Cheltenham Town (A) | Post-Match Thread

[OB1]

I've been saying it for quite a while and it was a surprise to hear Shearer also make the comparison.

Foden is the closest thing I have seen to Gascoigne in any player.

Both had incredible natural talent, glided either way past players, received the ball on the half turn, although Phil has a keener eye for goal inside the penalty box.

Coupled without the demons and fitness issues Gazza always had, that makes Phil destined for a small group of players confined to maybe four or five in the world in the years to come.

He's blooming and you can see it coursing through his veins. There was one guy on that pitch for us yesterday who refused to accept us being knocked out.

Foden might just be the most naturally gifted English player since Gazza. I said that to the girls when we were watching post match stuff yesterday.

I don't want to get carried away or make too many claims though. We still need to wait and see how he develops and give him time to do so; and, on that score, I think he is in great hands with Pep.

I do think we are into a new phase though in terms of Phil's progression and it's very exciting.

 

[FCBarca]

Pep

 

[FCBarca]

Cannot believe the stick Mendy is getting! He's barely played and he was great in the first half. Should have had a great goal and a great assist

Agree, he had a good half and very lucky not to have scored

Shame however how rarely he has these sort of performances against 1st division sides. He’s still behind Zinchenko for me

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Foden might just be the most naturally gifted English player since Gazza. I said that to the girls when we were watching post match stuff yesterday.

I don't want to get carried away or make too many claims though. We still need to wait and see how he develops and give him time to do so; and, on that score, I think he is in great hands with Pep.

I do think we are into a new phase though in terms of Phil's progression and it's very exciting.

Spot on mate, but I think in ten years time there will be a consensus he is City's greatest-ever player and an England great.

I've been very lucky down the years with my job to have watched some of the greatest players live.

His feet don't even look like they touch the floor.

The biggest thing to note in recent months is his increased upper body strength, he is a strong little bastard and very wiry.

Phil no longer looks like the kid who is undoubtedly talented but just being given a game, he is already leaving some of his more experienced team-mates behind, and I include Sterling and Jesus in that, when it comes to fundamental importance to how this team is now set up.

 

[give it to gordon]

Spot on mate, but I think in ten years time there will be a consensus he is City's greatest-ever player and an England great.

I've been very lucky down the years with my job to have watched some of the greatest players live.

His feet don't even look like they touch the floor.

The biggest thing to note in recent months is his increased upper body strength, he is a strong little bastard and very wiry.

Phil no longer looks like the kid who is undoubtedly talented but just being given a game, he is already leaving some of his more experienced team-mates behind, and I include Sterling and Jesus in that, when it comes to fundamental importance to how this team is now set up.

Unlike Marhez that gets knock over by a feather

 

[Vienna_70]

It was a cracking FA Cup tie, with the plucky, dogged lower division side giving one of the most illustrious teams in the world a real fright. Mrs Vienna said, just before the Cheltenham goal, "I think they'll score first, but we'll win".

Cheltenham were great and deserved their lead, but the introduction of the three substitutes by Pep made all the difference. Gündoğan is such a wonderful player - dare I say he is the nearest we have to Merlin now? - that he can change a game in the way that he did last night and Cancelo is now showing why we were prepared to pay £60 million for him.

Phil Foden was magnificent. He really does have it all. And he's ours. That piece of dribbling, where he beat about five players was wonderful, as was his finish for our first.

Little has been made of Gabriel's first touch when he scored the second, but I thought it was brilliant; almost the equal of his turn for the equaliser against Littlewoods.

Swansea next. We beat them on the way to winning the Cup two years ago. An omen maybe?

 

[knuckles]

The narrative on the chelski and luton match could not be more different than our game yesterday, nothing about the underdog, hardly a mention of the difference in the cost of squads, basically bigging up the chelski players and routing for chelski/Frank. I know that its a different commentary team but its still the BBC.

 

[ancoats]

Phil should probably have played more often than he has. But he shouldn’t have played anywhere near as often as the media want him to. On balance I would prefer him not to be another Wilshere, Rooney, Gascoigne or Owen, washed up and burned out before he’s 30

i think somebody said on this tread that foden has played more games than any off the utd class of 1992 at 20 years of age ? so the media can do one and in pep we trust

your spot on about them other players and can add loads more to the list from both united and liverpool with there wonder kids the new (best) or (rush) even manchester city have had plenty of youth that played to much football at a young age and burnt out by time they are 30

modern football is all about fitness and healthy body and looking after yourself. if you can play at the top levels into the mid to late 30s, then its because your body was looked after at a young age. also playing with little knocks or playing when you should not be is another big problem we have to watch out with foden. because he will be the main player in the next season or 2, the key players want to play all the time and will gamble on a little injury or knock just for the good of the team

that's what happened this season with KDB he has been playing with a little injury for the good of the team and he pushed it to much and now with miss 6 weeks ? that's what happens to key players

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

In some ways, that last ten minutes or so was the most encouraging I've seen this season.

I know exactly what you mean. It shows that we know how to dig in, that we've got some fire in our bellies (well, most of the players), that we hate to lose. It augurs well for the coming weeks.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Unlike Marhez that gets knock over by a feather

Thing is, Pep has handled him brilliantly.

There is a standard he requires, there is a standard he can accept, then there is a standard he reserves for only those players he knows cannot be sold short.

When you have worked with Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, Pep knows when your natural ability is from a different sphere.

Txiki worded him up, Pep was able to recognise it, but Foden is so lucky to have a manager who doesn't suffer fools, who knows what it takes to take the greats to the top.

Phil can be a true great. One day we could be speaking about a generational talent who can win England another World Cup and City a couple of Champions League titles.

And all from a skinny lad from Stockport who just wanted to play for City.

He can live out the dreams of thousands of Blues.

Stay away from the birds and booze, get yourself some proper Italian suits, ditch that horrendous wardrobe of scally shite and everything else will take care of itself.