Sports Feature
Jack Grealish’s New Chance to Redemption under Pep Guardiola
Jack Grealish looks set to put his Euro 2024 frustration with England behind him as the curtains roll up for another chance to the Englishman to go at it again under Pep Guardiola starting with the 2024/24 Community Shield.
People tend to have varied opinions about footballers. Many admire their kindness towards humanity, seeing the person behind the player. Others see exuberance and draw their own conclusions when the form dwindles, and a player like Jack Grealish happens to be one player that has attracted such mixed reception towards himself.
Here’s one footballer who on the pitch can be an embodiment of sublime skills although sadly his unique qualities were overlooked by Gareth Southgate and England this summer at the Euros but on the other hand can also be viewed as a glorified water carrier out wide pointing to a lack of end product calling for little sympathy.
Jack Grealish’s passion for the game and his knowledge of it is rare and beyond the mockery it has had to endure. On decent occasions the Birmingham born Englishman has shown some real salient moments but he is mostly faced with a somewhat wake-up call which is him continuously having to live up to “the Pep way” nevertheless and this is something his City career has no choice but rather oblique to.
Perhaps it is the opinion of Pep Guardiola that will matter most at the end of the day but Grealish has to be the one that has to step up to shape his future because his passion still burns like a flame and this was really indicative of recent.
The coming season stands as a testament revealer to this theory to a great extent of which some may already think the early signs of it are positive and obvious. At the beginning of Manchester City’s pre-season tour, Pep Guardiola was already speaking highly of his “unbelievable attitude” and seemingly noticing some meaningful behaviors towards improvement, at the end of that, the praise of his performance levels went even more higher with Guardiola showering him some great accolades when he said; “Jack has had an incredible few games, I perfectly remember the Jack I know.
How he performs, in training and behaviors, it is like two seasons ago.”
For those of us who still candidly recall the two seasons ago in question and picture Grealish’s role in Manchester City’s historic treble-winning season, indeed it was something worth remembering.
He played in 50 games for the Citizens, and did completely change the type of passes that he plays while here at Man City, Although during his days at Villa Park, Grealish would always want the ball but probably at times he would have to drop deep to get it. That was a version of Grealish that roamed free rather than being bound to his segment of the field.
But at the Etihad it was more of a possible indication that he will push towards stepping it up in the next season. He personally described it as his happiest time in football. “Playing with confidence” and even asking himself a big question “Where do you go from there?”
His response to that was; “I have never been like that before, where you just feel so high,” he revealed. “At times you think how are we ever going to top this? You do sit there sometimes and think, what do we do now?
But that was two seasons ago and the euphoria didn’t linger into the next year, leaving him with a prove-you-can-do-it–again season.
Now Grealish having enjoyed a tournament-free summer is left with a keen awareness that he has a head start on some of his rivals for a place in Guardiola’s team this coming season because some City players have skipped much of this pre-season, meaning that Grealish is the player in possession and good form going into the new season, and with a chance for a rerun of the fiery form he displayed two season ago.
This can only mean that the shirt is his to lose, and that has long been Guardiola’s mantra. It is an opportunity but one that might not knock for so long. Despite the exit of Julian Alvarez, Grealish’s zone of the pitch already looks fully booked. There’s an Oscar Bobb who now seems ready, while the signing of Savinho is another direct threat.
And, of course, not forgetting the guile Jeremy Doku who for sure is already rubbing both palms in anticipation for the kickoff of the new season.
It was the arrival of Belgian winger Jeremy Doku last summer that stole Grealish’s place in the side. Guardiola wooed by Doku’s ability to open up defenses with his quick feet and sleek body movements made him special in the final third, leaving Grealish unable to compete thanks to that sheer pace on the left.
There was also a drop off in Grealish’s performance, although it should not be overstated but he still managed to keep the ball well and was one player who was fouled more regularly than any other Premier League player in that same season.
But for a manager like Pep Guardiola it does not take much for him to notice a dip in form and the subsequent loss of status means that for Jack Grealish, the answer to his worries going into the new season should be pretty clear. He should ask himself; “what do I do now?” And the answer to that in my opinion is pretty clear, put the work in and reclaim your position for both club and even country because he still has a lot to offer the Three Lions.
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Grealish with the way he grabbed his opportunity this preseason and played looks more likely like someone that you can say has listened, adapted and now he is eager to please. When Guardiola told him that he was performing a function for the team, providing expert ball retention out wide, he took it on real quick.
So what next for Grealish? In controlling the ball he is good. He made four to five shots in the pre-season game against Barcelona and we even saw how he wants to apply some aggression, the personality that persuaded City to pay £100m.
But another thing here is, this likeable lad now finds himself at a crossroads in his career and At 28, with a brilliant group of players around him. The opportunity to step up and shine again comes with a huge clause which remains; “Absolutely it depends on him, like all the players, it depends on them, not on my decisions.” In the words of Pep Guardiola.
So, following the recent game against Barcelona and the work this Birmingham born lad did put in, the door is ajar. Jack Grealish could yet force his way through it once more.
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