December 3rd 2024.
Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has been receiving criticism for his handling of Jack Grealish. Many believe that he is not utilizing the talents of the England star to their full potential by constantly playing him out of position.
Despite City's recent struggles, Grealish has only been given one start in the last three games since returning from an injury that kept him out for a month. This is not an unfamiliar situation for the 29-year-old, who has shown glimpses of his brilliance during his five seasons at the Etihad. However, he has never been able to secure a permanent starting spot under Guardiola.
Grealish's best performances this season have come while playing for England, where he was given a more central role by interim manager Lee Carsley. He scored a well-taken goal against the Republic of Ireland in Carsley's first game in charge and repeated the feat against Finland the following month. This has left many, including former teammate Shay Given, puzzled by Guardiola's decision to play him on the left wing.
"I may be biased because I played with Jack at Aston Villa, but I feel he is playing out of position," Given expressed on BBC's Football Daily. "He has been doing so since he joined Man City. I believe he is being wasted on the left wing, almost like a mannequin at times. I can't help but feel sorry for him out there."
Given also referenced Grealish's outstanding performance for England against Ireland, where he played in a central role. "I saw him play in Dublin two months ago for England, and he was monumental," Given said. "I know he didn't start at the weekend, but he was playing centrally, and he was outstanding."
Given believes that Grealish is a "generational talent" who is being wasted at Manchester City. "It may sound harsh on Pep, but I think such a talented player should not be playing out of position," he added.
Manchester City's recent defeat to Liverpool at Anfield extended their winless streak to seven games in all competitions. However, Guardiola remains focused on their upcoming match against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. At a pre-match press conference, he stressed the importance of not getting ahead of themselves and chasing the Premier League title amidst their current poor form.
"After our recent results, it would be a mistake to think about a big target like winning the Premier League," Guardiola stated. "Our focus right now is to beat teams near us in the standings and move closer to the top four. We are not far from being the second-best team in the league, but we need to be consistent."
He also praised Liverpool's magnificent performance so far this season and emphasized the importance of fighting and winning games step by step. "We have to keep moving forward," he concluded.
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