47 | Phil Foden - 2023/24

[SkyBlueFlux]

Kind of shocked at some of the comments here, and in particular some of the comparisons to Saka (who don't get me wrong, is a very good player).

Phil Foden is 23 years old - only just 23 at that.

He's played in 5 Champions League Semi-Finals (2 goals, 1 assist), and 2 Champions League finals. He came on to replace De Bruyne in the middle of the park in the hardest, most competitive game you could imagine somebody playing in. We won and he was a major part of that. You simply can't hide in that kind of game.

He's played in 2 FA Cup semi-finals, 1 FA cup final, 4 League Cup semi-finals and 2 League Cup finals (all of which we won).

He's made over 28 league appearances per season in three successive title winning sides - scoring 29 goals in the process. Despite having injuries and surgeries in that time.

He's scored and assisted over 100 goals for us in some of the most important matches and competitions this club has ever been involved in. Winning goal v Spurs in 19 in a season with 1 pt in it. Brilliant goal v Newcastle in a must-win game last year. Goal v Everton in 22 in the dying embers of the famous "Rodri handball" game. This man has turned up consistently when needed. Not over a period of half a season or something, but five years straight.

People seem very quick to forget how much he has achieved with us and are somehow chalking him down as a squad player? Baffling.

Saka has done none of this. He scores a worldy goal on the opening day of the season and people think this makes him a better player? When has he turned up in high pressure games and contributed to Arsenal actually winning trophies? He's not. Foden has. When has he played in Champions League knockout games and run the show, or scored a crucial goal to take an aggregate lead? He's not. Foden has.

Looking like a world beater against the likes of Forest does not make you the better player. People have it totally backwards. Foden has absolutely nothing to prove, Saka has it all to prove. Phil has done it all before even touching his prime and it is apparent to anybody with a brain that he has enormous quality and will continue to contribute here for more than a decade to come.

 

[TFC]

Kind of shocked at some of the comments here, and in particular some of the comparisons to Saka (who don't get me wrong, is a very good player).

Phil Foden is 23 years old - only just 23 at that.

He's played in 5 Champions League Semi-Finals (2 goals, 1 assist), and 2 Champions League finals. He came on to replace De Bruyne in the middle of the park in the hardest, most competitive game you could imagine somebody playing in. We won and he was a major part of that. You simply can't hide in that kind of game.

He's played in 2 FA Cup semi-finals, 1 FA cup final, 4 League Cup semi-finals and 2 League Cup finals (all of which we won).

He's made over 28 appearances per season in three successive title winning sides - scoring 29 goals in the process. Despite having injuries and surgeries in that time.

He's scored and assisted over 100 goals for us in some of the most important matches and competitions this club has ever been involved in. Winning goal v Spurs in 19 in a season with 1 pt in it. Brilliant goal v Newcastle in a must-win game last year. Goal v Everton in 22 in the dying embers of the famous "Rodri handball" game. This man has turned up consistently when needed. Not over a period of half a season or something, but five years straight.

People seem very quick to forget how much he has achieved with us and are somehow chalking him down as a squad player? Baffling.

Saka has done none of this. He scores a worldy goal on the opening day of the season and people think this makes him a better player? When has he turned up in high pressure games and contributed to Arsenal actually winning trophies? He's not. Foden has. When has he played in Champions League knockout games and run the show, or scored a crucial goal to take an aggregate lead? He's not. Foden has.

Looking like a world beater against the likes of Forest does not make you the better player. People have it totally backwards. Foden has absolutely nothing to prove, Saka has it all to prove. Phil has done it all before even touching his prime and it is apparent to anybody with a brain that he has enormous quality and will continue to contribute here for more than a decade to come.

Mate, I couldn't agree more, but you are banging your head against the wall with some.

 

[TFC]

Kind of shocked at some of the comments here, and in particular some of the comparisons to Saka (who don't get me wrong, is a very good player).

Phil Foden is 23 years old - only just 23 at that.

He's played in 5 Champions League Semi-Finals (2 goals, 1 assist), and 2 Champions League finals. He came on to replace De Bruyne in the middle of the park in the hardest, most competitive game you could imagine somebody playing in. We won and he was a major part of that. You simply can't hide in that kind of game.

He's played in 2 FA Cup semi-finals, 1 FA cup final, 4 League Cup semi-finals and 2 League Cup finals (all of which we won).

He's made over 28 appearances per season in three successive title winning sides - scoring 29 goals in the process. Despite having injuries and surgeries in that time.

He's scored and assisted over 100 goals for us in some of the most important matches and competitions this club has ever been involved in. Winning goal v Spurs in 19 in a season with 1 pt in it. Brilliant goal v Newcastle in a must-win game last year. Goal v Everton in 22 in the dying embers of the famous "Rodri handball" game. This man has turned up consistently when needed. Not over a period of half a season or something, but five years straight.

People seem very quick to forget how much he has achieved with us and are somehow chalking him down as a squad player? Baffling.

Saka has done none of this. He scores a worldy goal on the opening day of the season and people think this makes him a better player? When has he turned up in high pressure games and contributed to Arsenal actually winning trophies? He's not. Foden has. When has he played in Champions League knockout games and run the show, or scored a crucial goal to take an aggregate lead? He's not. Foden has.

Looking like a world beater against the likes of Forest does not make you the better player. People have it totally backwards. Foden has absolutely nothing to prove, Saka has it all to prove. Phil has done it all before even touching his prime and it is apparent to anybody with a brain that he has enormous quality and will continue to contribute here for more than a decade to come.

In fact, that post is so good, I've quoted it again.

 

[Phil1]

See there’s still a few strange people questioning how good Phil is.
They will catch up one day.

 

[Phil1]

Kind of shocked at some of the comments here, and in particular some of the comparisons to Saka (who don't get me wrong, is a very good player).

Phil Foden is 23 years old - only just 23 at that.

He's played in 5 Champions League Semi-Finals (2 goals, 1 assist), and 2 Champions League finals. He came on to replace De Bruyne in the middle of the park in the hardest, most competitive game you could imagine somebody playing in. We won and he was a major part of that. You simply can't hide in that kind of game.

He's played in 2 FA Cup semi-finals, 1 FA cup final, 4 League Cup semi-finals and 2 League Cup finals (all of which we won).

He's made over 28 league appearances per season in three successive title winning sides - scoring 29 goals in the process. Despite having injuries and surgeries in that time.

He's scored and assisted over 100 goals for us in some of the most important matches and competitions this club has ever been involved in. Winning goal v Spurs in 19 in a season with 1 pt in it. Brilliant goal v Newcastle in a must-win game last year. Goal v Everton in 22 in the dying embers of the famous "Rodri handball" game. This man has turned up consistently when needed. Not over a period of half a season or something, but five years straight.

People seem very quick to forget how much he has achieved with us and are somehow chalking him down as a squad player? Baffling.

Saka has done none of this. He scores a worldy goal on the opening day of the season and people think this makes him a better player? When has he turned up in high pressure games and contributed to Arsenal actually winning trophies? He's not. Foden has. When has he played in Champions League knockout games and run the show, or scored a crucial goal to take an aggregate lead? He's not. Foden has.

Looking like a world beater against the likes of Forest does not make you the better player. People have it totally backwards. Foden has absolutely nothing to prove, Saka has it all to prove. Phil has done it all before even touching his prime and it is apparent to anybody with a brain that he has enormous quality and will continue to contribute here for more than a decade to come.

Pissing in the wind, mate.

 

[Benzino]

I stand by what I’ve said of Foden but regardless, this season has to be THE defining season for Phil to make the leap from young academy player in a squad role to an established figure in the team who we can rely on to step up consistently. Not a young prospect anymore.

In my opinion, you’re wrong.

If Foden doesn’t improve at all, he’s still a great player for us. I’ve seen a few people being very negative about him recently and It truly baffles me. I can only think it’s got to be down to 3 things:

1. He spent a lot of last season injured or playing with injuries so people thought he was dropped

2. City fans expectations has grown so much, that they think every single player in our team needs to be world class, week in week out

3. They’re impatient, and want Foden to be one of the best in the world right now. Maybe they think he should be like a Messi or an Mbappe and be the finished article at 22.

All of this is wrong though.

1. Before the World Cup, he started 11 of 14 league games for City, including scoring a hatrick in the derby. But he was playing with an injury before the World Cup and that got worst during it and then even worst afterwards, to the point he had to have 2 ops. Second half of the season he spent a lot of time sidelined and unfit. At the time, I heard many people wrongly say he was ‘dropped’. The just wasn’t the case at all.

In the previous two seasons before that, he won the PFA young player of the year twice and started in the majority of our big games, including playing well in CL KO games, semi finals and starting in a final.

2. Foden isn’t world class yet, but he has the potential to be. When I say world class, I also mean, in the top 3 players in the world in their position. Realistically, I think we only have 5 world class players - Diaz, Stones, Rodri, KDB and Haaland. Bernardo could possibly be considered WC too, because he can play both wide and in midfield, and there’s very few players at the highest echelons of the game that can do that. In fact, the only other player, playing for a top European team that can, is Foden.

I think if players aren’t WC, then certain fans pigeon hole them as just good, or even average. Foden is not yet world class, but there’s not that many players in the world who you could guarantee could replace him and do better. Certainly not many near his age. If you think about it, you have to go to the very top of the game, with players like Mbappe and Vini Jr. Different types of players though. But if you have to go to the very top, then think about what that says about Foden, he’s a level below the top. Which is still very good.

3. He might not reach a world class level for many years. Some players are like that. And when you look at some of the best attacking players of the last few generations, they probably weren’t as advanced in their careers as Foden is right now.

For example…

KDB at 22 was at Chelsea, played just 3 games and was then loaned to Wolfsburg, where he played 16 games. It wasn’t until the following season he showed promise, and was then signed by City aged 24. Even then, he wasn’t world class until about 3 seasons in, when he was 27.

Gundo at 22, only played one game that season for Dortmund. At the start of his career with City aged 26, he was a squad player for the first 4 seasons behind Dinho, Silva and KDB. He became world class when he was around 30.

David Silva was at Valencia at 22 playing in a wide position like Foden. 2 seasons later aged 24, he joined City to play in midfield. In his first season he wasn’t world class at all. Some felt he was too lightweight for the PL. He was about 25/26 before he began to look like a top player but he probably didn’t get to world class status until Pep arrived, when he was in his late 20’s.

Salah, at 22 was still at Chelsea, he had played in just 13 games in 2 seasons and scored only 2 goals, before being loaned to Fiorentina. That season he only played 14 games for Fiorentina too. He then joined Roma and he was seen as a good player for them. He signed for Liverpool aged 25. That’s when he became world class.

Modric at 22 was in his first season with Spurs. For his first two seasons there, he was seen as an average-good player. In his final season at Spurs aged 24 he shone and he joined Madrid aged 25. Even then some people didn’t rate him that highly and he was probably only recognised as world class after 2-3 seasons aged 27-28.

Lampard, the greatest scoring midfielder hadn’t scored anywhere near as many league goals as Foden has aged 22. Foden scored 9,9 and 11 league goals in the last three season. In comparison, at the same age Frank scored 5, 7, and 7. It wasn’t for another 3 seasons when he was 25-26, he would score more than 11 goals in a season.

Eden Hazard has his first season at Chelsea at 22, he was good, but no way near the levels he would go and reach. He scored and assisted less than Foden at the same age, despite playing more games.

Arjen Robben joined Chelsea at 22. He was there for 3 seasons, played well, but only scored 15 league goals in that time. He then joined Real Madrid for 2 seasons and failed. It wasn’t until he joined Bayern aged 27 he became world class.

I could go on forever, but all these great players - non of them had achieved anywhere near what Foden has achieved at 22. They hadn’t scored or assisted as many, they hadn’t contributed to winning trophies. Non of these players were getting in Citys team at the same age as Foden. If you want to find players that were world class at 22, you have to go to Messi, Ronaldo, fat Ronaldo, Rooney, Thierry Henry. Some of the best players of all time.

In summary, for me, Foden is the best attacking player after the 6 world class players I mentioned in our squad. In him, we’ve got a very versatile player who can play well, wide left, or right, false winger, number 10, or in midfield. We have a player who can cover multiple positions. Who is very good, still very young and has a lot more potential over the next few years. He’s still quite lightweight too, imagine in the next 2 years when he begins to fill out a bit, he’ll be faster and stronger.

He’s also a city fan, and he will not be looking to move on for the next 10-14 years. He’s unlikely to get impatient if he doesn’t start every game and he isn’t going to be one of these guys who dreams of playing for Madrid, Barca or Bayern. That’s priceless, and I think some City fans are massively taking it for granted.

What we need to do is appreciate him for the player he is now and get behind him. Pile the pressure on him now, to be world class now, and he may not ever get there. Take him for what he is now, we still have a very good player on our hands who would be very difficult to replace in our squad, without spending north of £150m.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

Kind of shocked at some of the comments here, and in particular some of the comparisons to Saka (who don't get me wrong, is a very good player).

Phil Foden is 23 years old - only just 23 at that.

He's played in 5 Champions League Semi-Finals (2 goals, 1 assist), and 2 Champions League finals. He came on to replace De Bruyne in the middle of the park in the hardest, most competitive game you could imagine somebody playing in. We won and he was a major part of that. You simply can't hide in that kind of game.

He's played in 2 FA Cup semi-finals, 1 FA cup final, 4 League Cup semi-finals and 2 League Cup finals (all of which we won).

He's made over 28 league appearances per season in three successive title winning sides - scoring 29 goals in the process. Despite having injuries and surgeries in that time.

He's scored and assisted over 100 goals for us in some of the most important matches and competitions this club has ever been involved in. Winning goal v Spurs in 19 in a season with 1 pt in it. Brilliant goal v Newcastle in a must-win game last year. Goal v Everton in 22 in the dying embers of the famous "Rodri handball" game. This man has turned up consistently when needed. Not over a period of half a season or something, but five years straight.

People seem very quick to forget how much he has achieved with us and are somehow chalking him down as a squad player? Baffling.

Saka has done none of this. He scores a worldy goal on the opening day of the season and people think this makes him a better player? When has he turned up in high pressure games and contributed to Arsenal actually winning trophies? He's not. Foden has. When has he played in Champions League knockout games and run the show, or scored a crucial goal to take an aggregate lead? He's not. Foden has.

Looking like a world beater against the likes of Forest does not make you the better player. People have it totally backwards. Foden has absolutely nothing to prove, Saka has it all to prove. Phil has done it all before even touching his prime and it is apparent to anybody with a brain that he has enormous quality and will continue to contribute here for more than a decade to come.

This is an incredible post.

The only thing I'd add is that Pep has played Foden all over the pitch (I think he's played wingback, left wing, false 9, right wing, a 10 and an 8) not to fuck with him but because he's been serving an apprenticeship in part because Pep thinks he can be world class in his late 20s and that all these experiences will help him.

If we'd stuck him on the wing and told him to attack like Saka does he'd look more impressive but it would be bad for his long-term development.

 

[youngbob]

Genuinely think the only thing he needs to improve is his finishing. Finds the keeper a bit too often. Fantastic everywhere else and his development has been a dream to watch considering he's a proper blue who was born and raised in my postcode in Stockport. Stalled a bit last season but only cos he's hit outrageous heights already. Will finish this season with double figures for goals and assists like he's always done since he became a proper first-team player. Look forward to him playing more and more.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

I’m t

Kind of shocked at some of the comments here, and in particular some of the comparisons to Saka (who don't get me wrong, is a very good player).

Phil Foden is 23 years old - only just 23 at that.

He's played in 5 Champions League Semi-Finals (2 goals, 1 assist), and 2 Champions League finals. He came on to replace De Bruyne in the middle of the park in the hardest, most competitive game you could imagine somebody playing in. We won and he was a major part of that. You simply can't hide in that kind of game.

He's played in 2 FA Cup semi-finals, 1 FA cup final, 4 League Cup semi-finals and 2 League Cup finals (all of which we won).

He's made over 28 league appearances per season in three successive title winning sides - scoring 29 goals in the process. Despite having injuries and surgeries in that time.

He's scored and assisted over 100 goals for us in some of the most important matches and competitions this club has ever been involved in. Winning goal v Spurs in 19 in a season with 1 pt in it. Brilliant goal v Newcastle in a must-win game last year. Goal v Everton in 22 in the dying embers of the famous "Rodri handball" game. This man has turned up consistently when needed. Not over a period of half a season or something, but five years straight.

People seem very quick to forget how much he has achieved with us and are somehow chalking him down as a squad player? Baffling.

Saka has done none of this. He scores a worldy goal on the opening day of the season and people think this makes him a better player? When has he turned up in high pressure games and contributed to Arsenal actually winning trophies? He's not. Foden has. When has he played in Champions League knockout games and run the show, or scored a crucial goal to take an aggregate lead? He's not. Foden has.

Looking like a world beater against the likes of Forest does not make you the better player. People have it totally backwards. Foden has absolutely nothing to prove, Saka has it all to prove. Phil has done it all before even touching his prime and it is apparent to anybody with a brain that he has enormous quality and will continue to contribute here for more than a decade to come

Kind of shocked at some of the comments here, and in particular some of the comparisons to Saka (who don't get me wrong, is a very good player).

Phil Foden is 23 years old - only just 23 at that.

He's played in 5 Champions League Semi-Finals (2 goals, 1 assist), and 2 Champions League finals. He came on to replace De Bruyne in the middle of the park in the hardest, most competitive game you could imagine somebody playing in. We won and he was a major part of that. You simply can't hide in that kind of game.

He's played in 2 FA Cup semi-finals, 1 FA cup final, 4 League Cup semi-finals and 2 League Cup finals (all of which we won).

He's made over 28 league appearances per season in three successive title winning sides - scoring 29 goals in the process. Despite having injuries and surgeries in that time.

He's scored and assisted over 100 goals for us in some of the most important matches and competitions this club has ever been involved in. Winning goal v Spurs in 19 in a season with 1 pt in it. Brilliant goal v Newcastle in a must-win game last year. Goal v Everton in 22 in the dying embers of the famous "Rodri handball" game. This man has turned up consistently when needed. Not over a period of half a season or something, but five years straight.

People seem very quick to forget how much he has achieved with us and are somehow chalking him down as a squad player? Baffling.

Saka has done none of this. He scores a worldy goal on the opening day of the season and people think this makes him a better player? When has he turned up in high pressure games and contributed to Arsenal actually winning trophies? He's not. Foden has. When has he played in Champions League knockout games and run the show, or scored a crucial goal to take an aggregate lead? He's not. Foden has.

Looking like a world beater against the likes of Forest does not make you the better player. People have it totally backwards. Foden has absolutely nothing to prove, Saka has it all to prove. Phil has done it all before even touching his prime and it is apparent to anybody with a brain that he has enormous quality and will continue to contribute here for more than a decade to come.

I don’t really get this. I’ve said before I think Phil is a generational talent - best I’ve seen since Gazza in terms of what he can do.
But Saka is also a remarkable player and like Phil I’m sure will get even better.
So why can’t it be left like that?

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

I’m t


I don’t really get this. I’ve said before I think Phil is a generational talent - best I’ve seen since Gazza in terms of what he can do.
But Saka is also a remarkable player and like Phil I’m sure will get even better.
So why can’t it be left like that?

Because my post is directed specifically at the commenters immediately above me who were describing Phil as “an academy squad player” and saying that “Saka has established himself but Phil hasn’t.”

These posts are objectively nonsensical for the reasons I’ve outlined.

I made the point in the very first line that I agree that Saka is a very good player. I have no problem with people who simply choose to appreciate two quality English players.

But if people want to come to the table with comparative statements like “X is more established than Y” then I am in my right to tell them I think they’re talking fucking bollocks.