Paul Merson believes Jack Grealish makes Manchester City a “better team” in comparison to Jeremy Doku.
However, the pundit did praise Doku’s breathtaking talent as well as his performances at the Etihad Stadium so far in his weekly Premier League predictions for Sportskeeda.
Paul Merson says Jack Grealish makes Manchester City a “better team” in comparison to Jeremy Doku
Graeme Souness, on the other hand, claimed this month that the 28-year-old’s game is “predictable” unlike in the £55.5 million (Sky Sports) man’s case, who is as tricky a customer as a full-back can come up against.
In October, Stewart Robson went as far as to say that the treble-winner had declined as an all-round player since joining Manchester City.
But Paul Merson has revealed that he favours Jack Grealish over Jeremy Doku as a fit for this current Sky Blues side.
“Everyone goes on about Jeremy Doku, who is a fantastic talent and someone who has exceeded expectations since joining the club, but Jack Grealish makes them a better team, in my opinion. Doku touched the ball a thousand times against Liverpool but didn’t show much in the final third, which is a part of his game he’s got to work on”, he said (via Sportskeeda).
Paul Merson added, “He’s a young kid with bags of potential and his injury will give him a bit of a rest but [Jack] Grealish has a chance to make his presence felt in the meantime. He’s a top player and works as hard as anyone for the team, which is a quality they need to reduce the gap at the top.”
Interestingly, Rio Ferdinand believes Pep Guardiola will opt for Jack Grealish over Jeremy Doku in do-or-die scenarios.
Too small a sample size to be making such conclusions
While some may certainly agree with Paul Merson, it is too early to decipher whether Jack Grealish or Jeremy Doku improve Manchester City more whenever either starts on the left wing.
In games where City demand control from their performance, Grealish is the answer.
Doku, however is perhaps better-suited than the ex-Aston Villa attacker when a game demands a winger to have a more dynamic approach to his attacking play, especially in terms of conjuring something out of nothing.
But based on this season’s evidence, it would be fair to assume that even Manchester City themselves are yet to discover the better option for them on the left wing.
When Jeremy Doku returns to full fitness is the perfect time to restart this constant debate as the answer seems be to inconclusive for the time being.
