Gary Lineker says a lack of pace is holding Jack Grealish back from reaching the next level.
In the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, the pundit analysed Grealish’s game and the changes he must have noticed playing for Aston Villa in comparison to Manchester City.
After the Sky Blues’ latest 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur, Roy Keane pinpointed that it was high-time that the 28-year-old started to increase his end product, considering he was signed for a whopping £100 million (Sky Sports) fee in 2021.
Gary Lineker says if Jack Grealish was faster, he would reach the next level
Since signing for Pep Guardiola’s side, the Englishman’s performances have been widely criticised, with many still on his back due to Jeremy Doku’s instant impact at the Etihad Stadium this season.
In November, Robbie Mustoe suggested the treble-winner to reinvent himself in another role, as he felt he would be unable to compete with the Belgian international for a starting spot.
But Gary Lineker has simply pointed out that if Manchester City technician Jack Grealish was a tad quicker, his game would hit new heights.
“I think possibly, the only thing missing in his game that stops it elevating into the very, very pinnacle is a slight lack of pace. I think sometimes, he beats players and then he can’t necessarily get away from them”, he said on The Rest Is Football podcast.
Lineker added, “I think he performs brilliantly. When he was at Aston Villa, they were very much a counter-attacking side and that suited him, he had a bit more space. But when you’ve got 10 men behind the ball, plus a goalkeeper and you’ve got full-backs and wingers doubling up on you, it’s really difficult unless you’ve got that burst of pace like [Jeremy] Doku’s got.”
“But Jack’s [Grealish] got different strengths and he’s an integral part of Manchester City’s squad. But I just think, just that little, tiny burst of pace and obviously, that’s not something you can change.”
This would help Jack Grealish a lot
As Gary Lineker said, Jack Grealish or any player for that matter cannot just magically become quicker out of nowhere.
However, if the two-time Premier League winner was faster, it would undoubtedly play a huge role in making him a bigger threat on the wing.
Grealish would not have to constantly rely on his technical ability to dance past defenders, as he could simply blitz past right-backs after creating an initial degree of separation.
Furthermore, the ex-Aston Villa attacker would also likely score and assist far more goals due to having the sheer pace to run in behind defences.
Currently, Jack Grealish lacks the pace to be as decisive as he would perhaps like to be as a touchline winger.
