I suspect this sort of thing will become a pattern for things in the next few years, bother for the U21 and for the full side... we play as well as we do and win the games we win because of simple raw talent. The actual manager's input is either actively detrimental or insignificant in the issue.
Don't think Foden is at his sharpest but what a player he is anyway, absolutely ridiculous talent. Nice to see CHO get 2 screamers, although I think he's a couple of weeks / months away to reach full fitness.
Props to Hudson odoi and Eddie Nketiah they were absolutely clinical but honestly Foden is just ridiculous, he barely plays but the amount of chances he created and key passes, he should have been swimming in assists as well as nicked a goal or two. He ran the show tonight putting chances on a plate for the two strikers and switching the play effortlessly, you can clearly see he has learnt tons from Silva and De bruyne. In my opinion idc about game time he should come euros regardless, sometimes you just have to make exceptions for players of his talent, I can bet you my life he's already England best midfielder. I may sound too over the top but I've been following him for years so his clear progression is quite exciting to me. As a whole though the team played immaculately, some nice long balls from Kelly and an overall defensively compact performance mixed in with some potent clinical attacking impetus.
My big concern with taking Foden next summer, aside from the fact it's a poor message to send out by picking someone who seemingly doesn't show much ambition or desire to progress his career and develop as a player, is his lack of experience. Yes he was great tonight, yes he has huge amounts of talent and yes he brings something much different. However, it's one thing playing games for the U21s, for City in the league cup against minnows or when they're 3 or 4-0 up, or even for the U17 2000s side which was dominant, it's a whole different ball game playing for England at a major tournament. The reality is that Foden has almost never had it tough in his career, he's rarely been in a game where he's been seriously tested, rarely been in a game against top class opposition(only Spurs and Leicester last season), rarely been in a game where his side have had to suffer and he's also not used to the intensity of top level football. I just don't think a lack of involvement in big, high-profile, high stakes and high intensity games against top senior level opposition is something that can be taken lightly. If Foden was to be thrown in and made a key part of the side, he could potentially freeze if exposed to such circumstances. Now obviously if he is taken as a squad player that's ok, or if his situation at City somehow improves and he becomes more influential it's ok. However, I just feel that throwing Foden into the starting 11 at his current stage would be a massive gamble, given his lack of experience at the top level.
Fighting for a man city midfield spot everyday against world class teamates is just as ambitious as going out abroad or elsewhere for that matter to seek gametime. Foden clearly backs himself to break.into the starting 11 so that already says enough about his ambition. Na I'm 100% sure Foden will replace him, if not then Foden should just gtfo of there no loan just straight up leave. It'd look pretty stupid for pep to build up Foden with all these quotes and not play him more as the season progresses and especially when Silva leaves. All the years of training with the first team and learning from some of the best midfielders in the world to only be cast aside by a shiny new £70M+ signing is ridiculous. I mean pep knows the best way for a young player to grow and progress is to get lots of minutes and has said as much in one of his recent pressers but what I think he is doing is he's going to sap every last bit of Silva for a push towards the Cl trophy before he goes. Also you've got to consider ppl are trashing gundogan for limiting foden's minutes but he kinda has to.play deeper along with Rodri to reinforce the weekend backline with the absence of stones and laporte. If foden's gonna take anyone's minutes then it's gonna be Silva's not gundogan's. As I said lets wait till the schedule gets hectic and the matches pile up.
Nketiah already at 8 U21 goals. 18 months left at this level, more secure in his role than strikers usually are and two games v Andorra to come. Record of 13 is there for him. 27 goals at all levels, which is especially impressive considering he didn't play U17s. Again, Solanke's 31 U17-U21 goals under threat.
It's a shame Southgate won't. I think he will only take Henderson and Rice which will be our downfall at the euros.
What's much more impressive is that he has 27 goals in 28 appearances. Solanke had 31 in 70 appearances. At u21 Nketiah has a goal and game ratio whereas Solanke had a 1 in 2. Nketiah also has as many senior goals as Solanke already and in about 1/5th of the game time. Dare I say that Nketiah is a born goalscorer. As for the game, I thought the first half was awesome, Hudson Odoi showing exactly why he's an elite level talent. Most of the team was great. I thought Lloyd Kelly was sensational as a ball playing centre back. In the second we just seemed to switch off. I think CHO gassed as his fitness isn't quite there yet so with him fading from the game it killed a degree of our threat. He was poor on their goal too as he just let the throw-in go without any pressure on the his man. I think Kelly was guilty of overplaying in the second too, his passes through the lines in the first were fantastic but in the second they got a lot worse. I think in such a commanding position there was no need for us to try and force the issue like that. We need to learn to control the game better What impresses me so much about Foden is his speed of thought and execution. He just moves the ball on so quickly and effectively.
Southgate needs to bring Foden in. I understand the whole needing club minutes, but he will come in and instantly be our best midfielder. It’s almost 100% certain that we will have more chance of winning a tournament with him, therefore it’s an easy choice IMO to bring him in. Unfortunately Southgate won’t
I think there's a lot of things you can accuse Southgate of, but slowrolling youngsters isn't one. I'd be shocked if Foden doesn't go to the Euros. Southgate is obsessed with getting him into the senior team. He namechecks him all the time. I'm also pretty delighted that Foden has gotten to play 4 games for the U21s.
I think if he was obsessed with getting him into the senior team then he'd have gotten him into the senior team by now.
I think Southgate is holding out on Foden getting more gametime soon to at least have a precedent to call him up, I think if push comes to shove and he maybe doesn't get as much minutes as he would've liked Foden to get then he'll call him up but maybe at the expense of a starting place unless one of the midfielders plays a stinker. He should be getting a lot more minutes from the busy winter schedule onwards
I'm hoping Southgate is just letting him get plenty of game time for the under 21s for now to build up his experience before bringing him into the full squad as the tournament nears. He has to go surely.
I'd rather he called him up from now on purely to give him time to actually play his way into the starting 11. He may very well take him but if he's only got 1 cap by the time the tournament comes then he's not likely to start.
Much as i want it to happen i think southgate has sent a clear message to foden by calling up mount instead. I dont think he would have mount barkley and foden, and on top if that youve got alli rlc and ox getting back into the mix. I think realistically were looking at foden being a centerpiece of the 2022 squad with cho and sancho rather than the euros