Integrity aside, Grimes is part of the furniture at the Swans and sits in that midfield pocket  regardless of manager, style of play or alternative personnel we have available.

I remember when Steve Cooper dropped him for a couple of games and the starting XI just looked bizarre without him (maybe I’ll come back to this though as I remember it did him some good!). 

I do feel that the Jack Army are split with their opinions of Grimes and whether him being part of the furniture is vital to our development or is hindering our progress. Like every debate these days it’s a highly polarised one with strong voices on either side of the argument. And whilst the debate rages, Matty just quietly gets on with his job with almost supernatural reliability.

Grimes is a solid footballer with good technical ability, particularly in his passing, and we all know he’s got a hell of a shot on him when in the right position. Some of his through balls and intricate passing over the past few seasons have been, *chefs kiss*, and have been noticed by the wider football community. Some of his clips have gone viral, which I’m not surprised by. I am always proud to share a Matt Grimes clip on my socials!

But I would say that over the years, I have found myself getting frustrated at a lack of tempo from Matty and when everything goes through him (especially under Russ), it does feel like it’s him who slows us down.

How much of it is coaching and how much is him, I won’t ever know.

It was pretty shocking under Cooper and I remember being so glad that Grimes got dropped because I was constantly shouting and moaning about him. I was pleased though to see him come back with more energy and desire to play rather than sulking and going into his shell like many players would have done in his situation. 

There’s a bigger than ever responsibility on Grimes’ shoulders as the team tries to adjust to Michael Duff’s demands.

Matty is calling the shots in that midfield, and I’d like to see more tempo and more creativity from him to give us more options going forward.

Maybe he’s become a little predictable?

He certainly has the talent and the ability to offer more to us, even at 28. I’d like him to prove the doubters wrong because I believe he could go down as a Swansea City legend.

With Patino now available to deliver set pieces, more experience at the back in Pedersen and Tymon and a bit more pace going forward with Ginnelly, I believe Matt Grimes is in for a good season and has a bit more protection, giving him the freedom to unleash the creativity we all know he has in his locker.

In the current climate, I believe we are very fortunate to have a player as classy and committed as Matty Grimes on our books. But for the love of God (or Alan Curtis as we know him)…

…someone come up with a decent song for him!