Phil Foden has enjoyed a remarkable career at Manchester City, coming through the ranks to play at the highest levels for club and country.
However, the Manchester City academy graduate has been below-par this season, so much so that he has found himself on the fringes of the squad.
Pep Guardiola handed Phil Foden a start against Southampton at the weekend, but he struggled as he looked seriously short of fitness and confidence.
Now, Darren Bent has shared a theory as to why the 45-cap England man might be struggling so much at present.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
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Darren Bent wonders whether Phil Foden is getting over-coached at Manchester City
Bent, speaking on talkSPORT, explained how he already felt last summer that Foden “wasn’t the same” for England at Euro 2024.
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“It just feels like, if he’s not under that that comfort blanket which is Manchester City in that Pep system, he just looks a bit lost,” said Bent.
However, the talkSPORT pundit expressed surprise at how poorly Foden has done this season, suggesting he may be getting “over-coached”.
Bent continued: “The fact he’s been so poor this season, that does really surprise me. He is a very, very, very good player, you can’t hide that fact.
“But I just wonder if maybe – we always talk about systems, and we talk about the flair in the games going out the window and players are being overcoached.
“I just wonder if maybe Phil Foden is under that now.
“Don’t get me wrong – he’s working with one of the greatest coaches ever, and he’s won absolutely everything there is to win.
“But I still never watch Phil Foden and think he’s playing with a real freedom.”
How Manchester City can get Phil Foden back to his best
Foden is often talked about as a maverick who can take control of a game and create something out of nothing.
However, that’s not really the case. He’s a great attacking midfielder with an eye for goal, who improves an already great team with a functioning system.
Foden is not really the kind of player who can drag a team by the scruff of the neck and get them over the line, which is what City would have needed this year.
With that in mind, City’s rebuild this year will hopefully get the team working well again once everyone gels, which in turn should enable Foden to thrive.
Indeed, Rico Lewis recently spoke about how missing key players have had a knock-on effect on those who are in the team.