Jack Grealish has downplayed the significance of goals and assists after struggling to get on the scoresheet at Manchester City.
Grealish has been a regular starter for City this season and has been performing at a high standard, but only has one assist to show for his efforts. He will always get criticism while not getting goals or assists, and now the England international has admitted that he expected to be among the goals much more than he has been at the Etihad.
Speaking during the World Cup, Grealish offered an interesting insight into his changing perception on providing assists, pointing to Bernardo Silva and his impact on the team.
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“It’s mad innit really? I dunno, man," he said of his solo assist so far. "It is crazy when you say that because when you look back to when I was at Villa a couple of years ago – I got three in a game versus Liverpool. When I went to City, I remember thinking I would get so many goals and assists because I didn’t think about the other side of it and when you do get there, it is so much more difficult.
“I do think nowadays – goals and assists – it’s all that people go on about. Look, I want to get goals and assists. I was winding Bernardo up not too long ago because he got two assists in a row by passing the ball to Joao Cancelo on the edge of the box, Joao cut in and put it top bin. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be an assist, it should be an assist but people just go on so much."
However, for all his light-hearted criticism of Bernardo, Grealish insisted his Portuguese teammate has completely changed his perception of football and spoke glowingly of Bernardo's ability on the ball.
Grealish continued: "One of the best players I’ve played with – and he’s changed the way I see football – is Bernardo. Out of everyone I’ve played with he is probably the best.
"He doesn’t get a proper lot of goals and assists – he has got a few this season from passing it to someone and he is putting it in the top bin. The way his brain works is crazy, he will go and get the ball off the keeper and dribble with it from the six-yard box.
“I remember one game last season, the manager told Bernardo to come get the ball off Ederson. So Ederson puts the ball down and gives it to Bernardo, who goes off on his little dribble around. I was like ‘what does this guy think he is doing, he thinks it’s school football'. It was unbelievable.
"But he is unbelievable – he doesn’t get loads of goals and assists. But the way he takes the ball under pressure…Pep says he wants us to show balls, wanting the ball under pressure when the opposition crowd are against you at Anfield, when everyone is whistling and you’re saying ‘give me the ball’. That is Bernardo in a nutshell. That’s what I think I do a little bit. Talking of assists, actually, I think I’ve got quite a few now for England – so put that in your article. I think I’ve got about six or seven.”
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