Wtf îs with this desperation about him not playing?????? Why people are not desperate about Diaz as well i May ask??
He made his debut over 12 months ago and you could argue that barring the league cup games, he still hasn’t made an appearance where anything was actually at stake.
Don’t think he was ever going to play Phil. Pep is just boosting his confidence which is what a great manager does with teenagers.
We saw tonight how tough the game was, clearly not a game for Foden. Hence why he wasn’t even brought on until the 90th min.
Foden is developing wonderfully. Patience.
I think Pep definitely means it when he says that Foden is ready. However, Pep hasn't seen enough of Foden in games to actually trust him, despite him being the natural replacement for Bernardo/Gundogan/KDB. This is partly why I've been so impatience with him only getting minutes when the games dead already. He can play his heart out and score goals in his 10 mins cameo when we're three goals up, that won't matter much to Pep though in terms of trusting him to start important matches. He needs to get more minutes when the games alive and the opponents legs and head aren't dead yet. That's not as easy as it sounds as we almost every time put the games to death in the first half. So Pep either has to put Foden on early in the second half, or be bold and let him start games. We'll win 2/3 home games with ease this season in the PL and starting Foden (especially now with many injuries in midfield) won't change the outcome that much. We saw that against Fulham in the CC where he and Diaz looked very comfortable despite Fulham playing their best team (they are shit but still a PL team). Sooner or later Pep needs to give Phil a couple of competitive games to see if his up for it and therefor being able to trust him if we get an injury crisis later in the season. He's not just the usual exciting academy prospect, he's one of the best talents to ever emerge from our Academy and he's got the potential of becoming an all-time England/City great.I don't really mind Pep not playing Foden if he thinks that's the right thing to do, but I do personally kinda wish he'd start tempering expectations a tad maybe. He's insisted quite passionately now that Foden is ready and he's in the squad on a level playing field with everyone else - he even encouraged Southgate to pick him for England. All evidence seems to point towards though that he still sees him as a kid that maybe can't quite be trusted in important moments yet. He simply doesn't play him when it matters.
I don't mind that - genuinely, but I reckon it might not harm anyone to temper expectations a bit. Boosting him publicly is nice, and I actually think it's coming from a sincere place, but the flipside is that expectation is heaped on the lad. From the fans, naturally, but more importantly from the press. "Pep says he's ready but he never plays him" etc. It's a bit of a stick to beat us with, and it's that same kind of rhetoric that lead to other talented prospects getting itchy feet. Now it may be that Foden trusts Pep wholeheartedly, and he may even be in on it all, and if so fair enough, but it is something to think about and I don't think there would be any harm in Pep saying something along the lines of 'he's fantastic, mentally ready, technically ready, and he will play loads for City this season and while i'm here - but he has a lot to learn and there is no rush'. That before a game like this would do him and the fans and others no harm IMO.
Just a little bit of realism, cos as it is at the moment Pep's actions are clashing hugely with his words. As I said, I don't mind caution and patience, but the mixed messages are beginning to grate a tiny, tiny bit. Still, I trust Pep etc, obviously...but ya know.
Because he's committed himself to the club by signing a contract and appears to be a better player at the moment.Wtf îs with this desperation about him not playing?????? Why people are not desperate about Diaz as well i May ask??