'As good as anyone in world football' – Cole and Lescott discuss Jack Grealish and James Maddison World Cup chances
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Updated 29/10/2022 at 12:29 GMT
Ahead of Manchester City against Leicester, the BT pundit team discussed the differences between Jack Grealish and James Maddison's games. Joe Cole spoke highly of the two midfielders and emphasised that both should be a part of Gareth Southgate's plans. Joleon Lescott, on the other hand, gave his opinion on why selecting Maddison for the squad may not be so simple.
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Joe Cole and Joleon Lescott disagreed about Jack Grealish and James Maddison’s roles ahead of England’s campaign at the World Cup in Qatar.
Both Grealish and Maddison have not been staples in Gareth Southgate's England team, with the manager opting for more stability in midfield.
Cole and Lescott were joined by Rio Ferdinand as BT Sport’s pundit team ahead of Manchester City against Leicester City in the Premier League, and Cole had full praise for the two players. When asked which he would rather take to the World Cup, he said: “You can’t ask me that question. That’s like choosing between your children. I love both. We’re just blessed that we’ve got these two lads.
“What I would say is when playing for England, these two have not played enough. Certainly for James Maddison but also for Jack as well. They have not been given enough opportunities in my opinion. For many, many years, we’ve cried out about players who can handle the ball, players with personality, players who can [show up] in crucial moments, World Cup semi-finals against Croatia, when games are tight.
“When the pressure is on, in this country, we talk too much about bravery being someone who can put their head anything, tackle through balls. Bravery sometimes is in the big, big games, going and getting on the ball, but being competent and doing it.
“Now we’ve got multiple players [who can do that]. You have [Mason] Mount and [Phil] Foden, and these two [Grealish and Maddison]. I’ve said it multiple times, in my opinion, at least two of Grealish, Mount, Foden, and Maddison will be on the pitch [for England at the World Cup]. At least two. At all times. It has to be.
“For us to improve as a nation, I believe that we need to handle the ball in big moments. And these two [Grealish and Maddison] handle the ball as good as anyone in world football. That’s no doubt in my mind.”
While Lescott said that Cole could speak more about the technicalities of the two players, he opposed the view that Maddison has a place in the World Cup team, stating: “I don’t think it comes down to ability in regard to the selection process for Maddison and Grealish [for England]. For me, it comes down to [the fact that] Jack has probably got more used to not starting every game, coming on as a sub, and impacting the game with 20 minutes to go.
“Has Maddison [got that ability]? We don’t know because he hasn’t had to do that [at Leicester]. So is he able to do that?
“Those are the finer details that go into the selection process. It’s not just about what quality he has on the ball.
“It’s a case of, for example, Maddison may be the best free-kick taker, but if Harry Kane’s on the pitch, he’s not taking free-kicks, so what impact will he have in regards to coming on in the 80th minute, and having an impact on the game.”
The two players have constantly been compared, and Maddison edges Grealish when looking at the statistics. Since the start of last season, the Leicester player has scored 18 goals, registered 10 assists, and created 70 chances in 45 matches. Grealish has played 32 matches, and has scored four, assisted three, and created 65 chances. But the BT team have said that Grealish’s game is about more than just statistics.
“I think the big thing for him is, has he done enough stats-wise? I don’t think that matters to him, really,” said Ferdinand. “I think he wants to get [better] stats, but the overriding factor is what does Pep [Guardiola] want?
“He wants him to get on the ball, slow things down, and draw players to him to create some space for other players. And that might hurt his stats and his data going forward, but within the club, he’s appreciated and respected.”
“It’s going to come down to the price tag [fee Manchester City paid for Grealish],” added Lescott.
“I’ve spoken about that numerous times, that the value of Jack was valid to Aston Villa. It doesn't have to be valid to both parties. It was valid to Aston Villa because without Jack, they don’t stay in the Premier League, in my opinion, and that’s more than £100m.”
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