Phil - Scapegoats and witch hunts

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HarrytheBlue

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Clueless pundits and fans lacking brain cells love a scapegoat and a witch-hunt. Against Serbia, Phil's role (doing a job on the left) didn't allow him to pull up any trees. I haven't seen the stats, but his pass completion accuracy seemed decent to me – being slaughtered though for the couple of passes that didn't work out. We all know that Pep coaches our players to pass to team-mates when they're being marked - and we've all seen Phil receive the ball with two top defenders on him, turn, get away and rifle one in. Our (City's) football is counterintuitive, and I don't expect England to play like us, but come on, it's not rocket science to give him the ball (when he's being marked or otherwise). Several times he was in good positions, but no-one gave him the ball – the golden boy especially.

I don't buy the 'he can't play in the same side as the golden boy’ thing. To me, Bellingham is a box-to-box player, whereas Phil does his best work in the last third. Phil's getting the Scholes experience - it has to be said that Scholes, like Phil is now, was the most naturally gifted English player of that generation but was shoved out to the left to make way for the longest running failed experiment in footy history. Phil’s being vilified for no other reason than he plays for us. Shearer, the striker (yes, he was world class) who couldn’t score for a year leading up to EURO 96, has been especially critical of Foden.

He's mature enough to shrug off the harsh criticism. TAA was clumsy more than once and nearly threw one in for Serbia – but no especially harsh criticism – fair enough – don’t destroy England’s players. Kane had his worst game in an England shirt (clumsy, slow, in the wrong parts of the pitch, barely any touches) – no harsh criticism – again fair enough. But Phil’s being singled out for a couple of slack passes. Phil loves playing for England – he’s won the Under 17 World Cup – player of the tournament. Personally, I hope Phil goes all maverick if selected ‘give me the fecking ball!!!!’ and shuts the mouths of these fans and pundits who don’t deserve a generational talent like him in their national side.

The argument for Pep to coach England in a parallel universe is for another discussion, but there is no way a Pep England would be allowed to take a backward step and drop deeper and deeper after going one nil up.
 
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It seems okay for Phil to play out of his best position but not Bellingham, and that alone shows who the best player is , Phil can play anywhere in a three behind the striker , of course his best position is as a 10. If Bellingham is so fucking special make him play as the 8, let’s see how good and influential he is out of his favoured position. But he’s the golden boy isn’t he ? A player who has played all of his best football out of the country, I don’t get the love in for him , he’s an arrogant twat to boot. But it’s Southgate isn’t it ? A defender as a player who has England playing with the handbrake on, I couldn’t give a shite if we get knocked out tbh , let’s just hope Phil isn’t on the pitch as he will get the blame.
 
Phil sidelined is exactly what utd, lfc, ars fans and their media puntis want. They wanted a clickbait LFC player in the midfield, they wanted Bellingham (A talent thats nothing to do with City) as the headliner. Grealish out. Stones is lucky he is in but only due to no one else being available. Mainoo satisfies the utd fans.

Sorry to spoil your thread but really fucks me off that we shoot ourselves in the foot for the sake of clickbaiting journalists satisfying their fanbase.

But, Foden (Like City) has to do absolutely everything himself. He will get no lift up, no favourable coverage. Nothing. He needs to step up and prove himself the best.
 
Fuck England, Fuck Southgate and Fuck Bellingham. They have no idea how to use Englands number one midfielder and they don’t fucking deserve to have our Phil the bunch of clueless useless cunts. I don’t listen to pundits because the majority are dicks with no fucking clue. I saw Phil with my own eyes last season like everyone else and he should be the central figure to that team. Bellingham and Southgate will destroy that group of players with their arrogance and in Southgate case his complete lack of player awareness.
 
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Are any of us surprised?

I called it as soon as he dropped Grealish……knew he’d play Phil on the left and instead of playing on the half turn in the middle like he does for us, he’d end up playing as a static left winger with the ball being played into him with his back to goal…..

Fuck them all they can suck bellinghams cock for all I care
 
DenisLawBackHeel74 said:
Are any of us surprised?

I called it as soon as he dropped Grealish……knew he’d play Phil on the left and instead of playing on the half turn in the middle like he does for us, he’d end up playing as a static left winger with the ball being played into him with his back to goal…..

Fuck them all they can suck bellinghams cock for all I care
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Hope he is dropped by waistcoat, then he will be really up for it when the PL starts.
 
mscenterh750 said:
Fuck England, Fuck Southgate and Fuck Bellingham. They have no idea how to use Englands number one midfielder and they don’t fucking deserve to have our Phil the bunch of clueless useless cunts. I don’t listen to pundits because the majority are dicks with no fucking clue. I saw Phil with my own eyes last season like everyone else and he should be the central figure to that team. Bellingham and Southgate will destroy that group of players with their arrogance and in Southgate case his complete lack of player awareness.
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Don't wrap it up in cotton wool mate! However, 100% spot on.
 
John Barnes was on TS this morning and when asked about Phil, he said that England won’t get the best out of him until they play him in his best position or to play more like City do.

No scapegoating like some on there, just said it how it was and that England won’t get the best out of players until they play to the teams strengths, which Southgate doesn’t allow.
 
Phil gets frustrated playing for England. No one will pass to him in the tight positions he regularly takes up for us.

On Sunday his frustration got to him and he did uncharacteristically gave the ball away numerous times in the second half. Pep would have pulled him for that.

However, Waistcoat should either drop him or play him at the ten and tell the fuckers to pass!

My view is nothing will change, he will be scapegoated and dropped after a draw or loss against Denmark and will be thrown on in the last 15 minutes when we are losing in the last 16 or QF.
 
HarrytheBlue said:
Clueless pundits and fans lacking brain cells love a scapegoat and a witch-hunt. Against Serbia, Phil's role (doing a job on the left) didn't allow him to pull up any trees. I haven't seen the stats, but his pass completion accuracy seemed decent to me – being slaughtered though for the couple of passes that didn't work out. We all know that Pep coaches our players to pass to team-mates when they're being marked - and we've all seen Phil receive the ball with two top defenders on him, turn, get away and rifle one in. Our (City's) football is counterintuitive, and I don't expect England to play like us, but come on, it's not rocket science to give him the ball (when he's being marked or otherwise). Several times he was in good positions, but no-one gave him the ball – the golden boy especially.

I don't buy the 'he can't play in the same side as the golden boy’ thing. To me, Bellingham is a box-to-box player, whereas Phil does his best work in the last third. Phil's getting the Scholes experience - it has to be said that Scholes, like Phil is now, was the most naturally gifted English player of that generation but was shoved out to the left to make way for the longest running failed experiment in footy history. Phil’s being vilified for no other reason than he plays for us. Shearer, the striker (yes, he was world class) who couldn’t score for a year leading up to EURO 96, has been especially critical of Foden.

He's mature enough to shrug off the harsh criticism. TAA was clumsy more than once and nearly threw one in for Serbia – but no especially harsh criticism – fair enough – don’t destroy England’s players. Kane had his worst game in an England shirt (clumsy, slow, in the wrong parts of the pitch, barely any touches) – no harsh criticism – again fair enough. But Phil’s being singled out for a couple of slack passes. Phil loves playing for England – he’s won the Under 17 World Cup – player of the tournament. Personally, I hope Phil goes all maverick if selected ‘give me the fecking ball!!!!’ and shuts the mouths of these fans and pundits who don’t deserve a generational talent like him in their national side.

The argument for Pep to coach England in a parallel universe is for another discussion, but there is no way a Pep England would be allowed to take a backward step and drop deeper and deeper after going one nil up.
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Superb analysis. Thanks for writing what I couldn't articulate.
 
Not that I disagree with any post suggesting the ineptitude of Southgate, but I honestly think if they just leave Phil where he is, he’ll adapt and still make a good account of himself. Problem is, the aforementioned managerial abomination will likely give him an out 60 minutes more. Gordon or Eze will play half decent and that will be it. Rather than building towards the later stages.

Our only chance is due to a fair level of ineptitude amongst other nations.
 
The Future’s Blue! said:
John Barnes was on TS this morning and when asked about Phil, he said that England won’t get the best out of him until they play him in his best position or to play more like City do.

No scapegoating like some on there, just said it how it was and that England won’t get the best out of players until they play to the teams strengths, which Southgate doesn’t allow.
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John Barnes talks sense on a lot of topics.
 
The media in general building up to England getting knocked out and using the foden conundrum as the stick to beat them with,if it wasn’t Phil it would have been Grealish if he was there,although still time for Walker or stones to be blamed..
 
What frustrates me is we have a core of players who have basically come of age or worked with Pep, Klopp and to a lesser extent Arteta, have all worked similar systems of dominating the ball and pressing high and having an extra man in midfield, but we have a manager who can't make the most of what those managers have done at club level.
 
I think it sums up the state of the media (and is typical of the morons on social media) that England win and yet there still has to be a scapegoat, which seems to be Foden this time.

The first game of a tournament can be difficult, the most important thing is three points and something to build on.

So Foden didn't have an outstanding game. Bellingham aside, there weren't many stand out performers. As other posters have said, I'd still back Foden to perform out wide if given time. But I have a horrible feeling he'll be benched before he's given a chance to perform in that position. I hope I'm wrong.
 
The whole of the left side was wrong, both Foden and Trippier out of position. With an overlapping left back Foden would have looked ok. With a out and out left winger Trippier would have looked fine. The two together was the worst possible combination.

Southgate isn't the first England manager to try to play the best 11 players rather than the best players for the team. Think of the team with Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard three great players who all played similarly and should never have played together.

If that means Saka, Foden, Bellingham or Terence Trent Darby are dropped to the bench to create the correct balance then so be it.

Personally and for totally City reasons I want Foden on the bench. It'll mean he has a point to prove, he'll be more rested, and he won't be blamed when we crash out because Bellingcunt decides he wants all the glory and decides not to pass to anyone else.
 
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