the Saints did you really feel Grealish would directly influence game? Score a winner, equaliser out of nothing?

He isn’t David Silva, he never will be. To compare him to Silva to me is just daft. They’re not even remotely similar and play in different positions.

He’s never played anywhere as a central
midfielder, he’s played nearly all his minutes in his favour position, he isn’t influencing games.
His woeful displays as a false 9 shows he’s not on the same level as some of our players tactically or technically.
That’s fine, Sterling isn’t, Mahrez isn’t. But they regularly turn in 25/30 goals assists a season. Mahrez is on 10 so far, he’s widely been considered poor this season and had no where near Grealish’s minutes.

Post of the season

 

[Bournemouth Blue]

It will take time for him to get into the City way of playing. Cancelo is a good example, first season he looked like an expensive mistake, now he seems like one of the best.

 

[Phil1]

9 years into his career, I’d hope he’d know where his best position is.

An extended period of time scouting him and pursuing him for a British transfer record fee, I’d expect our management to know where his best position in.

£100m and an attacking position in what is supposed to be one of the best forward thinking teams, ‘eventually’ finding his best position isn’t where we should be.

Maybe but that’s where I am right now. I’ll never hold his price tag against him though and use it as a stick to beat him.

 

[sir baconface]

well that is exactly what the poster means about rating players. Cancelo got 3 assist but he made numerous mistakes within the game that had us exposed but people give him MoM. If Grealish had 2 from his clear through balls and our players finished then everyone will be saying he was MoM, but instead since he didn't get those assist people here are slating Jack for an average performance.

I’m an admirer of both so I can speak even-handedly on this.

Cancelo was my MotM last night with 3 assists and was also unlucky not to have scored. Some of his passing was magical.

Grealish did indeed make two good potential assists which were apparently unnoticed by some. However his overall game was, for me, one of the most disappointing since he joined us. His fullback played a blinder and kept JG in his box almost all game.

While I’m one of the biggest optimists on here about his long term future contribution, he’s hit the buffers a bit in some recent games. Always a danger though and with more bottle than some.

 

[applejuice]

9 years into his career, I’d hope he’d know where his best position is.

An extended period of time scouting him and pursuing him for a British transfer record fee, I’d expect our management to know where his best position in.

£100m and an attacking position in what is supposed to be one of the best forward thinking teams, ‘eventually’ finding his best position isn’t where we should be.

Grealish has expressed many times that he sees himself as a 10 or 8. And he does not like to be described as a left winger.

But of course when he will play in a position Pep thinks to benefit City team most.

 

[bleuger]

Surely Grealish was signed on the assumption one or more of Bernardo, Sterling or Mahrez would leave last summer? Makes perfect sense for Pep to give him game time if he expects others to leave.

Looks like a good player to me and I am sure we can trust Pep to make him even better.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

This is why I keep banging on about the "myth" of assists.
A 5 yard sideways pass. Striker scores = assist.
A 30 yard maizey run past 3 defenders, great slicing pass. Striker sky it = No assist.

Stats are bollocks in footy mate, it never has been and never will be a stats sport.

 

[applejuice]

I listened to some commentary from East Asia for last night game. They usually talk more frankly and bluntly - especially last night. They discussed about City's team's not so good performance in the 1st half and why it did not function well (especially last 20min of 1st half).

What they said in the fist half
--

City's wingers do not get enough support from teammates - but are making room for the others.
Usually wingers have the most freedom and a lot of support from teammates - just as the opposite Club Brugge does. When Brugge attack, their winger has teammates overlaps/running around to support and distract the attention of City's defenders.

On the left side, Grealish is man marked and do not have room to cut inside - because the route is occupied by Cancelo already. Grealish has no reason to cross inside because Foden and whoever in the box are surrounding by tall defenders. Cancelo makes very obvious he will never overlap - thus no way to distract any defending attention for Grealish. The only option is attract as many defenders as possible - then pass back to Cancelo - let him cross or shoot.

On the right side, Mahrez has a similar situation. Walker sometimes offer a bit help to Mahrez but not much. B-Silva sometimes comes to help. One interesting occasion - B-Silva dribbled pass a defender while Mahrez makes a small overlapping support to B-Silva.

Interestingly the 1st opening goal comes when Grealish and Cancelo are on a more traditional inside winger/LB position. With Grealish at cutting inside winger position and distract defenders. Leaving a huge gap on the left - and overlapping Cancelo cross to Foden. The rest of the 1st half, Grealish is wide and Cancelo at inside winger position.

It is very difficult for any Winger to dribble pass 2 defenders so close to the box from a standing start against a tight defending team without any overlapping or other support from teammates. If the defender knows that your only purpose is to dribble inside box - without any passing option to your teammates (except backward passing) it is difficult. Perhaps only Messi or Salah have this ability - and they probably only succeed to do this once a game. Foden/Grealish/Mahrez/B-Silva are wonderful dribbler but there has been so little support from teammates.

"If u are a city fan, u need to worry about where is the leadership and what is happening in the dressing room". This is exactly the word. "Pep needs to fix this". "Better to take Grealish off. He is very isolated on the left wing.".

In the 2nd half, it changed a lot. Grealish has a little bit freedom to roam and appears at some center locations. Left channel all leaves to Cancelo. Cancelo even made one overlapping run for Grealish which caught the opposite really surprised. Walker B-Silva and Mahrez support each other more. And City played much much better.


---
My opinion is - start Grealish in midfield or bench him.
Or ask Cancelo to offer some help occasionally to Grealish. Currently Grealish is the person making room for Cancelo but rarely get any credits for it. Getting all the criticise and clearly coming to a confidence drop stage. It won't last long for anyone.

 

[Tokyo32]

I listened to some commentary from East Asia for last night game. They usually talk more frankly and bluntly - especially last night. They discussed about City's team's not so good performance in the 1st half and why it did not function well (especially last 20min of 1st half).

What they said in the fist half
--

City's wingers do not get enough support from teammates - but are making room for the others.
Usually wingers have the most freedom and a lot of support from teammates - just as the opposite Club Brugge does. When Brugge attack, their winger has teammates overlaps/running around to support and distract the attention of City's defenders.

On the left side, Grealish is man marked and do not have room to cut inside - because the route is occupied by Cancelo already. Grealish has no reason to cross inside because Foden and whoever in the box are surrounding by tall defenders. Cancelo makes very obvious he will never overlap - thus no way to distract any defending attention for Grealish. The only option is attract as many defenders as possible - then pass back to Cancelo - let him cross or shoot.

On the right side, Mahrez has a similar situation. Walker sometimes offer a bit help to Mahrez but not much. B-Silva sometimes comes to help. One interesting occasion - B-Silva dribbled pass a defender while Mahrez makes a small overlapping support to B-Silva.

Interestingly the 1st opening goal comes when Grealish and Cancelo are on a more traditional inside winger/LB position. With Grealish at cutting inside winger position and distract defenders. Leaving a huge gap on the left - and overlapping Cancelo cross to Foden. The rest of the 1st half, Grealish is wide and Cancelo at inside winger position.

It is very difficult for any Winger to dribble pass 2 defenders so close to the box from a standing start against a tight defending team without any overlapping or other support from teammates. If the defender knows that your only purpose is to dribble inside box - without any passing option to your teammates (except backward passing) it is difficult. Perhaps only Messi or Salah have this ability - and they probably only succeed to do this once a game. Foden/Grealish/Mahrez/B-Silva are wonderful dribbler but there has been so little support from teammates.

"If u are a city fan, u need to worry about where is the leadership and what is happening in the dressing room". This is exactly the word. "Pep needs to fix this". "Better to take Grealish off. He is very isolated on the left wing.".

In the 2nd half, it changed a lot. Grealish has a little bit freedom to roam and appears at some center locations. Left channel all leaves to Cancelo. Cancelo even made one overlapping run for Grealish which caught the opposite really surprised. Walker B-Silva and Mahrez support each other more. And City played much much better.


---
My opinion is - start Grealish in midfield or bench him.
Or ask Cancelo to offer some help occasionally to Grealish. Currently Grealish is the person making room for Cancelo but rarely get any credits for it. Getting all the criticise and clearly coming to a confidence drop stage. It won't last long for anyone.

Grealish is not making room for cancelo, all grealish does is get the ball, square up against the defender then pass back to cancelo at the edge of the box for cancelo to either cross or shoot

 

[Red Jericho]

Imagine that Sterling or Mahrez were putting in the exact same performance as Grealish and with the same output and game time. What would your reaction be? Would you praise them for playing a through ball to a fullback and then fail to score or assist? Or would you demand that they be dropped so that other players can get a chance?