10 | Jack Grealish - 2023/24

[chris85mcfc]

Pep may ask a defender or DM not to take risks, but It doesn't make sense to tell Doku you run forward and try to create chances while you Jack just retain the ball and pass it back.

Yes it does make complete sense, if the person you ask to run forward and the person more likely to retain the ball are equally as successful.

Ask Doku to retain the ball as well as Jack, and you'll have the same situation as if you asked Jack to run forward like Doku does.

They're completely different players so please stop trying to question one player because they don't do what the other does.

I can almost guarantee that some of you people will be hammering Doku in 6 months time for losing the ball in a Champions League Semi final which resulted in us conceding.

 

[Tevez City]

Yes it does make complete sense, if the person you ask to run forward and the person more likely to retain the ball are equally as successful.

Ask Doku to retain the ball as well as Jack, and you'll have the same situation as if you asked Jack to run forward like Doku does.

They're completely different players so please stop trying to question one player because they don't do what the other does.

I can almost guarantee that some of you people will be hammering Doku in 6 months time for losing the ball in a Champions League Semi final which resulted in us conceding.

Everyone knows that including Jack himself admitted that, his goals & assists numbers should go up

& the only way to achieve that is to take more risk ( dribbling/shooting )

 

[bluenova]

A quick Google suggests that Grealish’ top speed (32.1kmph) is quicker than Doku (31.5).

Doku’s acceleration is far quicker though and he can chop in and out more.

Grealish is the antithesis, so we couldn’t have more different left sided options, which can only be a good thing.

I thought Doku looked quite slow and awkward when he was running longer distances - I know Kyle has said he doesn't accept he's quicker, because it's only over five yards.

Agree about the options. Beating a defender who is set in place from a standing start is really difficult, particularly when there is likely to be another defender just behind. Doku is already one of the best players in Europe at doing this, as he's electric over the first few yards, and can go either side. Expecting Jack (or just about any player), to be able to do this, when defenders know his preferred foot, and when he doesn't have that unusually fast initial burst is pointless.

Expecting Doku to hold on to the ball when three or four players descend upon him, is also pointless. Jack is possibly the best player in the league at controlling the ball, drawing players in, and creating those 'slow' imbalances that Pep wants to give us the overloads eslewhere.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I thought Doku looked quite slow and awkward when he was running longer distances - I know Kyle has said he doesn't accept he's quicker, because it's only over five yards.

Agree about the options. Beating a defender who is set in place from a standing start is really difficult, particularly when there is likely to be another defender just behind. Doku is already one of the best players in Europe at doing this, as he's electric over the first few yards, and can go either side. Expecting Jack (or just about any player), to be able to do this, when defenders know his preferred foot, and when he doesn't have that unusually fast initial burst is pointless.

Expecting Doku to hold on to the ball when three or four players descend upon him, is also pointless. Jack is possibly the best player in the league at controlling the ball, drawing players in, and creating those 'slow' imbalances that Pep wants to give us the overloads eslewhere.

Agreed. Grealish hardly ever loses the ball. That’s a huge asset when needing to control a game more.

Currently, we need more creativity with KDB out, so Doku seems a better fit.

We’ll see over the next few weeks as the bigger games come round as to what Pep needs more.

 

[chesterbells]

I thought Jack was negative when he came on yesterday but, I’d guess Pep had been in his ear saying keep the ball whatever you do, don’t give it away.

True that, thought he did an excellent job retaining possession.

Though I suppose it’s a bit of a back-handed compliment to say he’s a great option to have to come off the bench in the last quarter of games we are leading in, where control and keeping the ball to deny the opposition any goal opportunities is the top priority. I mean all that is true, but it’s probably not the niche role Jack would want …

 

[chris85mcfc]

Everyone knows that including Jack himself admitted that, his goals & assists numbers should go up

& the only way to achieve that is to take more risk ( dribbling/shooting )

No it isn't the only way

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

In the run up to their goal we were getting into a basketball game of attack Vs attack.

The worst thing we could do at that point was to keep attacking willy nilly, which had got us in the mess to begin with.

Jack was brought on to keep the ball, slow the game down, and show some defensive discipline getting back and helping, all of which he did.

You can like or dislike the tactic all you want, and yes a 3-1 would have been great, but being a team that is very difficult to score more than one goal against won us a treble last year.

I know it's boring to keep hearing it, but it's boring to have to keep saying it too, but the answer to the question "what a waste of money, what does he even bring to City" is that he brought us our first ever European cup and a treble. If he never does a single thing in his City career again, he was worth every penny.

 

[youngbob]

Maybe Doku's arrival means Grealish will move inside.

 

[neel]

 

[JTFactsPlz]

Pep may ask a defender or DM not to take risks, but It doesn't make sense to tell Doku you run forward and try to create chances while you Jack just retain the ball and pass it back.

And yet, that's apparently exactly what's happened. Or, at least, Doku hadn't been told that caution and ball retention is the priority.