Yesterday’s truth is not today’s truth, and perhaps not tomorrow’s truth either. The formula may seem tired from being rehashed, yet it faithfully applies to the situation Jack Grealish is currently going through. Terrific last year at Manchester City, where he reached dizzying heights and contributed to the historic “treble” (treble) of the club, the English international is hitting a wall at the start of the season. Since the arrival of Jeremy Doku at the Cityzens, the former Aston Villa player has seen his playing time diminish.
During the defeat against Arsenal twelve days ago (1-0), Guardiola did not even allow him a single minute of play. It must be said, there is increased competition at the position. “Who will play the most between Jack (Grealish) and Jeremy (Doku)? The one who performs the most, declared Pep Guardiola after the CUP elimination against Newcastle at the end of September. But Phil (Foden) can also play on the left. I repeat, whoever plays the best will be rewarded.» Suffice to say that the former Aston Villa player is currently going a long way. Since his return from injury in mid-September, Grealish has only played 175 minutes out of a possible 450. Moreover, he is still looking for his first goal this season. Between indisputable and debatable, there is only one step.
He wants to stay away from social networks
In a club as exposed in the media as Manchester City, and where the slightest gesture has a impact multiplied by a thousand, it’s difficult not to lose your mind when the criticism comes pouring out. As such, Jack Grealish explained in recent weeks in the Manchester City podcast that he had moved away from Twitter: “Even if you don’t want to see it and you’re on your feed, it will show up. It’s good to know what’s going on around you but… for a footballer, Twitter is carnage. I deleted the app from my phone. I much prefer Instagram because it’s only photos”he indicated after receiving numerous hate messages following his less successful performances.
If he has never been a real starter in the eyes of Gareth Southgate since his arrival at the Three Lions in 2020, Jack Grealish could still see his status decline. In a sector where competition promises to be dense (Rashford, Foden, Maddison, Sterling, Gordon), the Manchester City player appears today as a second or even third solution. It was precisely in a completely overhauled team that he was able to start on Friday against Australia – he was the decisive passer for Watkins – in a friendly match (1-0). During the shock won by England (3-1) against Italy four days later, Grealish returned to the shadows, on the bench. “Winning a trophy with the selection is my goal from now on”, indicated the England international this week. If he was referring to the Euro which is looming in 238 days, “Super Jack” will have to put on the buoy and armbands.
