47 | Phil Foden - 2023/24

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Needs to be more greedy, more direct.

 

[adrianr]

I thought he was poor again. I don’t think he ran at the Swiss defence even once. He just seems content in just getting the ball and passing it back to where it came from.

Sorry to say but this is all I saw tonight. Still looks like he's playing well within himself. Might be fine for control and keeping posession but in his position he needs to be doing more, and I'm sure he knows that too.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Saka was passing it to him, but it's clear that he and Bellingham aren't fans of one another.

Saka's passes didn't do Phil any favours.

 

[meltonblue]

He did his best, but he doesn’t have anyone in the England team who understands what he can do.

Ultimately, that’s international football for you though. There isn’t time to work on patterns or complex movements, it’s about making an impact when you have the ball and making it as simple for others as possible when you don’t.

He’s playing for England as he would for us and that’s just not going to work.

 

[Crooked_rain]

He was better tonight, not as good as he is for the club, but you could probably say that about most of them.

He takes up great positions but never gets spotted. I think he's pretty much on a different wavelength to the players around him for England.

As for fans of other clubs digging him out, most of them were probably terrified coming up against him in the league last season and will be next season, so they're fully aware of what he can do. Its just tribalism.

 

[SamBlue]

He’s playing for England as he would for us and that’s just not going to work.

I think this the main problem of this England team that every player is playing like they would for their clubs and Southgate is happy letting them look like everything but a cohesive team. Some players suffer more, Rice and Phil in particular finding it difficult to replicate their club form in that set-up. Kane just doesn't play, but we need somebody to wear the arm-band and then you have players like Saka or even Bellingham who rely on their individual skills or one good move finding it much easier to adjust playing in this 'non-system'.

 

[Vialli98]

This is all set up for a Foden screamer top bins in the final minutes of the final.

 

[supercity88]

Whilst he can definitely do more, he isn't the right fit for the team in this system and with the players around him. He was much better central, connecting with Saka. But he would be miles better again if there was someone like Watkins moving ahead of him and stretching things for him to play in or attack the space himself.

Southgate seems happy with him offering control for now, with others coming on and being more expensive later in the game.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Ultimately, that’s international football for you though. There isn’t time to work on patterns or complex movements, it’s about making an impact when you have the ball and making it as simple for others as possible when you don’t.

He’s playing for England as he would for us and that’s just not going to work.

Southgate has been the England manager for 8 years, that's more than enough time to sort out the tactical side of the game. There's more international breaks than ever before it seems, and I have absolutely no idea what England's attacking tactics are, other than the keeper hoofing it long.

 

[mike1923]

Am I being paranoid or do Phil and Bellingham not like each other?