Phil Foden, the precocious pint-sized English midfielder, can’t get a game to save his life at Manchester City. He’s having a hard time on the world stage, too. As dynamic and talented in possession as he is, Foden has seldom left a stamp on the game in his last outings with England. He hasn’t scored or assisted in his last 17 first-team appearances. England men’s head coach Thomas Tuchel is worried about this trend.
Foden, who scored two and assisted in a 5-0 rout against Albania in his first start. He had a new role, playing as a No 8 or 10. This significant change would have affected his performance in no small way. At Manchester City, he primarily thrives in the inverted left double six role. Foden was joined by Myles Lewis-Skelly on the field for England, but both players didn’t come close to their usual game-changing selves.
Having seen Foden’s class in training Tuchel, told him to use his natural skill to do what he does best.
"We will encourage him to do what he does best: go at defenders, go to dribbles," Tuchel stated.
During the fateful second half vs. Albania, Tuchel stacked the odds against himself by asking Foden to play the role of an eight. The rest of the time, Foden found it hard to make an impact. His performances in many ways evoked the same spirit of Marcus Rashford, who was left to flounder up top on the evening.
On the right, Tuchel quickly noted that Foden and Rashford had little to no effect. He noted that they tend to carry more fire and determination from their club-level performances.
"Both of our wingers were not as impactful as normally they can be, as they normally are in club football," Tuchel remarked.
Even with those difficulties, Tuchel has faith in Foden’s long-term prospects, citing his confidence and skills showcased in training as a positive factor.
"Not enough driving with the ball. Not aggressive enough towards the goal. They were decisive in training, that's why we picked them," Tuchel added.
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