Jack Grealish’s Euro 2024 snub has left rivals Germany stunned – but Pep Guardiola may have foreseen it.
Grealish was left out of Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad after a difficult season at Manchester City. He started just 10 Premier League games and registered a mere six goal contributions across all competitions.
Nevertheless, his exclusion from the plane to Germany was notable, with Southgate opting to take the likes of Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen and Anthony Gordon instead, despite a player who has been an important member of his squad in recent years.
The move has left several Germany players “stunned” – with Die Mannschaft’s camp viewing Grealish as a player who “provokes fear in opposition when he runs at them” – according to the Independent – and thus having expected him to make the cut.
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But Guardiola recognised there was a decision for Southgate to make regarding Grealish after the FA Cup final, admitting. “He’s struggled this season.”
He went on to back him to return to his best, adding: “Jeremy [Doku] has made an incredible step forward as everyone has seen in the last games. But Jack will be back at the level of last season – I’m pretty sure.”
Unfortunately for Grealish, it won’t be at the Euros that he does that. Southgate admitted it was his form, or lack thereof, that let him down compared to his competitors.
“The fact is we’ve got some players who have been playing extremely well all season in the league and we just feel other players have had stronger seasons – particularly in the past six months or so,” the England boss explained.
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England Manager Gareth Southgate with Jack Grealish during the international friendly match between England and Bosnia & Herzegovina at St James’ Park on June 03, 2024
Southgate raised eyebrows by cutting Jack Grealish from his England squad
“We saw some fantastic performances the other night which underlined some of that and in the attacking area of the pitch we’re blessed with a lot of options and they’re all slightly different. Madders and Jack [Grealish] would have provided us with something different as well and they’ve been tough calls.
“They’re calls we’ve gone over and over and over as a group of staff to try to be fair and to try to use the right rationale.
“We back our decisions but we recognise we could have gone a different route. The boys are big characters, fabulous team-mates and great boys to work with. It’s sad to have to deliver that news to them.”
Grealish, who’s featured in 10 of England’s last 12 games at major tournaments, is yet to publicly respond to his axe. Southgate said all seven players who have now returned home took the news “respectfully”.
An unnamed senior player from those who did make the 26 was claimed to have questioned him specifically about Grealish’s omission, with it clearly coming as a surprise in the England camp too.
