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Why has Foden gone from hero to zero?


Chewit said:
That’s the killer that, never trust a man with long hair, lack of discipline 😉


I see Le Fee as being a similar player for us, but his work rate has blown me away. I thought he was going to be a luxury player … wow proved so wrong.
I wouldn’t swop Foden for Le Fee right now.
And I think that says everything… attitude. Commitment and sacrifice for the team, just don’t think a Foden has it anymore


When you think about how Rooney managed to sustain performance levels from a very young age, you have to take your hat off to him for his mental and physical strength.

Foden has lost his edge for whatever reason, he’s a human but only goes to prove that god given take talent is never enough on its own.

I often think it’s easier for these top players to go and do their stuff abroad like Bellingham and the complete reversal of the top foreigners in this league.

The microscope these lads play under as top English players is mental .. young lads with loads of money, media pressures will need constant mentoring to remind them about what made them great.
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f***ing hell
 
Manchester City are winning everything, and they decided to bring Cherki and Semenyo in and push Foden out. That's disrespectful to Foden. He would leave if I were him; I would. They stop-start his development, and playing a different position every game is not his strongest point. It confuses him. That's why he struggles playing for England, as he doesn't know what the best position that suits him is. Pep ruined him big time. Five years ago, Pep regarded him as one of the best talents he had ever seen and pushed him out and did the same every season. Disrespectful.
 
Madcap11 said:
Manchester City are winning everything, and they decided to bring Cherki and Semenyo in and push Foden out. That's disrespectful to Foden. He would leave if I were him; I would. They stop-start his development, and playing a different position every game is not his strongest point. It confuses him. That's why he struggles playing for England, as he doesn't know what the best position that suits him is. Pep ruined him big time. Five years ago, Pep regarded him as one of the best talents he had ever seen and pushed him out and did the same every season. Disrespectful.
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There has to be more to it than that. About two years ago Foden had hit a purple patch, scoring and assisting and then suddenly went dry. Last year physical and mental problems drastically lowered his performance level. This year I agree with you to a certain extent that he has been a victim of Pep's doubts and changes about how to play. He either finds his true position, with Pep's support or maybe he has to search for pastures new.
 
Madcap11 said:
Manchester City are winning everything, and they decided to bring Cherki and Semenyo in and push Foden out. That's disrespectful to Foden. He would leave if I were him; I would. They stop-start his development, and playing a different position every game is not his strongest point. It confuses him. That's why he struggles playing for England, as he doesn't know what the best position that suits him is. Pep ruined him big time. Five years ago, Pep regarded him as one of the best talents he had ever seen and pushed him out and did the same every season. Disrespectful.
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Interesting angle. I suppose you can argue if you take the pay cheque from msn city, you take the chance you will not play.
Quite a few players have ruined their careers there, if not their bank balances
 
Madcap11 said:
Manchester City are winning everything, and they decided to bring Cherki and Semenyo in and push Foden out. That's disrespectful to Foden. He would leave if I were him; I would. They stop-start his development, and playing a different position every game is not his strongest point. It confuses him. That's why he struggles playing for England, as he doesn't know what the best position that suits him is. Pep ruined him big time. Five years ago, Pep regarded him as one of the best talents he had ever seen and pushed him out and did the same every season. Disrespectful.
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Similar thing happened to Grealish,
Foden is a brilliant talent but sometimes they are so over coached and have to do a certain role at Man City their natural ability doesn’t get seen.
Jack was top man at Everton when he was allowed to just play his best game.
no doubt a move for Foden would be good for him he be the best player in most teams.
 
joedurham said:
There has to be more to it than that. About two years ago Foden had hit a purple patch, scoring and assisting and then suddenly went dry. Last year physical and mental problems drastically lowered his performance level. This year I agree with you to a certain extent that he has been a victim of Pep's doubts and changes about how to play. He either finds his true position, with Pep's support or maybe he has to search for pastures new.
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There's been debates about his best position for years now. I think, while hugely talented, the crux of it is he just isn't good enough in any of those positions.

The modern attacking midfield (number 10) needs to be able to contribute defensively out of possession for starters. Many teams defend in a 442 nowadays with the striker and the AM pressing from the front. The first thing Pep did when he took over was drop Aguero for Jesus until Aguero learned to press. Haaland doesn't press at all, in fact he's often like a complete statue when the opposition have the ball, but you make allowances for that because he'll get you 30 goals. But it does mean you need to have a bit of a workhorse behind him. Foden isn't that (nor is Cherki). Before Rodri's injury he did the work of all 3; one of the reasons for City's decline over the past 2 years since Rodri's injury, ongoing fitness issues and overall decline is because they barely put a challenge in until the opposition have advanced up the pitch. We even played through them over and over at the Etihad but had Isidor up front and couldn't get the ball to stick (yes they beat us 3-0 but that's not the point). In possession, Foden was great playing off Haaland in 23/24 - Haaland pushed the defensive line back and Foden attacked that space around the edge of the box - but that is an outlier, he's played over 350 games across 9 seasons and never produced numbers like that before or since. He's not creative enough to feed Haaland whilst other players do and doesn't produce consistently enough when other players do.

There's been talk for years of him playing deeper in midfield but again, the modern midfielder needs to be able to press, tackle and create. He offers absolutely fuck all defensively and isn't good enough to build your team around. Lampard played with two defensive midfielders behind him but guaranteed 20 goals a season. De Bruyne wasn't great defensively (but much better than Foden) but split defences open year after year with those crosses to the back post through the lines - Foden isn't capable of that. In terms of passing and creativity he's on par with Rice, yet Rice offers so much more defensively. He's had success as a wide forward but you need to build the team around him to do that as he isn't going to stretch defences like Semenyo does. So where do you play him? As good as he is, there are better players who offer more in each position.

Every excuse under the sun has been rolled out to excuse why he just hasn't delivered to the level expected. It's easy to blame Pep but I'm not sure why - what is stopping Foden from delivering? People are citing Grealish being unshackled at Everton but he's only scored 2 goals and 6 assists, he's hardly ripped up trees there. Foden has produced 1 season in his entire career where he's come close to justifying the hype and is playing for one of the best teams in the world, at some point we're going to have to stop making excuses for him.
 
Definitely Maybe said:
There's been debates about his best position for years now. I think, while hugely talented, the crux of it is he just isn't good enough in any of those positions.

The modern attacking midfield (number 10) needs to be able to contribute defensively out of possession for starters. Many teams defend in a 442 nowadays with the striker and the AM pressing from the front. The first thing Pep did when he took over was drop Aguero for Jesus until Aguero learned to press. Haaland doesn't press at all, in fact he's often like a complete statue when the opposition have the ball, but you make allowances for that because he'll get you 30 goals. But it does mean you need to have a bit of a workhorse behind him. Foden isn't that (nor is Cherki). Before Rodri's injury he did the work of all 3; one of the reasons for City's decline over the past 2 years since Rodri's injury, ongoing fitness issues and overall decline is because they barely put a challenge in until the opposition have advanced up the pitch. We even played through them over and over at the Etihad but had Isidor up front and couldn't get the ball to stick (yes they beat us 3-0 but that's not the point). In possession, Foden was great playing off Haaland in 23/24 - Haaland pushed the defensive line back and Foden attacked that space around the edge of the box - but that is an outlier, he's played over 350 games across 9 seasons and never produced numbers like that before or since. He's not creative enough to feed Haaland whilst other players do and doesn't produce consistently enough when other players do.

There's been talk for years of him playing deeper in midfield but again, the modern midfielder needs to be able to press, tackle and create. He offers absolutely fuck all defensively and isn't good enough to build your team around. Lampard played with two defensive midfielders behind him but guaranteed 20 goals a season. De Bruyne wasn't great defensively (but much better than Foden) but split defences open year after year with those crosses to the back post through the lines - Foden isn't capable of that. In terms of passing and creativity he's on par with Rice, yet Rice offers so much more defensively. He's had success as a wide forward but you need to build the team around him to do that as he isn't going to stretch defences like Semenyo does. So where do you play him? As good as he is, there are better players who offer more in each position.

Every excuse under the sun has been rolled out to excuse why he just hasn't delivered to the level expected. It's easy to blame Pep but I'm not sure why - what is stopping Foden from delivering? People are citing Grealish being unshackled at Everton but he's only scored 2 goals and 6 assists, he's hardly ripped up trees there. Foden has produced 1 season in his entire career where he's come close to justifying the hype and is playing for one of the best teams in the world, at some point we're going to have to stop making excuses for him.
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He isn’t good enough 😂😂😂😂

He won player of the year 2 years ago and was absolutely unplayable ffs.
 
SAFC 2012 said:
He isn’t good enough 😂😂😂😂

He won player of the year 2 years ago and was absolutely unplayable ffs.
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'Good enough' in the context of elite, world class, star player for Man City and England like the OP thinks he is/should be.

It's debatable whether he offers enough consistently as an attacking midfielder to star there as one of the first name's on the team sheet for City/England - he's never ever performed there for England and has been mostly poor for City for the past two years without prime Rodri behind.

He certainly isn't good enough defensively to play as a central midfield 'number 8' for either.

He isn't good enough as a winger to play there for either - Doku, Semenyo, Cherki and Bernardo offer far more. Saka and even Gordon are better wingers for England. Rodgers too.

Not saying he isn't hugely talented - I said he was loads of times in the post. I'm saying there are other players who offer more in each of those positions. As an all round player I'm not saying Anthony Gordon is more talented than Foden but as a winger he offers more.
 
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Madcap11 said:
Manchester City are winning everything, and they decided to bring Cherki and Semenyo in and push Foden out. That's disrespectful to Foden. He would leave if I were him; I would. They stop-start his development, and playing a different position every game is not his strongest point. It confuses him. That's why he struggles playing for England, as he doesn't know what the best position that suits him is. Pep ruined him big time. Five years ago, Pep regarded him as one of the best talents he had ever seen and pushed him out and did the same every season. Disrespectful.
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If he was so good he'd be undroppable.
Pep just bought far better players than him and he's been fucked off to the subs bench.
 
Played in the last euros coming off the back of being POTY and he was so poor and hes remained shite ever since.

He’s a fraud at international level similar to how Lampard barely ever had a great game for England.
 
Im wrang oni said:
Agree. Elite skills set but not mindset perhaps? Hoy Sancho, Greenwood and Grealish into the same bracket. Heads not always in the game. Not saying they've got the same character flaws just that they've not got the mindset and focus to be elite competitors. Hence they have the ability to delivery stellar performances but do so sporadically.

I'd find room for Foden in a 26 man squad in the hope that 8 weeks in a squad bubble helps him focus, noting that hasn't happened for him in previous tournaments.

Put it this way I'd rather have the potential of Foden in the squad than the muted 5 centre halves, one of which being Dan Burn ffs.
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Whilst I agree with most of this there is simply no way he should be at WC.
The squad needs to be selected upon form. He has been a shadow of his former self all season (longer actually). Would be totally unfair to take a player based upon how well he did in the 2023-2024 campaign.
 
Biffo The Bear said:
Whilst I agree with most of this there is simply no way he should be at WC.
The squad needs to be selected upon form. He has been a shadow of his former self all season (longer actually). Would be totally unfair to take a player based upon how well he did in the 2023-2024 campaign.
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Who are the form players though? Say you pick 7 attacking midfield players covering RW, LW and #10. Who are the form players?

Saka, Bellingham, Palmer, Eze nowhere near the form they had last season. Rashford not first choice at Barca. Rogers' form has dipped post Christmas. I'd take them all. Their ceiling is way higher than anyone else, barring Dowman but too soon for him?

Madueke, Bowen, Gibbs-White, Hardly Barnes and Gordon? Good EPL players but not setting the world alight. 4 play for teams in the bottom half of the table. Granted better form than Foden but not form worthy of selection. Dewsbury-Hall is probably the only attacking midfielder having a breakout season but hasn't caught Tuchel's attention. Greenwood is obviously unselectable.

Don't get me wrong I'd definitely find places for players on form but there just aren't any. Unless Semenyo has only played friendlies for Ghana :D
 
He’s not a player that influences the flow of a game City relied on De Bruyne and Rodri in their different ways to provide that, Foden’s moments came as a result of that in a way like a striker does.
City are simply nowhere near what they were as a result of those two players being absent or declining, so Foden is suffering accordingly.
His stats are really impressive I mean 110 goals in 361 appearance for City mainly from wide or midfield and all by the age of 25 is some going.
You would think there’s too much sheer talent there to fade away but it has happened and it will be interesting to see whether he can get back to some real effectiveness whether with City or someone else.
 
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