10 | Jack Grealish - 2022/23 Performances

[r.soleofsalford]

I know you say he's not a left winger, but I can't really see what he is.

If we play Mahrez left and Grealish right.

 

[Legal Alien]

A lot of good points made above, especially about where he fits in the team.

I know it's still early in the season but i really thought he'd push on this season, but he looks the same player as he did last season in that he's trying too hard to make things happen and it isn't coming off for him.

But another problem is that i just don't think we play a system that suits him.

To me he isn't a winger as he isn't fast enough, or a midfielder, especially a number 8, because he doesn't have the speed, energy and a good enough defensive side to play there.
He is a KDB type player, a number 10 who would line up next to Kev, behind Haaland but with the freedom to roam ahead of the midfield three

However he can't play in that role at the moment because the team lacks balance without a reliable, left footed left back. I also think Pep might have expected Phil to have become a regular starter in the midfield instead of Gundogan.
Neither of these have happened so Pep has to try and fit both him and/or Phil into the same side with a right footed left back. This has made him predictible in that he has no natural outlet on the outside, so he's either forced backwards which slows things down or he has to try to cut inside and make things happen which they just aren't so far.

Timing hasn't been kind to Jack so far, but hopefully if Gomez develops quickly and Phil's game mature's things may click into place for him this season.

 

[Craig]

He won five corners tonight because he was prepared to have a go so i will not knock him for that , but he is lacking a cutting edge around the box at the moment , his final ball or shot has to improve or i can see the likes of Alvarez and Palmer deservedly being give some games .
The£100m fee shouldnt get him a place in the team it is immaterial , he has to do more on the pitch and with consistency , there is an exceptional player in there somewhere just hope he can prove it this season.

Won 5 corners twatting it against defenders. Bargain

 

[cityboy1]

If we play Mahrez left and Grealish right.

both are too slow for that imo only option for grealish would be to try him in midfield

 

[Craig]

We've had/have players on the wing like sane and foden who can dribble past defenders, we've got someone like kdb who drifts out there who can deliver a great ball, we've had sterling who offers fantastic movement off the ball in behind, stretching the defence and offering a pass, we've had jesus and now Alvarez who bring all the intensity and energy you need, they all have at lest one outstanding attribute, What does Grealish do for us?

He saw plenty of the ball first half in great positions 1v1 to get at the fullback and into the box, not once did he beat his man or produce something. He either had his marker block whatever he tried or the majority of the time played it back to the safety net behind him.

Looking back at those key attributes of others and applying them to Grealish, he doesn't have the pace or acceleration to go by defenders, doesn't have a trick or a shimmy to beat somebody or get a yard to deliver, hates using his left foot and telegraph's every dribble, it's a side feint to the left with a half dummy before cutting inside every single time. You cannot be that readable without the pace.

His delivery? nothing noteworthy, a substandard delivery when he provides one but most of the time it gets blocked because he cannot work the space in the first place, wouldn't say its bad by any means but it's no better than others and his numbers suggest he rarely provides.

Movement? Hugs the line, offers nothing behind due to lack of pace, only ever moves backwards and towards the ball to receive it infront of his markers.

intensity? Miles behind the rest of the side with this, a big outlier in this respect and the key reason why he will never, ever play as an 8 for Pep.(yet we still have plenty of people that flat out ignore this very clear major issue and insist he should be an 8. Pep, the guy who turned Delph and zinchenko into left backs, plays John stones right back, had Phil Foden as a false 9 amongst many other left field decisions, loves a position change yet has so far never played Grealish as an 8. He doesn't have a blind spot here, it's really really clear why he doesn't play as an 8 and this idea needs to be shutdown for good)

With the ball he slows everything down to a walk which in itself isn't bad but he doesn't then have the change in gear that's needed, particularly when it's not going to plan and intensity is required. without the ball, he's always a yard or two off the press. Just look at the way he casually strolled out to the ball as their player put the ball back in for their goal, he has to be straight out to that getting a block in, his casualness caused that goal and is indicative of his overall pressing, the out ball for opposition is always the area Grealish occupies when we press.

Things he was known to be good at at Villa, carrying the ball up the pitch, invaluable for Villa but not needed for a side that plays against sides that are often camped on their own box where ederson could walk the ball to the halfway most of the time, we don't struggle to get up the pitch, it's not a valuable skill for us.

Ability to keep hold of it under pressure and win freekicks, again invaluable for villa but very few teams ever put us under sustained pressure and those that try it are generally punished as we play around it, break the press and execute a devastating counter. Also the freekicks just disrupt our flow, useful in niche situations where we're seeing a tight game out or for some reason are under the cosh a bit but those instances are infrequent at most. Meaning it is
just not a skill that's very useful for us.

That's his best two assets from Villa that aren't required here, he just doesn't fit into our needs at present beyond helping to see games out for the last 20 if we have a narrow win which isn't enough and I do not currently see how he might be a better fit in the future.

Best thing that could happen to him right now imo is he misses out on the world cup squad, he will have been with us for 18 months by the time that's over, it either gives him a slap in the face he needs to step up and become useful for us or it quickens the process of cutting our losses which will be becoming a talking point by then if there's no upturn in performances.

Brilliant brilliant post

 

[Didsbury Dave]

A lot of good points made above, especially about where he fits in the team.

I know it's still early in the season but i really thought he'd push on this season, but he looks the same player as he did last season in that he's trying too hard to make things happen and it isn't coming off for him.

But another problem is that i just don't think we play a system that suits him.

To me he isn't a winger as he isn't fast enough, or a midfielder, especially a number 8, because he doesn't have the speed, energy and a good enough defensive side to play there.
He is a KDB type player, a number 10 who would line up next to Kev, behind Haaland but with the freedom to roam ahead of the midfield three

However he can't play in that role at the moment because the team lacks balance without a reliable, left footed left back. I also think Pep might have expected Phil to have become a regular starter in the midfield instead of Gundogan.
Neither of these have happened so Pep has to try and fit both him and/or Phil into the same side with a right footed left back. This has made him predictible in that he has no natural outlet on the outside, so he's either forced backwards which slows things down or he has to try to cut inside and make things happen which they just aren't so far.

Timing hasn't been kind to Jack so far, but hopefully if Gomez develops quickly and Phil's game mature's things may click into place for him this season.

Good post. I think you’re right that Jack would be much more effective with an overlapping left footed left back. Then way Jack holds the ball while drifting infield from the touch line would create the space for that to happen and give him a dangerous alternative outlet.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Knew this thread would be a bit “tasty” tonight.

My opinion, is I like Jack and think he’s a great player who is having a torrid time at City.

He‘s never a left winger, and what makes it worse is having a right footed full back playing behind him who never goes on the outside for him to reverse a pass to.

Consequently he does the same shuffle and inside ball nearly every time.

That said, tonight he made space going inside to get a shot away twice and both times he took too long to get the ball out of his feet due to a lack of self belief and then just rifles it in to the defenders shins.

All in all, not good at moment, but I also remember thinking this way 12 months ago but thinking Pep is just integrating him as he isn’t a left winger, so I’m equally surprised that Pep continues to hang him out to dry asking him to play a role he patently can’t do.

It gives Ederson a break.

 

[Bill Walker]

Fuck off with Sterling. He wanted out.

Jesus has been replaced with Haaland so piss off with that comparison also.

Can I just ask.
Do you want him/her to fuck off, or piss off ?

 

[super_city_si]

He won five corners tonight because he was prepared to have a go so i will not knock him for that , but he is lacking a cutting edge around the box at the moment , his final ball or shot has to improve or i can see the likes of Alvarez and Palmer deservedly being give some games .
The£100m fee shouldnt get him a place in the team it is immaterial , he has to do more on the pitch and with consistency , there is an exceptional player in there somewhere just hope he can prove it this season.

Its dawning that there actually isnt an exceptional player in there. Theres a good player with a skillset that unfortunately is not suited to our style.

 

[Keeper!]

A lot of good points made above, especially about where he fits in the team.

I know it's still early in the season but i really thought he'd push on this season, but he looks the same player as he did last season in that he's trying too hard to make things happen and it isn't coming off for him.

But another problem is that i just don't think we play a system that suits him.

To me he isn't a winger as he isn't fast enough, or a midfielder, especially a number 8, because he doesn't have the speed, energy and a good enough defensive side to play there.
He is a KDB type player, a number 10 who would line up next to Kev, behind Haaland but with the freedom to roam ahead of the midfield three

However he can't play in that role at the moment because the team lacks balance without a reliable, left footed left back. I also think Pep might have expected Phil to have become a regular starter in the midfield instead of Gundogan.
Neither of these have happened so Pep has to try and fit both him and/or Phil into the same side with a right footed left back. This has made him predictible in that he has no natural outlet on the outside, so he's either forced backwards which slows things down or he has to try to cut inside and make things happen which they just aren't so far.

Timing hasn't been kind to Jack so far, but hopefully if Gomez develops quickly and Phil's game mature's things may click into place for him this season.

Time and Grealish in the same sentence yet again.

Top players can play in any side, in most positions, he's been here a year, more than enough to settle down and show his talents.

He is average and worryingly has gone backwards, his early games at the start of last season were good, but again sadly he simply has not kicked on.

He needs to reinvent himself if he wants to be part of this side, for me not effective enough out wide, a perfect no8 maybe but if that happens he seriously has to improve his fitness, he looks in better shape this year but still way off elite levels.