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After months, if not years, of clamoring, Jack Grealish finally got his chance in an England jersey Thursday night. It did not disappoint.
Making his first start for his country, after debuting as a late substitute in the last international break, he dazzled in an experimental and exciting England that comfortably defeated a team from Wales without the talismans Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsay.
The 24-year-old played a nearly free role throughout the attack, finding himself in gaps between Danny Ings and Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s midfield and front line, his unpredictability and flair wreaked havoc on the Welsh defenders. It was Grealish’s patient ability to create a yard of space and then a perfect shot that put the ball on a plate for Calvert-Lewin to head in the opener.
Grealish continued his excellent performance of intricate passing and smart runs until he was substituted in the 76th minute, allowing him to be a regular starter in competitive matches going forward.
It is nothing new. Grealish had a good campaign last year despite playing for a struggling Aston Villa and his start to the current season has been even better with four goals and three assists in just four games. The highlight, of course, was his sensational performance in the hardly credible 7-2 win over Liverpool in which he scored twice and scored another three goals.
Everything shows that Manchester United committed a serious lack of judgment by not signing him when they had the opportunity last summer.
United had identified Grealish as one of their priority targets months before the window opened, informing Villa of their interest in February in trying to get ahead of any potential competitor after choosing to target him instead of James Maddison of Leicester. A move seemed inevitable, but Grealish, by virtue of being brilliant, somehow helped his hometown club avoid relegation, thus reducing Villa’s need to sell it and raising the asking price.
Instead, United opted to sign Donny van de Beek for £ 40.1 million, about half the valuation of Grealish reported by Villa, who then compromised his future by signing a new five-year deal at Villa Park.
United’s decision is already showing the potential for failure. United are still as desperately short on attacking options as they were at the end of last season, when fatigue began to reduce the level of their performances. It’s clear that Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Daniel James and Odion Ighalo are not enough backups for the three first-choice forwards of Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford and if any of them sustain a significant injury then they will be in trouble. .
The Edinson Cavani arrival deadline could provide some extra firepower, but a player his age and a recent injury history cannot be relied upon, while Facundo Pellistri and Amad Diallo (who doesn’t arrive until January anyway ) are unknown quantities.
Grealish would have given United the versatility and quality that they are going to miss out on throughout the season and would have given Ole Gunnar Solskjaer more tactical flexibility as he showed how comfortable he was playing in a 3-5-2 unknown to England.
The price was high, but that’s part of the course and a problem that United has helped create with its generous spending. You cannot change the paradigm of the game and then regret it. If you want quality, especially proven Premier League quality, you have to pay for it.
United didn’t want to do that for Grealish and it was the same with Jadon Sancho.
Aston Villa is at the top of the table, with a game in hand, while United are currently 16th. It’s not going to end that way, but the table doesn’t lie and it’s indicating just how wrong the game might be. United by not signing another of their main targets.
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