Jack Grealish | Man City

HookedOnAPhelan

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I presume some of you are too young to remember Lee Sharpe, and his frequently irritating boorish behaviour.

I'm not Grealish's biggest fan, but he was brilliant v Real Madrid and scored some important goals v Arsenal and Liverpool, just as City were starting to hit their stride.
So we can't say that players from other clubs are annoying because we once had Lee Sharpe?
 

united_99

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He is the only slightly interesting/less boring and less dull thing about City. So naturally the media will focus on him.
 

Oldyella

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Weird the way some are focusing on this guy. Seems a decent enough guy and seems to have a lot of time for fans. If he can't celebrate a little too hard now when should he? It's probably not wise for a long term career mind...
 

dal

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I actually think he would be better at other top teams. I think he's said that Pep doesn't want him to lose the ball, stifles him a bit I think.

He's a young lad enjoying himself, he's seems honest , quite refreshing I think.
 

Mmm-Qatarian

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I actually don't mind him going on the lash, it's literally the only interesting/engaging thing about the whole City treble (hence why everyone is so desperate to focus on it!) and I would’ve absolutely done the same, but at the same time, you just know that if was a certain group of other players doing it, it would very much be being reported in a different way. Hell, even the England players dentist chair debacle from the 90s was treated as a scandal rather than a jolly. He gets away with it 'cos he's a loveable himbo but imagine it was Sterling, or Rashford.
Two or three years back there was a minor hoohah because Lingard posted a few videos on Instagram (?) where himself, Rashford and a few other United academy graduates were clearly on the sauce in a hotel room in America. Bear in mind that there was nothing actually offensive about these videos, they were just drunk.

The way a few people reacted was very strange given that, well, let's just say football fans generally aren't known for being pillars of temperance.

I think there's evidently a racial element to it. It's not that white players aren't ever questioned on their attitude but more that the scope of what is and is not perceived to be acceptable behaviour for non-white players seems narrower than for white ones.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that the answer is to be tougher on guys like Grealish. Quite the opposite. On the whole, I find him really likeable (irritatingly so, in fact), and am more generally of the opinion that within reason we should leave these guys to enjoy themselves off the pitch however they see fit. The argument I am making is these allowances should also be made for non-white players.
 

RedRonaldo

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People saying he’s unlikeable, he’s actually not, he’s surprisingly friendly and humble. He’s brilliant with fans, especially kids and makes time for people. He’s generous aswell. I loved him at villa and wanted us to sign him. People who say he isn’t nice, just see him on the pitch and His hair and style and assume it. Actually watch him and say he’s a prick, he really isn’t, he’s a good lad in all honesty.
Always thought he is quite a likeable/funny lad in the dressing room.
 

Cloud7

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Of all the very legitimate reasons to dislike people/things around the city ecosystem, a guy getting drunk for a few days and celebrating a big win is really not something that should draw any ire.

Most of the people and personalities around football are so sterilized these days. It's refreshing when you see someone actually being themselves rather than the usual PR mediated crap.
 

11101

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I think he's great, a good advert for footballers. He's a likeable character and its refreshing to see a player being themselves. I hope he learns to control it though or he might have trouble later in his career/life.
 

Traub

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I think he's great, a good advert for footballers. He's a likeable character and its refreshing to see a player being themselves. I hope he learns to control it though or he might have trouble later in his career/life.
My same thought. We've all done it before though, so hopefully it's just that he doesn't do it often and the spotlight is on him hence we see it.
 

Zed is not dead

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I think what pisses people off is not Grealish personnally but the narrative pushed by the media. Same as they used to speak about Rudiger « oh ha ha, what a funny character! » when Rudiger was really just an average defender trying to make it up by being goofy.

Same goes for Grealish who had in reality an average/acceptable season and is now being celebrated like he’s George Best, or being the poster boy of their treble when he contributed quite little
 

Hughes35

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I don't mind him having a drink and enjoying himself. Find it weird that all the pundits seem to thin it's "Great" or "A breath of fresh air" etc when in the past players have been slated for doing the same things. Remember Rooney doing it and getting hammered.

Very odd indeed how he's become such a media darling.

Also odd how they seem to rate him so highly. He's a good players but keeps getting compared to the best that have played the game. He struggled to start games for City and often can't break in to the England team (Rightly so).
 

11101

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My same thought. We've all done it before though, so hopefully it's just that he doesn't do it often and the spotlight is on him hence we see it.
Yeah probably, although still being in the kit he played a match in a full day later isnt something ive personally done :lol:
 

Ayoba

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Average player, will be out of the City starting 11 in 6 months time.
 

dal

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Does how they now seem to play with their wingers very wide somehow effects these stats, Grealish and Silva both have quite poor goal contributions, granted Mahrez and Foden are slightly better but not by much.

I love how he played at villa and still enjoy watching him regardless.
 

SilentWitness

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The drinking is a bit worrying as I said last year during celebrations. Binge drinking to the extent he seems to do is dangerous.
 

Adisa

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Funny how the media accept his behaviour and brush it aside but other players will not get away with it.
 

Bondi77

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Looks like he likes a drink a little too much....a very slippery slope.
 

Real Name

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Probably not even that pissed but exaggerating it for ‘comic’ effect. What a zany, crazy, madcap laaaad.
This.

Sure we've all had this but its interesting how alcohol is treated like this, lads are having fun while addiction to drugs is treated like a disease like it should be. I'm not saying Grealish is an alcoholic just noticing how his binge is treated in the media.
 

Big Andy

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He's a try hard "oooh look at me, I'm a LAAAAAAD" cnut. Any other player and they'd be getting so much bad press for it. Imagine if this was a Rashford, Sancho, Sterling, Saka, etc.
 

ForEverEleven

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At this point hes the embodiement of the "Shes so crazyyyy love her" meme.
 

TenonTen

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He's a try hard "oooh look at me, I'm a LAAAAAAD" cnut. Any other player and they'd be getting so much bad press for it. Imagine if this was a Rashford, Sancho, Sterling, Saka, etc.
I think it helps that he's good looking and a bit of a national icon kinda player. There are certain players who are loved by people and just have that star quality, charisma and presence. For those people, fans go easy on them.


For instance, not everyone would get away with Cantona's antics but yet it's all forgotten and he's celebrated like a hero. Infact if anything the bad habits and flaws add to the story of these people. The cliched Flawed Genius narrative and all.


People like Rashford and Saka are a bit dull and lack that charisma and "bad boy" vibe. They are too nice if it makes sense.
 

joi_division

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Incredibly unprofessional that a player can publicly drink this much this week and turn up for international duty today. I like the guy but every year the mad binge is a little much and I think everyone having a laugh at it is causing him more harm.

Also if I were City I wouldn’t be so pleased with him turning up pissed to what I consider public work functions. I get it’s a celebration but he needs to grow up a little.
 

Loon

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They're looking for a figure to fill the tearaway void left by Gazza and Poundshop Beckham seems to be fitting the bill.
 

Red Star One

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I think it helps that he's good looking and a bit of a national icon kinda player. There are certain players who are loved by people and just have that star quality, charisma and presence. For those people, fans go easy on them.


For instance, not everyone would get away with Cantona's antics but yet it's all forgotten and he's celebrated like a hero. Infact if anything the bad habits and flaws add to the story of these people. The cliched Flawed Genius narrative and all.


People like Rashford and Saka are a bit dull and lack that charisma and "bad boy" vibe. They are too nice if it makes sense.
I think there’s also an underlying element of racism there, if you look how the press reported black players spending extravagantly and so compared to white ones (famous Sterling vs Foden case I think) and similar instances of a bit different narrative I’m not surprised lads like Saka or Rashford prefer to maintain a dull, not too flashy image. I think it’s still easier to play the bad boy being white like Grealish
 

glasgow 21

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Incredibly unprofessional that a player can publicly drink this much this week and turn up for international duty today. I like the guy but every year the mad binge is a little much and I think everyone having a laugh at it is causing him more harm.

Also if I were City I wouldn’t be so pleased with him turning up pissed to what I consider public work functions. I get it’s a celebration but he needs to grow up a little.
Even forgetting about covid parties and drink driving he is still a diving cheat.
 

VeevaVee

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I mean the drinking…I bet 90% of people here have had a few days bender on a stag do or lads holiday in their 20s (or 30s) and it doesn’t mean they’re gonna have trouble with drinking. At uni people are bingeing 3+ days a week for 3 years but it doesn’t turn them in to raging alcoholics down the line.

It doesn’t portray the best image as a professional athlete but I’ve don’t think he’s ever come back from off season overweight, which is probably worse than a few days drinking here and there while not playing.

From his pov, he doesn’t get to do it most of the year (presumably), and has just won the treble. It’s not that deep on the face of it.
 

Rooney in Paris

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I think there’s also an underlying element of racism there, if you look how the press reported black players spending extravagantly and so compared to white ones (famous Sterling vs Foden case I think) and similar instances of a bit different narrative I’m not surprised lads like Saka or Rashford prefer to maintain a dull, not too flashy image. I think it’s still easier to play the bad boy being white like Grealish
This is sadly entirely accurate.
 

SparkedIntoLife

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My cousin was in his year at school. Says he’s a genuinely nice lad. I find it hard to dislike him. Same as with a lot of City players tbh.
 

UnrelatedPsuedo

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This is sadly entirely accurate.
Not really. Saka is a quiet lad that’s very religious and a bit of a homebody. Rashford is a solid human with various things going on outside of football. They’re both very quiet lads with introvert character types. Neither of them are choosing that.

You’ve got to have a certain character to actually BE a character like Grealish. Ferguson tolerated Evra’s big personality in the same way that Pep does with Jack.

I won’t pretend that red tops wouldn’t target Grealish if he dared to commit the crime of having more melanin. They criticised Pogba for being a devout Muslim who just happened to enjoy a funky haircut.

Though you’ve also got Micah Richards enjoying a very healthy career with a larger than life personality.

It’s a bit glib to just attach big statements to just anyone. Broad strokes aren’t going to say much in my opinion.
 

united_99

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Not really. Saka is a quiet lad that’s very religious and a bit of a homebody. Rashford is a solid human with various things going on outside of football. They’re both very quiet lads with introvert character types. Neither of them are choosing that.

You’ve got to have a certain character to actually BE a character like Grealish. Ferguson tolerated Evra’s big personality in the same way that Pep does with Jack.

I won’t pretend that red tops wouldn’t target Grealish if he dared to commit the crime of having more melanin. They criticised Pogba for being a devout Muslim who just happened to enjoy a funky haircut.

Though you’ve also got Micah Richards enjoying a very healthy career with a larger than life personality.

It’s a bit glib to just attach big statements to just anyone. Broad strokes aren’t going to say much in my opinion.
We can’t say how the reporting influences each player’s behaviour, but you can’t deny that at least at times the reporting is very different depending on the player.
Sterling was a media target for ages. And only a couple of years ago the daily mail reacted in the following way to Foden and Rashford buying property.
Headlines:
- Foden buys house for his mum
- Rashford buys 4 luxury apartments for 2 mil (with him pictured in front of an apartment which looks as “normal/average” as the one I live in). And also the price would tell you how luxury it actually could have been.
 

Oldyella

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He's a try hard "oooh look at me, I'm a LAAAAAAD" cnut. Any other player and they'd be getting so much bad press for it. Imagine if this was a Rashford, Sancho, Sterling, Saka, etc.
That's the press' fault, not his.
 

Chairman Steve

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Reminds me of the concerns we had with Rooney in off seasons and how the lack of body conditioning pretty much made him regress big time after he turned 30.

I do wonder with someone like him whether he’ll be sufficiently motivated after such a successful season because of how keen he is to let his hair down. There’s been a number of players whose hunger and desire drops considerably and it never returns. Dwight Yorke never looked the same after 1999 with his party lifestyle and Ronaldinho fell off after Barcelona won the Champions League in 2006.