The RJW63 Official Jack Grealish Appreciation Thread

[StefanAVFC]

9 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

Utd and Real hadn't made a bid, and City had met a release clause that the club was contractually obliged to accept that expired in a matter of days.

Are we really saying Jack's "team" didn't have every right to pursue that?

No.

I'm not saying that in the slightest. I'm disputing that he left on good terms. Nothing based around Purslow's statement or behaviour indicate him leaving on good terms. He wouldn't be acting like that if it was.

13 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I think they'd question why we were booing him. As we would do with them if it was the other way round. 

I remember plenty of people, myself included, questioning why Liverpool fans hated Raheem Sterling so much when he left for familiar reasons and on worse terms than grealish did.

I've spoken with many football fans since the transfer, they all think it's shit and when asked about booing they understood why. English and foreign fans.

16 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I really don't see what he's done wrong.

Saying he believes in a project, whilst trying to force a move last summer, and sneaking in a clause so he can escape. 

[delboy54]

I think Jack's leaving is a good thing in a way for Villa....perhaps he out grew us?

But we all have to admit that several players seemed to hide behind him during games and we got over reliant on Jack, opposition set themselves up to negate him in a match i.e. "stop Grealish you stop Villa"

Now he has gone we can build a "team" rather than seemingly dependant on 1 specific player to help us out

Derek

[lapal_fan]

If he'd have ended up at United, he'd have probably had less reason to go there, than City.  We'd have been really pissed off.

Real Madrid can't afford him, so that was never an option, particularly for the sum we wanted.

PSG were never in for him, so that was never an option and it now looks like they got Messi anyway. 

Barca - obvious financial problems

It was only ever going to be City really.  Abroad would have been ideal, but it was never going to happen. 

It's shit we've lost him, I'm gutted, my 6 year old was gutted but when I look at it objectively, I can understand his decision - City (at the moment) are the top club in England, they challenge for everything and will do for the next few years (coinciding with Jacks prime years).  It's a shame all the shitty players like Chilwell, Mount, Sterling etc were in his ear over the summer(s) because he'll see them lifting trophies and thinking "I'm better than them" - and there's a LOT of bravado in football.  

I think it's easy to forget as well that, as a "pro footballer" all that is instilled into you as you grow up is - WIN, at all costs.  If you get an opportunity to win now, take it.  

Yes, the romantic side of me was desperate for him to be our Totti, to say things like "1 trophy with Villa is worth 10 at City", but look at us, our city is Birmingham, not Rome.  

And I understand the argument of "in 20 years will he regret leaving and potentially getting legend status?!" I get that, but would he also regret not leaving in 20 years?  Would he regret not having any medals (potentially?) because of his talent? 

The MAJORLY disappointing thing in this entire saga is that we're "on the up" - how could he leave if we're trying to aspire for Europe THIS YEAR?  That's the biggest and most disappointing thing, it's all a "what if he could have stayed and played with our new signings?" - we probably wouldn't have broken top 6 anyway, but we'd have had a better chance with Jack in the team for sure.  

Would City have waited another year?  In hindsight no, they'd have signed Messi for 2/3 years and then Jacks 28/29 and we might not have got anywhere near Europe or silverware anyway.

I don't think the money bothers him, I'm pretty sure that's not his driver. 

I think his driver is "I see other, less talented people around me winning stuff, I want a piece of that too".

And unfortunately for us NOW, we can't offer him CL and trophies, City can.

We got a shit load of money for him (which tbh I'm not bothered about), I trust our management structure to reinvest that money well.  It's a real shame he's gone as our poster boy, but us fans have short memories and like Ashley Young, if Jack comes back in 5/6 years having got a few trophies, we'll OBVIOUSLY welcome him back, even if it doesn't feel like it now. 

Will he be boo'd?  I'm certain of it from a portion, but I'm also certain the older fans will be giving him a round of applause.  He'll certainly be facing four stands and clapping, regardless.

A painful loss for us, but let's see what we can do in the near future

UTV!

[Zatman]

Yeah i much prefer he went City than United or Liverpool 

[El Zen]

At the end of the day, football is entertainment and emotion is its only output. It’s pantomime on steroids. You cheer for the hero and boo the villain. It’s base human nature distilled and concentrated. You can go to the panto, sit in the corner with your arms crossed and say «don’t boo the dragon, he’s perfectly entitled to defend himself against the knight in shining armor». But that’s no fun, is it? 

Edited August 10, 2021 by El Zen

[Stevo985]

17 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

No.

I'm not saying that in the slightest. I'm disputing that he left on good terms. Nothing based around Purslow's statement or behaviour indicate him leaving on good terms. He wouldn't be acting like that if it was.

I've spoken with many football fans since the transfer, they all think it's shit and when asked about booing they understood why. English and foreign fans.

Saying he believes in a project, whilst trying to force a move last summer, and sneaking in a clause so he can escape. 

Moving to Man City doesn't mean he doesn't believe in the project here. Just that he's been given a far far better offer. Which he has.

Was he trying to force a move last summer? Surely he wouldn't be here if he forced a move.

He didn't sneak a clause in. He's a world class footballer and he negotiated a release clause into his contract. An absolutely huge release clause at that that nobody thought would be met.

Like I said if he was shit last season and nobody had met that clause we'd all still love him. But because he's so so good it's been met by one of the best clubs in the world.

 

I really don't get it. I don't get how he could have left on better terms other than just not doing anything and staying at Villa and passing up what he clearly sees (rightly) as an absolutely huge opportunity.

I don't understand how it's possible to leave this club without the fans hating you. Unless you're shit. It's bizarre

[PieFacE]

3 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I don't understand how it's possible to leave this club without the fans hating you. Unless you're shit. It's bizarre

You can't. It's not possible. 

[Stevo985]

14 minutes ago, Zatman said:

Yeah i much prefer he went City than United or Liverpool 

If he left Villa I'd always said I want him to go to one of the best clubs in europe because that's his level. Going to Arsenal or Utd or Liverpool would have hurt because I don't think they're good enough.

We may all hate Man City, rightly so, but whether we like it or not they are probably the best team in Europe at the moment. They are alongside Barca, Real and Bayern Munich, and given the money issues of two of those clubs there were very few clubs that would go for him.

It was going to take an elite club to take him from us, and that's what's happened. For an eye watering fee.

[lapal_fan]

3 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I don't understand how it's possible to leave this club without the fans hating you. Unless you're shit. It's bizarre

That's it in a nutshell.

You're either good enough, or shit and should be sold.

It's almost a poisoned chalice being "the best in a team".

I also envisage that it wasn't Jack who asked for a release clause, but his agent (who we all saw last year as being an odious piece of shit, only interested in facilitating moves for his own pockets).

The only thing Jack could have done better is not be his usual cheery self, and a bit of an idiot, but he's famously not smart.

[PieFacE]

I think Jack missed an opportunity by not recording some type of video to address the fans about this move. I feel that would have gone down a bit better than the powder-puff piece he did put out. But I can also totally understand why he didn't do that too. 

[Brumerican]

18 minutes ago, StefanAVFC said:

 

Saying he believes in a project, whilst trying to force a move last summer, and sneaking in a clause so he can escape. 

This whole saga sounds suspiciously like ...

 

 

[Stevo985]

2 minutes ago, lapal_fan said:

That's it in a nutshell.

You're either good enough, or shit and should be sold.

It's almost a poisoned chalice being "the best in a team".

I also envisage that it wasn't Jack who asked for a release clause, but his agent (who we all saw last year as being an odious piece of shit, only interested in facilitating moves for his own pockets).

The only thing Jack could have done better is not be his usual cheery self, and a bit of an idiot, but he's famously not smart.

This is my point. We worship players like Agbonlahor and Hutton because they stay with us for ages and become cult heroes. When in reality if they were any good they'd have **** off quicker than grealish has. But they're shit so nobody really wants them

Players that are actually amazing for us end up being wanted by better teams (which happens at almost every club in the world unless you're one of the few elite teams who can offer money, trophies and champions league) and we hate them for it.

Just seems weird to expect players to stay here forever, unless we don't want them in which case they should **** off

[El Zen]

18 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I don't understand how it's possible to leave this club without the fans hating you. Unless you're shit. It's bizarre

Like I said, he’s no more being punished for being good and leaving us, than he was unconditionally loved and defended when he was good and with us. The former is a product of the latter.

You may as well say «I don’t understand how it’s possible to dump someone who’s deeply in love with you without them hating you for it». Why does that need to be possible? Why shouldn’t they hate you for it? It’s really not that bizarre. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by El Zen

[Sulberto21]

55 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

I disagree. They wanted to keep him, he decided to leave. Just because they didn't want the same thing doesn't mean it was on bad terms.

He's gone about everything the right way, he hasn't forced anything through, he hasn't sulked, he hasn't gone on strike, I really don't see what he's done wrong.

Apart from insisting on a release clause being put into the contract he signed last season and telling the club he won't sign if it's not in there.  Also the club were threatened by legal action if the Athletic are to be believed.

Then saying "the last few months have been difficult with this decision" - implying that it's been an active situation for a while. 

This season was the best season for us to gate crash the top 6. I still believe had he stayed we would have got close. 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Sulberto21

[lapal_fan]

7 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

This is my point. We worship players like Agbonlahor and Hutton because they stay with us for ages and become cult heroes. When in reality if they were any good they'd have **** off quicker than grealish has. But they're shit so nobody really wants them

Players that are actually amazing for us end up being wanted by better teams (which happens at almost every club in the world unless you're one of the few elite teams who can offer money, trophies and champions league) and we hate them for it.

Just seems weird to expect players to stay here forever, unless we don't want them in which case they should **** off

And in some very recent cases, almost bankrupt themselves to maintain.

Football is absolutely mental. 

[Stevo985]

2 minutes ago, El Zen said:

Like I said, he’s no more being punished for being good and leaving us, than he was unconditionally loved and defended when he was good and with us. The former is a product of the latter.

You may as well say «I don’t understand how it’s possible to dump someone who’s deeply in love with you without them hating you for it». Why shouldn’t they hate you for it? It’s really not that bizarre. 

It's not bizarre to be emotionally involved and be gutted/disappointed/angry etc

I'm devastated that he's left. I felt sick seeing him in a Man City shirt.

But I like to think on VT that we're a bit more logical and sensible and we can cut through that emotion to see the reason behind people's decisions. There's a difference between being emotional and angry and actually booing a player. it just seems bizarre to me after how sensational Grealish was for us and how he's left, that people would feel the need to boo him. If Grealish gets booed then there's no hope for anyone.

People are entitled to do it, but I'm entitled to say I think it's pathetic

 

[Zatman]

Just now, Sulberto21 said:

Apart from insisting on a release clause being put into the contract he signed last season and telling the club he won't sign if it's not in there. 

Then saying "the last few months have been difficult with this decision" - implying that it's been an active situation for a while. 

This season was the best season for us to gate crash the top 6. I still believe had he stayed we would have got close. 

I dont agree, he came to training and was respectful and wasnt a bad egg. Release clause was two way though as we dont get that cash without it. Much better than what Van Dijk and now Kane is doing 

[StefanAVFC]

I find the insistence that booing is pathetic and he did nothing wrong and the continued ramming of it down other fans' throats more bizarre to be honest,  but agree to disagree  

[Stevo985]

7 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said:

Apart from insisting on a release clause being put into the contract he signed last season and telling the club he won't sign if it's not in there.  Also the club were threatened by legal action if the Athletic are to be believed.

Then saying "the last few months have been difficult with this decision" - implying that it's been an active situation for a while. 

This season was the best season for us to gate crash the top 6. I still believe had he stayed we would have got close. 

Every world class footballer worth their salt negotiates release clauses these days. he could easily have insisted on an 80m release clause. Or a 70m release clause.

He could have not signed a new contract at all and he'd be going for far less.

Signing that contract has probably made us 20-30m.

Why shouldn't the club be threatened with Legal action if they were refusing to accept a bid that met a contractual release clause?!

 

I agree that we'd be far better with grealish and we'd have a chance of the top 6. But he's been offered essentially a premier league title, probably a cup and very possibly a champions league win. Not in 5 or 10 years IF everything goes absolutely perfectly for us. He's been offered it now. At the best club in Europe. Playing with some of the best players in Europe. For the best manager. Playing alongside his idol.

Even if everything goes amazingly for Villa, we wouldn't be able to offer him what he's being offered now for 10 years. And the chances of even that are minute.

It's not like he's **** us off for 50m to go to a club who have scraped into the champions league like Spurs or Leicester

Edited August 10, 2021 by Stevo985

[lapal_fan]

I can understand why he'd be booed, he did choose to leave us afterall. 

But I wouldn't boo personally because I acknowledge that he was a premier league top 4 player playing for us in the Championship and took on A LOT of responsibility through leadership to get us promoted. 

If he'd have left after the 1-0 loss to Derby, NONE of us would have begrudged him. 

It's ONLY because we can see we've just had our best season in a decade and we HOPE to get further up this year and recognise it would have been easier to do with him.

He's a complete victim of his own success and situation in that respect.