#47 | Phil Foden - 2019/20 Performances

[BlueTG]

He is one of the perfect opportunities a champions squad needs to keep other players on their toes, keep them hungry for games and to develop our own world class talent.

If he comes in and has a stinker, at least he’s only played as well as Gundogan or half of the have then for a lot of games this season.

 

[WallyA]

we're comfortably top 4 and won't win the league. Time to give the likes of Foden meaningful game time, should be starting over Gundogan in every game now Rodri is back. It's time, like Chelsea, to blood a few youngsters as the old guard, established stars and squad players aren't delivering to their usual levels and we need to put the squad in a much stronger position than it is now, and we need to do that by blooding Foden and Garcia as fully-fledged members of the first team, salvaging as much as we can for squad players and spending our budget on a couple of key, star signings that will reinvigorate the squad.

The last couple of years of Rodri aside, purchasing the odd squad player and relying on the same core of key players worked really well but now we need to add impetus as the squad has stagnated and is one-dimensional in terms of output. It's time for a smaller version of the 17/18 refresh but saving money by blooding Foden, Garcia and Doyle this season will allow us to target much better.

I agree with large parts of what you said, but as fans I feel we shouldn't be so definitive in this "we won't the league now, its all pointless" feeling.

I'm not saying how people should feel... but I think we need to back the team and have the optimism and hope that we can still win it, even if its likely we don't.

 

[Gundogan's Moustache]

He’s a better number 8 than Gundogan and it’s not even a question

 

[ws01]

Playing Gundogan over him should be banned and that ban should be passed into legislation.

 

[argyle]

Pep needs to trust him now. He hasn’t been given the opportunity this season and is basically wasting away on the bench.

I can see us buying an atrackinng midfielder and saying Phil doesn’t have the experience

The only way him or any youngster will get a proper chance is with a transfer ban like Chelsea ...

Pep doesn't trust him. Otherwise he'd play him.

Perhaps in training he see's that he's not ready/good enough yet to play regularly? Which is why I thought he would have been loaned out abroad this season.

 

[Blue Hefner]

He’s got to start V Chelsea. He will be in midfield against Mount, someone who has his England place so it will be a perfect platform for him to do his stuff

The league is very much a long shot from here and seen as though Pep doesn’t fancy Bernie in the middle then he may as well get Foden in as D.Silva is off in a few months and given 40 games he‘ll be better than Gundogen

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

I agree with large parts of what you said, but as fans I feel we shouldn't be so definitive in this "we won't the league now, its all pointless" feeling.

I'm not saying how people should feel... but I think we need to back the team and have the optimism and hope that we can still win it, even if its likely we don't.

Alright well, I just want the mindset to change from the "clinging on at all costs with the status quo" to something with fresh impetus which may actually help kick-start our season and get ourselves back into it somehow.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Pep doesn't trust him. Otherwise he'd play him.

Perhaps in training he see's that he's not ready/good enough yet to play regularly? Which is why I thought he would have been loaned out abroad this season.

He doesn’t seem to trust any youngster though - Garcia in particular. No matter how good they are. I think in the brief minutes he has had, he has shown he is more then capable.

Atlanta at home I thought he was the best player on the pitch and training sessions don’t show how good young players are in my opinion - matches do.

And as you say if he doesn’t think he’s good enough why have him in the squad or not loan him out ?

Pep seems so scared of taking a risk or giving a chance to players with less experience even when the more experience players are playing terrible

 

[BosnianBlue]

I was always on Pep+s side here, but if he can't get in the team when David is not there and today when we needed goals near the end, then he is in serious problem. 30 minutes in the league so far is definitely way too less.

 

[cjn]

Should be getting games at this point based on merit alone. I don't know how any neutral observer could look at the form of David Silva, Gundogan (at the eight), and yes, even KDB, over the last month or two and conclude that these guys are untouchable, must play in every game starters. We need Foden's energy, pressing, and directness, and the fact that Pep didn't trust him enough to play today is really disappointing.