Manchester City outcast can rejuvenate his career under Thomas Frank at Tottenhm – Opinion

The first thing he can do is play in an inverted left forward role in a 4-3-3 (I would kind of call it a left inside role very much like we have seen him operating at Villa Park for years). So if you tick him in a narrower role on that left where he can work to overload the half-space with a #8 (like Maddison) and combine with an overlapping full-back (Udogie or a new LB). He can also become a ball carrier in transitional situations (especially when the North Londoners win the ball deep), and this role will allow him to receive the ball under less pressure and drive at full-backs and open space for a CF like Solanke or Tel. This is closest to his Aston Villa days; I think we can bring him, given how expressive he can become.

Now let’s also explore other possibilities. Thomas Frank has also used a 3-4-2 / 3-4-2-1 formation a lot at Brentford, and here he used two roaming playmakers behind the striker. If I am to think about Grealish in this role, he could be one of the two “free 10s” drifting between lines while in midfield during buildup phases to slow tempo and relieve pressure. Then he can combine with full-backs and deliver balls into the box for a physical #9. Now in this role, Grealish can retain the ball in this role and take up fouls in dangerous areas.

He can also play as a left-sided mid in a 4-3-3. Here I think this is more experimenting with it, but I do believe that it suits his quality. He can play in a deeper-lying wide #8 role, especially in games where Tottenham are controlling games (it would, in a lot of ways, be a replication of how Arsenal play Odegaard under Mikel Arteta).

So in this system, Maddison may shift wider or higher while the Man City man will be tasked with being a tempo carrier from deep. This can help the Lilywhites cover against overloads while offering line-breaking passes. That being said, it would be a bit risky when playing against high-intensity midfields, but it’s something that Frank can experiment with.

How can Grealish become a Frank player…

Having played under Pep Guardiola for this long, Grealish will be a bit rusty when it comes to his explosive self.

He needs to be more vertical running off the ball given how Thomas Frank demands his forwards to press aggressively and make third-man runs in transitional situations. And when in high-tempo sequences, he will need to have that quicker release with fewer touches (especially given how he has become frustrating at City by taking forever to release the ball).

Speaking defensively, now unlike under Pep, he will have to defend high up or sit compact in deeper blocks under Frank.

Author Opinion

I think that if we consider how Grealish can feature under Frank, then he will be more of a reinvention of the Jack Grealish we used to know, especially because the Dane’s system does demand more verticality and aggression, and then the England international gets more space to express himself in transitions and carry the ball more freely. He would be an astute but risky signing, but if the price is right and Grealish buys into Frank’s aggressive demands, then it could be a masterstroke in the making.