The RJW63 Official Jack Grealish Appreciation Thread

[terrytini]

I don’t share the view he has a goals problem.

At random I’ve picked a few ball carrying creative midfielders, all of whom played at far more successful Clubs than Villa for most their careers and would’ve benefitted from more chances in open play and more overrun defences. It’s rough and ready, and of course there is a counter argument that Jack has played against weaker defences aswell, but, just as a guide..

Darren Anderton 34 goals in 300.....11%

Steve Mcmanaman  46/270..............17%

Ginola 22/190......................................12%

Giggs 114/672.....................................17%

Jack 17/132........................................13%,

so had he scored just 5 more goals he’d be top of that list.

 

 

 

 

[KentVillan]

I think Jack is a victim of stats only presenting a partial picture of what happens in the build up to a goal.

Here are the most fouled players in the Premier League this season:

1. Grealish 46
2. Zaha 39
3. McGinn 33
4. Maddison / McTominay 32

The amount of fouls he wins is not a coincidence:

• Teams actively try to foul him because he is seen as our most dangerous player. This ramps up their yellow card count and makes it riskier for those players to go in for tackles later in the game.
• He releases the ball very late. He's like a bullfighter taunting a bull. Just as the defender things they've got their foot to the ball, it's disappeared and he's either away or picking up the foul.
• Since the Palace VAR incident, I think public perception has shifted. Refs seem more receptive to the idea that he is actually getting booted all over the park. All the plaudits he's getting from the TV pundits are starting to feed through to the referees. His reputation as a diver and a cheat has gone IMO, except among a few salty Leeds / Bluenose clearings in the woods on social media.

A lot of those fouls are in very dangerous areas around the box (which is less true of McGinn and McTominay, for example). Grealish doesn't get the assist stat if the free kick is whipped into the box by Hourihane or Targett or whoever, but he's the one who's created the chance.

There's also just the fact that Grealish has that quality of buying time. You give Grealish the ball, and the whole team has just suddenly bought itself 5 seconds to catch their breath or get back into shape or make an attacking run. While that's happening, he's dragging the opposition completely out of shape. That quality can't be measured with stats really - you just have to watch the game.

Southgate is an absolute mug if he thinks Mason Mount or Calum Hudson Odoi offer anything like this to the England setup.

[TRO]

1 hour ago, KentVillan said:

I think Jack is a victim of stats only presenting a partial picture of what happens in the build up to a goal.

Here are the most fouled players in the Premier League this season:

1. Grealish 46
2. Zaha 39
3. McGinn 33
4. Maddison / McTominay 32

The amount of fouls he wins is not a coincidence:

• Teams actively try to foul him because he is seen as our most dangerous player. This ramps up their yellow card count and makes it riskier for those players to go in for tackles later in the game.
• He releases the ball very late. He's like a bullfighter taunting a bull. Just as the defender things they've got their foot to the ball, it's disappeared and he's either away or picking up the foul.
• Since the Palace VAR incident, I think public perception has shifted. Refs seem more receptive to the idea that he is actually getting booted all over the park. All the plaudits he's getting from the TV pundits are starting to feed through to the referees. His reputation as a diver and a cheat has gone IMO, except among a few salty Leeds / Bluenose clearings in the woods on social media.

A lot of those fouls are in very dangerous areas around the box (which is less true of McGinn and McTominay, for example). Grealish doesn't get the assist stat if the free kick is whipped into the box by Hourihane or Targett or whoever, but he's the one who's created the chance.

There's also just the fact that Grealish has that quality of buying time. You give Grealish the ball, and the whole team has just suddenly bought itself 5 seconds to catch their breath or get back into shape or make an attacking run. While that's happening, he's dragging the opposition completely out of shape. That quality can't be measured with stats really - you just have to watch the game.

Southgate is an absolute mug if he thinks Mason Mount or Calum Hudson Odoi offer anything like this to the England setup.

Ha Ha.....spot on

Mount and Maddison are fine players.....I think where Southgate is wrong is Jack offers something slightly different to them.imo...They are more direct granted, but if jack played in a team with their players at their clubs he would score more too.

Jack has to be chief cook and bottle washer....He has to do the lot with us.

I have rarely seen a player with such a deft weighted delivery or pass and his ability to go past players is absolute class......ironically, I actually think he is a lot better than what a lot of folk think he is.

Jamie Carragher is certainly a convert to join the Illustrious list of Merson and Sherwood.

He is special, alright.

[Dave-R]

People say he needs to be playing in a top 6 side with the best players for him to reach that next gear, I disagree. I think Jack can reach that next gear just by playing against more difficult opposition which he is doing. When we first arrived in this league most our players against spurs were real sluggish and slow, each and everyone of them was always going to take time getting upto speed. Now they are upto speed alot of them they now need to excel and Jack himself will most certainly do that playing against the best in this league, he doesn't need to be alongside the best. In fact I'd go as far as to say the best way for a player to shine in this case Jack, is by shining with a squad where everyone in that team are trying to get the notice, the status even the glory. Those top 6 clubs and there players already have all that fame and glory, It would take him a long time or a massive injury crisis, Jack would be waiting and waiting for his chance to break into there sides. Jack would learn no doubt about that but at a cost of time on the field for a while. The best way is always beating the best on the field as you learn your opponents and add things to your game to beat them, Jack is doing that right now and he doesn't have to bloody wait for game as he's the star here.

Jack's best place is here with us while ever were in the premier and he and everyone bloody knows it. Those who come out and say he should be at a top 6 side are just not wanting him to be at Villa anymore. The only way they know how to make top clubs thirsty for a player is to spark some crazy media spark off all in hopes some top club will see it and take note. They would of already taken note anyway that's for sure, we have two players in Jack and John who the top 6 would want and they would have to pay massive to prize them away for us. Would of been a time that a top six club would of been able to do with ease and small change, but they can't do it as successful these days. Clubs were needing the cash back then but now the premier is a place of spoils from the wars and clubs get rich quick, not like the 90s a player like Jack or John would of been off to Man Utd for peanuts.

Jack will stay with us while ever were in the premier, as for his England call up, I don't think Southgate will take him to the euros for a few reasons and it's a shame because they for the wrong reasons. Would be perfect to go to euros and get some experience then he's ready for the world cup stage after which I also dread for Jack is he doesn't go to those euros under SG.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Dave-R

[MotoMkali]

People don't want grealish to sign for a top 6 club because he is too good for that. He needs to sign for a Madrid or Barcelona. He could learn from the best at what he does and then be the best at it after Messi retires. 

[abdulaziz1]

17 minutes ago, MotoMkali said:

People don't want grealish to sign for a top 6 club because he is too good for that. He needs to sign for a Madrid or Barcelona. He could learn from the best at what he does and then be the best at it after Messi retires. 

Its just easier to not see him playing against you and getting praised every season. Plus you’d wish him the best luck.

Thats why I prefer all our best players to go abroad than go to other clubs in the Premier League.

[TRO]

3 hours ago, Dave-R said:

People say he needs to be playing in a top 6 side with the best players for him to reach that next gear, I disagree. I think Jack can reach that next gear just by playing against more difficult opposition which he is doing. When we first arrived in this league most our players against spurs were real sluggish and slow, each and everyone of them was always going to take time getting upto speed. Now they are upto speed alot of them they now need to excel and Jack himself will most certainly do that playing against the best in this league, he doesn't need to be alongside the best. In fact I'd go as far as to say the best way for a player to shine in this case Jack, is by shining with a squad where everyone in that team are trying to get the notice, the status even the glory. Those top 6 clubs and there players already have all that fame and glory, It would take him a long time or a massive injury crisis, Jack would be waiting and waiting for his chance to break into there sides. Jack would learn no doubt about that but at a cost of time on the field for a while. The best way is always beating the best on the field as you learn your opponents and add things to your game to beat them, Jack is doing that right now and he doesn't have to bloody wait for game as he's the star here.

Jack's best place is here with us while ever were in the premier and he and everyone bloody knows it. Those who come out and say he should be at a top 6 side are just not wanting him to be at Villa anymore. The only way they know how to make top clubs thirsty for a player is to spark some crazy media spark off all in hopes some top club will see it and take note. They would of already taken note anyway that's for sure, we have two players in Jack and John who the top 6 would want and they would have to pay massive to prize them away for us. Would of been a time that a top six club would of been able to do with ease and small change, but they can't do it as successful these days. Clubs were needing the cash back then but now the premier is a place of spoils from the wars and clubs get rich quick, not like the 90s a player like Jack or John would of been off to Man Utd for peanuts.

Jack will stay with us while ever were in the premier, as for his England call up, I don't think Southgate will take him to the euros for a few reasons and it's a shame because they for the wrong reasons. Would be perfect to go to euros and get some experience then he's ready for the world cup stage after which I also dread for Jack is he doesn't go to those euros under SG.

I think most folk are just saying if he was playing for a top 6 side he would be in.....not that we want him to be playing for any other side.

I don't think our owners would sell him, they simply don't have to.....but in order to keep Jack ambitious, we have to keep improving the squad and raise the quality to meet his...that has to be incremental.

I think jack will follow the path of John Terry and be at our club for life.

[abdulaziz1]

I’ve been saying that we’re a threat ourselves in getting fouls, Jack (although missing two games) he’s still the fouled player. McGinn is the 3rd. I think we’re the most team that forced opponents to get cards. I use to say that since we were in the Championship but I didn’t think that these two would do the same up here. Ofcourse I thought they’d step up as we saw in Grealish early days and McGinn internationally (with the fact that I have faith in Championship players), but to come up and have this stat isn’t an easy thing. There is a huge work being done. We’re still 4-5 in terms of shots on target, you don’t just have these stats if you were bad. 

We have our issues, but in reality we have more quality than many teams around us.

[Dave-R]

4 minutes ago, TRO said:

I think most folk are just saying if he was playing for a top 6 side he would be in.....not that we want him to be playing for any other side.

I don't think our owners would sell him, they simply don't have to.....but in order to keep Jack ambitious, we have to keep improving the squad and raise the quality to meet his...that has to be incremental.

I think jack will follow the path of John Terry and be at our club for life.

Absoloute lovely what Redknapp has said, if it's true he's urged SG to take Grealish to the euros, that's absoloute ace of him. He also says any other nationality would of pretty much built a national team around Jack, that's just big words to say such things.

I think alot are pushing for Jack now, it's not just our fans or our clubs, it's other fans, pundits and ex managers/players, something has to give eventually.

https://www.football365.com/news/redknapp-claims-spain-and-italy-would-build-team-around-grealish

[birdman]

5 hours ago, Dave-R said:

People say he needs to be playing in a top 6 side with the best players for him to reach that next gear, I disagree. I think Jack can reach that next gear just by playing against more difficult opposition which he is doing. When we first arrived in this league most our players against spurs were real sluggish and slow, each and everyone of them was always going to take time getting upto speed. Now they are upto speed alot of them they now need to excel and Jack himself will most certainly do that playing against the best in this league, he doesn't need to be alongside the best. In fact I'd go as far as to say the best way for a player to shine in this case Jack, is by shining with a squad where everyone in that team are trying to get the notice, the status even the glory. Those top 6 clubs and there players already have all that fame and glory, It would take him a long time or a massive injury crisis, Jack would be waiting and waiting for his chance to break into there sides. Jack would learn no doubt about that but at a cost of time on the field for a while. The best way is always beating the best on the field as you learn your opponents and add things to your game to beat them, Jack is doing that right now and he doesn't have to bloody wait for game as he's the star here.

Jack's best place is here with us while ever were in the premier and he and everyone bloody knows it. Those who come out and say he should be at a top 6 side are just not wanting him to be at Villa anymore. The only way they know how to make top clubs thirsty for a player is to spark some crazy media spark off all in hopes some top club will see it and take note. They would of already taken note anyway that's for sure, we have two players in Jack and John who the top 6 would want and they would have to pay massive to prize them away for us. Would of been a time that a top six club would of been able to do with ease and small change, but they can't do it as successful these days. Clubs were needing the cash back then but now the premier is a place of spoils from the wars and clubs get rich quick, not like the 90s a player like Jack or John would of been off to Man Utd for peanuts.

Jack will stay with us while ever were in the premier, as for his England call up, I don't think Southgate will take him to the euros for a few reasons and it's a shame because they for the wrong reasons. Would be perfect to go to euros and get some experience then he's ready for the world cup stage after which I also dread for Jack is he doesn't go to those euros under SG.

I think he will go. If he keeps this up I cant see how Southgate can not pick him. Pundits up and down the country and opposition fans are raving about him and Southgate will be under alot of pressure. Imagine not having that talent on the bench to call upon? Imagine the criticism he will get if  England struggle for composure and creativity against better opposition than we have faced recently. 

[HKP90]

Just watched the highlights again, Jack really is phenomenal. It’s no wonder we struggle without him. He’s at the heart of everything, and it seems like he’s maybe even got a yard of extra pace this season.

[sne]

Just look at the development Sterling (and other players) has had under Guardiola and his coaches.

To reach the very highest level he might need to move sometime down the line. simply playing against better players only gets you so far.

As much as we all like Smith we are still miles behind the big clubs leading the development. They have a huge step on us because of the way we've been run for more than a decade.

There is still plenty of room for Grealish to learn and grow here thou before he hopefully doesn't decides to move. Just have to make sure to stay in the PL. He will not drop down again.

[villalad21]

Conor on WhoScored Premier League team of the week but not Jack..

Are they actually taking the piss?

[A'Villan]

Might've been posted already but Pep Guardiola says in a press conference that Grealish is an "incredible, incredible player".

He says that he enjoyed the fact that Grealish stuck with us through the Championship stretch, and says he is too expensive for City.

[tinker]

Ultimately it will be his wages that decide if he stays or goes. If he can keep us up this year and continues his seemingly unstoppable rapid development then he could command wages of £300k + a week within 18 months .

Just like Rooney with Everton , Gascoigne and Newcastle a time comes when the best players play for the highest achieving teams of their generation.

Let's just enjoy what he gives us as each game comes and goes , I'm pretty sure he's going to give us some great moments over the next 2 seasons and after that...........good luck Jack , one of our own 

[Vincenzo]

IMO.....If he ever leaves the Villa and I hope he doesn’t, it will be to join Barcelona or Real Madrid...I think he’s that good

[Keyblade]

If we finish top 8 or something and the owners promise him serious investment to break into Europe, he's staying imo. Why join a top 6 side when you can get to the top with your boyhood club? Now if we're in a relegation battle til the end, or the worst ends up happening then I can see him leaving.

[TheStagMan]

Just as an aside, I have been working in Zurich the last few days and took a colleague with me to watch the (Newcastle) game in a local pub. He knows very little about football or who anyone is, and at the start of the game started referring to Grealish as "haircut"

Toward the end of the first half he commented about how "haircut" was running the show and how everything was going through him.

 

Even people that know nothing about football can see it!

[OutByEaster?]

For me, not only should he be in the England squad, he's currently the best midfielder England have.

 

[MotoMkali]

16 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

For me, not only should he be in the England squad, he's currently the best midfielder England have.

 

Depends whether you classify sterling as midfielder or not but aside from him his only real competition is madison and I think grealish is better although I'm sure some of the foxes fans will disagree.