Tuchel verdict is ominous for Foden’s World Cup hopes amid midfield battle
Tuchel verdict is ominous for Foden’s World Cup hopes amid midfield battle Thomas Tuchel is nothing if not honest and his latest comments do not bode well for Phil Foden just months ahead of the FIFA World Cup. The Manchester City attacker was, like many other England hopefuls, handed an opportunity to prove his worth to the cause when Uruguay rolled up to Wembley Stadium. The encounter will not go down as a classic, with very little happening in either box until the game erupted into life late on thanks to Ben White’s goal after a four-year hiatus, Manuel Ugarte’s phantom bookings and a controversial late penalty.
Tuchel verdict is ominous for Phil Foden’s World Cup hopes It’s not all Foden’s fault that the match failed to ignite for so long, but he’s not exempt from blame either. He was solid, but did little to open up the opposition. To be fair to him, Tuchel explicitly wanted to see a tactically disciplined performance from his midfield, but it was noteworthy that the German told ITV afterwards that Foden was not “adventurous” enough; a complaint that was echoed by fans watching on.
“We put him into place because of the midfield three of Uruguay, they change a lot of positions and want to drag you out of position,” he explained. “We needed a very solid, tactical smart performance in midfield. That was when Phil came into play.
He was outstanding in the defensive patterns in training. He’s played lots of times no. 8 for City.
“In moments I thought he could be more adventurous, like a no. 10 and take more risk. I felt him getting stronger.