My initial reaction to the news that Everton had suspended Jack Grealish for Thursday’s clash with Newcastle United was one of bafflement.
Not that Grealish didn’t deserve to be punished, because he absolutely did, but I felt that Everton were depriving themselves of a big player for a huge game. Could he not have been handed a hefty fine, and placed on the bench — there if required?
But, in all fairness, as more news filtered out, as I did a bit more digging into the situation, it did seem as though Everton were left with little choice.
It has now been widely reported that Grealish missed training on Monday. There was, of course, the fact that he missed last week’s clash with Arsenal due to what the club called an “illness”, though there was a feeling there was much more to it than that.
Did Grealish miss multiple training days? We probably won’t know that for sure, but even missing one — unauthorised — is unacceptable.
And if he hadn’t trained fully in the lead-up to the game, then frankly, he can’t have been judged as readily available. So dropping him completely makes a lot more sense.
Perhaps Everton’s decision to publicly out Grealish, in a way, is so that it can be made clear to the 31-year-old that, on no uncertain terms, he is on very thin ice.
And Grealish, for all his qualities as a player and a person, now absolutely owes Everton. He owes the club, he owes David Moyes, he owes his team-mates and he owes the fans.
That doesn’t mean he has to score or assist in every single game, as nice as that would be. But he does have to be giving his absolute all. He is by all accounts a very solid trainer, and he has been seen as a positive influence at the club. It’s why Everton wanted him back.
But even last season, there was talk that Moyes perhaps cut Grealish more slack than he would other players. There were rumours of a few incidents of tardiness. But never anything quite as serious as going AWOL.
However, the phrase “if you give him an inch, he’ll take a mile” comes to mind. Frankly, Grealish needs to get himself together. He needs to focus on making this chance to continue at the very highest level count, because other Premier League clubs — frankly, ones better run than Everton — would not take a chance on him. Not in this day and age, when players who can be just as effective are available on better deals.
That opens up a wider question as to why Everton were so keen to get him back. I still stand by that he’s an excellent player who can offer a lot, and did offer a lot last season. It is unfair to say he didn’t — he was Everton’s most creative player despite missing half a campaign.
But he has to decide what he really wants. And he has to choose the right path. He also, clearly, needs to get certain people and bad influences out of his life. But at the end of the day, he has to want to help himself.
Everton are unlikely to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Moyes and Grealish do have an excellent relationship, but the latter definitely has some bridges to rebuild.
Moyes, meanwhile, has to manage this well. Grealish cannot simply stroll back into the team, at least not in the short term.
There are 2 games coming up in the space of 5 days and Everton need to be fully on it, with no distractions. Tyrique George and Tyler Dibling should be starting the next two games, because right now, they are Everton’s best options.
Grealish, I hope, will at least be back in the fold, but he should be on the bench, and he should have to work his way in on merit.
Come on, Jack, get it together, because you owe us.