Phil - Scapegoats and witch hunts

[eastmanc]

TAA, Bellingham and Rice were all very poor last night yet all I hear is how crap Foden was. He was the most likely to score last night. He kept offering himself for the pass but I don't recollect Rice or Bellingham giving him the ball. It's all very bizarre. Why all the focus on Foden? One sky reporter has just said to some Irish sky reporter that he thought Phil was England's brightest player last night, for the Irish guy to reply he thought he was being kind to Foden. Is it because he plays for City?

 

[Eds]

Needs to play a 4 1 4 1 with Phil and Palmer in the middle behind Watkins. Stones to step into midfield to help with the build up play and tell Pickford to stop hoofing it long all the time. Drop Alexander Arnold all together and play the right players in their best positions. Kane and Bellend can sit on the bench and watch how a team plays as one and not for themselves.

 

[bluenova]

TAA, Bellingham and Rice were all very poor last night yet all I hear is how crap Foden was. He was the most likely to score last night. He kept offering himself for the pass but I don't recollect Rice or Bellingham giving him the ball. It's all very bizarre. Why all the focus on Foden? One sky reporter has just said to some Irish sky reporter that he thought Phil was England's brightest player last night, for the Irish guy to reply he thought he was being kind to Foden. Is it because he plays for City?

I watched the match on the BBC and they were all full of praise for him too. Clearly it was a poor game, but pretty sure every one of them said he was the best player. I remember comments about the team playing better as soon as he's involved, and that he was the only bright spot in the whole game.

He was poor in the first game, even if a lot of that is the usual story about the rest of the team playing as individuals. Last night he was the best player in an average performance - had his shot gone in off the post, instead of out, like the Danish player's, he'd be all over the back pages.

 

[thismeansfour]

I don't think there has been a pile on from last night? The actual coverage was absolutely battering Kane. Even Pearce who hammered Foden game 1 said he was unlucky to be subbed last night on talksport. He was shite game 1 and deserved calling out because he is a fantastic player. Last night he was better whilst still not setting the world alight, but better than many others.

We need trent dropped, Bellingham there but slightly more advanced and Phil in the 10. An actual left winger out there and I imagine the balance would be better. Trust Rice to not have his hand held with a defensive partner (he was fucking awful last night) and let them worry about us. Phil was very central last night though I'd say and was given that freedom to be there. It just meant our left hand side was non existent.

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

I don't think there has been a pile on from last night? The actual coverage was absolutely battering Kane. Even Pearce who hammered Foden game 1 said he was unlucky to be subbed last night on talksport. He was shite game 1 and deserved calling out because he is a fantastic player. Last night he was better whilst still not setting the world alight, but better than many others.

We need trent dropped, Bellingham there but slightly more advanced and Phil in the 10. An actual left winger out there and I imagine the balance would be better. Trust Rice to not have his hand held with a defensive partner (he was fucking awful last night) and let them worry about us. Phil was very central last night though I'd say and was given that freedom to be there. It just meant our left hand side was non existent.

I agree with you, I would just add that no TAA would free up space for Stones to push into midfield in possession. That idiot Ferdinand was getting at Stones last night for not playing the way he does at City, but the midfield was already congested and given England's biggest weakness is defensively, I'm sure he's playing with that in mind.

On Foden, the demands of playing him out wide, but this freedom to move centrally is asking a ridiculous amount of him. When he cuts in and England lose the ball, he's then out of position to help defensively on the left hand side. It doesn't work for any number of reasons and seemingly it's only Southgate who doesn't realise that.

I was pleased to see Foden be a bit selfish yesterday and try and grab the game by the scruff of the neck. When he took that shot from distance after the lovely mazy run, I thought, at City he would probably have played the striker in, but I don't blame him at all for trying to do it himself. He was our biggest threat last night and very unlucky not to score when he hit the post.

 

[thismeansfour]

I agree with you, I would just add that no TAA would free up space for Stones to push into midfield in possession. That idiot Ferdinand was getting at Stones last night for not playing the way he does at City, but the midfield was already contested and given England's biggest weakness is defensively I'm sure he's playing with that in mind.

On Foden, the demands of playing him out wide, but this freedom to move centrally is asking a ridiculous amount of him. When he cuts in and England lose the ball, he's then out of position to help defensively on the left hand side. It doesn't work for any number of reasons and seemingly it's only Southgate who doesn't realise that.

I was pleased to see Foden be a bit selfish yesterday and try and grab the game by the scruff of the neck. When he took that shot from distance after the lovely mazy run, I thought, at City he would probably have played the striker in, but I don't blame him at all for trying to do it himself. He was our biggest threat last night and very unlucky not to score when he hit the post.

Yep, agreed. That space allows Stones to move into that position when needed. Especially in games like last night where they have one static player up top.

It's asking a lot as essentially it is asking him to play two positions. The positive of it was he was in that central role he prefers and excels in. He then has to run his bollocks off to get back into his selected position. All Southgate issues which on the eye seem easy to resolve. I read yesterday he declared we don't have a Kalvin Phillips replacement. That sums the problem up for me, he is adamant that second defensive midfielder needs to be there, i.e Trent and then Gallagher coming on. If he had antyhing about him then he would evolve and adapt to what he has, like Pep last year in losing Cancelo. We don't need two defensive mids. That is the main issue which had the knock on affect for Phil.

 

[normskih]

I watched the match on the BBC and they were all full of praise for him too. Clearly it was a poor game, but pretty sure every one of them said he was the best player. I remember comments about the team playing better as soon as he's involved, and that he was the only bright spot in the whole game.

He was poor in the first game, even if a lot of that is the usual story about the rest of the team playing as individuals. Last night he was the best player in an average performance - had his shot gone in off the post, instead of out, like the Danish player's, he'd be all over the back pages.

I agree and last night he was definitely more positive, demanding the ball, throughout the match. More of how he was plays for City.

 

[jim tolmies perm]

Rico should have been in ahead of Tront.... all down to the dipper press lickspittles

 

[HelloCity]

Foden not even mentioned

 

[OntarioBlue]

I had a dream last night that Walker, Stones and Foden got together and asked to be released from the squad as they didn’t want to play for the fuckwit Southgate any more. What a pity dreams don’t often come true.