Good points. Rice is a big problem trying to outdo Bellingham for selfish indiscipline all over the pitch - helping make Englands defense look weak and attack toothless.
Against Greece he had Foden 15 yards straight ahead in space between the lines. Instead of passing he carries the ball forward causing Phil to have to move aside to stop being run into by which time the Greeks had closed down passing options and the ball was lost in the congestion. Very Stevie G.
Pep nailed it saying that Foden needs to sometimes hold the ball and play slower. However he plays a different game to most of his England team mates who do not have the same concept of space and movement, let alone skill set, yet play for themselves like at a schoolboy trial. They avoid passing to Foden as it looks too easy so doesnt make them look good. Better they pass to their mates or how they play for their club.
Unlike them, Phil has won loads of trophies for a reason. However he does need to adapt his game, become more assertive on the pitch to control games and make more personal impact.
great in progessing the play when further upfield.
He needs to adapt his game - when Rodri is in the team you can stay in the pocket and he will be found. When it's Kovacic or Declan Rice, you will not be found often. He can't be a player that is stuck in the pockets, he has to drop deep and be the one that's finding players.
Very good point.Took Colin years!
Paul Scoles had the same problem when playing for England, same with Lampard and Gérard. They all could do it playing in the highest standard of football, which is the Champions League, but always struggled for England, which is mad because they were all great players, as is Phil. I would have preferred him not to go with England this time and to have stayed at City and concentrated on his general fitness as he looks a bit undercooked at the moment.I’m just listening to Friday night football on BBC 5Live. The whole panel agreed Foden is the weakest link in the England team.
It’s hard to argue. I’m not a big England fan, and don’t see a lot of their games, but I’m struggling to remember a single game where I was impressed with his performance.
Watch him at Arsenal he is even worse, bang average.The more I see of Rice playing for England, I wonder what he actually achieves ?
He is shite as a defensive midfielder and not great in progessing the play when further upfield.
Or maybe I just don't understand the hype around him.
No, most players want to play for their country.Think he’d sooner be fishing, mind you I would sooner be fishing than playing for them
He seemed to turn it on when it mattered.I don’t take international football seriously. Wasn’t Maradona mostly shite when playing for Argentina?
It’s not about grabbing the headlines. Phil is now 24 years old. He’s been around for a while and on the international scene for a while too. It would be good if, every now and again, he just takes the match by the scruff of the neck so to speak. He definitely has the qualities to do it.Phil is not the sort of person to try and grab all the headlines , he probably looks around and wishes he was back with us . I never judge players when they are with their countries