The £100m man has enjoyed a relatively solid start to life in the blue half of Manchester but is yet to really explode into life in a Man City shirt since his switch from Aston Villa
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Guardiola Praises Foden After Man City Sink Brighton
If you were to ask a non-football fan to watch the last few Manchester City games and then guess which talent costs £100m – chances are Jack Grealish would not be their answer.
While the former Aston Villa captain has hardly struggled since making his mega-money move to the Etihad earlier this summer, to say he has performed anything close to justifying his status as the most expensive British footballer of all-time would be way off the mark.
The England international arrived to huge fanfare from Villa Park, but is yet to have that ‘arrival’ moment – the kind of moment that cements a player in the hearts of his side’s fanbase.
Having registered 16 goal contributions in 26 games for Dean Smith’s side last term, Grealish has just two goals and two assists in all competitions so far for the reigning Premier League champions.
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There has been some suggestion that the 26-year-old is struggling to adjust to the physical demands that come with playing two games per week – a demand rarely required of Grealish while at Villa.
Guardiola’s recent comments address that – the City boss revealing he has given the attacker some advice on how he must conduct himself off the pitch.
“We spoke about that and how he has to live when he’s not here with resting, sleeping,” said Guardiola.
“He’s focused on what he has to do; he’s strong, his weight perfect, his mentality in the right position, and, hopefully, we can help him.
“It’s the first time he’s played every three days for 11 months; it’s a good challenge for him.”
Grealish will have little choice but to simply step up and match the physical demands that are placed on his shoulders.
Rate the performances of Man City’s stars during the 4-1 hammering of Brighton below
Guardiola added: “Everyone has to feel the pressure, see what the team has done.
“All the big clubs add players and add quality, running, defensively, the quality that comes from themselves, this is what we want from Jack and all the players we sign.”
Grealish’s England teammate Phil Foden is undeniably delivering the kind of performances many would associate with a player who boasts £100m price-tag – yet he didn’t cost a penny.
A fantastic advert for City’s academy, Foden is being touted as the best young player in the Premier League – England’s response to the kind of stars seen across Europe such as Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Foden boasts the kind of versatility that may be absent from Grealish’s armoury, something Guardiola alluded to after Foden’s brace against Brighton.
“I would say I like Phil anywhere! But I like Phil for the fact he knows how to play football,” Guardiola told Sky Sports.
“We can have an extra man in the positions we want to play because to pass the ball in certain areas of the game you have to be more players, and he has the quality to do it.”
The City manager has laid out exactly what Grealish must do to harness his game and allow Guardiola to take his career to the next level like he has with the likes of Foden and Raheem Sterling – the onus is now on him to deliver.
