47 | Phil Foden - 2023/24

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Craig said:
Yet his only spell of real consistent form where he genuinely looked like becoming something special was his spell on the left wing 2/3 years ago.
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I agree that 2020/21 when he played almost exclusively on the left was his best season but I wonder if part of the reason he was so successful there was because he was still a relatively unknown entity and opponents had yet to work out how to best defend against him.

Also, I think the fact that there were no fans in the stadium that season probably helped him to express himself more. Even though they were still competitive games, they must've felt more like a training ground match and I think that enabled a lot of players to play with more freedom as they were less worried about making mistakes. For example, I don't think it's a coincidence that we won 4-1 at Anfield when we can't buy a win there.

I'm not saying he can't play on the left but virtually every time he's played there since 20/21 he's been pretty ineffective and I think it's largely down to the reasons mentioned above.

It's hard to know what his best position is. A lot of fans think it's midfield but is that just a convenient excuse for his poor form on the wing, i.e., he hasn't played there much and therefore hasn't had a chance to fail so people can legitimately argue that it's his best position and where he should be playing.

To be honest, I would quite like to see it as I don't think playing on the wing makes the most of his attributes but there's obviously a reason Guardiola is reluctant to play him in midfield. Maybe Pep feels the impact of Foden playing centrally might be a positive one for him individually but a negative one for the team and the team is more important than the individual.

I thought the injury to KDB would've been his chance but it hasn't materialized that way. Although, with Foden and Bernardo being our only options on the right, the latter often needed in midfield, has meant that Phil is having to play on the right pretty much out of necessity. Maybe if we hadn't sold Mahrez then he would've got more of an opportunity in the middle or if Doku becomes a genuine option on the right.

I'd like to see us go back to the box midfield we used last season with Stones and Rodri in front of the back four, Bernardo and Foden in front of them, Grealish and Doku on the wings. What we're doing now isn't working so we need to try something different and if it doesn't work then Kevin will be back in a few weeks anyway.
 
David El Mago Silva said:
I agree that 2020/21 when he played almost exclusively on the left was his best season but I wonder if part of the reason he was so successful there was because he was still a relatively unknown entity and opponents had yet to work out how to best defend against him.

Also, I think the fact that there were no fans in the stadium that season probably helped him to express himself more. Even though they were still competitive games, they must've felt more like a training ground match and I think that enabled a lot of players to play with more freedom as they were less worried about making mistakes. For example, I don't think it's a coincidence that we won 4-1 at Anfield when we can't buy a win there.

I'm not saying he can't play on the left but virtually every time he's played there since 20/21 he's been pretty ineffective and I think it's largely down to the reasons mentioned above.

It's hard to know what his best position is. A lot of fans think it's midfield but is that just a convenient excuse for his poor form on the wing, i.e., he hasn't played there much and therefore hasn't had a chance to fail so people can legitimately argue that it's his best position and where he should be playing.

To be honest, I would quite like to see it as I don't think playing on the wing makes the most of his attributes but there's obviously a reason Guardiola is reluctant to play him in midfield. Maybe Pep feels the impact of Foden playing centrally might be a positive one for him individually but a negative one for the team and the team is more important than the individual.

I thought the injury to KDB would've been his chance but it hasn't materialized that way. Although, with Foden and Bernardo being our only options on the right, the latter often needed in midfield, has meant that Phil is having to play on the right pretty much out of necessity. Maybe if we hadn't sold Mahrez then he would've got more of an opportunity in the middle or if Doku becomes a genuine option on the right.

I'd like to see us go back to the box midfield we used last season with Stones and Rodri in front of the back four, Bernardo and Foden in front of them, Grealish and Doku on the wings. What we're doing now isn't working so we need to try something different and if it doesn't work then Kevin will be back in a few weeks anyway.
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Good points but if you watch the clips from that spell 2/3 years ago there is one huge difference between Foden then and now. Pace! When he started playing out on the left i thought he wouldn’t be quick enough to go on the outside of fullbacks but he was leaving plenty for dead. Against the scum in the league cup. He scored but was narrowly offside. He ran 30/40 yards and i was amazed once he’d gone Wan Bissaka couldn’t make the ground back up against him. It then emerged he’d been using that sprint coach. He’s now got that little zip over a few yards he always had but is nowhere near as fast as during that spell.

I don’t think it’s simply defenders have sussed him out he’s just not able to get away the same. Obviously talking about truly world class players here but nobody ever worked Messi and Robben out. In Robben’s case everyone new exactly what he was going to do every time.

I also think his best position would be central and the same goes for Grealish. Obviously Pep has reservations about Foden there. What i can’t understand is he’s persisted with a far less technically gifted player in Alvarez as a 10 all season. Yes he works hard but doesn’t have Foden’s skill or eye for a pass. The team also looks unbalanced with him playing there anyway.
 
Craig said:
Good points but if you watch the clips from that spell 2/3 years ago there is one huge difference between Foden then and now. Pace! When he started playing out on the left i thought he wouldn’t be quick enough to go on the outside of fullbacks but he was leaving plenty for dead. Against the scum in the league cup. He scored but was narrowly offside. He ran 30/40 yards and i was amazed once he’d gone Wan Bissaka couldn’t make the ground back up against him. It then emerged he’d been using that sprint coach. He’s now got that little zip over a few yards he always had but is nowhere near as fast as during that spell.

I don’t think it’s simply defenders have sussed him out he’s just not able to get away the same. Obviously talking about truly world class players here but nobody ever worked Messi and Robben out. In Robben’s case everyone new exactly what he was going to do every time.

I also think his best position would be central and the same goes for Grealish. Obviously Pep has reservations about Foden there. What i can’t understand is he’s persisted with a far less technically gifted player in Alvarez as a 10 all season. Yes he works hard but doesn’t have Foden’s skill or eye for a pass. The team also looks unbalanced with him playing there anyway.
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Yeah, he does seem to have lost a yard of pace which is a bit odd. I get what you mean about Messi and Robben but Foden just simply isn't in that category no matter how much we want him to be.

I think Alvarez is preferred because he's not going to start over Haaland as the 9 and he's not a natural winger whereas we know Foden can do a job there. Pep probably thinks we need his goal threat too after losing three of our main goalscorers in Gundogan, Mahrez and De Bruyne, and to be fair he did start the season pretty well.

I agree that Phil should at least be tried as a number 10 when Doku comes back. If Pep is worried about his decision making or physicality being exposed in deeper areas of the pitch then play him just off Haaland. We've used KDB like this in certain games as he's got older. Stones, Rodri and Bernardo should provide a solid foundation and give Foden the platform to express himself more.

It might turn out that he's just not as good as we think he is but we'll never find out if we don't try him there for an extended run of games. Now seems like the perfect opportunity with Kevin out and our current setup not working.
 
David El Mago Silva said:
It might turn out that he's just not as good as we think he is but we'll never find out if we don't try him there for an extended run of games
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I think after 7+ years.. Pep knows he's not good enough for the attacking midfield job as we've gone from Gundogan's control to Foden's chaos.

Treble winners to almost United level who are only 3 points behind.

1702051050813.png

Sadly just like Kalvin Foden isn't a Pep pausa midfielder, but he's very good on the wings and I suspect that's where his future is.
 
Barcon said:
I don't get it.
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I just made a comment that he goes all pedal to the metal (as in driving) but in the game.

The very next morning he releases him passing his driving certification!

Made me laugh that in the universe complex, coincidental, serendipitous events do occur.
 
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