Even the happiest person occasionally finds something to complain about, and Manchester City supporters are no exception.
A few vocal, small-but-vociferous City supporters groups have recently come under fire for their strange and harsh criticism of a player. Last season, Ederson was the one who took the brunt of it.
Some fans believed the goalkeeper was allowing too many shots to pass him and wasn’t making enough crucial stops in major games. As the cries for Stefan Ortega became louder and louder, statistics that ignored the context of the goals surrendered circulated.
The concerns about City’s inconsistent play during the first half of the season, when everyone was performing below average, were greatly exaggerated, but they quickly subsided after Ederson made numerous important saves en route to the treble. His initiative off the line and assurance on the ball alone are essential to the way the Blues play.
This time, a story about Jack Grealish has emerged from the swamp like a cunning alligator. The forward is coming off of a phenomenal campaign in which he was unstoppable on City’s march to the Premier League title and Champions League trophy, but he hasn’t quite reached those heights.
It makes no sense. Grealish has missed a few games this season due to a calf injury, even though the season hasn’t yet reached double digits in games played. Furthermore, despite their successful start, no City player is now playing at full strength, and that is on purpose.
In what will be a grueling season, Pep Guardiola doesn’t want his team getting too intense too early. Usually, he doesn’t want his side to shift up until the new year. They have now won six consecutive league games; last season, they didn’t win four straight until February.
Grealish has been reaching for the stick, though. He is now being directly contrasted with Jeremy Doku, which is why. The new player is really exciting, and it’s understandable why fans were drawn to him right away.
Unlike the other forwards for City, the Belgian is a dynamic player who prefers to run forward with the ball and create excitement rather than circle around and maintain control. Doku is a quick and skilled player; anytime he has the ball, you have to lean forward to see him well.
Grealish is proficient and productive in the last third, but he isn’t as exciting to watch or as visceral. He’s Pulp Fiction as opposed to the all-action Hateful Eight.
Even Guardiola has expressed surprise by Doku’s strong start and appreciation for him following his game-changing performance vs West Ham. The 21-year-old has only shone in one game, therefore it would be premature to declare him to be categorically superior to Grealish at this point.
Doku’s weaknesses were evident in Saturday’s loss against Wolves. In the future, he was wasteful. Risk-takers are more entertaining to watch, but they also spend more money. He often found himself in advantageous shooting positions and decided to shoot from a distance, continually searching for the far corner but always coming across the stands.
Doku’s complete lack of effort in the opposite direction, though, was even more costly. Nathan Ake was given a really miserable time all afternoon and received no help. It’s possible that he was following instructions, in which case the responsibility is diminished.
Both Wolves goals were scored from the left flank as Nelson Semedo and Pedro Neto continuously washed and rinsed Ake. The defense was also left vulnerable by Rodri’s absence, but Doku’s absence meant Ake was constantly moving to the wing, stretching and weakening the defense.
Grealish, on the other hand, has a perfect work ethic and is constantly seen busting a gut to return and support his defense. Instead of his attacking productivity, the No. 10 was frequently praised for this last season. He was very great against Tottenham in one game, and at one point he was the farthest City player back to stop a potentially dangerous counterattack.
Grealish was crucial to the treble triumph and still has lots of traits that Doku does not yet, but the excitement around Doku’s arrival shouldn’t obscure Grealish’s merits.
