Foden, what’s up with him?

[Nigels Tackle]

he’s obsessed with his hair
understandable if he had luscious locks but he hasn’t
needs to just stick with his chav cut and natural colour

[littlebig]

I can't get over the headband on a man

[Outcast]

I can't get over the headband on a man

I thought Gabriel Batistuta looked awesome in a headband

[john@staustell]

I can't get over the headband on a man

I thought Gabriel Batistuta looked awesome in a headband

Charlie George??

[PeterParker]

I can't get over the headband on a man

I thought Gabriel Batistuta looked awesome in a headband

Charlie George??

Boy George?

[Tokyo Blue]

I can't get over the headband on a man

I thought Gabriel Batistuta looked awesome in a headband

Charlie George??

Boy George?

Susan George?

[sheblue]

The no city game syndrome striking again.

[Kippax Sean]

Foden has the world at his feet, hopefully he knuckles down and doesn't start getting too caught up with the flash Harrys.

[Nick]

Really baffles me how he has his hair cut to look afro

[johnny crossan]

Foden as a false nine might just be City’s most important player – but it does make it harder to stand out



Phil Foden, Manchester City

By Sam Lee Feb 14, 2022 3

It felt like Phil Foden really had to battle to get the ball over the line at Carrow Road on Saturday.

Inside the first five minutes, he had a close-range shot saved by Angus Gunn, the same happened with the follow-up, and even when he beat the keeper at the third time of asking he noticed the flag had gone up for offside.

The goal that he did score hardly came any easier. Raheem Sterling had got Manchester City on their way in the first half with the type of eye-catching goal you can score from out wide, coming inside and unleashing a pinpoint drive to the opposite corner.

He went on to steal the headlines with a perfect hat-trick.

Foden’s goal was decidedly more scrappy, his afternoon more understated, although everything he did was born out of his usual tenacity and flair.

He had another snapshot, from a matter of yards, saved at the near post. Ben Gibson moved in and was about to clear but the City youngster hooked his left leg around the ball, dragged it back under his control, effortlessly switched it to his right foot and, with fine balance, got off yet another shot.

Still, a diving Brandon Williams took enough pace off the strike to give Grant Hanley a chance to boot it off the line. Fortunately for Foden and for City, the margins were on his side this time, a couple of centimetres of them.

It felt like the kind of goal Foden needed. He has not exactly been struggling for form of late but given his career has been on an undisputedly upward trajectory since he emerged onto the City scene five years ago, it has felt like the champagne moments have been harder to come by.

He was named the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year last season and he went into this season harbouring hopes of winning the senior prize. He’s not been terrible by any means, far from it, but it would be a stretch to suggest he’s in the running for that prize right now.

Those are the expectations he has set for himself and for others, and if he has fallen short of them so far perhaps it is because of the role he has been playing.

Since he arrowed a low drive into the bottom corner at Anfield in October, an afternoon when he ran James Milner ragged, he has played on the wing in just four of the following 12 Premier League starts.

If you think of Foden at his best, it’s probably out wide, twisting his marker inside out and scoring from tight angles. Doing things like this.

But he has played eight of his recent matches as a false 9, starting from a centre-forward position and dropping deep to link up play, just as likely — well, far more likely — to receive a pass inside the centre circle than get a shot off inside the box.

It is a vital role for City and one that is every bit as important as any other. And Pep Guardiola insists that it actually gets him closer to the goal and more involved in the decisive actions.

“In this position, you are close to shoot, close to the assists,” the City manager said. “You are more involved in the game. Of course, sometimes the spaces are outside but playing inside with the quality they have, getting the ball between the lines, his (Foden’s) first reception is exceptional, how he commits to the last line, to the shots, to assists, and he has an incredible sense of goal. I think that position suits perfectly for his quality.

“He is a specially talented player, he can play both wide or as an attacking midfielder, but with the problems we have up front now with Jack (Grealish) and Gabriel (Jesus) being out, Phil can play there and it suits him perfectly.”

A City false nine certainly does have to get into the box to get on the end of chances. Perhaps a more natural striker may have got on the end of a wicked low cross from Ilkay Gundogan in the first half, which evaded Foden by a yard or so.

Guardiola dismissed the idea that City’s false nines play a more selfless role, and it is folly to argue with him, but it also seems fair to say that those players get to do more eye-catching stuff when they are in different roles.

Look at his contribution against Norwich, which does suggest the bulk of his contributions come outside the box, or at least they did on Saturday. The three dots in the six-yard box are all related to his goal, the earlier triple chance scrubbed off altogether by offside.



Saturday was perhaps Foden’s best game in recent weeks. His cross to the back post allowed Ruben Dias to head back across for Sterling to convert his second. He did all the linking up expected of him and there was the goal.

It’s not always so eye-catching. Dropping deep to drag a defender out of a deep block won’t get you any FPL points, but it’s the order of the day most of the time. Get the ball and give it. Don’t carry it. Create spaces for others to apply the finishing touches.

It’s not just the false-nine role that can demand a more selfless performance, either. Think back to November when City ran riot at Old Trafford, and it appeared that Foden’s role was to stay high and wide, make space for Joao Cancelo and then, even when he got the ball, to give it to somebody else quickly.

That was at the stage of the season when Guardiola looked to be utilising “false wingers”, a different way to allow others to shine.

That game is a fine example because while Foden played his role almost perfectly, helping City dominate from the first minute until the last, he did get chances to find that bottom corner but he was just a little off target.

There have been moments like that this season. His shot conversion and big chance conversion are slightly down on last season, as are his goals and assists per 90. Not by much, but the numbers seem to tally with the eye test.

And between injuries, COVID-19 and a short spell out of the team following a much-discussed night out, he has perhaps not had the type of consistent starts as last season.

Still, he is creating far more big chances than last season and in raw numbers, he is just three goals and two assists behind his league tallies, with 13 games to go.

Guardiola clearly believes he can still get those opportunities as a false 9. Even if he doesn’t, the pressing, passing and probing are so important to City’s season that he could be their most important player. It might just be a little harder to stand out.

[Dimples]

Foden is lucky that he has Pep and City to guide him. They give him a great chance to stay on the straight and narrow. He seems focused again, having learnt that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated.

Grealish had Smith and Villa at the same age. They turned a blind eye to his behavior and bad habits developed. He thought he could do the same at City. Going on a bender having been dropped after a previous bender is either crazy and immature or indicative of someone with a serious addiction.
I hope it is not to late for Grealish because he comes across as a likeable bloke.

[johnny crossan]

Foden is lucky that he has Pep and City to guide him. They give him a great chance to stay on the straight and narrow. He seems focused again, having learnt that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated.

Grealish had Smith and Villa at the same age. They turned a blind eye to his behavior and bad habits developed. He thought he could do the same at City. Going on a bender having been dropped after a previous bender is either crazy and immature or indicative of someone with a serious addiction.
I hope it is not to late for Grealish because he comes across as a likeable bloke.

So will City, £100m is a sizeable investment in his potential to improve the team - the owners won't be happy if it is not well spent, particularly given the Mendy situation. We have done so well with the majority of signings - very few duds - but Jack is our first record breaking transfer.

[Mase]

Foden is lucky that he has Pep and City to guide him. They give him a great chance to stay on the straight and narrow. He seems focused again, having learnt that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated.

Grealish had Smith and Villa at the same age. They turned a blind eye to his behavior and bad habits developed. He thought he could do the same at City. Going on a bender having been dropped after a previous bender is either crazy and immature or indicative of someone with a serious addiction.
I hope it is not to late for Grealish because he comes across as a likeable bloke.

So will City, £100m is a sizeable investment in his potential to improve the team - the owners won't be happy if it is not well spent, particularly given the Mendy situation. We have done so well with the majority of signings - very few duds - but Jack is our first record breaking transfer.

Robinho was our first recording breaking transfer.

[johnny crossan]

Foden is lucky that he has Pep and City to guide him. They give him a great chance to stay on the straight and narrow. He seems focused again, having learnt that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated.

Grealish had Smith and Villa at the same age. They turned a blind eye to his behavior and bad habits developed. He thought he could do the same at City. Going on a bender having been dropped after a previous bender is either crazy and immature or indicative of someone with a serious addiction.
I hope it is not to late for Grealish because he comes across as a likeable bloke.

So will City, £100m is a sizeable investment in his potential to improve the team - the owners won't be happy if it is not well spent, particularly given the Mendy situation. We have done so well with the majority of signings - very few duds - but Jack is our first record breaking transfer.

Robinho was our first recording breaking transfer.

It was Denis Law according to Wiki but I meant under Pep.
Trevor Francis is curiously omitted from the Wiki list
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_M ... _fees_paid

[nottsblue]

Foden is lucky that he has Pep and City to guide him. They give him a great chance to stay on the straight and narrow. He seems focused again, having learnt that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated.

Grealish had Smith and Villa at the same age. They turned a blind eye to his behavior and bad habits developed. He thought he could do the same at City. Going on a bender having been dropped after a previous bender is either crazy and immature or indicative of someone with a serious addiction.
I hope it is not to late for Grealish because he comes across as a likeable bloke.

So will City, £100m is a sizeable investment in his potential to improve the team - the owners won't be happy if it is not well spent, particularly given the Mendy situation. We have done so well with the majority of signings - very few duds - but Jack is our first record breaking transfer.

Robinho was our first recording breaking transfer.

It was Denis Law according to Wiki but I meant under Pep.
Trevor Francis is curiously omitted from the Wiki list
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_M ... _fees_paid

Presumably because he arrived after Steve Daley and cost less?

[johnny crossan]

Foden is lucky that he has Pep and City to guide him. They give him a great chance to stay on the straight and narrow. He seems focused again, having learnt that unprofessional behavior will not be tolerated.

Grealish had Smith and Villa at the same age. They turned a blind eye to his behavior and bad habits developed. He thought he could do the same at City. Going on a bender having been dropped after a previous bender is either crazy and immature or indicative of someone with a serious addiction.
I hope it is not to late for Grealish because he comes across as a likeable bloke.

So will City, £100m is a sizeable investment in his potential to improve the team - the owners won't be happy if it is not well spent, particularly given the Mendy situation. We have done so well with the majority of signings - very few duds - but Jack is our first record breaking transfer.

Robinho was our first recording breaking transfer.

It was Denis Law according to Wiki but I meant under Pep.
Trevor Francis is curiously omitted from the Wiki list
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_M ... _fees_paid

Presumably because he arrived after Steve Daley and cost less?

Quite right, he did break the British Transfer Record but not when he joined us
https://footballpink.net/trevor-francis ... ootballer/

[BlueinBosnia]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Manchester_City_F.C._records_and_statistics#Highest_transfer_fees_paid

Interestingly, we've broken the British transfer record 4 times in history, but only once post-takeover (as Robinho was pre-takeover, but with the Sheikh's money).

[Nickyboy]

Getting into scraps backstage at the boxing with his mum getting punched in the face....

[nottsblue]

Really poor yesterday. Not the only one by any means but the last few months he hasn’t been on it like he was previously. Really hoping this is a blip and not a decline

[Mase]

Really poor yesterday. Not the only one by any means but the last few months he hasn’t been on it like he was previously. Really hoping this is a blip and not a decline

Just watched the video. Apparently Foden is getting followed by 4 grown men giving him shit. He gets to his box at the fight and goes in to get away from them.
His mum then comes out to ask what they’ve been saying. She tells them to go away and pushes one of them. The guy then punches her in the face and it all kicks off.