Just when it looked like Jack Grealish's Manchester City career had reached its natural conclusion, a door has creaked open at the Etihad. The 30 year...
Just when it looked like Jack Grealish's Manchester City career had reached its natural conclusion, a door has creaked open at the Etihad. The 30 year old winger, who spent last term on loan at Goodison Park, appeared destined for a permanent exit this summer. Yet GoalZaza understands that new manager Enzo Maresca is prepared to offer the £100 million man a fresh crack at the whip in his planned squad rebuild.Let's be honest about what happened at Everton. Grealish showed flashes of the old swagger, the sort of dribbling and close control that once made him the most expensive English footballer in history. But consistency remained elusive, and for long stretches on Merseyside he looked like a player searching for a style that no longer quite fit him. The low block and rapid transitional play that Sean Dyche demanded did not always suit a player who thrives on slow build up and space to dance into.Maresca, though, sees something different. The Italian coach, fresh from his spell at Leicester, wants to reinstall a possession heavy, high pressing identity at City. That brand of football requires technicians who can break lines and hold the ball in tight spaces. Grealish, at his best, does exactly that. Could this be the tactical marriage that revives his career Or is the harsh reality that Father Time is already tapping his shoulderThe real question for City fans is whether Grealish can adapt his game to operate as a more disciplined inverted winger under Maresca's system. He has the technical gifts. But does he still have the hunger to fight for a place in a side that will demand relentless running and defensive responsibility from its wide men If the answer is yes, then this lifeline might just be the start of an unexpected second chapter.One thing is certain. If Maresca can coax out something close to the Aston Villa version of Grealish, City might just have found a way to repurpose an asset that had been written off. Squeaky bum time for the man himself. The pre season will tell us everything.
