- Phil Foden benched on many occasions by Pep Guardiola
- Failed to impress during England’s March friendlies
- Consequence revealed ahead of World Cup this summer
Phil Foden is set to miss out on the World Cup this summer, and Jamie Carragher has explained why he thinks the Manchester City academy graduate is suffering this fate.
England’s World Cup squad will be announced on Friday morning, and according to The Times, Foden will not be in it.
There are likely to be a few big names missing out, as it has already been revealed that Harry Maguire will not travel to North America this summer.
The Man United defender’s omission could give John Stones an increased chance of being selected, but he will not be joined by his fellow Citizen.
Jamie Carragher says Foden needs a bigger ego
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has had his say on Foden, and he believes the midfielder needs to have more arrogance on the pitch.
Carragher insists that Foden’s failings are down to himself, rather than being the fault of any managers who have overseen his progress.
Would Jamie Carragher take Phil Foden to the World Cup? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/5Kq2esDG2h
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“Listen, Phil hasn’t had his best season. I think we all know he’s a wonderful talent, but for whatever reason, it’s never quite happened for him for England,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“And I don’t think those managers should be criticised for that. I think Phil will probably have to look at himself and think of the reasons why he’s been tried in lots of different positions right across the front, right left central.
“I think he’s been given so many opportunities in different positions, because when he was put in a certain position, he didn’t nail that position down.
“The reason why I would go for Cole Palmer [instead of Foden] is because I think he’s got a little bit more of an arrogance than Phil Foden has in terms of when I look at him on the pitch,” he continued.
“Sometimes I look at Phil Foden, and I think he’s probably arguably talent wise or ability wise, you can’t think of many English players better than Foden.
“But I just feel, I don’t know what it is, something lacking, almost like an arrogance, an ego. I think Cole Palmer has got that, Jude Bellingham has got that. It’s hard to quantify what I mean, but you can see it on the pitch.”
Carragher added: “The shoulders are out, they fancy themselves. I think that’s one of the problems why Phil doesn’t show his Manchester City form that we’ve seen over the last four or five years in an England shirt.”
Foden’s form improvement came too late
Foden’s performances for Man City at the beginning of the year saw him dropped to the bench, where he has spent most of his time since.
And when the 25-year-old has been given brief opportunities, he had until recently been failing to take them.
Even when Foden was given the odd start, such as City’s FA Cup semi-final tie against Southampton, he looked way off his best.
Eventually, Foden began to improve, showing promise with two shots on target and some bright moments against Everton.
Just over a week later, the attacker delivered a truly magnificent display as Man City defeated Crystal Palace, registering two assists.
However, he was benched for the FA Cup final, and was not able to start the match against Bournemouth either.
Thomas Tuchel could regret leaving out Foden
Look at Foden’s form in early December. Average players cannot produce the type of football he was displaying.
Foden recorded seven goal contributions in four matches, and that was certainly not an anomaly when considering his wider City career.
Consistency may have been a problem for the Sky Blues star this season, but he has shown that he has a magic touch to offer on his day – one which Tuchel will need at the World Cup.
Although Foden sometimes comes across as a player who lacks confidence, he, like Carragher has said, is one of the best around when it comes to technical ability.
Tuchel should have been able to see that his form is improving, but instead he is leaving him out for players who do not have the gifts Foden does.
