Darren Bent has claimed that a player on the books at Manchester City is a prime example of what is currently wrong with football.
Pep Guardiola is regarded as the greatest manager in Premier League history by many of his peers, as not only has the legendary coach reached heights no one else has, but the Spaniard has changed the way the game is played on English shores.
Everyone is now trying to be more tactical and keep the ball on the floor, but there are many people who do not like this, as it has eliminated freedom and a bit of chaos from games.
While speaking about Michael Owen, Bent made the statement that one Man City star epitomises the big change that has occurred in English football over the last decade.
Darren Bent working as a pundit for Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Owen is arguably the greatest youngster to ever play in English football, as the striker was immense during the early part of his career, which resulted in him winning the Ballon d’Or at the age of 22.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent explained to listeners the freedom the former Liverpool star was given to showcase his talent and the fearlessness he had when he stepped on the football pitch, before stating that modern footballers are not given that anymore.
More Man City News
The pundit explained that players nowadays are just thrown into a system and are told what to do for the team, which restricts creativity, and mentions Jack Grealish at Man City as a prime example.
“That’s what you talk about, go and express yourself, players don’t get that anymore, because it is all about systems, 4-3-3, but you make sure you stay in this area,” Bent said on talkSPORT.
“I mean, Grealish is a prime example of that, because he went there and he is someone who needs that kind of freedom to go and express himself. But he was quite restricted at Manchester City to do that. Still done his part. Still played really well, but we never saw that kind of freedom.”
Many pundits believe Grealish should have never signed for Man City due to the way the Manchester club plays, and the winger’s current spell at Everton supports that theory up.
Jack Grealish is making history at Everton
Grealish joined Everton on loan during the summer transfer window, and the start to his career on Merseyside could not be going better, as the winger has produced four assists across his last two Premier League matches.
This is the first time an Everton player has done this in Premier League history, which shows how much the 29-year-old is enjoying the freedom he has been given by David Moyes at the Toffees.
The Grealish example backs up Bent’s point well, although it is not entirely true, as it doesn’t apply to every modern player, with players such as Kylian Mbappe and Mohamed Salah being examples of those who are given the freedom to create magic in the attacking third.