Understanding Jack Grealish.
It’s been 3 years since Jack Grealish signed for Manchester City, and his time here has…. certainly created a split of opinion between fans.
Some miss the free-roaming Jack Grealish- protagonist at heart, genius on the pitch, while others think he is the missing piece to the puzzle that is Manchester City.
When Grealish was first linked to City, I never quite understood the logic behind it. Would one of the league’s best creators be able to replicate his form in a side that would cater much less to him? Did it make sense to sign him, when we had Phil Foden in waiting?
However, I have come to appreciate Jack Grealish’s qualities. In a squad comprising some of the most dynamic profiles in the game, Grealish often behaves like a ‘midfielder’ out wide, allowing the team to get into shape, sustain pressure and set-up chances.
So, who is Jack Grealish? Is he a mere placeholder at City? Was he never really that good? Did Pep ruin him?
This is hopefully the start of a regular series (for the summer, at least), covering *most* things City-related.
Why not start with a familiar topic: The curious case of Jack Grealish- the most polarising player City have arguably had since Raheem Sterling (although there is zero doubt that the latter has faced way more criticism).
The aim of this piece is to analyse Grealish’s role at Aston Villa, discuss qualities that he’s shown in his career, and assess the type of player he truly is.
I. Aston Villa: Where it all began
Jack Grealish was never truly an out-and-out midfielder, nor was he a pure 10. Instead, Grealish’s best football came from the left wing, where he would be allowed to drift centrally.
Some personal observations:
- Grealish loves receiving the ball deep. He is good at receiving in between the lines, but his preferred zones include deeper wide areas where there is existing space to carry into.
- Runners, runners, runners. Grealish had Targett overlapping, Watkins in the box, Traore with the occasional combination play. Grealish enjoys linking up with teammates, consistently using this to break down defences.
- He is quite similar to Phil Foden, in the sense that the more he gets the ball, the more confidence he gets to produce game-changing actions.
- Everybody at Villa trusted Grealish. Every time they were in transition, every time they reached the edge of the box- Grealish was the primary ball handler.
- Not a particularly impressive shooter. There’s a feeling that Grealish could improve his goal return with an increase in shot volume, which remains even during his time at City. Furthermore, there is a seeming lack of quality, with an inconsistent ability to create separation for the shot, and a lack of willingness to attack space.
I’ll dive into specifics, and also note qualities that also happen to be repeatable actions.
- Ball-handling
Grealish’s best asset is his ball-carrying. Blessed with powerful legs to produce strong carries, and a physical build that can resist contact in the dribble, Grealish’s technique paired with his genetics make him unstoppable on the ball.
He thrives with responsibility. When tasked to carry the ball out of deeper phases, Grealish is often quite adept at doing so, either thru quick ‘give-and-gos’ and progression through the middle. He is a real maverick in this aspect- the main protagonist, and as Jose Mourinho says, ‘He never hides’.
To this date, the Villa boy remains a man for the big occasions.
Grealish does not approach 1v1s like Vinicius Jr. or Doku would. The assumption is that he was much more direct out wide, but this is false. He manipulates opponents, lulling them into a false sense of security, only to find a pass into space, or carry centrally.
This also means he is not a good 1v1 player. His ability to create separation to go on the outside remains subpar, although it exists in flashes. His reliance on constant separation means he is better suited to carrying from deep, where there is pre-existing space.
2. Gravity
Some think this is the bare minimum for most players, but it’s quite the contrary.
Simply put, Grealish is a footballing magnet. His presence attracts players, his ability to keep the ball under any pressure means that certain opposition teams surround him with defenders.
The result? Other players thrive off the space he creates.
3. Socio-affection
Grealish is the epitome of relationism- roams to whichever zone he feels the need to, releases teammates into space, combines to break down defences.
One of Grealish’s best tools is the reverse ball: a pass that he picks out when he’s got a runner on his side. It’s incredibly deceitful and allows teams to access territory they couldn’t have entered into before.
When he reaches the edge of the box, Grealish looks to find the interior/winger close to him, and supply the striker in the box. His game is all about the runners, and with that, comes transitions.
Bear with me, but Grealish’s powerful burst thru the middle, paired with his ability to pick out a pass, is reminscient of De Bruyne’s (his final ball is NOT on the same level).
They are not similar in terms of quality, but they are unstoppable forces in the middle- they can ride contact, shift directions in an instant, play a runner into space when the need arises.
4. Press-resistance
This is one of the primary reasons as to why Pep Guardiola signed him.
Grealish’s back-to-goal play, remains one of his best assets. The ability to sustain pressure and keep play going, win fouls and get his team in shape, are invaluable tactical tools.
A trademark Grealish move was to ride contact from deep, and drive inwards to progress the ball/win a foul.
Here’s Grealish getting stuck in:
And proceeding to do what he does best:
5. Final ball
I do not think Grealish’s final ball is necessarily as reliable as De Bruyne’s. In settled possession, he’s mostly reliant on combination play, with a dash of outswinging crosses. In open spaces, Grealish is a tad more inventive.
He remains a good primary creator if you supply him with enough runners. Without that, Grealish remains nullified, whether it be against a low block or high-line.
Here’s the variety in final ball that I’ve seen from Grealish. I don’t find it to be as high-value in terms of passing empathy, which is a large part of what makes De Bruyne’s final ball so deadly- he almost always manages to set his teammates up in ‘tap-in’ positions.
Some clips that might(?) remind you of Kevin De Bruyne:
6. Space
This remains a huge red flag when it comes to Jack Grealish as a pure final third attacker. He does not create the necessary separation in the 1v1, and shows little to no desire when it comes to making a run in-behind in the final third. It’s primarily why he’s never been much of a goalscorer.
This can be seen as criticism or a misuse of Grealish, who is somebody who would much rather find a runner than be the runner himself.
Grealish in shooting situations is questionable. He either passes when there’s space to shoot, or he releases the shot in front of a number of bodies. Once again, he lacks the ability to generate shots on a regular basis.
However, this is what holds him back from truly being a playmaker on the level of Kevin De Bruyne.
7. Mental Profile
Grealish’s mental profile can be summed up with this story:
As an Aston Villa player, Grealish was despised by Birmingham fans, and understandably so. In one of the most important local derbies in their recent history, as Grealish spent the evening hacked all night, booed by the opposition, he rose to the occasion- scoring the winner and immediately making his presence known to the Birmingham fans.
Grealish thrives on hate and momentum. He enjoys feeling like the main character, he smiles during every bit of it. He needs to be the one everybody relies on when the tide is against the team.
Naturally, that hasn’t been the case at Manchester City, when the likes of Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden exist. Grealish appears to be laid back during training, and complacent after a bit of success, if recent reports are anything to go by.
I also have a feeling that Grealish really shines in game-states where the team is either chasing an equaliser or an opener. There is a certain ‘drive’ associated with his game, a sense of ‘urgency’ paired with his ability to keep the ball in the final third.
Grealish’s best bit of form for City came when he had something to prove- when he had the fire in his belly, the feeling that the team needed him to provide the goods.
8. Defensive work
I don’t find Grealish to lack any sort of work ethic. He is willing to track back, stick a foot out to intercept the ball.
Grealish is excellent when his team is facing a transition. He runs back to recover the ball, showing a high level of burst and willingness. This is good.
However, when it comes to his work in settled defence, Grealish is either quite lax, or lacks the required awareness to keep track of his man. This is especially evident when teams try to switch play to their right hand side.
II. My findings?
- Grealish needs runners everywhere.
- Grealish cannot be a regular final third player.
- Grealish, with existing space, is a fine dribbler with the ability to shift directions and manipulate opponents.
- Grealish is a high-confidence player.
- Grealish’s most repeatable actions/best tools:
i) The reverse ball.
ii) Gravity.
iii) Drives in-field.
iv) Back-to-goal-play.
III. Manchester City: Villan to Villain
The common opinion remains that Jack Grealish has been ‘ruined’ by Manchester City.
While he hasn’t been the phenom he was at Aston Villa, I have felt like Grealish’s most prominent qualities/tools have been put to extremely good use at City.
- Magnet boi
That’s right, we’re back to talking about gravity- the quality a player develops when his reputation is so huge that teams find it necessary to surround him with multiple defenders.
Grealish’s gravity was put to use in City’s treble winning season.
2. The reverse ball
Grealish executes this so well- and when he’s paired up with an efficient interior, the results are beautiful.
I can think of the recent Crystal Palace game. Grealish’s combines two of his most useful qualities- gravity and the reverse ball- to release KDB into a cutback zone.
What follows next is the cheatcode that is KDB->Haaland.
3. Back-to-goal play and ball carrying
I think Grealish’s back-to-goal play is one of the best in the world.
The more physical fullbacks get, the better it is for your winger to be as physically gifted as possible. And Grealish passes that test with flying colours.
How about his play against Bayern Munich? Two things you can tell:
- The only way you’re getting the ball off Grealish is by fouling him.
- Grealish can take a man *only* if it’s not from a standing start. Here, he develops the momentum and initial burst to beat Stanisic.
And when he’s given the license in deeper areas, which was the case last season with Nathan Ake/Manuel Akanji at left back….
It’s everything Grealish is about- pick up the ball deep, pass and go, create progressive runs for his teammates to pick up, combine with a runner.
IV. Where is Villa Grealish?
Jack Grealish hasn’t gone anywhere. Instead, he has moved to a different club, competing with players of the same/higher calibre, finding himself to be a cog in a well-oiled machine. Is he potentially one of those ‘big fish, small pond’ players? I’ll let you decide.
- Same position, different role
Jack Grealish was solely a winger on paper for Villa. However, his starting positions saw him pick it up deep. There is little scope for that at City.
However, it should be noted that when Grealish did get to enjoy more touches in deeper areas, he had his best season for Manchester City.
2. Environment change
At Aston Villa, Grealish played in a non-posssession-based system whilst also regularly coming up against teams that could give him the space to operate.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen at Man City. When opponents set up deeper, Grealish tends to find himself in situations where he’s outnumbered.
However, it would be harsh to say that Man City haven’t manufactured isolated situations for him to operate in. While it’s sometimes resulted in good actions, Grealish still remains a little passive in moments where he could get a shot off or create something.
However, it is clear to see Grealish’s impact when he’s up against a team that can offer him the space.
Grealish has also become a smarter defender, closing his man in settled possession, displaying multiple instances of running back to help his team off the ball.
As someone on Twitter said, Man City have benefitted from his inclusion in specific game-states, but has Grealish entirely benefitted from this move? While I believe Grealish has become a better player from a tactical sense, one might argue that he deserves the freedom to be the team’s primary ball handler.
Is that possible when he’s got Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne ahead of him? Players that warrant a bigger role over him? Is it possible that Jack Grealish remains the best left sided winger/interior profile City can have, with the likes of Jamal Musiala and Xavi Simons making themselves known?
V. The way forward
I think Jack Grealish remains an incredibly useful player. As a wide playmaker, he remains one of the finest out there with important qualities, and a zone of influence that could expand with a few tweaks:
- Overlaps and underlaps
Grealish needs runners, and you either supply this with an overlapping fullback or an underlapping CM. Some of my favourite Grealish performances happened when he had Gundogan, Bernardo Silva or Kevin De Bruyne beside him- players that offer a level of incisiveness Grealish lacks.
I’d like to believe that Gundogan’s one of the best players Grealish has ever played with, because the former always managed to create space for him.
2. Number 10
An out-and-out Number 10 role is something that would greatly benefit Grealish- coupled with his affinity for dropping team and general confidence, it is a tweak that could see Grealish return to the high quality volume creator he was at Aston Villa.
You wonder whether this would ever happen because:
A) City seem to be developing Phil Foden for that role.
B) City have also been extensively linked to the likes of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons.
3. Cut ties?
I like Jack Grealish. However, I wouldn’t necessarily be against the idea of letting him go.
With respect to left-sided winger/interior profiles, superior ones have entered the market; Jamal Musiala, Xavi Simons, Eberechi Eze- players with the potential to further develop retention/pausa qualities whilst maintaining a greater level of dynamism.
The blatant truth is, this is the very same Jack Grealish. Watch Grealish tape at Aston Villa when they were up against low blocks and you will see the same player- reluctant to take a man on, someone who would rather pass than dribble.
“He’s just made me see the game different,” Grealish said. “I know some people say, ‘Oh he don’t dribble as much now, he don’t run at defenders’, but I do. It’s just the team that I’m in now is a little bit different to what it was like at Villa.
-Jack Grealish on his game.
At the end of the day, Grealish remains one of football’s most valuable profiles. As a winger, he is an upgradeable piece, but when moved a bit central, he is of the mould of a specific playmaking profile- one with bags of technique reliant on a high-touch role and multiple runners, but his lack of composure in shooting situations means there is a slight cap on his ceiling.
With more responsibility, a more confident Jack Grealish emerges. The hope is that he realises it and regains his hunger to help City compete for another title.
Grealish can and should expect more from himself.
