David Moyes has always run a tight ship at Everton and further afield, which makes the absence of Jack Grealish all the more painful. The Toffees boss has given the maverick playmaker an inch, and he has clearly taken a mile despite varying reports as to why the 31-year old missed the trip to face Newcastle United in the Premier League.
What is clear is that Moyes has put his foot down, with the backing of Everton's hierarchy, to the extent that Jack Grealish's Everton future now has to be considered.
The club's official X account , rather than letting rumour and speculation fill the void, explained why Grealish was not on the bus to the north east: "Jack Grealish is not match fit and therefore not part of tonight's squad."
Yes, he has missed a few games; however, how much fitness does a professional footballer lose in less than two weeks?
Grealish's last game for Everton was on the 16th of October against Chelsea, where he played almost the full game, hardly the sort of absence that requires a personal training programme to get back up to speed.
At worst, he has had a minor niggle or knock, and disciplinary issues shouldn't affect fitness, right?
Instead of clarifying the club's position and explaining what Grealish's position was in terms of fitness, Moyes hinted that the enforced absence was because of an off-field, rather than on-field, issue. Speaking pre-match, he told Everton's media team : "Nothing more than what I'm sure you've already heard. So, yeah, he's not in the team tonight."
There is no timeline for when Grealish will return, either through fitness or because of a club-enforced ban, with Moyes utilising his slim squad to contend with a busier-than-normal fixture list.
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In a small squad, cohesion and unity are essential. Grealish was signed not only for his footballing ability but also for his leadership.
He has been there and done it, both for club and country, and he should be an inspiration and mentor to the younger players. Instead, Moyes must now fear that Grealish could lead the likes of Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling astray instead of inspiring them to greater things.
Loan deals are usually loaded with clauses, and it might be that Everton are unable to send Grealish back to City. If they do have the chance, though, they should take it; the last thing Moyes needs with a stretched budget is his biggest earner not pulling his weight.
Regardless, whether it is in January or the summer at the end of his loan deal, Everton would be better served by letting Grealish return to City.
It is hard to quantify how good Grealish has been for Everton. Moyes clearly loves, or loved, him, and there can't be any questions about how popular a character he has been wherever he has played.
He also skippered Aston Villa; you don't get to do that without having something about you. Grealish was struggling before Everton took a chance on him, and he has thrown it back in their face.
The reports vary wildly, but if some of them are even close to the truth, Grealish should have kicked his last ball for Everton and potentially even in the Premier League.
Not many players get more than one shot in the last-chance saloon.
Feature image courtesy of IMAGO / Sportimage
