If the statistics tell the sad story of Jack Grealish's difficulties at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola's words after the victory over West Ham are even more bitter.
"Savinho is in better form and everything is better than Jack Grealish. Does anyone in this room think that Savinho does not deserve to play right now? No. I want Grealish back to the form he won a treble against? Yes, I want it," said the Spaniard.
Since winning that treble, Grealish's achievements at the Etihad have been extremely alarming. Last season, he scored 3 goals and had 3 assists in 36 appearances in all competitions.
This season, the English striker has not scored and has 2 assists in 19 appearances. Grealish last scored for The Citizens on 16 December 2023. So, how will Grealish fare after Guardiola's criticism?
This was like a final "match" for Guardiola in his efforts to revive Grealish. He has tried to show love, affection and patience with Grealish over a long period of time.
However, when Guardiola said he wanted Grealish back for the treble season, the Spaniard hinted that the 29-year-old's standards had dropped. After all, as a coach, Guardiola has nothing to lose in this case.
However, there are many opinions that Guardiola has exhausted Grealish's creativity and freedom. He has turned a dynamic player into a "techno", wearing down Grealish's true instinct. All of that may be true, but only to a certain extent.
In the same role, other players have shown more sophistication and efficiency than Grealish. So why does Guardiola have to keep trusting Grealish? Moreover, about a year ago, when he was still on the field regularly, the 29-year-old player did not leave much of an impression.
Therefore, Grealish should take the possibility of a transfer seriously. The question is which club is ready to meet what Grealish is enjoying at Man City? And can that team spend a large sum of money on The Citizens? Remember, the reigning Premier League champions spent £100 million to bring Grealish to the Etihad.
Grealish will turn 30 this year and needs to be guaranteed playing time in the final stages of his career. It is clear that Grealish will not make his thoughts public, but no one is not without understanding that...
