The former Aston Villa star has fallen down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium, and would be better off seeking a new challenge
Jack Grealish is nothing if not determined, which he proved again during Manchester City's trip to Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday. Pep Guardiola handed the 28-year-old his first start in five weeks at Parken Stadium, and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, helping the reigning European champions storm out of the gates and lay siege to the Copenhagen goal.
Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring with a cool finish before Bernardo Silva nearly forced an own goal as City pummelled the hosts in the opening 20 minutes. But then, disaster struck. Grealish was floored by a challenge from Diogo Goncalves, and it was immediately clear from the anxious look on his face that damage had been done.
After punching the turf violently in frustration, the England international valiantly played on, despite Guardiola's apparent protests from the touchline. Grealish lasted almost two minutes before the pain became unbearable and he accepted a premature end to his night, with Jeremy Doku brought on to fill his spot on the left flank.
City went on to secure a comfortable 3-1 first-leg victory that puts them in full command ahead of the last-16 tie, but Guardiola confirmed Grealish had suffered a "muscular" injury when speaking to reporters in his post-match press conference. “It’s a pity that Jack got injured but it is what it is. He was gutted," the City boss added.
Devastated would have been a more appropriate word; Grealish knew how much was riding on this game. And now, instead of being right back at the forefront of Guardiola's thinking heading into the business end of the season, Grealish may now have to seriously evaluate the direction is career is heading in.
GettyAwkward fit
Grealish's previous start for City had come in early in January, in a 5-0 FA Cup third-round victory over Huddersfield. He only saw 17 minutes of action across City's next five games in all competitions, with Guardiola opting to use Phil Foden and Doku in his preferred position.
After playing such a vital role in City's treble success last season, and leading their wild celebrations, Grealish has been cast aside. Leaving a £100 million ($126m) asset to depreciate on the bench week in, week out, isn't a good look, but Guardiola has insisted the playmaker's destiny is in his own hands.
“This season was not like last season,” the Spaniard said when quizzed on why Grealish's role has been reduced. “But he’s getting better. He’s doing the steps to get to his best level and now is competing with players at a high level. This is the only reason why. He has to demand himself to get back where he was, especially last season and all the time at Aston Villa. I’m looking forward to giving him minutes. It’s not a big, big problem, completely the opposite. We need him.”
The real problem for Grealish, though, is the fact he can't be the same player he was at Villa in Guardiola's City set-up. Grealish has had to rein in his creative urges to fit in as a cog in the well-oiled City machine; he is not encouraged to run at defenders and doesn't have an overlapping full-back to combine with.
Keeping the ball circulating is Grealish's main job for City, and although it's one he still thrives at, the rest of his considerable talents are going to waste.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesOut of his control
Bad luck has certainly played a part in Grealish's apparent dip in performance this season. He also suffered what he described as the "worst injury I've ever had" when a clash with Sheffield United's Ollie McBurnie left him with a dead leg at the end of August.
That issue forced him to miss six games for club and country, and Grealish was also laid low with illness before City's huge home fixture against Liverpool on November 25. It was impossible for him to build up any rhythm in the first half of the campaign, and he also had to deal with a horrifying personal ordeal over the festive period.
Grealish got a rare 90 minutes under his belt as City strolled to a 3-1 win at Everton on December 27, only to learn afterwards that his house had been burgled. Thieves broke into his Cheshire mansion while he was playing at Goodison Park, and a number of his family members were in the house, including his fiancee Sasha Atwood, as they made off with watches and jewellery worth £1m – as per .
The "traumatic experience" left Grealish and his family "devastated", and the City star also admitted "the best year of my life in football now doesn’t feel like something I can celebrate". Grealish showed incredible mental strength by lining up in City's home fixture against Sheffield United three days later, but understandably wasn't his usual self, and came off early in the second half.
GettyDoku's instant impact
Grealish's early-season fitness woes coincided with Doku's arrival at the Etihad from Rennes, and the Belgian wasted no time justifying City's £55m ($69m) investment in him. Doku is perhaps the fastest player in Europe over five metres, and has an imposing physical frame that allows him to push past defenders with ease.
He gives City a new dimension going forward, an X-factor that Grealish just can't match. The difference between the two players was most evident when Guardiola's side picked up a 2-1 home win over Brighton back in October.
Doku set up Julian Alvarez to break the deadlock for City after just seven minutes, leaving his marker for dead with a clever piece of dribbling before lifting his head to play a perfect pass. He continued to torment the Brighton backline thereafter, and had two good chances to score himself, with those in the home crowd perched on the edge of their seats every time he got on the ball.
Guardiola eventually brought Grealish on for Doku in the 75th minute, in a bid to regain control at a time when Brighton were starting to look the more dangerous side. While Doku had been trying to fly past his man at every opportunity, Grealish merely carried the ball at a more measured pace down the line, before cutting back inside and laying it off to a team-mate.
Doku is an explosive, unpredictable weapon for City, whereas Grealish is just one of many cool heads in the squad who tries to keep things ticking over with his technical quality to please Guardiola. There is no question which man elicits more excitement from fans, or who strikes more fear into the opposition when their name is read out over the PA system.
GettyEuros place in jeopardy?
Grealish didn't make his full senior debut for England until the age of 24, having initially struggled to break into Gareth Southgate's squad while still on the books at Villa. Since earning his first cap in a 2020 Nations League clash with Denmark, though, Grealish has added another 34 to his collection, with 10 of those appearances coming at major tournaments.
The Three Lions don't have another player quite like Grealish, who is capable of creating chances out of nothing with his exceptional passing range and taking the pressure off at key junctures by drawing fouls. However, he has not been able to hold down a place in Southgate's preferred XI.
Grealish started just one game at Euro 2020 and all five of his outings at the Qatar World Cup came from the bench. Southgate acknowledges the qualities he can bring to the team, but doesn't appear to trust him in the most important matches.
Still, while he was playing a starring role for the best club side in Europe, it was impossible for Southgate to completely leave Grealish out. But he won't be guaranteed a place among the England supporting cast again at this summer's Euros if he's not playing regularly for City.