Grealish or Sancho - Hindsight 20-20

[Bebestation]

Sancho couldn’t dribble past a player and apparently it’s us holding him back.

There’s a reason Guardiola didn’t give a shit about Sancho & so far so good he has been proven 100% right.

 

[VP89]

I think Sancho was showing a lot more confidence down the right. Garnacho is still very raw. I prefer pursuing with Sancho but knowing we can turn to Garnacho if he goes cold.

 

[Crimson King]

This is a fairly pointless argument. We needed a RW and Sancho looked to be that player. Grealish has always preferred the Left.

Grealish had looked fairly meh until Pep tweaked their formation and tactics part way through this season. Suddenly his ability to basically never lose the ball has become invaluable and really underpins their ability to dominate and basically starve their opponents into submission.

That would never work here. It would take years to even get to a point where a player like that would be useful. He'd be expected to basically do all the things that Sancho is asked to do when he's played LW for us. Maybe he would do them better, but I imagine it would still be underwhelming and he'd probably be shunted somewhere else in the team because of Rashford.

 

[AaronRedDevil]

Sancho in this City side will look twice the player he currently is. This City team is a perfect example of whole being multiple times greater than the sum of parts. United used to be like that during Fergie, alas.

I disagree. Sancho plays like a coward. Scared to take on players, scared to run, scared of his own shadow. Him scoring tap ins don't change that. The minute Jack gets the ball, he's a bit like Anthony, where he just starts running at players and being a threat. Not saying they are the same but at least they aren't scared to try and make an impact. Pep doesn't change that or make him faster.

 

[Idxomer]

I disagree. Sancho plays like a coward. Scared to take on players, scared to run, scared of his own shadow. Him scoring tap ins don't change that. The minute Jack gets the ball, he's a bit like Anthony, where he just starts running at players and being a threat. Not saying they are the same but at least they aren't scared to try and make an impact. Pep doesn't change that or make him faster.

What does it say about the rest of the team when he's statistically our best dribbler and with Antony our best ball carrier?

In addition, both Grealish and Sancho made around the same number of key passes and progressive passes per 90 in the PL while Antony isn't close to them. I don't think Grealish is faster but his main advantage is that he is stronger and plays with more intensity. That's what Sancho needs to change to be successful at United.

 

[Hammondo]

What does it say about the rest of the team when he's statistically our best dribbler and with Antony our best ball carrier?

In addition, both Grealish and Sancho made around the same number of key passes and progressive passes per 90 in the PL while Antony isn't close to them. I don't think Grealish is faster but his main advantage is that he is stronger and plays with more intensity. That's what Sancho needs to change to be successful at United.

I feel like its been a common problem for us, is that if we are weak in an area we simply buy a player to improve it which is really half-arsed. Instead of generally improving the squad in that area, we expect an individual (or a few individuals), to just come in and fix it by just being here.

 

[Lee565]

Grealish got to be managed by one of thebgreatest managers for 2 seasons, sancho has had just one season with a very good manager in ten hag, we would probably be raving about sancho had the roles been reversed, in fairness to sancho he seems to be picking up good form just as the season has come to an end

 

[11101]

I don't think there is much difference between the two.

Grealish was shit in his first season. It's taken a world class coach and being slotted into possibly the best team in the world for him to find his feet nearly 2 years later.
Sancho came to a coach that would struggle to manage our reserves and hit supposedly severe mental problems that could happen to anyone. Really, he's only been in anywhere close to Grealish's environment for less than 6 months.

Swap them round and i think their fortunes would swap almost equally.

 

[Dannn411]

Neither. No difference between the two.

 

[meamth]

What does it say about the rest of the team when he's statistically our best dribbler and with Antony our best ball carrier?

In addition, both Grealish and Sancho made around the same number of key passes and progressive passes per 90 in the PL while Antony isn't close to them. I don't think Grealish is faster but his main advantage is that he is stronger and plays with more intensity. That's what Sancho needs to change to be successful at United.

I think we are aligned with that consensus. Sancho has all the ability and flair but lacking that extra yard of pace/strength/intensity.

Hopefully our coaches can improve on that, but until that moment comes then Sancho will remain a disappointment for us.

 

[Hammondo]

I think we are aligned with that consensus. Sancho has all the ability and flair but lacking that extra yard of pace/strength/intensity.

Hopefully our coaches can improve on that, but until that moment comes then Sancho will remain a disappointment for us.

Grealish isn't fast, intense, or strong.

 

[meamth]

Grealish isn't fast, intense, or strong.

Really?


How is this not strong, intense and fast???

He can run all day, twist and turn with great intensity, that is all fitness at the highest level.

 

[Andersonson]

Grealish got to be managed by one of thebgreatest managers for 2 seasons, sancho has had just one season with a very good manager in ten hag, we would probably be raving about sancho had the roles been reversed, in fairness to sancho he seems to be picking up good form just as the season has come to an end

Tells you what you need about Sancho then. Needs a world class coach to dribble past Tete

 

[RedRonaldo]

I think Grealish has been quite impressive for City this season, and very close to his best form during Villa days.

Sancho, lets just say he is still far from his best form during Dortmund days.

 

[croadyman]

Villa should have gone down in 2020 and we would have got him for around £40m,however goalline technology was faulty

 

[Pintu]

At 23, Grealish was playing in Championship.

 

[Hammondo]

Really?


How is this not strong, intense and fast???

He can run all day, twist and turn with great intensity, that is all fitness at the highest level.

That video doesn't really show any of that, he's generally quite slow and very technical, he barely sprints in any of those clips, like a wide version of Berbatov.

He's got a low center of gravity and great close control, like iniesta (not comparing how good he is to either of those 2 players though).

I would say Sancho is at least as fast as he is, probably faster but it's hard to tell.

 

[UpWithRivers]

At 23, Grealish was playing in Championship.

Exactly. What a stupid thing to compare a young player with a player in his prime.

 

[Shane88]

Grealish will show us why we were wrong on Saturday.

Not a fecking chance Sancho turns in a game-winning performance. No way.

 

[meamth]

That video doesn't really show any of that, he's generally quite slow and very technical, he barely sprints in any of those clips, like a wide version of Berbatov.

He's got a low center of gravity and great close control, like iniesta (not comparing how good he is to either of those 2 players though).

I would say Sancho is at least as fast as he is, probably faster but it's hard to tell.

I understand what you're trying to say. To play like that, you have to gain extra lean muscles. Jack Grealish has maximized his physical potential, compared to Sancho who seems like weakling.

You see how intense the way he sprint across, twist and turn like a freak of nature. To dominate PL level players like that you need those extra fitness and strength.

 

[golden_blunder]

Grealish all day long for me

 

[MongeySpangle]

Grealish's upturn in form has been one of the most significant aspects to our incredible run since the start of February. As great as he had been for us, Cancelo's departure has likely been the catalyst for this. Cancelo's ubiquitous playing style worked as a deterrent to Grealish's ability to make an impact on the pitch; freeing up space for him out wide has been a game changer. In my opinion, we've been playing far better over the last few months than we ever had with Cancelo in the team, and I think that's part of the reason that we've decided to sell him in the summer. Grealish has fit in to this more direct, more aggressive style of play incredibly well and it's resulted in what I think has been the best version of a Man City team that I have seen. If, and that's a big if, we go on to win the next two games then I think that will consolidate it.

Sancho is a funny one. He's obviously had his own personal issues over the last eighteen months which will have affected his form. I do still think there is a place for him in this United team under ETH though. He's a very different player to Grealish in the sense that at his current peak he's been far more involved in direct goalscoring opportunities than Grealish ever has and with a quality striker next season I think he will become far more effective and his strengths will be amplified. A potential Rashford - Kane - Sancho front 3 next year at peak form would be a scary prospect, should that be this summer's outcome.

 

[lex talionis]

I still see Sancho as having a higher ceiling than Grealish, but there's no denying that Grealish >>>> Sancho this season.

We can only state the obvious, that Grealish has enjoyed much more favorable circumstances than has Sancho since both arrived at their clubs. We were more or less a shambles when Sancho arrived, but when Grealish arrived he had a front seat in a Rolls Royce of a club.

 

[Mike Smalling]

Grealish is obviously a better player at this point. For one thing, he doesn't get shoved off the ball so easily (although he goes down very easily, when fouled).

That being said I think Grealish's output is quite mediocre considering the team he's playing for. Mahrez has three times the goals and more assists in a similar number of minutes. Phil Foden has three times the goals and similar assist numbers in much fewer minutes.

 

[GwilDor]

While i don´t disagree Grealish has improved, and that he has had a good season, people are so incredibly polarizing in their standpoints. Grealish had 6 goals and 8 assists in a team that scores for fun. Its not out of this world numbers.
He also took his good time bedding in at City, without the same level of noise Sancho gets.

At this pointin time i always expected that Sancho took longer to bed in than Grealish, though both should be getting there around now. Sancho needs to take his performance and stability to the next level, and unless that happens next season i´ll agree Grealish will come off as the best purchase.

Not necessarily sure it would be the same if you switch the players Sancho->City and Grealish->United though, as this in great part is facilitated by team stability and identity. We´re still building ours, while City are merely polishing theirs from season to season.

 

[Borys]

Hard to tell for me, I still think Sancho would look better in this City side. The obvious thing Grealish has is he can run with the ball and stay on his feet if he wants to, while Sancho avoids any physical contact. Sancho would be getting better numbers than Grealish in this City side though.

 

[Lecland07]

I think Grealish would have been better for us up to this point than Sancho. Grealish had already shown that he is a fantastic counter-attacking player, which would have been far more suitable to the way we have played for a long while.

Grealish's main issue at City last season is that he had to change from that player into one who prioritises possession. He has managed it this season, though.