#47 | Phil Foden - 2019/20 Performances

[Phil1]

At the end of the day it's just football. Just cause he is not assertive in training, he shouldn't get a game?

This isnt excalibur man, it's about playing a god damn game of football. Especially when the league is over he should get time. All the players are worthy of game time, they dont show up to practice with the intent of not hopefully playing games.

Not sure if you’ve noticed but our manager is quite intense as well as a perfectionist so I’d imagine that what happens on the training pitch matters a great deal to him.
It’s just another stick to beat Pep with from some quarters. But then I’m not as hung up as some when it comes to giving players a start just because they support City.
I would love Phil to become a City great but it seems for a few it has to happen now or else we have failed him.
I don’t buy into that.

 

[cjn]

Not sure if you’ve noticed but our manager is quite intense as well as a perfectionist so I’d imagine that what happens on the training pitch matters a great deal to him.
It’s just another stick to beat Pep with from some quarters. But then I’m not as hung up as some when it comes to giving players a start just because they support City.
I would love Phil to become a City great but it seems for a few it has to happen now or else we have failed him.
I don’t buy into that.

Obviously no on should get games "just because they support City". Thankfully only an idiot would think that applies to Phil.

 

[Phil1]

Obviously no on should get games "just because they support City". Thankfully only an idiot would think that applies to Phil.

You’d think so.

 

[kevin horlocks wand]

Obviously no on should get games "just because they support City". Thankfully only an idiot would think that applies to Phil.

and equally no professional footballer should stay at city to be a benchwarmer just because they support city.

his progress is being hampered by the way we use him, meanwhile his English youth colleagues he grew up with are starting to blossom.
It must be frustrating for him. How long do you give it if you are Phil. It’s his career afterall and it’s only a short one.

 

[Boris Becker’s Backhand]

Foden will be 20 in May, the clock is ticking for him. His peers are playing week in week out and many will be going to the Euros with the senior England team this summer.

This is the perfect opportunity for Pep to play him; we are not catching Liverpool and finishing fifth is even less likely (there is no difference finishing 2nd/3rd/4th CL wise).

If Pep doesn't give him game time I think Foden needs to be looking elsewhere (loan or permanent move).

If Pep doesn't think Foden is good enough now then he needs to stop talking him up.

Northcroft may or may not be a disgrace, but his point is valid.

Footballers play well into their thirties these days so there’s no need to rush Phil along. I’d be pleased if he got the summer off rather than flogging himself to death with England. Each consecutive season he’s involved in more games, I think we’re bringing him along just fine

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Not sure if you’ve noticed but our manager is quite intense as well as a perfectionist so I’d imagine that what happens on the training pitch matters a great deal to him.
It’s just another stick to beat Pep with from some quarters. But then I’m not as hung up as some when it comes to giving players a start just because they support City.
I would love Phil to become a City great but it seems for a few it has to happen now or else we have failed him.
I don’t buy into that.

Nobody is saying that because he supports city he should play. Ive certainly never ventured that over the 3 years ive been suggesting he should get game time in our 1st team.If your good enough your old enough.thats the mantra.Too many folk on here are riled over any suggestion of criticism of Peps decisions.
Our manager and his decisions are open to debate and constructive criticisms just as any player...in fact,if reports are to be believed our players suggested to Pep after the Spurs game he has tinkered with the side too much.We are,at this rate,going to end up 30 pts behind the champions this season...why not play the most naturally gifted young player at ths club and make the transition to regular first teamer next season( if Pep is to be believed...)less of an ardous task for Foden.

Its absolute rubbish to suggest Foden isnt good enough in training .to be picked for the first team.Why promote him to the 1st team squad? Why wait till the end of the season when Silva leaves to play the person who is gonna take his place? We need goals,energy ..a new spark from our midfield.now.
If Pep is such an intense manager,why has he not acted upon rhe lack of intensity in some games from our captain,and others.

I believe Foden will leave City within 18 months.Any gifted player knows his worth and will want to be progressing on the full international stage too,where players not fit to lace his boots will be performing,..he will not sit on the side lines indefinitely.

Quite a few posters routinely enter this thread simply to close down any discussion on Fodens career path,by saying rammel like Pep knows best..and leave it to Pep...Others,and the numbers are growing fast,...like what they have seen from the academy graduate and are encouraged to debate why he is not being selected.The 'pep knows best' one line answers are at complete odds with the most popular 'Player performances'thread on this site...The movement is growing and folk arent really interested in Pep knows best anymore...it could be said that the players arent either.
The biggest flaw in Peps assertion that Foden will take Silvas place next season is when Silva isnt playing..and Foden remains on the bench.

 

[Boris Becker’s Backhand]

Foden needs a transfer for his own good. And it's a bloody shame. He is being held back by a manager who will not allow a homegrown, English young player a chance to shine.

We have been so far eclipsed this season by Liverpool that there is no serious reason not to start Foden and some other young lads in order to at least see if they are worth a place over the next few seasons.

Still, all is not lost. We let him leave, most probably for peanuts, circa 15-20m and then the next manager can buy him back for as much as 100-150m when he shows himself to be the superstar that we all believe he is capable of becoming.

Sancho - gone
Foden - needs to leave for his own good
Gracia - see above in another year or two
THB - Ditto
Doyle - see above.

A couple of great seasons are all well and good but if the price we pay for them is the decimation of our youth policy and the long term financial and reputational damage that would ensue from that then I'm afraid that is a price we should not be willing to pay.

At this point in time if it becomes a choice between Pep for another year or two and our youth development for the foreseeable future then we should be choosing the latter.

The bottom 3 on your list won’t make it imo. People’s opinions of phil’s situation are clouded by sancho’s success. If Phil left City I suspect that a few months later people would be wondering what all the fuss was about

 

[Bobo Fett]

You might not like the comparison but Wayne Rooney is a good case to look at. He too was in a team of stars and once let off the leqsh didn't look back. In my opinion true development comes by chalking up the minutes. But with youngsters come up and down performances and at the bottom of the table managers don't play youngsters unless they have courage and accept mistakes will happen. And in a team like City, having world class players around him means the team wouldnt hurt should he have below par games (which I doubt he would be worse than Sterling this season at least).

The bigger question is whether his development is being slowed down current or whether it is on track, behind where it should be or ahead.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Footballers play well into their thirties these days so there’s no need to rush Phil along. I’d be pleased if he got the summer off rather than flogging himself to death with England. Each consecutive season he’s involved in more games, I think we’re bringing him along just fine

so you’d rather Phil was playing in his thirties, then play now.???

I have never understood that argument. Let’s not play Mbappe, Rooney or sancho when they are 19 so they can play when they are 34

Rooney in particular played as a youngster and had one of the best careers in the game - still playing in his thirties aswel

 

[Boris Becker’s Backhand]

so you’d rather Phil was playing in his thirties, then play now.???

I have never understood that argument. Let’s not play Mbappe, Rooney or sancho when they are 19 so they can play when they are 34

Rooney in particular played as a youngster and had one of the best careers in the game - still playing in his thirties aswel

I’d rather him play when he’s most effective. That clearly isn’t right now and I don’t understand the clamour from City fans to have him in the team regularly before he’s ready.