'Grealish has stopped taking risks'

Players who can ‘break the lines’ - that means dribbling past players to those of us over 30 - are in demand right now. This is why I have been talking about the Grealish v Doku problem all season here. Jack has to go back to doing his real job of going past defenders.

This was finally spotted on TV during the Manchester City v Chelsea FA Cup semi-final. It has been so blindingly obvious that I started collating the stats months ago.

Let’s stick to the past couple of games against Chelsea and Real Madrid. Grealish got the ball in the final third on the left wing with a one v one on 35 occasions - the perfect opportunity to beat Dani Carvajal then Malo Gusto.

On only two occasions did he attempt to do so, instead passing backwards or cautiously sideways in 31 of those 35 cases. As a wide player, you live for these moments, but Jack has stopped taking risks.

Within four minutes of him being subbed against Real, Jeremy Doku had done the business, testing the defender down the line leading to Kevin de Bruyne's equaliser.

Against Chelsea at Wembley it was a similar story, this time Doku to De Bruyne, whose shot was parried for Bernardo Silva to slot in the winner.

Jack has to go at defenders again like he used to. He has to take risks. He has to recover his belief in his own ability.

Don’t even suggest that Pep Guardiola has 'ruined' him by cramping his creativity. If that was the case then Doku wouldn’t be asked to do what the England international is no longer doing.

Take some chances, Jack. Have a go. We will all forgive you when it doesn’t work out.

When they come off, those skills will have been worth waiting for.

Pat Nevin was writing for the BBC Football Extra newsletter