10 | Jack Grealish - 2022/23 Performances

[oldius]

He's a top player and, eventually all will realise it.

 

[kunaguero10]

He plays so so much better with a natural overlapping fullback (not that Gomez is exactly what I call a natural fullback but in terms of the positions he takes up!)

Grealish needs to play within the width of the 18 yard box, he doesn’t work as a wide winger

 

[Bluewars]

Really good game from him.

Great to see him taking the shot a bit more rather than always just recycling the ball when there's nothing else on. Drew a couple of good saves from Mendy - another night, another keeper, playing like that he'd score at least one.

More importantly, I really loved seeing him driving forward with the ball. When we talk about him as an elite ball progressor, that's what we mean. His straight-line pace without the ball is kind of middling, but the speed of his dribble is excellent and combined with his strength and the quality of his touch he was cutting through Chelsea like a train.

I think we saw a little more of his riskier passing game than usual, too. That little reverse pass to Gomez had me on my feet.

He's incredible with an overlapping left-back. It doesn't even have to be a world class left-back - we saw him at Villa with Targett, who's solid but not a world-beater. Our problem is that Gomez is exciting going forward, gives Jack what he needs in an attacking sense, has a lovely pass in his locker too - but right now doesn't have the defensive quality to be playing regularly in this team.

So we need a solution that gives Jack space to drive up the pitch centrally with the ball. We could buy an improved left-back, or get Cancelo working on the overlap (and accept that nullifies some of his threat) or else get the left-sided 8 drifting wide at opportune moments and leaving that space for Jack - I think we've been working on that with Bernardo and it's no coincidence the better Grealish performances this season tend to have come more often with Bernardo playing next to him.

Agreed, I thought he was very good especially in the 1st half. I think he can still be effective as LW but he needs to improve his end product. He takes an extra split second to get his shots off making it easier for defenders to block, his overall play in the first two 3rds is top now just needs to add G/A.

 

[skillman]

I hope Pep recognises (not in any way telling Pep he’s wrong at all here) after last night that Grealish needs freedom to run into space rather than creating it for others/Cancelo to be able to excel.

 

[Project]

Agreed, I thought he was very good especially in the 1st half. I think he can still be effective as LW but he needs to improve his end product. He takes an extra split second to get his shots off making it easier for defenders to block, his overall play in the first two 3rds is top now just needs to add G/A.

Yes that extra second to shoot is very noticeable and the main reason so many of his chances are blocked. He gets into those positions enough that if he can adjust small aspects of his game (including driving into the box at the back post like Alvarez yesterday) he can become a 10/15 goal a season player.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Perfect 10/10 game. People talk about him “holding onto the ball” as a negative, as if that’s not the very thing Pep loves about him. Watch him… he passes when he’s provoked to, at the very last moment. It creates more space to exploit for someone else. The guy is a magnet for opposing players.

 

[Bluewars]

Yes that extra second to shoot is very noticeable and the main reason so many of his chances are blocked. He gets into those positions enough that if he can adjust small aspects of his game (including driving into the box at the back post like Alvarez yesterday) he can become a 10/15 goal a season player.

Yes, since he scored in the box at wolves I can't remember him darting across the goal or even poaching at the back posts for a tap-in, Sterling used to score 5 tap-ins minimum a season at City, I saw a different Grealish yesterday though, looks promising.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Perfect 10/10 game. People talk about him “holding onto the ball” as a negative, as if that’s not the very thing Pep loves about him. Watch him… he passes when he’s provoked to, at the very last moment. It creates more space to exploit for someone else. The guy is a magnet for opposing players.

Thing is that he's not performed like this very often. You can't pick one of his best performances in a City shirt and say "look, those other criticisms were wrong."

Anyway, I don't want to be negative because it was a great performance and he was a pleasure to watch. Felt bad for him because he didn't end up with a goal thanks to a brilliant Mendy save but with or without getting on the score sheet he was brilliant.

 

[shemnel]

if i'm being totally honest, last night's Jack vs Chelsea was the midfielder i thought we'd bought; aggressive, skillful, creative and a general menace. Perhaps he's struggled, perhaps City have shackled him, but i'd like to see more of this Grealish in the future.

 

[FantasyIreland]

if i'm being totally honest, last night's Jack vs Chelsea was the midfielder i thought we'd bought; aggressive, skillful, creative and a general menace. Perhaps he's struggled, perhaps City have shackled him, but i'd like to see more of this Grealish in the future.

I think you may have to wait for the next time Kev doesn't start.