‘Not being disrespectful’: Andy Cole makes claim about Aston Villa man’s style of play

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Andy Cole has told TalkSport (10/10/20 at 2:55 pm) that Jack Grealish would move the ball a lot quicker if the Aston Villa man was playing with ‘better players’.

The 25-year-old has a unique style to his game where he likes to draw opposition defenders to the ball before either taking them on or playing a pass to his teammate who now has more space around him because of Grealish.

Grealish also has a knack of winning a high-volume of fouls, and if he’s not doing that, then he’s carrying the ball with ease.

Former Manchester United striker Cole made it clear that he wasn’t being ‘disrespectful’, but he strongly feels Villa’s playmaker would take fewer touches with better players around him.

“Grealish, we all know, he has got something,” Cole told TalkSport. “He has got an edge to him. He is quality on the ball. He always wants the ball in tight areas. Yes, Gazza was exactly the same.

“But Gazza was Gazza for a reason. And Grealish is Grealish for a reason. But he’s got that little X-factor that in a tight game he could produce you that little bit of magic, which would win you the game.

“I honestly believe as well, and I am not being disrespectful to Aston Villa in any shape or form, if he went to one of the bigger clubs with better players then he wouldn’t have to hold onto the ball for so long. There’d be more options. One or two touch. When you are at that level, fewer touches is more and you get yourself in better positions.”

At club level, Villa have added more quality to their ranks to ensure that Grealish isn’t carrying the team like he had to for large parts of last season.

The arrival of players such as Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley this summer has helped elevate the squad, and they have already made their mark because Dean Smith’s side have won their opening three league games.

Villa’s 7-2 win against Liverpool last time out, where Barkley made his debut, showed that Grealish now has a player in the final third who is on his wavelength.

Added with an injury-free, John McGinn, and the wasp in the box Watkins, it’s adding more speed and flair to Villa’s style of play and Grealish is thriving even more because of it.