Jamie Carragher has suggested that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola perhaps does not have full faith in Phil Foden.
Speaking on The Overlap’s Fan Debate, the renowned pundit made this claim about the England international.
Considering Pep Guardiola tends to rotate Phil Foden in and out of the team, Jamie Carragher has doubts over whether he fully trusts the Manchester City poster-child.
Jamie Carragher doubts whether Pep Guardiola fully trusts Phil Foden
Branded as an ‘unreal talent’ by Xavi via Manchester Evening News, the 23-year-old could be set for a more settled role in midfield next season, as per a report in June.
A key reason why Foden perhaps has not quite hit the heights many expected of him is due to the multitude of roles he has been tasked to play with; left-wing in his breakout campaign, as a false nine for the most part in his second full season and in the previous term, across a number of positions and being injured for a number of games as well.
However, Jamie Carragher believes Phil Foden is yet to have earned the trust of Pep Guardiola.
MORE MAN CITY STORIES
“I was speaking about this watching the game [Community Shield] yesterday about Foden, he’s not young anymore, is he? What is he, 23 now? Three or four years ago, we were saying, this is going to be the best English player. It almost seems like [Jude] Bellingham’s become that player where he’s going to be building the England team around.”
Jamie Carragher emphasised that in the Community Shield against Arsenal, Pep Guardiola still did not start Phil Foden, which speaks volumes, saying, “And Foden can’t quite get into the England team, he can’t quite get into the City team. He made the goal yesterday, that turn he did was unbelievable. [Ilkay] Gundogan’s left, [Riyad] Mahrez’s left and then you play in the Community Shield a week before the season and he still doesn’t get in the first XI. And I can’t quite work out because we all know how good he is.”
“What is it that’s sort of stopping him or that Pep’s [Guardiola] slight lack of belief that he doesn’t just put him there straight in? He played [Julian] Alvarez behind [Erling] Haaland, these are all positions that Foden could’ve played but he still doesn’t play him”, the Liverpool legend concluded.
It is not easy being Phil Foden
The fact of the matter is that due to the extreme competition for places and the stakes that Manchester City have in terms of constantly having to win silverware, it is far from easy for any young player, even as talent as Phil Foden to persuade Pep Guardiola to make him a regular starter, which many such as Jamie Carragher may not comprehend at times.
With legends like David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan being at Manchester City’s disposal, the Englishman is yet to have even played a full season in his natural role in midfield and yet, has established his presence as a top player.
As a result, Foden has had to play in a variety of positions and prove his worth in one of the greatest teams of all time, which goes to show that he has had a tall task on his hands to make a name for himself.