David Moyes challenges Jack Grealish to take more risks with the ball | OneFootball

Jack Grealish has had a positive start to life at Everton, but manager David Moyes believes that he can have an even greater impact.

Since joining the club on loan from Manchester City this summer, Grealish has racked up four assists and won the Premier League player of the month award in August for the first time in his career.

However, the Everton boss thinks that Grealish can take more risks with the ball and has implored him to shoot more and look for goals.

“I want Jack to shoot more, and I want him to get into positions to score. I am sure managers far better than me have spoken to him about it as well, but I am looking at him and saying I want to get more goals, more assists,” said Moyes.

“His assist numbers are good that is for sure and I want to get him on the scoresheet himself, getting in at the back post more, a bit more instinctive and I think he has the ability to create space and get some shots away.

“He has always been in the main very correct with his football, he doesn’t risk too much in the same ways with the ball, he will risk with a pass like the goal he created for Kiernan (Dewsbury-Hall) against Wolves, where he chips it over the boy’s foot and Kiernan goes through and scores.

“He will risk in those actions, but I am not so sure he will risk it if he thinks someone will block. Those are the bits where I am saying I would like him to get the radar on.

“His finishing is great as well, he has got a rocket shot and he can bend it in the far corner and he can do all of the things. So, there is no reason for him not to take it on.

“I think it is him trying to be clean in all his work; he is very strong about not wanting to give the ball away too often. I think he could take a bit more risk in his finishing.”

A recent trend that has emerged in the Blues’ last few games is that opposition teams have employed two or more men on Grealish’s flank to keep him quiet. Recognising the 30-year-old as the main source of creativity, opposition full-backs have also tried physicality against Grealish in attempts to throw him off his game.

Acknowledging the problem which was clearly evident in the draws with Aston Villa and West Ham at home, Moyes said, “That is a factor which makes it more difficult.

“When you are doubled up on all the time, the correct thing is maybe not to try and score because to beat the two men will be really difficult. When you are doubled up on there should be another player spare to pick out, a full-back or another attacking player, so that makes it more difficult for him.

“I think the coverage he is getting and the talk he is getting is fuelling that a little bit. We are finding that even from the opening games there has been more of a focus on that and they are making it much harder for Jack.

“Teams are saying: ‘We realise he is back on the map again and we are going to have to deal with it’. But I have spoken to him about shooting more and also practising to hopefully getting him feeling more confident if he needs that to score, I don’t think it is confidence, it is just him taking on a few more chances to score.”

Grealish was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad once again for the upcoming games against Wales and Latvia. He hasn’t featured for the Three Lions since scoring in the 3-1 win over Finland nearly a year ago.

When asked about the recent omission, Moyes said, "I am glad I don't pick the England team because the England squad is a great group of players to choose from, really top players all around the country.

“Jack is one of them, he is in really good form, but I am glad I don't pick the England team. He is showing the levels he can get to and we are hoping he continues with that. I believe he will be ready, he needs to continue scoring goals and making assists."

Moyes talking about the talk that is making life more difficult for him when anybody watching Everton would have to be blind not to see that he is the most used forward outlet in the team. It would be nice to see Grealish score more but it would be just as good if he was given more alternatives than those at present or we had a just as much used option even swapping wings, that is, make defenders think about marking whoever swaps with him out wide or following him to another position and/or back again.