Since joining Manchester City for £100 million, England midfielder Jack Grealish has "performed lot better than maybe he believes," according to Pep Guardiola. Grealish, 26, told the Telegraph that since his British-record move from Aston Villa in August, "it's been harder than I thought."
"I know how perfect he is," Guardiola said of City's upcoming match against his former club on Wednesday. "I have no reservations about that." I have yet to see a game in which he did not play to his full potential." Grealish is a doubt for Wednesday's match, having not played for City since 3 November due to a minor injury sustained while on international duty with England.
From his first 15 appearances for the defending Premier League champions, the Villa academy product has two goals and three assists. "Here I demand them play their best every single game," Guardiola continued, "and then we'll try to figure out why we didn't play at a high level and we'll help you." So far, Jack Grealish has always performed admirably in games. Maybe everything started with him at Villa, and he was free. Now that he's in a different position, he may not have been as focused or clinical in the final third. Perhaps he respects his peers, or perhaps it's because he's in a new setting. That's natural; it's all part of the process. He requires more time. But, because of his quality, what he sees and needs to do is so simple for him. "Just be free here and be yourself, that's all there is to it." You can do whatever you want after they have the ball close to the box. That's why you're Jack Grealish, not someone else. They must play and create their own moments. He may need to be more aggressive at times, but the decision to make an extra pass was not erroneous. It's beneficial because he makes room for the player who took the ball from him. But what if you play badly? "Without a doubt."
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