#47 | Phil Foden - 2019/20 Performances

[domalino]

The proof will come at the end of his career, if it is as long, successful and honour filled as his potential suggests. If it is, job done.

Well no, that's not proof at all of whether he could have been brought through 6 months earlier.

 

[itisrising]

The thing with the Pep/Foden handling debate is that both sides can't be proven wrong and both interpret the same evidence - him doing well - as proof of their theory.

If Foden is one of our best players after 3 starts, people who thought he should be held back this long think it's a masterstroke, "Look how good he is, now he's ready".

And people who think he should have played sooner think "Clearly he was ready before now if he's already undroppable"

IMO The truth is probably that he could have played earlier, and that would have helped us as a team earlier in the season, but Phil personally has benefitted from being kept back until he's more than good enough, sheltered from England and the media.

PS. Also, I wonder if it's a coincidence or not that Garcia and Foden have both been shoved into the starting XI as soon as Juanma Lillo arrived. Maybe Pep just needed someone who's known to be enthusiastic about young players to convince him to take the jump.

My only gripe with the debate is that it isn't as if Foden is suddenly performing well and has just burst onto the scene; in that case I'd personally lean towards a masterstroke by Pep. It's the fact that he has performed remarkably well even in CL games earlier in the season when given the opportunity and then all momentum was scuppered when he'd drop to the bench again and not seen for 3/4 games. It was baffling at the time and I can't just accept it was part of some genius plan of Pep's all along, it just seems too far-fetched to believe that.

I think it's very difficult to gauge if it's the Lillo effect or Pep's hand being forced by the return to football and the schedule it's caused. Would be quite cool if we were to see more coming through next season.

 

[Manc in London]

I think there is a clear improvement in Foden's performances this year compared to last. He looks a more natural fit into the team. Maybe that is maturity, maybe because of the time he spends training with the players. I also believe there was no reason to rush him into the first team. He's very young and he has the kind of game where he will be performing to a high standard well into his 30s. We wouldn't him shagged out by his late 20s.

For those reasons, I am siding with the 'Pep has done the right thing' set of posters.

 

[oldius]

Well no, that's not proof at all of whether he could have been brought through 6 months earlier.

That's not possible to prove, pedantically speaking, but it's reasonable to assume that somebody has been developed well in their early career if they go on to have a long and successful one.

 

[WallyA]

That's not possible to prove, pedantically speaking, but it's reasonable to assume that somebody has been developed well in their early career if they go on to have a long and successful one.

He already said neither side could be proven right...

 

[oldius]

He already said neither side could be proven right...

Fair doos.

 

[lmhblue1]

I think there is a clear improvement in Foden's performances this year compared to last. He looks a more natural fit into the team. Maybe that is maturity, maybe because of the time he spends training with the players. I also believe there was no reason to rush him into the first team. He's very young and he has the kind of game where he will be performing to a high standard well into his 30s. We wouldn't him shagged out by his late 20s.

For those reasons, I am siding with the 'Pep has done the right thing' set of posters.

Yup against Leicester last season for example he looked pretty out of his depth and had to get subbed off fairly early. Much more composed now.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Watched the highlights of the under 17's world cup win before, and it's almost the Foden highlights, with no disrespect to any of the other players.

Just love the way he plays football.

 

[Manc in London]

Yup against Leicester last season for example he looked pretty out of his depth and had to get subbed off fairly early. Much more composed now.

I was trtlying to think of the game where he struggled. I think that may be the one.

Now he looks like a natural fit. If anything, we look better when he is now on the pitch. Along with De Bruyne, he's the player I most want to watch.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Watched the highlights of the under 17's world cup win before, and it's almost the Foden highlights, with no disrespect to any of the other players.

Just love the way he plays football.

Moving on from the u17s world cup win....Fodens participation in the Young England international tournament last summer will be remembered for his magical 50 yard run ,in which he beat 5 players and scored...only to be dropped by that clown ady boothroyd for the very next match... which England lost.....then utds new right back scored a bizzare own goal in the last min of the 3rd and final game... and England were on the plane home. Ycnmiu.

Foden has had to put up with some right rubbish decision making already in his short career,.