Speaking to BOYLE Sports, former Everton and Birmingham midfielder gave his thoughts on his former clubs' new season prospects following the first round of games.
He also explains why Grealish and Everton could be a match made in heaven and backs both to have strong seasons, and gives his thoughts on the legacy of Goodison Park.
Elsewhere, he compares the trajectories of both Birmingham and Wrexham and can both earn promotion to the Premier League while also giving his thoughts on the Rooney vs Brady debate and has a humorous suggestion for England’s top-tier
Jack Grealish
Signing Of The Season: Grealish
He is already the signing of the season for Everton.
Everton have been on the downhill the last couple of years. I rate Moyes. He is the best manager suited for Everton, and he will get the best out of Jack with his experience to help the other players at Everton.
That's a tremendous boost for Everton, I reckon. I think he is a player as well who can handle the pressure to play every game, week in, week out, rather than being on the bench not playing for City. I think Everton are going to have tremendous help from Jack this year, for sure.
"Deciding Player"
He’s going to be the deciding player for Everton. I’m not sure that they are up among the six best teams, so they are going to end up in seventh to 10th place. We are solid now. Not easy to beat.
We’re not a side who can actually go out and dictate games, so we are a mid-table team at the moment. I think, with the owner and the new stadium, we can nick a few places every year, so I will definitely say top five in five years, but at the moment, we are not a relegation fight side. Not with Jack. I go for 10th place.
Grealish Can Be Unleashed
Yes, you never lose it. I was an attacking player. If George Graham told me otherwise, I would attack anyway.
Like Ryan Giggs, Jack Grealish is an attacking player. That's your playing style. You can't just take that away, and just because he played for City, who are a team who are knocking balls around not to lose possession, he doesn't have to do that at Everton. He can attack, lose the ball and then just go again. He will be good for Everton.
He's not going to be concerned that he's going to be on the bench, being rotated by Pep Guardiola. He's going to be probably the first one Moyes puts down on his team sheet with Branthwaite and Pickford. He's going to pick Jack Grealish. I just hope he gets a really good start at the club.
David Moyes
Moyes' Criticism Of Beto
Over the years, you would have never ever heard Moyes criticise a player. Suddenly, he criticised Beto. I'm not sure why he'd do that. I know Moyes that he will probably sit down with him hours and hours and tell him what to do and not to do, so I'm a little bit surprised that he's telling everybody he hasn't got a good preseason. You should take that behind closed doors.
Moyes is not just verbal. He's a thinker. He thinks before he speaks. So, for some reason, it has to come out in his eyes. Probably a kick up the ass, I think that.
Goodison Park
Goodison Park Atmosphere
I'm telling you, you can't beat Goodison Park’s atmosphere. That's going to take a million years. I just hope, from one of my friends, that we are going to take the atmosphere from Goodison to the new stadium and make the best of it. I'm not concerned about the atmosphere because the Evertonians are one of the most passionate fans we have in England, for sure.
It took a few years when Arsenal swapped from Highbury to the Emirates. It takes time for clubs like Tottenham to move to big new grounds. It’s going to probably take a few games for Everton to settle into the new ground. Everything is much bigger. At Goodison, everything was just tight and nice and close with the floodlights and everything. We play Brighton next Sunday and that’s a decider.
Should Everton Have Stayed At Goodison?
I mean, we’d been there for 152 years.
Everything with an old stadium like that it just has to be new. Everything is old. I’m just concerned about bringing the atmosphere from Goodison, even if we have to leave it behind us now.
I will miss Goodison because I have been a childhood Evertonian since I was 11 years old. I have Arsenal in my heart and Everton in my heart, and Goodison Park has been a massive part of my whole life, and to just leave it it’s just sad. To leave Highbury, that’s even more sad. Two unbelievable grounds.
Should Everton Leave Goodison Park?
Prediction: Everton vs Brighton?
I’d go for 2-0.
Birmingham vs Wrexham
Birmingham vs Wrexham
In England, they are sleeping giants. You have everything you could want. I hope it is Birmingham's year because they have the fans. They probably have the money, and they have started good, so hopefully, hopefully.
Birmingham is a good, big club. They have been nowhere for many years now, and it's just a shame. Leeds have been nowhere for a couple of years, but that's two massive clubs who should be in the Premier League for many years.
I'm not sure about Wrexham. I mean, it's good in one sense to have rivalry. There’s probably more of a rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United than between Everton and Liverpool. It’s good to have rivalries. I have no problem with that. Wrexham and Birmingham, it's good if it stays on the pitch.
Fans clashing into each other, making hell around in cities, if it stays on the pitch, it's great. To take the rivalry outside the stadium is not fun.
Rooney vs Brady
Wayne Rooney is a personal favourite of mind. I met him a couple of months ago when we had the last game of the season at Goodison. I talked to him for an hour. He's the sweetest gentleman. The sweetest boy you can be around. He's been unfortunate with his managerial career.
For some reason, his tactic didn't click with the players, and he got sacked a few times. So for Tom Brady to say that he has more information than I have got. I can't slag Rooney off because he is one of my favourites.
To question Wayne Rooney from the player he has been, the man he has become, for Tom Brady to say that those are his words. I’m not standing behind them because I like Rooney. I need to see him in the dressing room every day to have my opinion. I have opinions about George Graham or Tommy Svensson, or Joe Royle.
Premier League
Expand The Premier League!
Oh yes, and the fans are crazy up north in Newcastle, Sunderland, and Middlesbrough, you know!
We need big, massive clubs with big stadiums in the Premier League. Sunderland is definitely one of them. Birmingham too. I have question marks over the teams who play now in the Premier League who do not have great stadiums, but I wouldn’t say their names.
We should have teams like Leeds and Birmingham for sure, and Middlesbrough and Sunderland clashing with Newcastle. Bring them back and make the Premier League 50 teams!
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