10 | Jack Grealish - 2021/22 Performances

[warringtonblue]

It is interesting that it is taken for granted that our signings need a very long time to show their worth. Could it not be interpreted a different way? That is, the coach needed a very long time to turn them into the players that we thought we'd bought? If Grealish is great next season, it is not that Grealish took time to show his worth, but that Pep needed time to make him look good. Thanks to Pep, Grealish will be a better player next season, which is why he'll look better. Basically, we've overpaid for the vast majority of our transfers.

Well if we get Haarland, he’d better not take 12 months to get used to it, we need his goals from day 1

 

[King Jay]

i Hope he starts

 

[Avlk]

I watched that semi-final against Madrid. Small comfort, I'm sure, but I thought you were unlucky to lose it. On the balance of both legs you were the better team, but once they scored their first goal in the second leg, they had all the momentum and the belief.

When Jack came on in that match, I saw glimpses of what he'd been for Villa, and I know I'm biased but I thought he looked loads better for it. Every time I've seen anything of him playing this season, he's seemed meek and scared and careful, which really isn't the Jack I know.

Especially, it was the first match I've seen him in for you guys where he didn't look slow. He's always had kind of average (for a professional footballer!) pace in a straight line without the ball, but his pace with the ball, the speed of his acceleration and deceleration and changes of direction, combined with his strength, always meant that his middling pure speed didn't really matter.

But he's been looking hesitant and uncertain this year for City. So seeing him come on, get the ball and run at a defence the other night felt like a little nod to the player he's been in the past.

I hope he does more of that, but I'm not sure if it was instructions or confidence that had him playing the other way.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

So that's Sane, Stones, Bernardo, Mahrez, Rodri, Cancelo, and now Ake who came in, didn't really look all that, and then suddenly improved in their second season (or after a while).

And I'd say Grealish's overall performances have been better than Rodri, Cancelo, Mahrez and Bernardo's were in each of their first seasons, so there's evidence that he'll get even better.

As always with City and any new signing we make, they get about 18 months to show that they can be of value to the team. If not, they get loaned out or sold. Grealish will either improve or leave. What's the biggie?

We need to be honest with ourselves and drop this fallacy! Mahrez and Bernardo were very good in their first season here, you don't have to lie and discredit certain players just so you can build up some undeserved hype around another player.

 

[Trickyblues]

What a tedious, boring thread.

 

[Ric]

Regardless of his performances on the pitch, he’s clearly a nice guy off it. Still think a lot of people will eat their words next season too.

 

[Manchester_lalala]

Regardless of his performances on the pitch, he’s clearly a nice guy off it. Still think a lot of people will eat their words next season too.

Seems like such a decent bloke. He will have all summer to knuckle down and be ready to kick on for next season. Needs to up his game as he’ll want to be in that World Cup squad.

 

[meltonblue]

I think we’ve looked a lot better as a team when he’s been on the pitch recently than not tbh, including the Madrid game. I get it to an extent over the course of the season but there’s a fair bit of scapegoating going on too.

 

[yankblue]

Bear with me on this, but Grealish and Sterling are kind of in the same boat for me. I see the arguments for both sides - supporter and detractors - but think both players are overall treated unfairly. It's so difficult to have a balanced conversation about either. Seemlingly they're either total dogshit or footballing deities depending on who you talk to.

They're wildly different players, but are both clearly hated by a strangely large portion of opposition, neutral, and home fans alike. Weirdly enough often for supposed off the pitch behavior and body language that I'm just not picking up on.

There are legitimate criticisms of both. Grealish has been inconsistent, and the end product does need to improve. He really should have more goal contributions. Sterling is also inconsistent and the finishing and decision making in the final third is just maddening.

But they both bring obvious quality that also gets glossed over. Sterling's pace, movement, and goal record speak for themselves. Ditto for Jack's ball retention, technique, and ability to win free kicks and get under the opponents skin.

Love them both, and since this is the Grealish thread I'll just say I think Jack is going to take a big step next season, as so many players do in their second year under Pep.

 

[RayCTID]

This is your time to make a mark Jack. You were close on Wednesday night