Pep Guardiola has coached many players during his time at Manchester City.
Since being appointed as City’s manager back in 2016, the 53-year-old has taken charge of 472 competitive games across all competitions, using a significant number of players along the way.
With the Blues now being the first side to win four Premier League trophies in a row, it’s safe to say that Guardiola knows how to get the best out of his players consistently.
Despite that, a pundit and former top-flight player has questioned how the Spaniard has managed one of his current City players and if that player fits into the team at all.
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Frank Leboeuf suggests Pep Guardiola has taken the spark out of Jack Grealish
Speaking in a recent video shared on the ESPN UK YouTube channel, Frank Leboeuf said this about Jack Grealish and the way he plays in Guardiola’s City team.
He said: “The problem that I have with Guardiola’s way of thinking, the football, is exactly the example of Grealish.
“You take somebody who played for Aston Villa and was the centre of attention therefore that guy was taking risks trying to take on players and sometimes losing the ball but trying it.
“When he joined Manchester City, Guardiola explained to him we don’t lose the ball, we keep the ball, we have patience, we try to tire the opposition and it’s only when we have a possibility of getting the killer pass that we do it but we mostly never take on players.
“That’s what we see throughout all the season and when you have Grealish you hear that and you say okay, so I can’t do what I was doing so, I’m going to be patient and I’m going to go back and give the ball back all the time and you don’t see what made Grealish special when he was playing for Aston Villa.
“I’m sorry but Grealish might be responsible a little bit because he doesn’t try but you have to ask the question if Grealish is the right type of player to play for Manchester City the way Guardiola wants them to play.”
Grealish must deliver a strong season for City
Since shelling out £100m to sign the winger from Villa back in 2021, City have seen Grealish make 125 appearances across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and delivering 18 assists along the way.
Earlier this week, Guardiola told the media that the £300k-a-week star returned for pre-season training in perfect shape ahead of the upcoming season.
Taking into account how the previous campaign saw Grealish only start 10 of the 20 Premier League games he appeared in, it’s understandable why Leboeuf has now questioned how suitable the Englishman is for City and Guardiola.
Moving forward, it’s safe to say that Grealish has a lot to prove in this upcoming season, which we feel he can do by delivering solid performances and goal contributions on a regular basis so any questions about him and his suitability as a City player dissolve.
