Jack Grealish has been one of the breakout stars of the young Premier League season. He’s tied for first in the league with an eye-popping 9.1 total carries per 90 minutes. Since moving to Everton, he’s already forced 17 fouls—five more than any other player in the league. This new trajectory follows a period at Manchester City where Grealish struggled to find his rhythm, averaging only 3.1 carries per 90 minutes over the past two years.
At Everton, with David Moyes at the helm, Grealish has been given the license to do what he wants and play how he wants. This movement has given him a bigger platform to perform the best of his ability. He followed that up with four assists in his first four Premier League outings. His display away to Liverpool at Anfield was arguably the most scintillating. It evoked memories for supporters of his prior clashes with the side as a youth player at Aston Villa.
Needless to say, Moyes differs in his methods radically from his time at Manchester City. There, he was forced to play second fiddle and adhere to a confined regime as prescribed by Pep Guardiola. Grealish admitted that this forced him to plan three passes in advance and frequently dampened his improvisational flair. He shared that he likes it best when managers give him the freedom to play, saying,
“I don’t mean this in an arrogant way but I do like it when managers say, ‘you’re the footballer, go and do what you want to do’” – Jack Grealish.
That lack of creative constraints looks like it’s been a big driver of his success lately. Tim Sherwood, Grealish’s former manager at Aston Villa, recently met him at Everton’s training ground to discuss his impressive start. Sherwood’s visit highlights the significance of Grealish’s current form and the potential for further development.
Grealish looked back on his spell at City and toasted the success of his first two years — with a treble-winning season included. Yet, he admitted that his third year was an under-achievement. He stated,
“The third year, I put that down to myself really and I feel like I didn’t do certain things right in that year.”
This enviable self-awareness is what’s going to make or break his rookie season. His ability to draw fouls provides him with the biggest advantage in his game. It not only produces scoring chances for his teammates, but it pulls defensive focus from them. Bradley clearly had to go above and beyond against Grealish the other week. This pairing and Grealish’s attacking runs exemplified how difficult it was to contain Grealish’s attacking runs.
Grealish’s performance at Everton should remind fans of a similar turning point in his career. At only 20 years old, he ran the show against Liverpool in an FA Cup semi-final. This dreamy form was just the beginning of him blossoming into one of the best wingers in the game today. The vibrations of that young excitement come back as he celebrates just getting to affect games again.
It focuses on his impact over the whole field Grealish’s assists and carries to goal. His influence has led him to win a Player of the Month award, establishing him as one of the cornerstones of Everton. His ability to connect with fans and teammates is evident. He remarked on the importance of feeling appreciated in the sport:
“I’m at my best when I feel loved. You know I’m quite vulnerable off the pitch and I wanted to go somewhere to just feel the love again, and to just wake up and want to play with a smile on my face again” – Jack Grealish.
A two-time Premier League winner, Moyes knows what drives Grealish. By granting him the freedom to play, Pep has maximized Grealish’s talents on the field. It seems that a combination of managerial backing and Grealish’s own desire has sparked the midfielder back to life.
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