"Guardiola is the best manager in the world", declares Jack Grealish
Manchester City man Jack Grealish praised his team's manager, Pep Guardiola, by calling him the best in the world.
His comments came after Manchester City dispatched Swiss Super League side Young Boys at the Etihad by three goals to none. Erling Haaland scored another brace with both goals coming on each side of a Phil Foden goal.
Grealish grabbed an assist in the game and played the full 90 minutes after being kept on the bench in their 6-1 demolition of AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League over the weekend.
City put in a dominant performance and many in the media are already announcing them as the first back-to-back winners of the UEFA Champions League since Real Madrid. For the Englishman, however, these positions do not matter much because he is just excited to be playing football under Guardiola and playing alongside incredible players at Manchester City.
"Guardiola gives us so much. In my opinion he’s the best manager in the world," he declared. "He’s shown that over the years. You can have the best manager in the world, but you also need the team and dressing room to do that."
"We have a brilliant team, on the pitch and also off the pitch, we have a team that is so close. We love being with each other and we love playing with each other and that shows on the pitch."
"Before the game, the manager said to me that when we have the ball, we normally go from me to Kovacic to Rodri."
"But he said when they have the five at the back, hit it to the other side straight away. Instead of going to each player because that takes longer."
"I got it to Phil [Foden] straight away to get at the defender one on one and that’s what he did."
Grealish also expressed satisfaction at reaching another knockout phase in the Champions League. It is his third-straight knockout appearance since joining the club from Aston Villa and Manchester City's 11th-straight knockout appearance.
Grealish praised his teammates for reaching another knockout round, stating that they have achieved their first aim.
"That’s what we wanted to do", he said. "Every year we have so many games as a team. Most of the time we’re in most competitions, so to qualify with two games to spare, that’s what we wanted to do, that was our aim."
"I know what I bring to the team aside from goals and assists. Every attacking player wants to score more."
"We won 3-0, but on another day we could have got five or six."