Tag: Phil Foden

How Jack Grealish could fit in at Manchester City

How Jack Grealish could fit in at Manchester City

Manchester City have completed the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for £100m in the biggest deal in English football history.

The 25-year-old midfielder joins on a six-year deal after the Premier League champions activated the £100m release clause in his Villa contract on Friday.

The transfer fee also breaks the previous record in English football held by Paul Pogba when he re-joined Manchester United for £93.25m from Juventus in 2016.

It’s a deal which also makes Jack Grealish the most expensive British footballer in football history, surpassing Gareth Bale when he joined Real Madrid from Tottenham in 2013 for £85million.

The deal marks a stunning statement of intent from Pep Guardiola and Manchester City as the Premier League champions embark on retaining their crown next season.

Jack Grealish has proved one of the most creative players in the Premier League since Aston Villa’s promotion three years ago, whether through his passing, his unerring dribbling with the ball, and his sheer will and bravery to take opponents on, its no surprise Pep Guardiola feels he is the right man to refresh his star-studded squad.

The Aston Villa faithful will of course, be gutted and disheartened at this move, after all Grealish has achieved with the club, not least his remarkable gifts and talents that have rescued them out of various difficult situations since his emergence in the first team.

Grealish has indeed become an iconic figure at his boyhood club, but certainly now feels the move to Manchester City, one of the best clubs in Europe and the best in England is one he cannot turn down, especially the lure of playing in Europe’s most prestigious competitions, the UEFA Champions League.

Also, playing under one of football’s most decorated coaches ever in Pep Guardiola is an opportunity many footballers right now would certainly kill for.

At 25 years of age, its an opportunity that doesn’t come around too often, so you’d almost forgive Grealish for making such a huge career decision.

While Aston Villa lick their wounds at the sight of Grealish’s departure, Manchester City and Guardiola will be licking their lips at the sight of possessing one of the best creators in the country and one of the most talented players this great nation has had to offer.

Now, Guardiola will be contemplating with both joy and anguish at how Grealish will fit in at such a talented and world class squad. How do you fit in both Kevin de Bruyne and Jack Grealish in the same XI? How will Guardiola look to improve Jack Grealish? What qualities will Grealish bring, and how will it complement Guardiola’s style?

First and foremost, the 25-year-old will add more of a cutting edge to Manchester City’s play. Guardiola’s side scored 83 goals last season, the most of any team in the division, and possessing someone of Grealish’s ilk will only increase that figure even further.

They do say in a title winning team, that adding more quality to it and improving the following year means even more greatness and sustained success, than just sticking with the same batch of players. The whole squad becomes hungrier, competitive and more vibrant and Guardiola is doing just that with the capture of Jack Grealish.

Aston Villa’s great loss, is Manchester City’s great gain.

Without Jack Grealish last year, Villa only won three of the 12 games he sat out injured. He is a player of great reward, incision, precision, dynamism, cutting thrust and a skill set that proves so unique and masterful in comparison to his fellow English counterparts.

Grealish’s talent is obvious.

In terms of total chances created, chances created from open play and assists, Grealish is right in the midst of the Premier League’s most devastating creators.

Grealish created 70 chances from open play last season, second only to Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (77). He also formed 81 opportunities following ball carries in the last two Premier League seasons as shown above. This is all from just 26 Premier League games last year, even. 6 goals and 10 assists from 26 games is mightily impressive.

3.42 key passes, 3.46 final third passes, 6.91 progressive passes, 6.18 shot-creating actions (the two offensive actions leading directly to a shot, through passes, dribbles or drawing fouls) and 12.6 progressive carries per 90minutes all highlight how effective and influential Jack Grealish was to the Aston Villa cause.

All of those stats may increase at Manchester City, which poses such a scary thought for City’s rivals this coming season.

Many of the chances Grealish creates come after he’s dribbled with the ball, and he led the Premier League standings for 2020/21 in that particular field. Only Harry Kane, Hueng-Min Son and Bruno Fernandes had more assists following a carry and only Son, Marcus Rashford and Harvey Barnes scored more following a carry.

Grealish played far fewer minutes than any of those players, apart from Harvey Barnes, which only goes to show how dangerous Grealish is and just how much he runs with the ball. Progressive carries usually occur in the opposition half, are greater than five metres and move the ball at least five metres towards the opposition’s goal.

Grealish is absolutely devastating at performing such roles. Only three players – Adama Traore, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Pablo Hernandez – completed more per 90 than Grealish last season, but none of them were as devastating and as decisive with their carries as Grealish was.

Last season, Grealish carried the ball into the opposition penalty area a staggering 80 times, 3.29 times per 90mins. 18 more than Raheem Sterling, 32 more than Riyad Mahrez and 48 more than Bernardo Silva, already highlighting how much he offers more than Manchester City’s current options. Again, all of these staggering statistics despite Grealish only playing 26 games. He also ranks third in terms of passes into the box per 90 (2.96), behind his future teammate Kevin De Bruyne (3.56).

Grealish compared to City attackers (2020/21)GrealishSterlingFodenMahrezSilvaDe Bruyne
Games played263128272625
Goals6109926
Assists10756612
Chances created813936442780
Dribbles completed656638454148
Fouls won1104134301831
Provided by BBC Sport

Interestingly, Manchester City were the team who performed the most carries into the penalty area last season with 68, more than second-placed Chelsea. When City players get into the box, they are expected to make things happen, effect the game and Grealish, Foden, Sterling, Silva and Mahrez are all in the top 10 for passes attempted and completed inside the opposition’s penalty area last season.

The ability to carry the ball at long distances, evade pressure, beat opponents at will as well as drawing so many fouls is a trait that appeals so much to Guardiola and the City faithful. Manchester City will be getting a player who will vastly improve their football next season. However, there is a caveat to Grealish’s game that Guardiola may look to alter.

As journalist Miguel Delaney so correctly points out, Grealish is allowed so much freedom and warranty at Villa, in that his game is expressed individually, being able to perform so many actions on his own which drives his team and gets them out of difficult situations. That won’t be the case at City, Guardiola calls on a more structured approach to his attacking play, its all about the collective rather than the individual, and that’s something Grealish will have to adapt to.

He may not be able to just get the ball and dribble all he likes – as he did at Villa – he’ll be asked to keep up the tempo in City’s passing, with breaking opposition lines and carving out opportunities in the penalty area. It will certainly be interesting to see how Guardiola may adapt to Grealish’s style or teaching the Villa talisman to adapt and adhere to his own.

Grealish will need to release the ball quicker than he does, and to be more attentive when working with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling. A major part of City’s superb approach was their ability to slow the game down with their subtle, intricate and decisive passing only to then speed it up at particular moments, taking advantages of spaces when they open up.

Defenders will be drawn to Grealish like he was at Villa, which means him winning free-kicks across the park could frustrate City’s build-up, with opposition teams reverting quickly back into a defensive shape. What’s so devastating about Grealish is his huge decisiveness once dribbling with the ball, which means City will only benefit, but they’d benefit even greater if he works on his game releasing the ball much more efficiently and more sooner.

The question on everybody’s lips will certainly be where Jack Grealish could line-up next season. Sources close to Guardiola say that Grealish could be deployed as a creative no.8 alongside Kevin De Bruyne in their customary and fluid 4-3-3 shape. With Raheem Sterling regularly deployed on the left, Grealish’s regular spot will be occupied, but there’s always a chance for rotation and flexibility.

Grealish in more central areas, as we’ve seen before is of course a devastating sight to behold. As soon as he picks up the ball, its incredibly difficult to get him off it – unless fouling him. At City, he may well be given more space to roam, with opposition midfielders occupied with Kevin De Bruyne’s ability to dissect opposition defences at will. If this is the case, Guardiola will be capable of breaching the most combative of defences from not just one area in the half-space, but two.

Both Grealish and Kevin De Bruyne are both destructive in those areas which gives the opposition much more danger than they bargained for.

Of course, Grealish could also expected to be deployed on the left side of City’s attack, his most common position, although with Sterling and Foden already on that side (and given the left-footed Foden finished last campaign on that flank) it is a very competitive area of the pitch for City.

The prospect of a Grealish and Foden partnership will be mouthwatering for any Manchester City fan, and there’s certainly been flashes of the pair when the two are on duty for England. Their superb ability to combine through delicious first touch passes and swift interchanging of movement could really aid City in cutting through opponent’s steep defences.

They would have no problems switching roles temporarily too.

How about Grealish and Sterling together? Southgate has tried that partnership with ruthless aplomb before, if you need any evidence just ask the Czech Republic.

If City don’t get in Harry Kane this summer, and Guardiola opts for a false nine setup, then Grealish could be unleashed in midfield alongside Gundogan with Kevin De Bruyne coming off the front-line. Why not Grealish operating in those false-nine areas too?

The imperious quality at Guardiola’s disposal leaves a lot of room for rotation and flexibility certainly, which means Jack Grealish will be thrust into a much more competitive and much testing dynamic than at Aston Villa.

Some will argue that the grass isn’t always greener, but its a move and challenge that Grealish will relish and be excited by. It will be incredibly intriguing how Guardiola mixes and meshes his various attacking options, especially if they do manage to get in both Jack Grealish and Harry Kane this summer.

Jack Grealish’s move certainly raises as much questions as answers as to how City could line-up next season and how his game could complement the team’s and vice-versa. It’s an exciting headache for Pep Guardiola to have. However, what’s certain is that Jack Grealish will improve City considerably, and on a more personal measure, Grealish’s game may well be taken to a whole new level under Guardiola’s tutelage.

This is a call to Manchester City’s Premier League rivals (not just the red half of Manchester)… be very afraid.

How City could line-up next season with both Kane and Grealish

A complete and charismatic operator: Emiliano Buendia will propel Aston Villa’s game to a whole new level

A complete and charismatic operator: Emiliano Buendia will propel Aston Villa’s game to a whole new level

For a second successive summer Aston Villa are smashing their transfer record for a player who has taken the Championship by storm. Many will argue spending £30-odd-million pound especially for a club of Villa’s standing, a huge financial risk, considering the current climate the UK is in during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, in the case of Norwich’s brilliant Argentine chief-creator Emiliano Buendia, that amount has got to be considered as an astute piece of business.

Buendia’s £33million arrival from Championship title winners Norwich, signing a five-year-deal with the fee potentially arising to £38 million depending on various add-ons breaks the record set by Ollie Watkins’ capture from Brentford last summer.

Aston Villa have completed the signing of one of the UK’s most devastating and lethal creators. Yes, we’ve constantly marveled at the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Jack Grealish and Phil Foden over the past year but mark these words; Buendia is on the same level playing field.

As controversial as it may sound, if you’ve watched the Argentinian magician over the past couple seasons, you’d be mad not to agree with such a statement.

Emiliano Buendia will be back where he belongs next season, playing Premier League football, but not in the colours of Norwich. A big-money move was always on the horizon for him after three remarkable consecutive campaigns in English football, and the new Argentine international has somewhat formed a growing reputation as one of the country’s most complete attacking midfielders.

Despite Arsenal’s interest, Villa reportedly was the move the forward wanted and the West Midlands club will be awfully glad they’ve managed to capture Buendia under the noses of Arsenal and as early as they have done, providing him with the ample opportunity to acclimatize to his new surroundings and contribute to a full pre-season with his new club.

Next season, Aston Villa will be a force to be reckoned with. The signing of Emiliano Buendia has almost guaranteed that, but more importantly Villa have addressed a souring need in their squad – attempting to ease the creative burden on Jack Grealish. With both players in Dean Smith’s weaponry, the former Brentford manager will be drooling at the sight of his potentially formidable attack next season.

Aston Villa have massively progressed since their survival from relegation at the end of the 2019/20 campaign, and their 11th placed finished at the end of the current campaign is a significant representation of the giant strides Dean Smith and his side have made in such a short space of time. Recording one of the best defences in the league, only just conceding 46 goals, its in attack where Dean Smith felt he needed more quality.

The capture of Ollie Watkins from Brentford was a huge success, scoring 14 Premier League goals and also the signing of Bertrand Traore proved a much-needed boost to the whole squad. Still, during Jack Grealish’s considerable stint on the sidelines from February to mid-May significantly affected Aston Villa’s ability to score goals and create chances.

Ross Barkley was supposed to be the answer, after starting so well for the club, his campaign tailed off after injury. Villa heavily relied on the likes of John McGinn, Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi to link up with Ollie Watkins as well as calling on academy product Jacob Ramsey. Because of that Villa’s Premier League form suffered, only winning three games out of 12 since Jack Grealish’s shin injury against Brighton in February.

The club needed extra quality in the final third, and they have only gone and addressed that issue superbly. The signing of Emiliano Buendia may just be Villa’s best piece of business over the past decade. The 24-year-old was one of the Premier League’s most supreme performers in the final third during his maiden English top-flight campaign, recording 7 assists, and creating 70 clear-cut chances, the third best that campaign creating one more than his future teammate Jack Grealish.

This campaign, Emiliano Buendia has only furthered his education in England all the more impressively. One again, standing out as one of the best attacking midfielders in the country, despite playing in the second division. The midfielder recorded an extraordinary 15 goals, and 16 assists from 39 appearances helping Norwich to another direct promotion to the Premier League.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QriCTLFXx9I

Those numbers alone tell its own story, that Emiliano Buendia will indeed take Aston Villa’s game to a whole new level during the 2021/22 Premier League campaign. Certainly, in terms of his influence in the final third, Buendia is up there with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount.

Buendia is finally where he belongs again, playing top-level football and he is certainly here to stay.

So what will Buendia bring to Dean Smith’s progressive Villa team? You only need to put it in simple terms.

Emiliano Buendia will bring a whole lot of fine-tuning to Aston Villa’s attack, a ruthless edge and a charismatic presence in the final third that the club so dearly lacks in Jack Grealish’s absence. Buendia is a player of substance, a player built for when the going gets tough, but one who on so many occasions, holds the propensity to consistently drag his team out of trouble.

The Argentinian midfielder is an intelligent player, a mastermind in the final third. Capable of the extraordinary, whether its an eye-of-the-needle pass, a silky trick, a clever run off the ball or a sumptuous link-up play with his striker, Buendia constantly proved the key jigsaw in Norwich’s attacking puzzle. Drifting in off the right-hand side, everything went through him. Whenever Norwich needed the inspiration he provided it. 15 goals and 16 assists last season is simply outstanding, statistics both Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes would be proud of.

Creativity, vision, technique, hunger, drive, determination and a real eye for goal. Buendia has what it takes to be a top-tier Premier League player. However, the 24-year-old cannot simply be plainly defined by his efforts in the final third but his work off the ball is just as impressive and a feature that Aston Villa will be highly thankful for.

Emi Buendia is a pressing machine, a player who’s energy, tenacity and doggedness out of possession is incredibly infectious. When he starts off the press, everyone else follows. That’s what Villa lacked on occasion last season, the whole team did not press as a unit. At times, Watkins will be the player starting off but left to do it by himself.

Dean Smith will have certainly identified that weakness, hence the swift capture of one of the best defensive attacking midfielders in the country. Buendia averaged an astonishing 2.5 tackles per90 minutes, considerably more than any of Aston Villa’s attackers.

He also recorded 186 interceptions, much of them coming in the attacking half. He is a real warrior out of possession, like a kid fighting to retrieve its toy. As soon as the team loses it high-up the pitch, Buendia will be the first to try and win it back. It’s an underappreciated trait in his game, but one many will seldom enjoy once he puts on that Villa shirt next season.

Aston Villa will be extremely excited about the prospect of watching both Emiliano Buendia and Jack Grealish in the same team. Though, its a conundrum Dean Smith will have to work out if he is to get the best of his attacking weapons. Ollie Watkins will be incredibly joyous at the sight of Buendia behind him, and is almost guaranteed to get as many goals as he has done this past year.

Villa do view Buendia as their number 10 in their customary 4-2-3-1, but that does not mean there won’t be any flexibility within their attacking play. Bertrand Traore, Jack Grealish and Buendia will be constantly interchanging positions, providing a supreme mixture of pace, power, creativity and vision when creating chances, and they will create bags of them, that’s a guarantee.

How Aston Villa may line-up next season.

With Villa’s squad already stacked up with options in the wide areas in Bertrand Traore, Jack Grealish, Trezeguet and Anwar El Ghazi, there does appear to be an opportunity for Buendia to seamlessly slot in and fill those areas as shown above. Buendia is incredible in those areas, which means Villa be creating a hatful of chances each game.

Though, it is worth bearing in mind that Buendia has barely featured in such a role for Daniel Farke during his three years at Carrow Road. Rather his strength with Norwich lied on the right-hand-side in Farke’s 4-2-3-1, with Max Aarons athleticism and incredible knack of roaming up and down that right flank allowing Buendia the freedom and opportunity create havoc in the half-spaces, creating opportunities, linking up with Pukki as well as forming chances of his own.

His chance creation map above shows that he wasn’t your average right-winger, he did not hug the touchline and cross from the wide areas but instead fulfilled the role of a wide attacking player given the freedom to roam inside and operate centrally. It emphasis how diverse his creation of chances is with much of them coming in the central areas after driving in front of the right-hand side.

The Argentinian took his game to a whole new level last season, improving his goal-scoring return with a career high 14 non-penalty goals in the league going a long way to him earning the Championship player of the season gong – a year after Ollie Watkins won it himself. Five of those goals came from outside the penalty area, and that’s a feature Villa will strongly welcome. But it will be the scoring chances that Buendia forms that will be what Dean Smith will be relying on massively, especially if Jack Grealish is absent.

Buendia plays many dangerous passes, his expected assist per 90 minutes (0.36) truly shows his propensity to create chances out of nothing.

Dean Smith will be expecting that ability, coupled with other talents around him, to indeed provide Aston Villa with a more well-rounded, devastating and potent mix. There is so much for Villa fans to be optimistic about next season, and the charismatic presence of Emiliano Buendia only heightens that profound and lofty optimism and hope around Villa Park.

Mount, Foden and Grealish could be the defining ingredients for England this summer

Mount, Foden and Grealish could be the defining ingredients for England this summer

Is this the year the England football team finally delivers a major international tournaments to its coveted waters? That’s the million-dollar question so regularly asked before every major tournament England grace. It’s become a tiresome question for many England fans, even for those who have no form of affiliation to England.

Over the past decade, so few managers have tried and unfortunately suffered under the weight of expectation; Sven-Göran Eriksson, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson are just three of a considerable list of England managers who failed to successfully build a winning team filled with great individual talents.

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Gascoigne, Lineker, and Hoddle are names which garnered such huge optimism and hope that one day England may just match the lofty heights of that fairytale 1966 World Cup winning squad. However, as good as they were, they failed so miserably.

Is it down to the quality of coaching, is it the grueling English media pressure, or is it that our players just simply cannot fulfil their undoubted club potential on a more grandeur international stage?

Whatever the solution may be, current England manager Gareth Southgate – a former unfortunate victim himself of England’s past failures as a player – has marginally managed to navigate and manipulate some of those pressures and expectations and use them for some kind of good, leading England to the semi-finals at the World Cup three years ago, building a side capable of matching the likes of Germany, France, Portugal and Spain.

Now, the question is, heading into this summers Euros, can England finally go that one step further and deliver on the promise that so many of their current footballing prospects and stars bring? It genuinely feels different now and it isn’t just about that usual optimism that we cling to but there’s now an assurance, a confidence springing from the calibre of uniquely gifted footballers that have burst onto the scene over the past few years. Yes, we had the Gerrard’s, the Rooney’s the Lampard’s before but their time came and went.

The players at our disposal now hold a unique kind of ingredient, a confidence that is even greater than before. Gareth Southgate himself admitted this week his head will be on a platter if this England squad fail to reach the latter stages once again. Indeed, it will be.

There is a different feel to this current squad, blessed with players representing a new breed of generational English talents. Players who could finally provide the X-Factor England have been so desperately crying out for, for a long while. Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Maguire, Alexander-Arnold, James, Sancho, Rice, the list goes on. These players are built differently, you could argue they are more “pure” and “street” footballers than those we’ve had before.

Though, three players who give off those unique characteristics, who fans will be so heavily reliant on this summer, who won’t crumble under such weight and pressure but in fact, have the ability to knuckle down and thrive under it: Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. How Gareth Southgate manages to maximize their potential and best make use of them this summer is a whole different matter entirely. However, they are such sublime individual talents Southgate and any manager coming after him, just simply cannot ignore.

These three players are indeed the defining ingredients, the difference-makers, the kind of players that could finally lead the nation to glory, if not this summer, then in the near future. What’s so key within England’s current crop of stars is the versatility, the ability to perform and become effective in a range of positions, no matter the system the manager deploys.

England’s best footballers before were, almost without exception, conditioned to play one role and one role alone. Arguably, that’s why the so called “golden generation” failed – they simply could not work together, there was no cohesion, no flexibility and its why England so often flattered to decieve. It remains to be seen how Southgate plans mesh his talents into a winning unit, but its almost impossible to imagine something similar to before – in respect of suitability – happening again. The panache and pizzazz of Foden, Grealish and Mount simply means there can be no room for such ignorance.

Throughout this season, Mount and Foden in particular have flourished in a variety of roles, owing to their excellent tactical awareness and understanding as well as their unique footballing gifts. Their application and adaptation to roles which may be perceived as uncomfortable for them by some, has been nothing short of brilliant this season. Mount has operated as a No.10 behind two forwards, as a left-sided player drifting in the half-space, as a roaming No.8, and most regularly under Thomas Tuchel as an inside-left player in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

For Foden, you can argue has performed in similar roles for Guardiola in a 4-3-3 shape. It may be his future position is that of a No.8 breaking from midfield but he’s become at home from the left-hand side, and even as a false-nine. In City’s mesmerising 4-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, Foden played expertly in four different positions, including up-front.

Grealish, the same. The Villa superstar can perform in a variety of roles such as a No.8, a No.10 or as an inside-forward on the left and right. He’s so devastatingly effective where ever he is on the pitch. With such options available to Gareth Southgate regarding their versatility and positioning, there’s no room for a Lampard/Gerrard situation to somehow occur.

Mount, Foden and Grealish are, of course, a different breed of footballers.

All three of their defining qualities is the ability to take possession of the ball, and express themselves. The ability to take responsibility when in possession, and force the issue, to make something happen in attack. Also, most notably their appreciation of space. Mason Mount is a defining example. A player who is constantly calculating opponents’ positions and assessing which spaces he needs to operate in order to hurt the opposition. It is a quality and an area of his game that somehow goes unnoticed to many, but certainly not to his manager. That’s why Tuchel has entrusted Mount to take the lead for Chelsea in attack.

Foden, with 14 goals and 8 assists to his name for Manchester City this season – a stunning return – appears less determined to receive ball in space in comparison to Mount but he’s so brilliant and so sublime to watch when taking passes on the half-turn and weaving past his markers with such unerring ease. Indeed, Foden’s quality in those situations is demonstrated by the willingness and confidence of his teammates to feed him even when he’s tightly marked. Mount and Foden’s abilities to scan space, their opponents and their teammates ahead of them are characteristics which are rarely seen in English footballers, or even appreciated.

The same goes for Grealish, although much of his work occurs often in more advanced areas. But, his ability to dribble his team out of trouble or to drive them into the attacking third is just simply a joy to watch. Grealish’s ability to break opposition lines and to influence the efforts and contributions of those around him is an unmatched quality. You’d rarely find such similar talents around Europe.

The confidence, aura, leadership and the audacity at which Grealish operates for Villa makes him without a doubt, one of the best players in the Premier League, and its even more telling that he doesn’t play for any of the division’s “top six” clubs. It’s absurd that Grealish still sat statistically as one of the top players for chances created and successful dribbles even after missing three months of football through injury.

Grealish may not start for England at the Euros due to his recent injury lay off, but he’s a wonderful option to have if things may not be falling England’s way in matches. A player who offers something completely different to Mount and Foden, but yet still offers the same levels of confidence and assuredness that opponents just cannot live with. That’s why England have a greater chance this summer.

In 2018, we didn’t have these luxuries, players who can break opposition lines, and dissect sturdy defences at will. We also have such unique gifts in Jadon Sancho too, lets not forget about his world-class abilities.

England have often failed to live up expectations because they just simply cannot match it with the best sides in major tournaments or that in games where they are expected to win, we just somehow shirk and fall under the weight of expectation. Mount, Foden and Grealish offer such flexibilities in our game to solve these recurring issues, that we simply cannot take them for granted.

It’s obviously questionable whether there is such things as an “English” footballing identity and the unnerving perception that English football “style” of football so often fails to match those of Germany, Spain, Portugal and France. However, the narrative is progressively changing. By virtue of the evolution of Premier League football, due to the identity and philosophies provided and developed by top-level coaches in the English top-flight right now, our players are benefitting heavily from these ideologies. Mount and Foden are fine examples, with both flourishing under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola respectively, where the emphasis is on patient build-up and tiki-taka football coupled with aggressive pressing. Those ideologies are increasingly being embedded into our current breed of English footballers, and its already benefitting our own understanding towards the game.

There is a chance now, that England, when coming up against the likes of Germany, Spain and France can go toe-to-toe with them on an equal playing field.

Through the unerring and rich talents of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Mason Mount, the style and perception of English players is being rewritten. Once England produced energetic and dynamic box-to-box midfielders as well as classic number 9s, now we are producing pure footballers, intelligent, all-round technical attackers who add such a wide range of flexibility and versatility to our game.

The direct comparisons between Mount, Foden and Grealish are inevitable but the pleas to stop the optimism, hope and hype surrounding these fresh and unique footballers are incredibly unnecessary. Why can’t we celebrate such fine and pure footballing prospects? Considering what came before them, its about time we appreciate how much English football has changed for the better.

Lets hope Gareth Southgate can expertly harness the unique footballing ingredients at our disposal and cook up a storm at the Euros this summer.

My England XI to start Euros opener against Croatia:

The negative press on our young black footballers is tarnishing our game

The negative press on our young black footballers is tarnishing our game

What Kind of Journalism is this?!

After looking at the Mirror’s online headline above surrounding Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood, I am so appalled as to how our young footballers are being viewed and treated by the British media. As a young black individual myself, it is very disturbing.

What the British media are so good at is praising our fresh young talent and placing them in the limelight only just to bring them down again. It is a recurring theme and its probably why our British talents over the past decade haven’t reached the heights that their early years have promised.

So many of our stars have experienced it over the years, and its something that needs to be looked at, something that needs to be discussed. Why do we see so many other stars across Europe flourish? It’s because those players are supported by everyone across their own countries, as well as the media.

Over here, it isn’t the same narrative.

It’s probably why England haven’t won a major tournament in so long, because of so much media scrutiny and negative pressure.

Mason Greenwood over the past few weeks has been the latest victim of such, and fair enough, he’s had a tough few months, and that can be said for almost every other human being on the planet, and that is not taken into consideration from newspapers such as the Mirror.  What they are forgetting is that he is only 19-years-old, barely an adult and yet he is still receiving much media scrutiny.

After enjoying such a remarkable breakthrough season last year, in which he recorded 17 goals in his first year as a first-team squad player, it revealed so much about Greenwood and his incredible abilities and that has obviously been highlighted and praised by the media, but then to bring him crashing right back down after a few mistakes really is not right.

Certainly, the forward made a mistake in September after being spotted with Phil Foden breaking lockdown procedures whilst on international duty for England, and he’s apologised for it along with the Manchester City midfielder. But while Foden has been left alone, the scrutiny and negative press surrounding Greenwood has ridiculously heightened.

Here we have yet another Raheem Sterling incident like we had two years ago where the Manchester City forward was pictured in a negative light because of a “controversial” tattoo on his right leg. Sterling addressed it, stating that the British media intentionally set out to destroy young footballers by ‘fuelling racism and aggressive behaviour’, when comparing Daily Mail reports on Phil Foden and Tosin Adarabioyo who both bought houses for their parents which brought much attention and debate:

It is a real shame and it is still the same case today.

Mason Greenwood is only human, he’s only 19-year-old, and while there is room to encourage him and get behind him as he aims to deal with his current situation, the British media instead set out to intentionally make things even more difficult.

It’s got to stop.

He reportedly lost a close friend to suicide, and to make matters worse, there were silly rumours stating that he’d been the subject of rape, when clearly the headline in the Daily Mail clearly stated ‘Premier League star in his 20s arrested on suspicion of rape and false imprisonment in his home’, why is there a sudden jump to the conclusion that Greenwood is the culprit?

It’s sickening. It’s false and it’s not right.

Just because he’s going through a tough period does not mean we can also spread false rumours surrounding the player.

Mason Greenwood is a talented individual and should be left to his football club to help him get through this period. Such is life, these things happen and a footballer is no different, they are humans too, not robots. These are individuals going through a lot also, and the media negativity is not helping matters.

Whatever happened to positive press? Let’s get behind one of our own and support them, not bring them down.