Greaves: I've Enjoyed Playing Left-Back
Friday, 9th May 2025 18:14 by Kallum Brisset

Due to a recent suspension for Leif Davis and hamstring injury for Conor Townsend, Town have been hit with a shortage of players available to play at left-back.

As a result, central defender Jacob Greaves has been required to cover at full-back for the last three matches against Arsenal, Newcastle United and Everton.

The position is not alien to Greaves, who has previously played at left-back for Hull City, although the role in Kieran McKenna’s Blues side is, by his own admission, somewhat different to that of the Tigers.

However, Greaves has admitted it is a position that he has found some enjoyment in.

“Two of them games were with 10-men against Arsenal and Newcastle, probably the most free-flowing attacking teams in the league,” he said. I’ve enjoyed it, to be honest. It’s different to what I’ve been used to this season with Ipswich.

“I’ve done it before at Hull, 20 or 30 games I played out at full-back. They can be different systems in the way this gaffer plays to what I was used to at full-back anyway, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed.

“I enjoy stepping with the ball anyway, I like to drive forward and try and make things happen and I’ve had a little bit of an opportunity to do that since playing at left-back so hopefully I can do that again.

“You look at Arsenal and [Manchester] City, they’ve done it with big centre-halves playing at full-back.

“It sometimes looks a little bit unconventional but, especially away from home, if we’re defending against long balls it can suit us there and defending long goal-kicks I suppose it suits us as well.

“There’s benefits to it and there’s probably disadvantages to it as well, it’s just about trying to find a balance and cover to the best of your abilities.”

Asked whether he has any individual targets for the last three games of the season, Greaves said: “I’m not really too much of a goal-setter, just to play as many games as I could in the next three games. Just try to be a real positive influence around the place, help the boys, and when I do play try and give absolutely everything and try and have some good performances.

“Give however many performances towards the end of this season so I can build on it to next season and go in there knowing that I’m on the back of some good games.”

Despite relegation back to the Championship already being confirmed, Greaves dismissed suggestions that the Blues have nothing to play for in the final weeks of the campaign.

With this weekend’s visitors Brentford chasing European football for the first time in their history, the Town defender knows they have the opportunity to spoil the party.

“One hundred per cent,” he enthused. “The gaffer mentioned that today, he said he’d rather Brentford be coming here fighting for Europe and giving absolutely everything to get in there than playing them if they were 16th and had nothing to play for.

“That will be a proper game, we know that they’re going to be fighting for absolutely everything. We’d rather that and the fans have that as well.

“No matter who we’re playing now, we’ve got a bit of self-pride on the line to try and accumulate as many points as we can.

“We know most points in this league can’t be taken for granted so for the next three games we’re going to try and put as good a shift in as we can and hopefully pick up some good results.”

Earlier in the season, Greaves sparked a seemingly endless debate amongst the players, staff and supporters when he posed whether there were more wheels or doors in the world.

Now, there is a second viral question that is circulating on social media and within Playford Road and the 24-year-old had a typically energised response.

Who would win in a fight between 100 men and one gorilla?
“I’ve had this argument with so many lads in the building about it,” he said. “I’m not too sure, I’d back the 100 men but my one was if I had 10 [mixed martial artist] Jon Joneses against one gorilla, I’d back the 10 Jon Joneses.

“I thought it was a ridiculous question, to be honest. Everyone is still trying to persuade me that the gorilla would win, but it depends what 100 men you’re getting. If it’s 100 generic men that don’t want to fight then I’d probably have to say the gorilla, but I still think 100 men is a lot of people against one gorilla.

“You’re going in with different tactics, you’re not just going to all run in at the same time. There should be a debrief about how they’re going to go in and fight it. It’s a really good question and I don’t think anyone is ever going to find out the answer.

“The Jon Jones question took over the dressing room and then there were a lot of arguments throwing around about that. A lot of lads were backing the gorilla and I was left to back my own corner with Jack Clarke and Liam Delap, who were the only ones who backed me. Delap actually said he’d have 10 of him against the gorilla.”

In an alternative universe, a gorilla has the opportunity to fight against a selection of Town players. Greaves began naming who he would send in to battle.

He said: “I’d probably just go for raw strength. Delap, Axel [Tuanzebe], Burge [Cameron Burgess], I’d take myself, obviously. I don’t know if I’d take Jack Clarke to be honest, I don’t know what he’d have to offer me.

“Skip [Sam Morsy] I reckon could throw a punch, Ben Godfrey 100 per cent, I’ve seen him on a few of his stories he likes kickboxing and boxing. I’d need someone that’s going to go down with a fight, I’ll put Walts [Christian Walton] in there as well and then three of whoever else is brave enough to come.”

Photo: ITFC

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