Pep Guardiola has named a player that Manchester City ‘need’ during the business end of the season.
The fixtures are now coming thick and fast and every match is of massive importance as Manchester City continue to fight on three different fronts.
Pep Guardiola’s side are one point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and are still going good in the FA Cup and Champions League.
City hold a strong 3-1 advantage over FC Copenhagen from the first leg of the Champions League last 16 tie and face Luton Town on Tuesday to advance to the quarter-finals of the cup.
With so much on the line, City need as many of their players firing on all cylinders as possible. Including Jack Grealish.
Pep Guardiola on the importance of Jack Grealish
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Monday, Guardiola said when asked what he wants from Grealish: “Hopefully the impact he had last season, it depends on him.
“I try to be fair in my decisions, he played a lot of minutes last season and this season maybe less in the beginning.
“It’s the same player, same manager, same way we want to play, the same, nothing changed.
“Just how you perform, that’s the difference and we need him. I said from day one we need him having a special quality for our team.
“We need him, it depends on him. Hopefully, he can do a good three last months.
“I cannot give three or four games in a row to change the rhythm, they have to take a rhythm to play 20 minutes, 90 minutes in the high level, the people, the team.
“The team don’t wait, it’s up and down, last season it was all the time up and this time up and down, there’s a reason. The same lovely person, lovely guy, same qualities, skills.
“Even more years you improve more what we want, what we need. They don’t have to convince me, they have to convince themselves that they deserve to play.”
Can Jack Grealish turn it around?
It has been a difficult season for Grealish. Injuries have played their part as he saw a more exciting winger in Jeremy Doku come in and steal the spotlight as he was allowed to attack at will.
Grealish had no such luxury upon his move to City but he has found himself on the outside looking in this season.
The 28-year-old has started just seven times in the Premier League and is yet to do so in 2024, a massive change from last term when he was one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Yet, in his brief cameo against Copenhagen, Grealish showed exactly what he brings to the side.
City completely dominated the opening 20 minutes but lost their grip on the match when Grealish went off injured, missing the control and composure he brings to the side.
Hopefully, Grealish turns things around because City have a better chance of winning trophies when he’s at his best.
