Grealish’sdiminishingrolecastsdoubtoverManCityfuture
OncethemostexpensivefootballerinBritishhistory,JackGrealishnowfindshimselfontheperipheryatManchesterCity.TheswaggerandsparklethatmadehimatalismanicfigureatAstonVillaandanintriguingweaponforPepGuardiolaappearstohavedimmedinaseasonwhereminuteshavebecomeasrareasmisplacedpassesinGuardiola’sside.
Photo IMAGO
Signedin2021for £100million,the29-year-oldhasseenhisinfluencewanesignificantlyinthiscampaign.Just1,520minutesacrossallcompetitionsisastarkcontrasttohisroleduringCity’streble-winningseasonin2022-23.Fromacentralfiguretoaseldom-usedsubstitute,thefallhasbeensharp.
Photo: IMAGO
Lastweekend’sFACupfinaldefeattoCrystalPalacefeltlikeadefiningmoment.NotonlywasGrealishbenched,hewasn’tevencalleduponduringamatchthatcriedoutforinventionandflair.NordidhefeatureduringtheWembleydefeattoManchesterUnited.Theomissionspokevolumes.
Agenerationaltalentleftunused
FormerCitygoalkeeperShayGiven,whoplayedalongsideGrealishatVilla,spokewithemotiononBBCRadio5Live’sMondayNightClub.
“IhaveasoftspotforJackGrealishandthewayheisbeingtreatedisnoton,”Givensaid. “He’snothelpedhimselfattimesbutheisagenerationaltalentthatyouwanttobuildyourteamaround.”
Given’sfrustrationisechoedbythosewhobelieveinGrealish’sartistry.WhenKevinDeBruynedepartsthissummer,aspacewillopeninmidfield.Butafterthepastfewmonths,itisfarfromclearifGrealishiseveninGuardiola’slong-termthinking.
“That’sback-to-backFACupfinalswhereyouneedagoalandyoudon’tusehim,”Givenadded. “AttheweekendCitybroughtonClaudioEcheverriwhomadehisdebutinstead.Jackisaninternational,amultiplewinner,itwascriminalhedidn’tgetonthepitch.Thewritingisonthewall.Idon’tknowwhyPepevenbroughthimtoLondon.Hemayaswellhavestayedathome.”
Thisisnotjustatacticalsnub.Ithintsatadeeperdisconnect.Grealish,renownedforhisfree-spiriteddribblingandfearlessball-carrying,hasbeenreducedtowhatGivencalls “amannequinonthewing” —toldtokeepshaperatherthaninfluencegames.Itisfootballwiththebrakeson.
Transfertalkandfinancialhurdles
City’sstanceisofficiallydiplomatic,thoughtellinglyvague.GuardiolaadmittedhehasnotdiscussedGrealish’sfuturedirectly,insteadpointingtoongoingconversationsbetweentheclub’shierarchyandtheplayer’srepresentatives.
“Wedidn’ttalk –Ididn’ttalkwithhim,”Guardiolasaid. “Peopledon’tbelieveme,butthesethingsbelongtotheagentsandtheclubandTxiki,andinthiscaseHugoaswell.Bothwilldecide.”
City’soutgoingdirectoroffootballTxikiBegiristainandhissuccessorHugoVianaarenowtaskedwithnavigatingwhatcomesnext.Grealish’s £300,000-per-weekwagesareasignificanthurdleforanypotentialsuitor,buttherewillbeinterest.ClubsacrossEuropevaluethesortofcreativeedgehebrings,particularlywhenheisgrantedthefreedomtoroamcentrallyratherthanbeshackledtothetouchline.
“Whenheplays,he’samannequinonthewingandjusttoldtokeeptheshape.KevindeBruyneisleavinginthesummerandJackGrealishistheperfectreplacementtoplayinthemiddlebutafterwhathashappened,hemaybewon’tplayfortheclubagain,”Givenconcluded. “Forhiscareer,hehastoseewhatisoutthere.Heisanamazingtalentwithplentyofyearsleftinhim.”
City’sidentityshiftandsquadevolution
City’sfailuretoclaimsilverwarethisseasonmarkstheirfirstmajortrophydroughtsince2016-17 —Guardiola’sdebutcampaign.WiththeirPremierLeaguefinishoutsidethetopfournowarealpossibility,thisfeelslikeamomentoftransition.Asquadthathasscaledeverypeakmaybeslowlydisbanding.
Grealish’sjourneywithCity,thoughdecoratedwithmedals,hasalwaysfeltslightlyunfulfilled.Usedmoreoftenasasystemplayerthanagame-changer,hehasrarelyreplicatedtheformthatoncemadehimunplayableinclaretandblue.
“It’snotonlyJack,”Guardiolaadded. “Thereisnotoneplayerinmylockerroom,andIthinkallthelockerroomsaroundtheworld,thatishappywhentheydonotplay.”
Still,someplayersareborntobemorethansquadmembers.ForGrealish,thequestioniswhetherhewantstofightforhisplace,orifthesummerbecomesaslidingdoorsmomentinacareerthatstillholdssomuchpromise.