Phil Foden - What Is His Potential?

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I think this is a bit overstated. Even when I was a kid we played 5 a side mostly. It's true in competitive school games etc that a full sized pitch was used. Today a lot of kids are brought up playing in 'cages' which are often smaller pitches.
I meant English kids who play in club youth systems. How does that work?

Also Sunday league is a bit mad to me and in the same fascinating. Playing on a regular pitch on weekends, I'd go bust after 3, 4 sprints. :D
 
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NasirTimothy

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Incredible touch... reminds me a little of Iniesta with his close control and little of kaka in the way he carries the ball - if he turns out even close to what they were at their peak then city have a hell of a player on their hands... hopefully he goes in the Gazza / Wilshire list of players who didnt fulfill their potential rather than the Scholes / Lampard type who probably exceeded early expectations

Not sure he will remain on the wing for much longer though - will be interesting to see what happens if pep does leave in 2023 - perhaps a new manager will play him centrally?
He’s never gonna be close to Kaka or Iniesta, come on
 

justsomebloke

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On a side not a bit. I had a conversation with a friend about the lack of wingers in Croatian football in general. Maybe its for a separate thread but here goes. Thats because 2 reasons, one is Croatian players are not as fast as their counterparts in other countries, genetics. And the other is when they start as kids they first play on smaller pitches whereas English kids are playing on a regular, big pitch from the start. Thats why we dont lack technical players who are good in tight spaces like Modrić or Kovačić for example or Prosinečki and Boban before and English have an abundance of offensive players, wingers and forwards who are good in open spaces. For example Mason Mount is the most similar player to Modrić and he even said watched Modrić as a kid and he's his role model. On the other hand lots of players who are technically gifted as him get lost in the system or are turned to wingers or forwards. He said he heard lots of good things about Garner for example. The friend I mean.
I live in Norway. My son's 13, and they still haven't begun playing on regular size surfaces. Also, most pitches are artificial, which tends to favour technique over physicality. And still those technical players who are good in tight spaces are.....let's say not that numerous in Norwegian football. So I suspect there's something more being done very right in Croatia (whose population is smaller than Norway's) in addition to that. :)
 

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whatever level he reaches I'm delighted he's at City even if he doesn't become the next Iniesta or Kaka but also just having a quick look back through the thread I'd also say that Guardiola has managed him magnificently when you see there are posts about how he'll never get a chance and will be superseded by another £50m midfielder and will be in Germany in a season or two.
 

Thunderhead

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Not sure in the actual system. I think @Beaucoup would know?
basically now for kids in the UK it's, this isn't 100% but you get the gist

under 7 - 5 aside, small pitch, small goals, rolling subs size 3 ball

under 9 - 7 aside, slightly bigger pitch, same size goals rolling subs, size 3 ball

under 11 - 9 aside slightly bigger pitch, rolling subs size 4 balls

under 13 11 aside not full size pitch and smaller goals

under 15 - 11 aside, still not a full pitch but bigger than u13 size 5 balls and still not full sized goals

under 18 - 11 aside full pitch
 

Ladron de redcafe

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Performances against Andorra don’t define him. He was one of City’s best players in the knockouts stages of the Champions League last season and made the UEFA CL team of the season. He also put big performances against Liverpool in the past couple of seasons. That said, I’m not a fan of the whole ‘generational talent’ stuff but I do think he’ll like be a world class player.
I thought he was ordinary against PSG and was one of the worst players on the pitch in the final. He did have a great performance against Liverpool a week ago, but my point wasn't that he's incapable of putting on great performances but that he's still not at a world class level because world class players are normally consistently great.

You might be right and he may develop into a world class player. That remains to be seen.

No disagreement as such with that, but he's barely out of his teens. Consistency comes with age, for most players. He's already a pretty regular starter on the best team in the league, displacing other players of very high quality, and it's not a surprise if he's City's best player in any given game. Also, he plays fairly frequently for England, and again in positions where the competition is fierce. He's proven he can shine at the highest level, and unless injuries get him, he is hardly likely to have peaked yet. All of that to me backs up a supposition he's got the potential to win the Ballon d'or at some point over the coming years.
Fair enough. He can still develop into a balón d'or contender and he has his entire career ahead of him.
 

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Then you don't remember Rooney's play is all I can say. Rooney has produced much, much more. Let's not even discuss this if that's all you remember about Rooney and are somehow portraying Foden does more than Rooney had done wrt ball distribution.
Foden is far more effective and natural deeper in the field than Rooney ever was. It's just plain retrospective bias if you somehow believe that Rooney's failed midfield stint was anything other than underwhelming.

Or are you going to rewrite history and pretend that every Rooney midfield thread didn't contain endless complaints at how his first touch was suspect deeper in midfield and Carter him to be dispossessed or how he endlessly switched the ball to Valencia instead of progressing the play as a good midfielder would?

Rooney was a world class striker and a mediocre at best midfielder.
 

Thunderhead

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Is he though? What exactly has he done?
U17 WC winner
U17 Golden Ball
UCL team of the season
3 PL's
Alan Hardaker trophy
1 FA Cup
4 League Cups

Think he's scored more in a season than David Silva's best goal scoring season
 

432JuanMata

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I remember the media saying he would be wasted at city when he was only making sub appearances yet only being 19. He plays for the best in the country for now and has a manager that will get the best out of him.
Pep gets criticism for spending so much but one thing you can never criticise is his ability to maximise players potential
 

NasirTimothy

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U17 WC winner
U17 Golden Ball
UCL team of the season
3 PL's
Alan Hardaker trophy
1 FA Cup
4 League Cups

Think he's scored more in a season than David Silva's best goal scoring season
A) youth trophies don’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things.

B) City trophies with a billion pound squad are not achievements that he can hold over a young Silva playing for Valencia or Celts.

C) Scoring more goals as a midfielder means nothing, he’s probably scored more in a season than Xavi and Iniesta, is he better than them?

D) Did you actually watch DS in Spain?
 

432JuanMata

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A) youth trophies don’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things.

B) City trophies with a billion pound squad are not achievements that he can hold over a young Silva playing for Valencia or Celts.

C) Scoring more goals as a midfielder means nothing, he’s probably scored more in a season than Xavi and Iniesta, is he better than them?

D) Did you actually watch DS in Spain?
I agree with the scoring goals part as Fellaini has more goals than Iniesta in their careers but Foden even getting into a billion pound city team at such a young age tells you his level
 

NasirTimothy

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I agree with the scoring goals part as Fellaini has more goals than Iniesta in their careers but Foden even getting into a billion pound city team at such a young age tells you his level
Yeah you can give him credit for that. But you can’t use the trophies they win to put him above another young player necessarily
 

432JuanMata

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Yeah you can give him credit for that. But you can’t use the trophies they win to put him above another young player necessarily
No absolutely not you are right. I’m just talking about his level which I think is high with the potential to be great.
He has the best coach to maximise his potential. But yeah trophies doesn’t define a player I’m pretty sure John O Shea has a better trophy cabinet than some WC players
 

NasirTimothy

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No absolutely not you are right. I’m just talking about his level which I think is high with the potential to be great.
He has the best coach to maximise his potential. But yeah trophies doesn’t define a player I’m pretty sure John O Shea has a better trophy cabinet than some WC players
Helps that he is with Pep for sure.
 

Noot

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That's the point. Playing well against Andorra is one thing. Being consistently great at the top level is something else. He isn't a consistent performer for City.

You could chalk that up to age, but until he develops into a better player that does consistently play well, some of us aren't going to rate him as much as others do.
Under any other manager he would have been regularly starting for City for at least two years, it's hardly his fault Pep's got this weird thing against him
 

Noot

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If performances against Andorra are what define Phil Foden, it doesn't say much about him.
Nobody is saying that. His performances against the likes of Liverpool, Dortmund and PSG are what define him. Guessing you don't watch an awful lot of City.
 

Noot

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He’s never gonna be close to Kaka or Iniesta, come on
Why not as good as Kaka? He was an excellent player but his goal tally, assist tally and trophy cabinet are all very much realistically beatable for Foden. The only things Kaka managed that Foden probably won't are the Ballon d'Or because of how the award works now and the World Cup because of Southgate.
 

Noot

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Is he though? What exactly has he done?
Silva aged 21 was a promising talent but nowhere near as good as Foden is now. He wasn't playing a key role in reaching a CL final or getting almost 25 goal contributions in one season.
 

Noot

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whatever level he reaches I'm delighted he's at City even if he doesn't become the next Iniesta or Kaka but also just having a quick look back through the thread I'd also say that Guardiola has managed him magnificently when you see there are posts about how he'll never get a chance and will be superseded by another £50m midfielder and will be in Germany in a season or two.
Up to a point I'd agree, but the time when Foden should have become a regular starter for us passed about a year ago and he's still sitting on the bench for over half the games. It's well past time that he's starting almost every game, like De Bruyne does or Sterling used to.
 

NK86

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Foden is far more effective and natural deeper in the field than Rooney ever was. It's just plain retrospective bias if you somehow believe that Rooney's failed midfield stint was anything other than underwhelming.

Or are you going to rewrite history and pretend that every Rooney midfield thread didn't contain endless complaints at how his first touch was suspect deeper in midfield and Carter him to be dispossessed or how he endlessly switched the ball to Valencia instead of progressing the play as a good midfielder would?

Rooney was a world class striker and a mediocre at best midfielder.
How many games have you seen Foden play as a CM to make that judgement? Rooney had plenty of ability to play those passes which Foden was doing against Andorra and Rooney had done it against much stronger opposition. Your opinion is a recency bias based on 1 game against a group of semi-pros.
 

HerbT

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Under any other manager he would have been regularly starting for City for at least two years, it's hardly his fault Pep's got this weird thing against him
Haha that’s so funny.

He is, of course, being carefully developed by a bloke who excels at bringing top talent through the ranks and if you can’t get your melon around that then use Sancho as a comparator.

Sancho and Foden were two emerging talents that came through the same academy at roughly the same age. Both were top prospects but look at how Foden has blossomed under Pep’s careful and judicious approach and look how Sancho has floundered having been thrown in the deep end with too much expectation placed on him.

IMO it’s Sancho who’s been (and is still being) badly managed while Foden is charming everyone who appreciates great football.
 

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Why not as good as Kaka? He was an excellent player but his goal tally, assist tally and trophy cabinet are all very much realistically beatable for Foden. The only things Kaka managed that Foden probably won't are the Ballon d'Or because of how the award works now and the World Cup because of Southgate.
I don't think we can judge mainly on what their teams achieve, but I would agree that reaching Kaka's level is within Foden's reach. May not make it to that level because there are so many factors at play, but he has the tools in his locker I reckon.

Up to a point I'd agree, but the time when Foden should have become a regular starter for us passed about a year ago and he's still sitting on the bench for over half the games. It's well past time that he's starting almost every game, like De Bruyne does or Sterling used to.
Aye. It's an unknown whether Foden's development has slowed because of a lack of games. He probably played just enough football last year to progress his development, but he needs to be at that minimum level of 3,000 - 4,000 minutes of football a season from here on, otherwise he'll stagnate.
 

tenpoless

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Name : Phil Foden
Titles: Mr.
Favourite player: Phil Jones
Position: Makeshift midfielder, winger, etc
Hobby: Ruining Greenwood's career by introducing him to Iceland girls

I don't know what's so likeable about him
 

NK86

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Haha that’s so funny.

He is, of course, being carefully developed by a bloke who excels at bringing top talent through the ranks and if you can’t get your melon around that then use Sancho as a comparator.

Sancho and Foden were two emerging talents that came through the same academy at roughly the same age. Both were top prospects but look at how Foden has blossomed under Pep’s careful and judicious approach and look how Sancho has floundered having been thrown in the deep end with too much expectation placed on him.

IMO it’s Sancho who’s been (and is still being) badly managed while Foden is charming everyone who appreciates great football.
The same Sancho who was an assist machine in Bundesliga? Is that the same Sancho you are referring to who has been at United (a new team in a new league) for a whole 2 mins! Also he is now slowly getting a footing (what a surprise that a young player from a different league is taking to adapt). Nice try for a WUM.

A proper comparison would be Greenwood and he has been brilliantly managed by Ole.
 

NasirTimothy

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Silva aged 21 was a promising talent but nowhere near as good as Foden is now. He wasn't playing a key role in reaching a CL final or getting almost 25 goal contributions in one season.
Foden is a promising talent to me. Of course he’s been hyped up to be way more than that.
 

NasirTimothy

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Why not as good as Kaka? He was an excellent player but his goal tally, assist tally and trophy cabinet are all very much realistically beatable for Foden. The only things Kaka managed that Foden probably won't are the Ballon d'Or because of how the award works now and the World Cup because of Southgate.
He could match Kaka’s goal tally, assist tally and trophy cabinet (well maybe not that one TBH) and still not be half the player that Kaka was. Peak Kaka was the best player in the world, can’t see Phil Foden ever being that.
 

M113FF

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Is he though? What exactly has he done?
I don't think we can judge mainly on what their teams achieve, but I would agree that reaching Kaka's level is within Foden's reach. May not make it to that level because there are so many factors at play, but he has the tools in his locker I reckon.


Aye. It's an unknown whether Foden's development has slowed because of a lack of games. He probably played just enough football last year to progress his development, but he needs to be at that minimum level of 3,000 - 4,000 minutes of football a season from here on, otherwise he'll stagnate.
3906 minutes last season including England. 42 starts and 16 as sub.

Most minutes of any outfield City player in the Champions League and now automatic starter for City's biggest games.

Seeing him in the flesh last month at the Etihad for the first time since pre-Covid it was very noticable how much bigger is he and yet still a slight build. His pyhsicality (or lack of it) has been a key factor in management of his game time
 

Gio

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3906 minutes last season including England. 42 starts and 16 as sub.

Most minutes of any outfield City player in the Champions League and now automatic starter for City's biggest games.

Seeing him in the flesh last month at the Etihad for the first time since pre-Covid it was very noticable how much bigger is he and yet still a slight build. His pyhsicality (or lack of it) has been a key factor in management of his game time
Before that though he hasn't really played that much - the equivalent of 12-20 full games a season.

I'd agree with the principle though that he played enough last season and taking a slow start to this campaign is the right thing to do given he was occupied for most of the summer with England. Guardiola has that luxury where he can allow Foden to recover and rebuild in preparation for the season, while others have thrown their best players in under-cooked, which will harm their chances of a successful season.