10 | Jack Grealish - 2024/25

Can only really repeat what I said a couple of weeks ago.

I love him. I'll always love him - and every other member of that treble-winning squad (especially the lads who started all the big games) - for his major contribution towards giving us the most special few weeks of our entire lives. He was essential to that team for that specific moment in time and made himself, and the club, immortal in the process. We reached our absolute peak with Jack right there, in the starting XI, and, when he leaves City, he shouldn't have to buy a pint in Manchester ever again.

I also think he was far more vital to that 21-22 title win than most give him credit for. The stats don't lie: the games he started we controlled (95% of the time) and the games he missed were chaos (95% of the time). He was a specialist given a very specific role and when he was on it that season he was magnificent. His standout game that year was the 4-1 derby win over United when De Bruyne and Mahrez both scored two, and he was almost as good on far more occasions than many allow themselves to remember.

We absolutely could not have won those two titles, plus the FA Cup and European Cup, without him.

He was also important at points in the 23-24 season (got that big goal against Luton away) and when he played he almost always looked like he was ready to carry on his form from the treble run into another great campaign. I thought he'd finally got out of his own head, at last. But ever since Christmas 2023 he's just... not produced. He's almost always either injured, unwell, or "not quite ready yet", and I think Pep's patience with him has finally snapped. Perhaps he just wasn't cut out for properly elite football on a long-term basis.

I'm starting to wonder if he gave so much of himself - physically and mentally - during the run to the treble that he just deflated in the aftermath and has been a bit burnt out ever since. The football he played between the World Cup and the Champions League final was honestly, in my opinion, otherworldly. His displays in the Champions League knockouts in particular were fucking unreal and he saved his absolute best, along with a load of other City lads, for the Madrid 4-0 game. Perhaps that's all his body could give and what separates your De Bruynes and Agueros, etc. from your Nasris, Grealishes, etc.

I don't doubt that Jack wants to put the effort in and hold down his place, but when push has come to shove over the last 12 months he's just not been there. For whatever reason. Whether it's his muscles giving out, family troubles, attitude issues - sometimes all three. He's shown really good fleeting glimpses and hopefully there's a future for him in the centre, but for whatever reason Pep's stopped trusting him. It's rare that Pep calls individuals out publicly while seasons are still ongoing, which doesn't bode well for Jack I'm afraid.

And, honestly, for the first time since he arrived here in 2021, I'm starting to wonder if team needs to move on from the qualities that Jack brings. With him in the team, it's all about patience, control, tempo, space, etc. But football is moving on from that era and seems to be heading back towards a more transitional style as defensive teams figure out how to soak up pressure, beat the attacking press, and quickly break away. City themselves are struggling to adapt from one major style to another this season - and players like Savinho, Haaland, etc. look more likely to point us to the future.

Players like John Stones and Raheem Sterling have come back in the past from worse positions than Jack is in right now (just in terms of their fitness or relationship with Pep) so I'm not writing him off completely. John was basically out the door in 2020 but fought back to become absolutely vital; Raheem fell out with Pep big time in 2021 but stayed and won another title with us in 2022. But I think it's going to be a seriously uphill battle for Jack now that he's approaching 30 and I'm not sure he's got the fortitude - physically or mentally - to battle back with Savinho now in favour.

Doesn't matter what happens from here, though - if I ever bump into him I'm gonna shake his hand and thank him. The same goes for everyone who was in that dressing room in Istanbul.
 
youngbob said:
I'm starting to wonder if he gave so much of himself - physically and mentally - during the run to the treble that he just deflated in the aftermath and has been a bit burnt out ever since. The football he played between the World Cup and the Champions League final was honestly, in my opinion, otherworldly. His displays in the Champions League knockouts in particular were fucking unreal and he saved his absolute best, along with a load of other City lads, for the Madrid 4-0 game. Perhaps that's all his body could give and what separates your De Bruynes and Agueros, etc. from your Nasris, Grealishes, etc.
Click to expand...
Those kicking's he got in the early part of his career at Villa coming back to haunt him, and he doesn't help all the punishment he soaks up for us when he plays for us. I really think he struggles with keeping himself fit and pain free.
 
youngbob said:
Can only really repeat what I said a couple of weeks ago.

I love him. I'll always love him - and every other member of that treble-winning squad (especially the lads who started all the big games) - for his major contribution towards giving us the most special few weeks of our entire lives. He was essential to that team for that specific moment in time and made himself, and the club, immortal in the process. We reached our absolute peak with Jack right there, in the starting XI, and, when he leaves City, he shouldn't have to buy a pint in Manchester ever again.

I also think he was far more vital to that 21-22 title win than most give him credit for. The stats don't lie: the games he started we controlled (95% of the time) and the games he missed were chaos (95% of the time). He was a specialist given a very specific role and when he was on it that season he was magnificent. His standout game that year was the 4-1 derby win over United when De Bruyne and Mahrez both scored two, and he was almost as good on far more occasions than many allow themselves to remember.

We absolutely could not have won those two titles, plus the FA Cup and European Cup, without him.

He was also important at points in the 23-24 season (got that big goal against Luton away) and when he played he almost always looked like he was ready to carry on his form from the treble run into another great campaign. I thought he'd finally got out of his own head, at last. But ever since Christmas 2023 he's just... not produced. He's almost always either injured, unwell, or "not quite ready yet", and I think Pep's patience with him has finally snapped. Perhaps he just wasn't cut out for properly elite football on a long-term basis.

I'm starting to wonder if he gave so much of himself - physically and mentally - during the run to the treble that he just deflated in the aftermath and has been a bit burnt out ever since. The football he played between the World Cup and the Champions League final was honestly, in my opinion, otherworldly. His displays in the Champions League knockouts in particular were fucking unreal and he saved his absolute best, along with a load of other City lads, for the Madrid 4-0 game. Perhaps that's all his body could give and what separates your De Bruynes and Agueros, etc. from your Nasris, Grealishes, etc.

I don't doubt that Jack wants to put the effort in and hold down his place, but when push has come to shove over the last 12 months he's just not been there. For whatever reason. Whether it's his muscles giving out, family troubles, attitude issues - sometimes all three. He's shown really good fleeting glimpses and hopefully there's a future for him in the centre, but for whatever reason Pep's stopped trusting him. It's rare that Pep calls individuals out publicly while seasons are still ongoing, which doesn't bode well for Jack I'm afraid.

And, honestly, for the first time since he arrived here in 2021, I'm starting to wonder if team needs to move on from the qualities that Jack brings. With him in the team, it's all about patience, control, tempo, space, etc. But football is moving on from that era and seems to be heading back towards a more transitional style as defensive teams figure out how to soak up pressure, beat the attacking press, and quickly break away. City themselves are struggling to adapt from one major style to another this season - and players like Savinho, Haaland, etc. look more likely to point us to the future.

Players like John Stones and Raheem Sterling have come back in the past from worse positions than Jack is in right now (just in terms of their fitness or relationship with Pep) so I'm not writing him off completely. John was basically out the door in 2020 but fought back to become absolutely vital; Raheem fell out with Pep big time in 2021 but stayed and won another title with us in 2022. But I think it's going to be a seriously uphill battle for Jack now that he's approaching 30 and I'm not sure he's got the fortitude - physically or mentally - to battle back with Savinho now in favour.

Doesn't matter what happens from here, though - if I ever bump into him I'm gonna shake his hand and thank him. The same goes for everyone who was in that dressing room in Istanbul.
Click to expand...
Excellent post and summary. I did wonder about his mentality when he seemed to have a 2 week piss up after the treble. I still hope he can come good again but Savinho has started to bring back Leroy memories on that left wing
 
Seemingly becoming a victim of his image, which he does nothing to dispel and everything to both play up and cash in on!

Good luck to him and I hope he can turn his season and career around.

£100M is starting to look a tad expensive for an unproductive ball holder, free kick creator and time waster, regardless of trophies won.
 
ChicagoBlue said:
Seemingly becoming a victim of his image, which he does nothing to dispel and everything to both play up and cash in on!

Good luck to him and I hope he can turn his season and career around.

£100M is starting to look a tad expensive for an unproductive ball holder, free kick creator and time waster, regardless of trophies won.
Click to expand...
Not really much use to us, free kicks.

We aren’t that productive with them
 
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