Grealish on Everton fans: “They wanted more from me and I gave it to them”

Jack Grealish picked a fine time to shoot this evening. The on-loan wide player has frustrated the Everton fanbase a number of times this season when he’s chosen to pass when shooting on goal seemed the better option, but with three points on the line late on at the Vitality Stadium his strike settled a tight game.

The 30-year-old has been great for the Blues both with and without the ball on the left wing, helping control possession and orchestrate attacks. While the Toffees continue to struggle to put the ball in the net, the former England international has continued to deliver crosses into the box and his inter-play with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been one of the more positive aspects of Everton football this season.

Everton had never won a league game away at Bournemouth before, and despite clearly being the better side tonight, it was starting to look like the best they could hope for from the long trip to the South Coast would be just a point from a stalemate.

However, with about a dozen minutes to go, Carlos Alcaraz drove forward with the ball and found Grealish in the inside left channel. The forward cut in and steadied himself on his left foot before driving a shot goalwards with his right boot. That motion saw him slip on the slick grass and the combination of that and a heavy deflection off defender Bafodé Diakité saw the ball change direction leaving Djordje Petrovic rooted to the spot as the ball nestled in the far corner of the Bournemouth net. Everton were due some luck off the bounce, and got it tonight as they were able to hold the lead against a strangely muted Cherries side even as the excellent travelling support serenaded their heroes in blue (yellow actually, tonight) to the final whistle and beyond.

Speaking after the game, Grealish said to Sky Sports –

“In the first half it was an even game. We had good bits of play but we didn’t really threaten the goal much. Then in the second half we got the goal and then just defended after that. It was difficult but it was a good win in the end.”

This was only his second goal of the season, the first coming off a tackle he made in the box that ricocheted in off his shin for the winner in time added on against Crystal Palace.

“I have scored two goals now this season, one was a tackle and one was a deflection, but I got hammered for years for not scoring so I am taking both of the goals. It’s good to be contributing. It’s a brilliant team.”

Grealish continues to praise David Moyes every opportunity he gets, grateful for the opportunity to play after being sidelined for a lot of last season at the Etihad.

“I love the manager to pieces. I have only known him for a few months and I can’t speak highly enough of him as a person and how he makes me feel. How he makes me want to go there and play for him, so credit to him.”

The forward kissed the Everton badge on his shirt in front of the away fans after scoring, giving more fuel to rumours that the Blues will be looking to finds ways to make his loan permanent.

“All the teams I’ve played on loan for, even at Notts County, I’ve was so lucky to have a good connection with the fanbase. Aston Villa was brilliant, obviously I’m an Aston Villa fan. I go to City and I have such a good connection there, and now here too. I’m lucky that I’ve had such great clubs and fanbases, and this is another one. They have been so good to me.

“Today I think at the start of the second half they wanted more from me. I don’t think I played that well. And then Pickers came up to me and said, “That was your worst game and you got the winner.” They were singing my name before the goal, so they wanted more from me and I gave it to them.”

Everton not only broke their hoodoo at the Vitality Stadium, they are also the first away team to win at Bournemouth this season.

“I feel like every time you come here, no matter what team and what manager, I feel like it is always so hard, even when I was at City. Someone told me before the game that Everton don’t have the best record here. I don’t think they’ve ever won here, so it was nice.

“It was a difficult game against a really good side, very aggressive, always on the front foot, so to get the win, yeah, we’re really happy.”

He referenced the lopsided home defeats against Tottenham and Newcastle which went similarly with the Blues conceding setpiece goals that saw them collapse.

“We’re doing well. The last game was… We’ve had a few games like that at home where we’ve conceded quite early and flopped a bit for the rest of the game. We’re in the top half of the league now.

“I know we got pumped last game but we have still won three of the last four. We have another tough game on Saturday then two really, really tough games against first and second. If someone says they are not looking at the table, they are lying, because you are. Three points off the top four now, so take each game as it comes and fingers crossed.”