Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish aimed a jibe in Graeme Souness’ direction after the former Liverpool midfielder claimed he wasn’t convinced by the Manchester United transfer target.
Grealish has been one of the Premier League’s best performers this season but that didn’t stop Souness teeing off at him ahead of Villa’s clash with his former club Liverpool.
Souness claimed Grealish – the most fouled player in English football’s top flight – was ‘not seeing the picture quick enough’ and that he would have ‘loved’ to play against the 24-year-old.
The claim was quickly attacked on social media. Only Kevin De Bruyne has created more chances than Grealish in the Premier League this season and few would dispute that it’s easier to create opportunities in Pep Guardiola’s side than it is for relegation-threatened Villa.
Quote-tweeting the stats that show him to be one of the most creative players in the division and a comment from Souness, Grealish simply wrote: ‘Can’t please everyone.’
When asked if he was the key man for Dean Smith’s side ahead of Villa’s 2-0 defeat at Anfield on Sunday, Souness told Sky Sports: ‘Not sure. When I was playing, I would not want to have been the most fouled player in the Premier League.
‘That means I’m holding onto the ball for too long, that means I’m not seeing the picture earlier enough, taking extra touches when I don’t need to.
‘Yeah, he has ability, he’s easy on the eye, silky on the eye, but I’m yet to be convinced by him. I know he’s got seven goals this year.
‘When I was being coached at Liverpool, I was told that I make the striker’s mind up.
‘With my body movement, the way I get the ball out of my feet, the way in shaping at the ball, Im making them run where im looking like im going to kick the ball.
‘I just think anyone that gets tackled that much and gets that many fouls is not seeing the picture quick enough.
‘I always come back to being an old midfield player, would I have liked to have played against him?
‘I’d have loved to have played against him because he allows me to get to him, he allows me to get physical with him.
‘Do I want to play against Paul Scholes? He’s too quick. Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta those types, popping it off, one and two touch.
‘I want to play against people like him [Grealish] because I know he’s going to allow me to mess him around.’
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