Might Jack Grealish play for City again?

[SWPISHOME]

My point is entirely about the Treble, so I’m not sure how I can help you with that.

If you feel Jack is a legend in the Treble winning season along with the rest of the squad then go with it fella. That's your opinion and stick with it, don't let anyone tell you any different.

 

[heslops barnet]

I don’t feel remotely embarrassed about posting or thinking that, but then I rarely do tbf.

I think any player who played a significant role in that achievement is a legend in my eyes. Maybe winning the Treble is more significant to me than others, hence the distinction.

And what he did or didn’t do afterwards is a non-sequitur. He was at the very heart of the apogee of being a Manchester City fan and for me at least, that makes him a legend.

Why’s the moniker ‘Legend’ given to nearly every player nowadays?
Devalues actual ‘legends’

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

For a smart man you've done a good job of completely ignoring every single salient point I've made simply to continue dying on this hill.

I’m not dying on any hill and I’m not claiming bigger blue status than anyone, as you’re plainly implying.

To some blues 93:20 was the high point, to others it was the 6-1 and to me, despite the fact it wasn’t even my favourite season overall (which was 2018-19) winning the Treble, included in which was beating United in an FA Cup Final and winning the CL within a week was the high point of my time as a City fan, and the one that gave me the most pleasure. And so that is bound to influence my thoughts and feelings on those involved.

And my thoughts and feelings are that any player who significantly played a part in that is a legend in my eyes and I’m perfectly entitled to hold that view, and it’s certainly as valid as yours that it’s embarrassing.

And I think ‘smart’ is understating it somewhat, but again it’s no biggie…

 

[LangleyBlue1970]

Why’s the moniker ‘Legend’ given to nearly every player nowadays?
Devalues actual ‘legends’

I’m with GDM on this. Only one club in this country has ever done that, and fair fucks to them. Nobody else has come close - until us. Every single member of Manchester City FC is a legend for that achievement, not just for that itself, but because we matched the twats by doing it, and that will eternally piss them off.

In another 24 years, which was the time span between them doing it and us, I would put my mortgage on it that it won’t have been done again.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

Why’s the moniker ‘Legend’ given to nearly every player nowadays?
Devalues actual ‘legends’

Devalues ffs. Who made you the arbiter of what is and isn’t a legend? It’s a completely subjective evaluation.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

My ERO spy tells me he was kicked all over the fucking show today and just about had had enough by FT and consequently got booked for kicking off at the Red Menace. I also hear that an EFC player was booked for taking a free kick before the useless England could get the whistle to his mouth. Question for Darren that MotD won't ask: Are you gonna book everyone which the LotG require or are you gonna book players after you have weighed up the merits of the case and the colour of the shirt?

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

If you feel Jack is a legend in the Treble winning season along with the rest of the squad then go with it fella. That's your opinion and stick with it, don't let anyone tell you any different.

Thanks. I won’t.

 

[.db.]

There's a 0% chance he'll ever play for City again. Unless you think Guardiola is leaving next summer along with Soriano and the rest of the technical staff at the club.

All this "city legend" stuff is embarrassing as well. Was gifted the opportunity to play in the best side in England, turned up for one season, then tossed it off for two whilst collecting 350k a week. If that makes him a "legend" in some people's eyes, they need glasses. Unprofessional dickhead is the kindest description I can think of.

I wouldn’t say not being able to stay fit for more than 9 straight games is ‘tossing it off’.

After the treble, this was Grealish’s run of PL games through 2023-24 and 2024-25:

Bench-started-started-injured-injured-sub3mins-sub10mins-bench-sub15mins-started-sub15mins-started-bench-sub30mins-injured-sub38mins-suspended-started-started-started-started-bench-sub13mins-bench-sub3mins-injured-injured-injured-injured-injured-sub30mins-started-started-bench-sub18mins-started-sub10mins-injured-injured-injured-bench-sub19mins-started-started-sub12mins-started-started-injured-injured-injured-sub16mins-sub11mins-started-sub4mins-sub15mins-started-unwell-bench-sub6mins-bench-sub27mins-bench-bench-injured-injured-sub1min-bench-bench-started-sub16mins-sub3mins-injured-bench-bench-bench-sub1min-not in squad…

How could anyone build any momentum with that kind of interrupted streak?

He only started more than two consecutive PL games once after the treble. As a comparison, even De Bruyne who we all thought of as injury ravaged in the last few years, started 18 of City’s 23 games after he came back from injury in January 2024 to the September the following season (with a run of 12 PL starts in a row in there).

In the games Grealish had started consecutively, that’s where he’s got all of his goals and assists over those two seasons.

if Grealish was younger, there’d probably be a chance of him playing for us again if he could prove he could stay fit. Now he’s already 30 so at 31 and with us giving his #10 to Cherki, he’ll never play for us again. But that’s not because he tossed it off with us.

Another thing with Grealish is I don’t think he ever had the mentality required at the best sides of having to play at least very well every single game. When we signed Jack, he’d played more games in the Championship than the PL and had never played in Europe or for England. The only big game he’d ever really played in was the EFL Cup final against us and Rodri, Fernandinho and Walker bullied him.

He never needed to have that elite killer mentality at Championship/low PL/no Europe Villa.
Again, I don’t think that’s because he tossed it off, he just never had that drilled into him from a young age.

Hopefully, he had a good season and Everton buy him and he has a good end to his career there.

 

[BillyShears]

I wouldn’t say not being able to stay fit for more than 9 straight games is ‘tossing it off’.

After the treble, this was Grealish’s run of PL games through 2023-24 and 2024-25:

Bench-started-started-injured-injured-sub3mins-sub10mins-bench-sub15mins-started-sub15mins-started-bench-sub30mins-injured-sub38mins-suspended-started-started-started-started-bench-sub13mins-bench-sub3mins-injured-injured-injured-injured-injured-sub30mins-started-started-bench-sub18mins-started-sub10mins-injured-injured-injured-bench-sub19mins-started-started-sub12mins-started-started-injured-injured-injured-sub16mins-sub11mins-started-sub4mins-sub15mins-started-unwell-bench-sub6mins-bench-sub27mins-bench-bench-injured-injured-sub1min-bench-bench-started-sub16mins-sub3mins-injured-bench-bench-bench-sub1min-not in squad…

How could anyone build any momentum with that kind of interrupted streak?

He only started more than two consecutive PL games once after the treble. As a comparison, even De Bruyne who we all thought of as injury ravaged in the last few years, started 18 of City’s 23 games after he came back from injury in January 2024 to the September the following season (with a run of 12 PL starts in a row in there).

In the games Grealish had started consecutively, that’s where he’s got all of his goals and assists over those two seasons.

if Grealish was younger, there’d probably be a chance of him playing for us again if he could prove he could stay fit. Now he’s already 30 so at 31 and with us giving his #10 to Cherki, he’ll never play for us again. But that’s not because he tossed it off with us.

Another thing with Grealish is I don’t think he ever had the mentality required at the best sides of having to play at least very well every single game. When we signed Jack, he’d played more games in the Championship than the PL and had never played in Europe or for England. The only big game he’d ever really played in was the EFL Cup final against us and Rodri, Fernandinho and Walker bullied him.

He never needed to have that elite killer mentality at Championship/low PL/no Europe Villa.
Again, I don’t think that’s because he tossed it off, he just never had that drilled into him from a young age.

Hopefully, he had a good season and Everton buy him and he has a good end to his career there.

The injuries were a consequence of his lifestyle. Pep said it directly a couple of times.

 

[.db.]

The injuries were a consequence of his lifestyle. Pep said it directly a couple of times.

Possibly very true. I have heard stories of times he was pissed up at times you think he should be looking after himself.

But sometimes - Copenhagen away, first game back from injury, got clattered three times and had to go off; Madrid at home, first game back from injury, got fouled and landed on heavily and had to go off - it was just unfortunate.

 

[BillyShears]

Possibly very true. I have heard stories of times he was pissed up at times you think he should be looking after himself.

But sometimes - Copenhagen away, first game back from injury, got clattered three times and had to go off; Madrid at home, first game back from injury, got fouled and landed on heavily and had to go off - it was just unfortunate.

He was dropped from the Fulham squad season before last because he'd turned up in a proper state to training. Lescott and the other BT presenters were all talking about it openly off camera. That attitude from someone who the club made their record signing is IMO risible. Footballers aren't saints, I'm not naive to that. But you absolutely have to have a baseline of professionalism. The season after the treble Grealish acted like he was having a season long Grealfields festival.

 

[Cobwebcat]

What he did or didn't do after is a "non-sequitur". Give over. He was contracted to City and didn't turn up. It's really not that difficult a thing to look at with clear eyes. He didn't give a fuck about the club because if he did he'd have behaved professionally. He didn't. Look at the lengths that Pep and City go to, to make players feel welcome. We don't do bomb squads like Chelsea. And yet Grealish wasn't taken to the CWC. Think about it. His behaviour stank the place out. All this starry eyed "oh he won the treble" bollocks is exactly that, bollocks. Players at a club with our standards, have to meet a baseline of professionalism. Those who don't get fucked off. He's in that camp.

According to Pep it was Grealish who asked not to go to the CWC. Is that not true? I have no insider info on what went on.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

He’s not happy post-match

 

[citytill1die84]

No chance

 

[TFC]

No chance imo

 

[BillyShears]

According to Pep it was Grealish who asked not to go to the CWC. Is that not true? I have no insider info on what went on.

I don’t think he ever said that. The official line was “we agreed together”. Unofficially, Guardiola wanted him out of the dressing room full stop. Dias and Bernardo both have spoken in last couple of months about needing players who have the right attitude and who are winners. Clearly digging Grealish out. I genuinely find the “love” for him bizarre. He doesn’t give a fuck about City. Which is why whilst we were playing Napoli he was posting up on his Instagram that he was watching Newcastle / Barca.

 

[Cobwebcat]

I don’t think he ever said that. The official line was “we agreed together”. Unofficially, Guardiola wanted him out of the dressing room full stop. Dias and Bernardo both have spoken in last couple of months about needing players who have the right attitude and who are winners. Clearly digging Grealish out. I genuinely find the “love” for him bizarre. He doesn’t give a fuck about City. Which is why whilst we were playing Napoli he was posting up on his Instagram that he was watching Newcastle / Barca.

That’s a shame.

 

[Axel Freed]

Why’s the moniker ‘Legend’ given to nearly every player nowadays?
Devalues actual ‘legends’

Yep, one of the most misused words in the English language. A junior member of staff does a coffee run in the morning when everyone’s too tired to bother going out and he’s a “legend “

 

[FanchesterCity]

Why’s the moniker ‘Legend’ given to nearly every player nowadays?
Devalues actual ‘legends’

Because in years to come and the 'legend' of our treble is recalled, his name will be mentioned as part of that.
Not everyone who is a legend is necessarily great.

 

[chaddblue]

Watched him closely today. He did exactly what he used to do for City just about every time he played

The only difference is that he stands out in a very average team and the narrative wanting him to exceed is totally different now he's wearing a different shade of blue