10 | Jack Grealish - 2021/22 Performances

[applejuice]

I don’t want to jump on Grealish, I’ve made my opinions quite clear on him. But am happy to wait and hopefully be proved wrong.

But I have to ask this if you and others with a similar thinking, if we do add Haaland for example, where would Grealish play? Foden would go left, Mahrez right and the striker central.
De Bruyne, Gundogan & Bernardo for the 8’s.

A big name striker would close off one position to him. Leaving him just forward left, and he’s behind Sterling & Foden.

I will expect a striker with decent height like Haaland changing the dynamic and formation of the team a LOT.

For example, wingers in our F9 system often run to the byline and make a pull back pass or a low cross. Sterling with his speed and Foden with his left foot, perform this task better than Grealish. (Although Grealish shows a lot of improving on this in recent games).

If playing with a tall striker, a high cross might be preferred from the winger. And based on their performance in England shirt, Grealish may be the strongest one among these 3.

Will Foden play as a left winger with a tall striker? It is difficult to say. The closest thing is England team and Southgate plays Foden as a right winger or a right midfielder.

The same question is Gundogan. He thrives after City switched to F9 system. He is good at running into the box and shoot. But if we bring in a striker, won't the new striker demand the same space and opportunities?

Don't get me wrong. I am not saying Gundo or Foden will become bad with a striker. But I am just saying that their role and style might change a lot. I tend to think Grealish/Mahrez/KDB are likely to perform better with a taller striker because they have proven this in other teams(club/national) with different striker options. For the others, lack of evidence.

 

[kye1991]

What makes people so certain he's gonna flip an imaginary switch and hit the ground running next season just because he's been here for the magical ' 12 months '. There's still talk of him bedding Into the team and it's almost April. Made more headlines off the pitch than on them.

If he's gonna be an 8 why isn't he playing there now? Doesn't make sense to sign an 8 for 100mill and spend 12 months playing him out of position. If he does move to the 8 role next season do we have to give him 12 months again to get him used to his new position? I suspect pep has played him in the position he sees him in.

Even villa wouldn't take him back they've hit the lottery making 100mill and bringing in coutinho who has had more impact for villa already then grealish has for us. Sterling was offering more than he has and the forum wanted him sold, he's had more leeway than any recent player iv seen sign for city. I'm not seeing it and never have.

 

[applejuice]

What makes people so certain he's gonna flip an imaginary switch and hit the ground running next season just because he's been here for the magical ' 12 months '. There's still talk of him bedding Into the team and it's almost April. Made more headlines off the pitch than on them.

If he's gonna be an 8 why isn't he playing there now? Doesn't make sense to sign an 8 for 100mill and spend 12 months playing him out of position. If he does move to the 8 role next season do we have to give him 12 months again to get him used to his new position? I suspect pep has played him in the position he sees him in.

Even villa wouldn't take him back they've hit the lottery making 100mill and bringing in coutinho who has had more impact for villa already then grealish has for us. Sterling was offering more than he has and the forum wanted him sold, he's had more leeway than any recent player iv seen sign for city. I'm not seeing it and never have.

Countinho has gained a very good personal G/A status but the Villa's team performance as a whole is not improved after his joining. To make it wrose, his lazy tracing back has already led to several game changer goals conceded. No one questions Countinho's excellent attacking skills, but he harms the defending as much as he brings to the attacking. And that is part of the reason why he could not find a spot in the elite clubs like Munich and Barcelona. I call clubs aiming at a league title or a CL champion to be "elite". Liverpool was not elite level during Coutinho's days.

 

[Lavinda Past]

Countinho has gained a very good personal G/A status but the Villa's team performance as a whole is not improved after his joining. To make it wrose, his lazy tracing back has already led to several game changer goals conceded. No one questions Countinho's excellent attacking skills, but he harms the defending as much as he brings to the attacking. And that is part of the reason why he could not find a spot in the elite clubs like Munich and Barcelona. I call clubs aiming at a league title or a CL champion to be "elite". Liverpool was not elite level during Coutinho's days.

Coutinho is all smoke and mirrors. Hyped up to get big money for Liverpool, once gone he soon found his level... i.e. not top class.

He's actually been very average since he returned to the PL and imo is only getting 'rave reviews' at Villa because Gerrard has the Midlands media in his pocket.

Villa would have Jack Grealish back in a heartbeat. Obviously not for £100m, because he was never actually worth that anyway - we just wanted him so much, probably because we were 'definitely' signing Harry Kane.

We'll see the best of Jack at City when the intended / planned striker arrives. I'll judge him by his performances next season.

 

[K-Bo]

Not done well in the False 9, but of the attacking players who has. It's only phil and the 8's that do OK in that role. Raheem is always terrible centrally, and I think Mahrez once spent a total of about half an hour there once before getting shifted back out.

Grealish isn't having the best first season and understand some of the complaints, but this role probably wont feature next season so wont judge him in it.

 

[Legal Alien]

Fundmentally I don't really care how good he is at finding a free man or being able to buy a cheap foul by running towards his markers. You play in the front 3 you absolutely MUST deliver numbers. Every single week. If you don't, you aren't good enough for this team. Period. You look at Sterling's drop off in numbers last season and the reality is that nearly everyone wanted him sold. We've now dropped a record fee on a lad who seemingly won't ever get close to Sterling's output.

I suspect Grealish will end up an 8 in Pep's system. That's if he doesn't wilt under the pressure of playing for City.

I agree with this but i'm giving him the season to settle and learn Pep's way etc, but next season he needs to hit the ground running.

It will be interesting to see what position he does end up playing once we add a natural striker(s) into the team, because i really think when that happens the 8 position will be more suited to Foden's game.

 

[BillyShears]

I agree with this but i'm giving him the season to settle and learn Pep's way etc, but next season he needs to hit the ground running.

It will be interesting to see what position he does end up playing once we add a natural striker(s) into the team, because i really think when that happens the 8 position will be more suited to Foden's game.

I think he'll need a different role next season, with less pressure. Foden will probably end up back wide left IMO. Much will depend upon what happens with Bernardo. hopefully he stays and signs a new deal and Grealish becomes a squad player, albeit an expensive one.

But he isn't going to have some miraculous explosion. His limitations as a footballer are pretty apparent so the key thing is going to be getting him to do what he's good at from a position on the pitch where he can do that. For me that'll be playing as an 8 and helping recycle the ball.

 

[give it to gordon]

I am a firm believer it takes most new signings a season to understand what Pep wants from them.

He just seems very slow in everything he does. As others have said other teammates running past him , when he should be doing the same.

He looks like a little boy trying to play with the big boys at the minute, out of his depth. He was good against the rags, so it's in him, hopefully next season he pushes on

 

[Legal Alien]

I think he'll need a different role next season, with less pressure. Foden will probably end up back wide left IMO. Much will depend upon what happens with Bernardo. hopefully he stays and signs a new deal and Grealish becomes a squad player, albeit an expensive one.

But he isn't going to have some miraculous explosion. His limitations as a footballer are pretty apparent so the key thing is going to be getting him to do what he's good at from a position on the pitch where he can do that. For me that'll be playing as an 8 and helping recycle the ball.

I wonder if he has the workrate to play there though, he seems more of the creative type rather than a grafter and i always viewed him as villa's KDB type of player.

It could be make or break next season though especially with the likes of Alvarez coming in and Palmer and McAtee continuing to push for places.

 

[BillyShears]

I wonder if he has the workrate to play there though, he seems more of the creative type rather than a grafter and i always viewed him as villa's KDB type of player.

It could be make or break next season though especially with the likes of Alvarez coming in and Palmer and McAtee continuing to push for places.

McAtee is the one for the 8 positions IMO. I'm okay with Jack being Jack and being a squad player. He's obviously got talent and he absolutely doesn't need to be a world beater to find his way in our squad. I just think the front 3 positions are way too pressured and require far too much killer instinct for his game.