David James made a lofty comparison during Manchester City’s 3-2 loss to AC Milan.
Pep Guardiola’s men have lost both their pre-season friendlies so far to Celtic and now Milan.
However, pre-season games are not a true indicator of how a team will perform when the season begins.
Against AC Milan, City’s defending was far from the best — especially in the first-half — as they allowed Lorenzo Colombo to score a brace where he was unmarked inside the box.
Marco Nasti’s winner was also a result of Ederson Moraes perhaps failing to keep out an effort that should have been saved by him.
However, one of Manchester City’s biggest positives from the encounter — despite the result — was Oscar Bobb’s showing.
David James compares Oscar Bobb to Phil Foden as Man City lose to AC Milan
Bobb set up Erling Haaland’s opening goal — darting past Fikayo Tomori with ease before playing an inch-perfect cutback for his countryman to slot in the back of the net.
The £50,000-a-week man could have added his name on the score sheet after a brilliant piece of interplay between himself and Maximo Perrone; but the former’s finish was inches away from heading into the bottom corner.
But especially in the first-half, the Norwegian international was City’s biggest bright spark — taking on players for fun and looking especially comfortable in tight areas.
While AC Milan went on to defeat Manchester City, David James claimed that Bobb looks like he is the second coming of Phil Foden during the club’s official live half-time show on their YouTube channel.
“I think he could be Player of the pre-season so far after following on from the great form he mainly showed in the game against Celtic.”
“I think and I’m pretty sure I’ve said this on the show, I mean, I love the guy, Oscar Bobb. I think, he sounds really wrong, given there’s a few years between them but it’s like the next Phil Foden.”
David James went on to praise Bobb for his sublime first touch and habit of looking to create chances for his teamates.
“I know it was mentioned in commentary there, his touch is superb, I think it was Joleon [Lescott] and Shawn [Wright-Phillips] were talking about the goal against Newcastle, his first touch is so good.”
“And every time he was picking the ball up in this game, he’s just wanting to run at people and it’s not to create a goal for himself, it’s to create the space for someone else to score like he did in the Celtic game for [Maximo] Perrone, very similar in effect, getting down the right-hand side, cutting back on the left, Erling [Haaland] with another goal.”
Oscar Bobb could have a similar rise to Phil Foden
David James could have a point as stylistically, Bobb and Foden — a pair of left-footed, technically gifted and diminutive attackers share similarities.
But aside from that, the 21-year-old could perhaps undergo a similar rise to the Englishman, as he has also got his big break in the first-team as a winger, despite being a much more natural fit centrally.
However, much like the 24-year-old, Bobb has embraced being a wide player for Guardiola.
With the likes of Foden and De Bruyne both being premier attacking midfielders, the Oslo-born youngster might not be given too many chances to play in the middle of the park.
But Bobb seems unbothered by that prospect — looking terrific as a right-winger.
If the highly-rated technician continues to impress out wide, much like Foden, he could initially make his name at City on the wing before potentially being tasked to play centrally down the line.
