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Author Topic: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread  (Read 29668 times)

richtheholtender

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #165 on: December 01, 2021, 09:02:21 AM »
So he nearly joined united in 2020 confirmed by him. Goes to prove the "signing the new contract to guarantee HIS club more money" theory is a load of crap

richtheholtender

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #166 on: December 01, 2021, 09:08:36 AM »
The Telegraph interview by "our" John Percy.

I know most people on here hate Jack, but I can't bring myself to. Even in this, he just comes across as a normal, young chap making the best of his talent while retaining respect for his old team.

Quote
Jack Grealish exclusive: 'It's been harder than I expected at City - but it's nice being a £100m player'
In his first newspaper interview since leaving Aston Villa for Man City, Grealish talks through the emotions around leaving his boyhood club

By
John Percy
30 November 2021 •
Jack Grealish exclusive interview: 'It's been harder than I expected at Manchester City - but it's nice being a £100m player' 

Grealish returns to Aston Villa on Wednesday where he spent seven years in the first team and 13 more in the academy before
There are two versions of Jack Grealish. The first one you probably know already - the £100 million Manchester City footballer, a poster boy for England’s new golden generation of talent and a man who inspires such devotion you can buy a calendar which features nothing but pictures of his calves.

Then there is the other Grealish - the bashful kid from Solihull devoted to his family, and still so gripped by self-doubt that he recently turned down an invitation to watch his beloved Aston Villa, for fear of the reception he would receive from his former fans.

On Wednesday, he really will be back at his old club, with City, and it is this second version of Jack Grealish - the thoughtful, caring one - who is talking Telegraph Sport through his tumult of emotions in his first newspaper interview since his transfer.

“I knew some people would be unhappy when I left, and I can see why some were like that, but I gave my all for the club every single year I was there. If I score, I’m not going to be celebrating,” he says. “At the end of the day I’m Jack Grealish from Solihull who loves the Villa. That will never change -  I’ve had a season ticket since I was four and been a fan my whole life.

“I was so close to coming to the West Ham game [in October], as we’d played on Saturday against Palace. I was invited to sit with Christian [Purslow, Villa’s chief executive] but I wasn’t actually sure of the reception I was going to get so I didn’t go.

“Fingers crossed it will be a good one on Wednesday. I’ll clap all four sides of the ground no matter what. If I get booed it will be a bit awkward!”

Grealish’s return to the club where he spent seven years in the first team, and 13 in the academy before that, will be a highly-charged evening for him and his Villa-supporting family, nearly four months after that record-breaking move to the Premier League champions.

He became the most expensive footballer in British football history when City triggered the £100million release clause inserted into his contract and has no regrets over moving. City are in the thick of the Premier League title race and have dazzled in the Champions League, with Grealish scoring on his European debut against RB Leipzig.

Yet those ties to Villa are not easily broken and he is still clearly moved when he reflects on the day he had to say his goodbyes.

“You can’t imagine how hard it was for me to leave,” he says. “I went for a run in the morning, a load of people took photographs of me and it was all on social [media] that I was staying.

“I came back and had to address all the players and staff. There were about 70 people there. I spoke for about a minute-and-a-half, then I had to stop because I had a lump in my throat and was crying.

“I was a bit surprised by some of the backlash when I left. I’d never want a toxic relationship with anyone there. I owe everything to them and I wouldn’t be at City without Villa.”

Grealish could easily have left long before City came calling. Tottenham Hotspur wanted him in the summer of 2018, and it was only the intervention of Villa’s new owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens which blocked the deal at the 11th hour.

Last year, he was targeted by Manchester United, under their former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

“I was really close to going, but nothing happened in the end,” he says. “We played United in a pre-season game on Saturday and I wasn’t supposed to play in a cup game at Burton. But after the United game I said to Purslow and my agent [David Manasseh]‘if I’m not leaving, I’ll sign my new contract’.

“I went in with my dog on Tuesday morning, signed the deal, and played later that day. We all agreed on the clause and if any team hit that, it’s a win-win because it means I’ve had an unbelievable season and Villa got £100 million.”

Grealish is still in regular contact with many of his old Villa team-mates, and is still part of a WhatsApp group with his close friend John McGinn, Matt Targett and Matty Cash, who recently picked Grealish’s brain over which vet should treat his pet dog.

Grealish’s association with local charities remains strong. He recently donated 300 balls to Birmingham Childrens’ Hospital, while 30 tickets have also been offered to Acorns Children’s Hospice for the reverse fixture at City on the final day of the season. Acorns ambassador and Villa fan Moin Younis, who was diagnosed with severe epidermolysis bullosa, is booked in for a box at the Etihad Stadium for that game.

Such are the ties that he hopes, one day, to return. “It’s a club that is so close to my heart and I definitely hope to go back there,” he said. “That’s always been in my mind. Ashley Young has done it and I want to do the same, 100 per cent.”

Like Young, and others including Gareth Barry and James Milner before him, Grealish’s time with Villa did have to end.

Their progress over the past three years from promotion to top-flight stability has been impressive, with Grealish - the local boy made good - at the forefront. But as he approached 26, and his peak years, the offer from City simply could not be turned down - not least because he craved the chance to test himself in European football.

“You only get one shot at your career and it just flies by,” he says. “I feel Villa are going towards that [Europe] but I just didn’t know how long it was going to take for us. If I hadn’t come here, I would have regretted it forever. I remember hearing Michael Owen say the same about Real Madrid.

“You look at most of my England team-mates - I was probably one of the last to play [in the] Champions League. You could probably count two or three who haven’t, such as Kalvin Phillips or Sam Johnstone.

“I’ve played four times in it now and loved every moment. It’s completely different to the Premier League, a completely different standard and way of playing.

“It’s the one we all want to win. The manager has come here and won everything else, we’re all desperate to win it and I’ve come here to try and help them.”

Grealish has loved his time in Manchester, but admits acclimatising has taken time: while he was front and centre of most of Villa’s attacking play, at City he is simply one of a stellar cast list, who tend to share the glory around.

“I’ve got so much more to give,” he said. “I’ve found it a lot more difficult than I thought I would, adapting to a different manager and team-mates. At first I thought I’d have more of the ball, get more assists and goals but it doesn’t work like that at all. I’ve had nowhere near as much of the ball as I used to get at Villa.


“I wouldn’t say I’ve struggled, but I found it hard to get used to at the start. I’ve not had the assists and goals I got last season, but I’m never one to doubt myself.”

And what of the price-tag - has being a £100million player fazed him? “I couldn’t care less about that,” he insisted. “There’s a spotlight on you but, if anything, it’s a nice thing to have as the first British £100million player.”

If Grealish does ever have a flutter of self-doubt, he need only look around the City dressing room at team-mates such as Riyad Mahrez, Bernardo Silva and the outstanding Joao Cancelo to realise that the first season under Guardiola can be a slow-burner. They have all flourished after modifying their game under the City manager, whose standards remain dizzyingly high.

“Some games this season he’s literally won on his own, from stuff he’s got us to do on the training pitch, with little tactics or tweaks. He’s an unbelievable manager and obsessed with football,” says Grealish. “You don’t see much of him in the building, but we see him on the pitches and in meetings. He has a lot of people working with him but 99 per cent of it comes from him.

“Every game we have a different way of setting up and it helps us so much.

“It’s weird because I’ve always classed myself as an off-the-cuff player. Last season I was playing left-wing and Dean Smith would say ‘if you feel like it’s right to go inside, I trust you and go and do it’.

“Here, it’s more structured and completely different. That is what I mean about adapting. There’s lots of meetings and a lot to get used to.”

Grealish is already a popular addition to the City squad, and he points to the assistance of England team-mates Phil Foden (“He’ll go down as one of the greatest English players”), Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker and John Stones for helping him settle in.

He has also fulfilled an ambition of playing alongside his idol Kevin De Bruyne, who is also expected to return soon after contracting Covid-19. There is one City player, however, who has taken Grealish’s breath away.

“Joao [Cancelo] is unreal! I can’t tell you how good he is, honestly one of the best players I’ve ever played with,” he says, laughing. “He’s loud, and a funny guy. He doesn’t speak much English but I’ve got a good connection with him.

“In the first season he struggled a bit, but this season he’s been so good. So has ‘Walks’ [Walker] - he’s different to Joao, as he’s more of a defender who will give it to the players who can hurt you. But he was amazing against PSG last week - Neymar and Mbappe couldn’t get past him.”


And so back to Villa, and the stadium Grealish has called home for so much of his life. It may only be four months since he moved up the M6, but much has changed at his old club, notably the manager. For all the excitement Grealish feels at his impending reunion with his old team-mates, the fact that Dean Smith will not be there for a quick handshake and hello is perhaps his only regret.

“I was devastated to see Dean go. I FaceTimed him straight away after the news and spoke to him for about 20 minutes,” he says. “I was so happy to see him go straight back in at Norwich. I actually watched his first Norwich game on a stream, with the Villa game on at the same time.

“He’s one of the best human beings I’ve ever come across. My family absolutely loves his family to bits.

“The day I left Villa, after I spoke to the staff, I shook everyone’s hand. But I gave the gaffer a big hug.”






I understand how this article makes you feel like that, it's clearly been designed to in my opinion. But even in a pro article, poor old jack he's a lovely lad, he just couldn't help himself. "If I'm not getting my move, I'll take the extra cash for a year thanks".


Offline sickbeggar

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #167 on: December 01, 2021, 09:09:19 AM »
“I went in with my dog on Tuesday morning, signed the deal, and played later that day. We all agreed on the clause and if any team hit that, it’s a win-win because it means I’ve had an unbelievable season and Villa got £100 million.”



To be fair I had no idea his dog handled his contract negotiations so that's probably been half the problem.

Offline chrisw1

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #168 on: December 01, 2021, 09:11:53 AM »
I'll clap him.  He was a great player for us and played a huge role in getting us back where we are.  The new contract did both sides a huge favour, moaning about that is churlish.  The club knew he was going to leave and should have handled it better.  For me everything else is just noise.  People have their own views on what he should have said, how he should have acted etc, but does it really matter?  We're better off for having him and he's beter off for having us.

And yes, I'd have him back if he's still at a decent age, playing well and the manager felt he would provide a positive contribution to the team.  Those would be the only criteria for me.  I couldn't give a stuff that people may have been upset because he didn't quite fawn over us enough in his early City interviews.  Probably the same people who would have puked if Gerrard had mentioned Liverpool and would be apoplectic if Gerrard said similar stuff to what Jack has just said in that Telegraph interview.

Offline LeeB

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #169 on: December 01, 2021, 09:17:40 AM »
Bollocks, he can get fucked. Shameless prick.

richtheholtender

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #170 on: December 01, 2021, 09:22:24 AM »
I'll clap him.  He was a great player for us and played a huge role in getting us back where we are.  The new contract did both sides a huge favour, moaning about that is churlish.  The club knew he was going to leave and should have handled it better.  For me everything else is just noise.  People have their own views on what he should have said, how he should have acted etc, but does it really matter?  We're better off for having him and he's beter off for having us.

And yes, I'd have him back if he's still at a decent age, playing well and the manager felt he would provide a positive contribution to the team.  Those would be the only criteria for me.  I couldn't give a stuff that people may have been upset because he didn't quite fawn over us enough in his early City interviews.  Probably the same people who would have puked if Gerrard had mentioned Liverpool and would be apoplectic if Gerrard said similar stuff to what Jack has just said in that Telegraph interview.



I certainly wouldn't be clapping him, not to say I'd boo him either but he's the opposition now, the enemy, anything that stops him feeling good and playing well for 90 minutes against should be done.

Offline Marlon From Bearwood

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #171 on: December 01, 2021, 09:36:17 AM »
I’m planning to neither boo nor clap, should anyone be wondering.

Offline sickbeggar

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #172 on: December 01, 2021, 09:38:51 AM »
Tutting is probably the best option for those undecided.

richtheholtender

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #173 on: December 01, 2021, 09:54:07 AM »
Tutting is probably the best option for those undecided.


Turning our backs whenever he has the ball?

Offline Drummond

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #174 on: December 01, 2021, 09:56:56 AM »
Bollocks, he can get fucked. Shameless prick.

Quite. I'll ignore him until he does something twatty on the pitch and then, as with any other player he'll get pelters.

Offline eamonn

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #175 on: December 01, 2021, 10:00:28 AM »
Tutting is probably the best option for those undecided.


Turning our backs whenever he has the ball?

Do the Poznan? Do The Strand

Offline sickbeggar

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #176 on: December 01, 2021, 10:03:25 AM »
Tutting is probably the best option for those undecided.


Turning our backs whenever he has the ball?

Bit over the top that. Perhaps a quiet muttering under the breath, or a Ferguson style slight shake of the head with a disappointed expression and accompanied blowing out of the cheeks


Offline TaxDodger

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #177 on: December 01, 2021, 10:09:01 AM »
So are we going with inflatable snakes like we did with Delph or is it inflatable rats this time?

I've obviously stocked up on both but can't be bothered inflating both options if there's a general consensus towards one.

Offline PeterWithe

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #178 on: December 01, 2021, 10:23:13 AM »
“I went in with my dog on Tuesday morning, signed the deal, and played later that day. We all agreed on the clause and if any team hit that, it’s a win-win because it means I’ve had an unbelievable season and Villa got £100 million.”



To be fair I had no idea his dog handled his contract negotiations so that's probably been half the problem.

It was Harry Redknapps dog. It also put together the Sports Direct tie up.

Offline PeterWithe

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Re: Aston Villa vs Man City pre match thread
« Reply #179 on: December 01, 2021, 10:28:51 AM »
A great player but on reflection I'm glad he went before we turned into bit part players in the JG show.

One thing that will always stick in the craw, the briefing of his family to the media (SVC for one) that he would sign a new contract with us after the Euros. That, with hindsight, was never true and just designed to screw more money from his new employers, whilst giving false hope to people who loved him. A shithouse trick.

 


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