Foden’s Central Ambitions Questioned by Southgate
The Heart of the Midfield Conundrum England’s young prodigy, Phil Foden, has long seen himself as a central midfield maestro. A desire he openly shared in March, stating he envisions a future move to the heart of the pitch, a role he’s “always seen myself playing there”. However, this dream seems to clash with the tactics of two influential figures in his career.
Guardiola’s Wide Vision The mastermind of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, prefers to use Foden in a wider position. It’s a strategy that England manager Gareth Southgate has taken note of. Offering an insight, Southgate mused, “He doesn’t [play centrally] for his club, so presumably there’s a reason for that.” A subtle nudge towards questioning Foden’s adaptability? He further added, “You’d have to speak with Pep [Guardiola], the best coach in the world, who plays him from wide. He’s always got the freedom to drift if we play him wide and that’s important.”
The Complexities of the Central Role England’s recent 1-1 tie with Ukraine saw the midfield play it safe. Southgate was quick to emphasise the complexities associated with a central role. “Obviously in the middle of the park everybody wants to talk about them with the ball, but there’s a lot of detail without the ball.” He highlighted the challenges faced during the Ukraine bout, where meticulous attention to pressing angles and responsibilities became paramount. “If you don’t, then you don’t have the flow of the game, you don’t get the flow of the game.”
