- Phil Foden started Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final
- Struggled before being subbed off
- Alan Shearer feels sorry for City star
Premier League legend Alan Shearer has been discussing the recent struggles facing Phil Foden after the Manchester City star’s poor display against Southampton on Saturday.
It has been a difficult season for Foden. Having started the campaign struggling with an ankle injury, the 25-year-old found form in the build-up to Christmas.
Foden netted six goals in four Premier League games in November and December, and looked back to his brilliant best.
But a dip in form since the new year has seen him reduced to a handful of minutes from the bench in recent months, with Shearer now saying he ‘feels sorry’ for Foden.
Alan Shearer feels sorry for Phil Foden
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast after City’s 2-1 win against Southampton, Shearer suggested that Foden’s lack of minutes and low confidence played a major part in a poor display at Wembley.
The ex-Newcastle striker singled out Foden, but showed sympathy, rather than criticism towards the England international.
Shearer said: “It was a bit of a tough first half because I thought Man City were really poor, I thought they were a bit rusty because he [Guardiola] changed the team around and put lots of players who had not had a lot of football in the past few months.
“Phil Foden being one and them and I’d be really concerned. I felt for him actually, I felt really sorry for him because he looked lost. He looked bereft of any belief or confidence.
“He sort of started on the right, tried to come in midfield and get in the middle of the park, get on the ball, and really didn’t do anything before he was subbed off in the second half.
“It’s not a good look for him and I feel a bit sorry for him, particularly with the World Cup coming up. With his ability and what he’s done already in the game, he just looked lost yesterday [Saturday], really did.”
Shearer suggests off-field issues may be affecting Foden
Pressed for a reason behind Foden’s loss of form, Shearer suggested that there may be more to the situation than is publicly available.
When asked if something is going on in Foden’s personal life, he added: “I don’t know, there’s something clearly going on. I don’t know if there’s anything, but I would guess something.
“I mean, he’s got incredible ability. We’ve seen that and that just doesn’t leave you. There’s something going on that Pep doesn’t trust him to put him in the team and when he puts him in, he’s not playing well, as he didn’t yesterday.”
Foden will struggle to regain his place at Man City
With so much riding on the next few weeks, it seems unlikely that Foden will find his way back into City’s starting lineup.
The emergence of Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo as three of Pep Guardiola’s most important attackers has come at a terrible time for Foden.
All three of those stars are practically undroppable on current form, reducing Foden’s chances of playing even if he was in better form.
The end of the season may therefore be the right time for a reset and some time away from the Etihad. However, with England’s World Cup squad yet to be announced, Foden will need to play and perform well if he hopes to be in Thomas Tuchel’s plans.
