Proof Grealish is a Man City flop no matter what Pep says
Robin Bairner
- 19 Sept 2022 08:10 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola did his best to defend €118 million flop Jack Grealish following his side’s 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday.
Grealish, who is only valued at €35m by FootballTransfers having hit a peak of nearly €89m in December 2021, arrived at City last summer for the mammoth fee from Aston Villa but has failed to significantly impose himself at the Etihad.
In 47 appearances, he has made only four assists and scored only seven goals, the latest of which was a first-minute strike against Wolves on Saturday.
This is in sharp contrast to team-mate Erling Haaland, who has started life at Man City by netting more than a goal per game on average.
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Grealish toiling under price tag
Asked if Grealish is toiling because of the money that City spent on him, Guardiola said: “Yeah, maybe. We have to admit it. He has to be who he is, that is all. Good moments, bad moments everyone has.
“The important thing is ‘I am Jack Grealish, I play like I am. I go there with a good mentality and try to do the best for myself to help all of us.’ That is all I want for him and everyone.”
Pep’s defence
Guardiola said that the important thing for the winger is not scoring goals or creating assists, but the other, more intangible aspects that he can contribute to the team.
“We didn’t sign him for the incredible goals or assists at Aston Villa. It was another reason and when he played he did it. I want him to make goals and assists and he does too. But it’s not about that, it’s about his contribution without the ball and what he can produce for the other ones,” the manager said.
If Grealish was contributing such things effectively, though, it would stand to follow that City would perform better with him in their starting XI.
The evidence, though, is that they actually perform worse when their club-record signing plays.
In the Premier League last season, they had a win rate of 68.2% from the 22 games that he featured in, which came in sharp contrast to the 87.5% win rate they boasted in the 16 games in which he did not play a single minute. Although they have won both games he as started this term, the sample size is too small to draw any conclusion as to his influence.
Perhaps Grealish can turn it around at Man City, aided by the arrival of Erling Haaland, but for now, he has to be filed firmly under the flop category of signings.
