MY ACCOUNT
Manchester City broke the bank to sign Jack Grealish — but the big-money star has yet to deliver in sky blue.
The creative maestro will miss today’s clash with Tottenham through injury but has struggled to nail down a regular spot in Pep Guardiola’s side even when fit.
But why has that been the case and how can City’s No10 finally get going for the Premier League table-toppers?
Price tag pressure
Grealish, 26, became the most expensive British player of all time when he joined the Citizens from Aston Villa for £100million back in August.
Even when signing for a club of City’s immense wealth, that kind of price tag comes with a certain pressure to deliver — and quickly.
The burden of expectation on a marquee signing can be huge — it would be naive to suggest otherwise — and that may well have affected the Solihull native’s performances.
Not stacking up statistically
So far, Grealish has not come close to replicating the fantastic form which earned him his big move.
Routinely the difference maker for Villa, he finished last season as one of only five Premier League players to record double figures for assists. The England international provided 10 at a rate of 0.41 per 90 minutes.
This term, he has only set up two league goals and that average has dropped to 0.14 per 90. He is creating big chances at an identical rate, representing a reduction of over 75% from his 2020-21 output (0.58 per 90).
Frankly, Grealish has looked a shadow of his former self at times during the current campaign.
In and out
As a City player under Guardiola, rotation is something that is to be expected — but could it be hindering Grealish?
He has started 15 league games for City, come off the bench twice and been an unused substitute on five occasions. Since the beginning of October, he has not featured in more than four successive fixtures.
Compare that to last term, when he started Villa’s first 22 matches before an injury lay-off ruled him out for the following three months.
Still, the bottom line is that Grealish will just have to get used to Guardiola’s selection methods, as they are unlikely to change any time soon.
The Guardiola experience
While rotation is pretty standard practice, something which probably takes much more getting used to is Guardiola’s unique, often-evolving style.
A meticulous managerial genius, playing for the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is like nothing else in football.
One of the game’s great innovators, his tactical approach is not something which all players can seamlessly take to.
Again, it could just be a case of needing to be patient with Grealish, as he adapts to the techniques of his new mentor.
Signs of a spark
Speaking after last month’s 1-1 draw at Southampton, Guardiola enthused about Grealish’s display, hailing it as his best in a City shirt.
He said: “This was an exceptional performance. He [Grealish] played really, really well. I’m talking about when he has the ball, what he has to do.
“[At] Aston Villa he played wide and after he moved wherever he wants and came inside.
“I think he’s the perfect player to play between the lines. He’s so aggressive, he makes incredible runs.
“He played really well. I’m so satisfied for the performance Jack has done.”
Grealish has only featured for 23 minutes since that game — coming off the bench as City beat Brentford 2-0 last week — and will miss out again today.
But the signs are he may be ready to make his mark at the Etihad when he does return.
