Pep Guardiola wrote a rule on the wall of his office at Manchester City’s training ground when he moved there. It was largely a reminder to himself, but also to anyone who visited.
“First you have to know what to do. Then you have to know how to do it.” There is no more apt proverb to sum up Jack Grealish’s 2023-24 campaign. He knew what was needed, but he didn’t seem to know how to make it happen.
So he went to see the manager during the week of the FA Cup final in May to review a season that those close to him admit was one to be forgotten. As City made history by winning a fourth consecutive league title, Guardiola had different ways of dealing with Grealish and different feelings about him.
There were times when the manager’s frustration boiled over, but there was also sympathy and understanding for Grealish’s efforts.
The City winger’s problems are by no means an exhaustive list, but each one contributed to a poor season. The hangover from Grealish’s treble was not going away, although he was not alone. He suffered three serious injuries and there was a burglary at his new home in Cheshire that left the whole family shaken. In the meantime, there was football to be played, but he was not doing much of it.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (right) and Jack Grealish (left) discussed the winger’s struggles last season.
Grealish lost his starting place at City last season due to injuries and a drop in form.
Grealish has won the Premier League title in each of his three seasons at the Etihad with City.
When Guardiola and Grealish held talks before City lost the Wembley final to Manchester United (a day when, needing a late goal, the manager kept his £100m man on the bench), it was to use the problems as a platform to move forward.
The bottom line was this: Guardiola needs to be able to count on him for the next season. City cannot carry passengers in a year that is set to be more congested than ever, with extra European games and an expanded Club World Cup. The nine months he has just endured cannot be repeated. Grealish knew that, but there was no harm in making it clear.
Guardiola had made reference to players who suffered muscle injuries early in games not being fit enough in the first place and the consensus was that those comments were directed at Grealish, whose performances in training had left him out of the team.
After that talk, Grealish knew what to do. Now he knows how to do it. Hard work is the only way.
He sent a message to his personal trainer Jamie Reynolds and the pair headed to Quinta do Lago in the Algarve, home of the modern Campus sports complex, where teams often rest in hot weather. The trip came shortly after Gareth Southgate announced that Grealish had failed to qualify for the European Championships.
In time, this could prove to be a blessing for the 29-year-old, who was given an unexpected chance to refocus. To say it didn’t feel that way at the time would be an understatement, as Grealish believed he had done enough to deserve a place in the team after a brilliant half-hour performance in a friendly win over Bosnia at St James’ Park.
“I’m devastated,” Grealish’s friend and former Aston Villa teammate Joleon Lescott told Mail Sport. “I was in a similar situation at the 2010 World Cup. I felt devastated. Losing the chance to play for your country is the worst feeling so I’m sure it hurt. He’s keen to change that.”
The 29-year-old (right) was devastated to miss out on a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad.
“There are no bad motivations, especially for top players like Jack. Mentally he will be more sharp and focused. We definitely have to try to get the most out of him. Physically he seems to be in very good condition.”
Although City captain Kyle Walker said Grealish’s season had been below expectations and that everyone in England was there on merit, some players were baffled as to why Grealish did not travel to Germany.
At one point, it seemed to have a detrimental effect on team morale. On the day England drew 0-0 with Slovenia, the team lacked balance on the left flank and Grealish was at the City Football Academy doing extra off-season work. It shows that he is a man who wants to take advantage of the opportunity that has been presented to him.
In past summers’ holidays Grealish has been seen lying drunk on pavements in Tenerife and staggering out of clubs, but this year seems to have been a bit quieter.
His friends maintain he is so relatable that his character is gleefully analysed, and it is hard to argue with him. This summer he soaked up some sun and spent time with his friend and Villa academy teammate Callum Robinson, now at Cardiff.
The Portuguese heat under Reynolds, with plenty of conditioning and reps, appears to have benefited him before City play their first pre-season friendly here in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, against Celtic in the early hours of tomorrow.
It’s easy to say that in the early days of a tour, but Grealish has been alert and willing to work. It’s notable that he’s smiling again while training with Erling Haaland and a few other first-team regulars.
By the time Guardiola and Grealish spoke during those final days of the campaign, it was already clear that Savinho, a young winger on loan at Girona from sister club Troyes, had shown enough in La Liga to remain in Guardiola’s team.
Grealish has completed a personal training plan in the Portuguese Algarve with the aim of being ready for the start of the new season
Grealish and his partner are expecting their first child after announcing their pregnancy recently
Grealish and his girlfriend, Sasha Attwood, have enjoyed spending some quality time together over the summer.
The Brazilian, who made his national team debut against England in March, cost £33m and is now set to provide more competition in Grealish’s area. The only thing he has going for him now is that, like Jeremy Doku, Savinho is on holiday after Brazil reached the quarter-finals of the Copa America, so City’s No10 has a fortnight to show the progress he has made.
He has to prove that Portugal was worth it, that using the City Football Academy when there was no one around was worth it and that turning up four days before pre-season for more individual sessions was worth it. The shirt should be his when Chelsea visit for the opening game and it will be up to him to keep it.
His first big breakthrough in a City shirt came after the 2022 World Cup.
He learnt that in Guardiola’s system he is first and foremost the ball carrier. While still an attacking threat, he is the ball carrier to offer others breathing room, to keep possession, to manoeuvre defences and to win free kicks. He took flight after realising that and became an integral part of how City works. And it works much better when Grealish is in the team.
This would follow a difficult first season, with managers insisting that something would bring about a major improvement in the second and that he would succeed. They were right. Grealish will hope that those similarities, after a difficult tournament and campaign, can continue.
A little time off should help him recover. His girlfriend, Sasha Attwood, announced a fortnight ago that she is expecting their first child.
“I spoke to Jack recently and he’s excited about what life has in store for him over the next few months,” Lescott added. “The break will have done him good.”
Grealish battled three different serious injuries last season that largely prevented him from reaching his best form.
Grealish wants to forget last year, the 10 Premier League starts and the fleeting moments of importance
In a desperate attempt to prove his worth, Grealish returned too quickly from injuries last season.
He was off the hamster wheel for a while. The year after the Treble (for which he became synonymous with those extended celebrations, the iconic photo on the party bus in the rain and the mammoth 18-hour trip to Ibiza) ended up becoming a never-ending game of chasing one’s tail.
In a desperate attempt to prove himself, he recovered too quickly from his injuries, causing further damage. This only exacerbated his inner turmoil and he progressively became worse.
He cried watching the final episode of the City documentary on Netflix when it aired in April, reliving the Champions League triumph in Istanbul, and it could be that the tears were as much about the emotion of those memories as how he could not bring himself to contribute fully afterwards.
That’s why he wants to forget last year, the ten Premier League starts and the fleeting moments of significance. As Guardiola said, looking forward is his only option now. The next two weeks in America should give us a good look at the new and improved Jack Grealish.