i think so. gonna have better chasing competition than last year so the margins will be smaller but we will run away with the league again.
Game time or not, ‘Stockport Iniesta’ Phil Foden is right to stay at Man City By Ryan Bailey Nov 7, 2018 3 In December 2017, Manchester City visited Shakhtar Donetsk’s temporary home in Kharkiv for a dead rubber Champions League group-stage match. With little at stake besides a season-long unbeaten record, Pep Guardiola made seven changes to his starting lineup. And one of those changes transpired to be the only positive note in a 2-1 loss to the Ukraine’s finest. Then 17-year-old academy graduate Phil Foden, starting his first senior game in the unwelcoming confines of a Champions League date in Eastern Europe, was hungry for the ball most of the evening. With his superb left foot and off-the-ball movement well beyond his years, he caused plenty of problems, despite operating in an unfamiliar left-wingback role. After an ambitious volley just outside the box, BT Sport commentator Owen Hargreaves was enthused. “He’s going to make it happen, no question,” said the former pro, who had coached Foden at U-14 level. “He’s very special.” During this season’s Champions League trip to the Metalist Arena, with a little more on the line, the Stockport-born creative midfielder was not given quite as much opportunity to shine. After making an 87th-minute cameo, the now-18-year-old was only able to reel off a single valiant shot from a narrow angle. Foden may have seen a significant downgrade in his Ukraine-based minutes season-on-season, but it is clear that Pep feels the same way as Hargreaves: He is going to make it happen and he is very special. A lifelong City fan who joined his favorite club at the age of five, Foden made his first major impression on fans at the 2017 International Champions Cup, earning call-ups against the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, while several of his more senior teammates were being eased back into the fold ahead of the new season. After a 2-0 defeat to United in Houston, Guardiola was ebullient with praise. “It’s a long time since I saw something like this,” he said. “His performance was another level. He’s 17-years-old, he’s a City player, he grew up in the academy, he loves the club, he’s a City fan, and for us he’s a gift.” While fellow academy graduate Jadon Sancho left the club in search of game time, Foden stayed in the fold. For his loyalty, he was handed a total of three starts across the Champions League and League Cup in 2017-18, with seven further cameo substitute appearances. Foden also aroused the interest of the national team set-up, with a starring role in England’s U-17 European Championships campaign, scoring in the final against Spain. This past summer, he declined an invitation to join England’s U-23s in order to gain valuable minutes under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage in the ICC—where he earned a senior role by virtue of City’s post-World Cup absentees. Justifying his decision to choose club friendlies over country, Foden reasoned he would “develop more playing against older people and better players.” Coming from an academy system where players are deliberately poised against older year groups, this reasoning is sound. In this campaign, Foden has managed to keep himself in contention in one of the deepest and most talented midfields in the world. After starting in the Community Shield victory over Chelsea—in which he provided an assist and boasted a 76% pass completion rate—he has been offered the chance to show his true potential in the League Cup. In the 3-0 victory at Oxford, he was City’s standout man, setting up Riyad Mahrez for the second goal and capping the evening off with a slick finish for the third. Against Fulham, he enjoyed another confident and composed outing, managing three shots on goal in the 2-0 win. View image on Twitter FootballTalentScout@FTalentScout Phil Foden vs Fulham 77 touches 60 passes 87% pass accuracy 3 shots 1 key pass 3 dribbles won 2 tackles won The 'Stockport Iniesta' with another very good performance. We want to see him more! 4:39 PM - Nov 1, 2018 373 65 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy But is a role in City’s fourth-most important competition enough to keep a talent such as Foden in a sky blue shirt? After all, the youngster who has been dubbed the “Stockport Iniesta” has reportedly drawn interest from Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, and Barcelona. What’s more, Foden could reportedly leave for a development costs fee of just £175,000. City routinely add a 25% sell-on clause to their departing homegrown players, but this would represent a devastatingly poor return on investment on a player who has been developed in Manchester for 13 years. But it appears that the player is perfectly happy to accept reduced opportunities in order to stay loyal to his boyhood side. “I’ll just keep getting these cup games and run-outs whenever I can and hopefully I can start a lot more games one day,” he said after the Oxford match. “There’s no need to rush. Pep knows what he’s doing and I’ll play at the right time.” Guardiola famously puts his faith in youth, jettisoning the likes of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, and Deco in his first season at Barcelona in order to let a new crop thrive. Admittedly, Pep sprinkled in only a few youth debuts with less success during his reign at Bayern Munich—Gianluca Gaudino is an example of a youngster who didn’t quite make the grade—but Foden is clearly patient enough to wait for his manager’s tendencies in Catalonia to repeat themselves. “He’s good at bringing youth players through, he’s done it in his career before so just be patient, I’m still young and I’m still learning,” Foden added. “Training with the likes of David [Silva] and Kevin [De Bruyne] and seeing what they do every day has brought me on as a player and working with Pep as well has been a really big part of my game.” Although Foden has asked to play with the U-23 side for match fitness, he clearly believes that daily training with City’s first team is more valuable than playing regularly for a lesser side—even if there are few historical examples of this being the correct approach. Regardless, it seems Pep has assured the youngest player ever to receive a Premier League winner’s medal that good things come to those who wait. “My dream is for him to stay 10 years, and if Phil stays 10 years he can, in the next decade, play quite regularly,” said the manager after the Oxford win. Such is the Catalan’s faith in Foden, that he did not feel it necessary to strengthen City’s attacking midfield over the summer. “Phil arrived last season and showed he was special and that is why we didn’t buy any attacking midfielders in that position,” he said. It’s also worth noting that it is well within City’s interest to do everything they can to retain Foden. Not only will they potentially save millions on purchasing a creative midfielder down the line, but he is a vital member of the squad right now due to his homegrown status. Without Foden, City may struggle to fulfill the eight mandated homegrown slots in their 25-man squad. Foden is out of contract in June 2020 and it is perfectly possible that he could reach a very high level with a move to another big-six side, or a continental Champions League contender. But, right now, he has a golden opportunity to be taken under the wing of the best manager in the world, playing what may be the best soccer in the world, at a club he has loved for his entire life. And although he may secretly harbor frustration at his lack of action, he is less likely to suffer the early-career burnout that a player like Wayne Rooney encountered by playing over 50 games per season in his formative years. Essentially, it is well within Foden’s interest to stay with City—and vice versa. An 18 year old’s career doesn’t always live up to the hype (remember Francis Jeffers?), but all the signs are positive for the Stockport Iniesta. The next time City are drawn away at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, perhaps Foden will be the centerpiece around whom the team is built.
His finishing was an issue early on but he has turned into one of my favorites on the team. Glad he is sticking around.
Got settled in to watch the game and got called into work literally :45 after the match started....missed it but glad about the results
Really wish Foden would get the start with Bernardo out I’m sure Pep will play Gundo tho Mendy is so fragile :(
Fair credit to West Ham, they are trying to play with us instead of going into a defensive shell. But it also could get ugly
just need a point against hoffenheim or for lyon to drop a point to shaktar to clinch first place. loss + lyon win gives them first place
I used to get so frustrated with him, still can with his finishing but man his runs and positioning are so good. That was bad by their GK but he’s always in those types of spots to take advantage
Fuck, I was off work sick yesterday and had my days mixed up and thought we played tomorrow. How'd we look?
lazy for most of the second and almost dropped points bc of it. not worried bc it was a definite look-ahead spot