Jack Grealish isn’t having the best season at Manchester City, scoring just one goal without an assist from six appearances in all competitions this season, resulting in negative attention from the media.
The 27-year-old was heavily criticised after a poor debut campaign and continues to be written about in a bad light as his form wavers following 2021’s £100m move from Aston Villa, but Noel Whelan jumped to Grealish’s defence.
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He told Football Insider: “You make your own bed at times. Life can be more difficult for you because of things you’ve done in the past. Sometimes the past never leaves you, unfortunately. Any situation you find yourself in, even if it’s an honest one, can get brought up. That is the problem.
“You will always be scrutinised if you have had past misdemeanours. Grealish is a strong enough character to deal with his past though. There will be negativity. What he needs to do is let his football do the talking. Make sure everything is positive from now on.”
Grealish made headlines for his performances for England before and during Euro 2020 and then his move to Man City which broke the British transfer record has now led to more scrutiny.
The 27-year-old is not delivering consistently on the pitch, so that does warrant negative feedback, but he’s also a constant target because of the transfer fee and popularity he had among England supporters last year.
Stories of his behaviour outside of games made headlines and he’s always being spoken about by pundits and ex-players in the media, but Whelan is right to suggest Grealish can change the narrative with his performances.
If he plays well, he will silence his critics.
In other news, Issa Kabore is struggling after his Man City exit
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