Since moving to Man City, Jack Grealish has had an explosive first two seasons, but his career has slowed down since last year's campaign with injuries and serious decline in form. One of the factors that makes the English star unstable is the fact that Pep Guardiola has not really unleashed the former Aston Villa player's full potential.
When playing for Villa, Jack Grealish was known for his excellent leadership and innovation skills. His magical dribbling moves always made the opposing defense afraid. However, the 29-year-old striker has been forced into another role for Man City. He has become a toothpick in Peps possession-based system, where individual creativity is less encouraged.
Juanma Lillo - Pep Guardiola's assistant, once shared about the loss of "strange people" in modern football. He said that the fact that coaches focus too much on tactics has undermined the players' daring. These words seem to accurately reflect Grealish's situation when he possesses natural talent but is restrained by rigid tactics.
In the 2022-2023 season, Jack Grealish was an important part of Man City's treble journey. However, this season, injuries, age and lack of confidence have made him no longer himself. In the last 35 matches, the star born in 1995 has not scored any goals and has only had 2 assists over the past 18 months.
In the defeat to Juventus in the Champions League, Grealish was tested in the central midfield role. Although there are some positive signs, he has not really shined. However, with Kevin De Bruyne not fully recovered and Phil Foden in poor form, continuing to use Grealish in the center could be a reasonable choice.
Man City are struggling with a series of 8 losses in the last 11 matches. The Etihad team not only lost their sharpness but also lacked surprises in their playing style. To escape the crisis, Pep Guardiola needs to break the rigidity and give players with high breakthroughs like Jack Grealish more space to show off.
At Aston Villa, the English striker scored 8 goals from breakthrough dribbles in the last 2 seasons. However, since joining Man City, he has never done that. Pep's tactical limitations are causing Grealish to lose his killed instinct.
This weekend, Man City will face Aston Villa, the team Grealish was a symbol of. This could be an opportunity for the Citizens' captain to look back and reflect on how to exploit the talent of the 29-year-old star. If released, Grealish will not only bring a breakthrough but also restore the trust of fans.
Man City do not need a "safe" Grealish playing on the wing, passing the ball back and forth. They need someone who dares to take risks, is ready to dribble the ball, creates breakthroughs and makes opponents wary. That is also the reason why the Etihad team's leadership decided to spend 100 million pounds to recruit Grealish from Aston Villa.
Liberating Grealish could be the piece that helps Man City overcome the difficult period and return to the winning track. Pep Guardiola should find a way to combine tactics and creativity to make the English star return to the true self of a football artist.
