While England have enjoyed unparalleled success under Gareth Southgate, one of the few question marks over the manager has been his inability to get the most out of his attacking talent. This was once again brought into sharp focus as England toiled for large periods of the game in their 1-0 victory over Serbia in their opening game at Euro 2024.
While Jude Bellingham once again excelled, Phil Foden was on the periphery as he struggled to positively influence the game. Coming on the back of his best-ever season with Manchester City, in which he scored 27 goals and registered 12 assists in all competitions, there were high hopes that he would carry his club form onto the international stage.
But after another subdued display, pundits and fans have questioned whether he is doing enough in an England shirt. Should he drop to the bench for Thursday’s game against Denmark? Here are the pros and cons of what could be a major call for Southgate.
The case against Phil Foden
Foden may have become an influential figure at Man City and is clearly beloved by boss Pep Guardiola, but he has struggled to find his feet in the England team. Since making his international debut against Iceland on September 5 2020, the attacking midfielder has scored just four goals in 34 games – two of which came in a 4-0 win over Iceland in November 2020.
It is not just his goal return that has people questioning his inclusion in England’s starting XI. Against Serbia he had 64 touches but only one in the opposition penalty area and was never the constant threat that he poses at club level.
He also struggled to form a partnership with Kieran Tripper, instead preferring to move into a more central position and often vacating the space out wide. This becomes even more of an issue when Anthony Gordon, who enjoyed an impressive season with Newcastle, is used to playing on the left of a front three and prefers to use his pace down the flank.
Foden would likely prefer to play in the middle or on the left, but he is unlikely to start ahead of Jude Bellingham or Bukayo Saka – two players who excel on the international stage and are favourites of Southgate.
Even though he was playing out of position, Foden’s performance drew criticism from former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas. Working for the BBC as a pundit, he said: "When England played the best football is when Serbia allowed them to have the ball, but in the second half when they started to get pressed a little bit more we started to see Foden hitting the ball 40 yards without looking – it’s not like them.
"You’d never see Xavi or Andres Iniesta – the top, top, top players of the last 15 or 20 years – do that. No, you need to take the responsibility. I did think that the second half was a bit underwhelming and I think that players like Foden need to step up. It’s the time for players like them to grow in a big tournament with a country behind them and take responsibility.”
The case for Phil Foden
There is a reason that Guardiola trusts Foden and that is because of the high levels he has maintained over recent seasons for his club. The 24-year-old was instrumental in City winning the treble two seasons ago and last year expertly filled the sizeable void left by Kevin De Bruyne when he was sidelined through injury.
A wonderful technician with excellent close control, an eye for goal and the ability to unlock defences with a clever pass, Foden is one of the first names on the City teamsheet. He has also demonstrated his ability to play in a number of positions, whether in a more central role behind a striker, as a traditional midfielder or even on the right of a three-man attack.
However, he is rarely deployed on the left of a three for City and has been asked by Southgate to play in an unfamiliar position. Foden is clearly at his best when he can interlink play and is given licence to find pockets of space, often moving inside to create an overlap for flying full-backs.
Against Serbia, Trippier was deployed as a make-shift left-back, a role that he has fulfilled on numerous occasions. But the naturally right-footed defender rarely made his way past the halfway line and did not offer much width. That forced Foden to stay wide and had a huge effect on his performance.
Job done ✅ On to the next one! 💪🏻🦁 pic.twitter.com/NkpVU81vUNJune 16, 2024
It also led to ex-players defending his display, including former Manchester City defender Michah Richards. Talking on BBC Sport, he said: "The big talking point for me tonight was Phil Foden. We need to find a way to get the best out of him.
"He wasn't involved. At Manchester City we know it's choreographed with the system and the movements and all those sorts of things. But it makes me sad when I see a player of this quality just in and out of games."
There is no doubt that Foden’s skill set should be utilised at the business end of the pitch and it would be interesting to see how he would perform in a more central role.
So should Phil Foden be dropped?
This really is a difficult decision and we’re glad it’s one for Southgate. There are merits to both sides of the debate and it is easy to understand why many supporters would like to see Gordon or Eberechi Eze given the opportunity to shine.
However, Foden has emerged as a genuinely world-class talent in recent years and there is no reason why he cannot be as influential for England as he is for Man City. Southgate will undoubtedly have meticulously gone through the Serbia game and highlighted ways the team can improve, one of the most obvious being getting the most out of Foden.
With three points already secured and progress to the knockout stages assured if we defeat Denmark, it seems only right that Foden is handed another chance to prove his worth and show why he can be a difference-maker in the business end of the tournament.
