'Foden needs to get personality back for England'

After match one of England's Euro 2024 campaign, we're back to the same discussion again - how to get the best out of Phil Foden.

The Premier League 2023-24 player of the season is one of the most decorated players of his generation and had his most prolific campaign for Manchester City, with 19 goals and eight assists to help his side win the title.

Yet in the match against Serbia, where Jude Bellingham in a central position and Bukayo Saka on the right both shone, Foden's performance sparked more of a debate.

In the Match of the Day post-match analysis on BBC One, former Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas suggested Foden, 24, had to take more responsibility.

He said: "You see Jude [Bellingham] imposing himself, getting in the face of opponents, he oozes this class.

"He [Foden] needs to do that himself as well. A player of this class, level and talent at times doesn't even need to be told by the coach what he needs to do.

"Phil needs to want it more than the rest and it showed that Jude Bellingham is a little bit above him in this regard.

"Foden needs to get that personality back and do what he does at Manchester City."

Ex-England defender Rio Ferdinand added:

"Jude Bellingham has come into this team and his body language has said to everyone 'give me the ball or I will go nuts', you will be told 'give me the ball now' - that is his attitude.

"Phil Foden has seen that and his personality is not like that, and he is allowing someone else to come in and be the dominant figure in this team."

In response, former Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards said the team need to play more to his strengths.

"The first 20 minutes he got into some really good positions. We need to find the way to get best out of him.

"We know with Man City it is choreographed with Pep and the system, and the movements.

"It makes me sad when I see a player of this quality in and out of games."

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live on Monday, Richards added: “You talk about positioning and as footballers you have to be able to adapt, you should be able to make an impact on the pitch wherever you play.

"But when you have an extreme talent like Phil Foden, his best work has been in the middle of the pitch.

"Sometimes when he is on the left-hand side, you put him in a position where he needs to dribble past his opponent - that’s not his game.

"The best part of Phil Foden's game is when he receives the ball on the half-turn in tight situations and playing one-twos around people, find a little bit of space and shooting or creating something."

Graham, London: Foden is at fault for his own success because he can play on the left side, that's where Southgate plays him, but at club level Foden plays on the right. He and Walker have a complete understanding, which is ignored at the international level.

Mark, Stockport: Thinking of Phil Foden, I wonder how many of Pep Guardiola’s players have outstanding performances for their national teams?

Anon: Foden is amazing, but it's looking more and more like he is team dependent. With Bellingham it looks like you could drop him into any team.

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit and former Manchester City player Nedum Onuoha on whether Foden can have the same impact for England as he does for his club:

He absolutely can. The key difference between himself and Bellingham is that Bellingham is more physically imposing.

Some of the things he does, Phil Foden can’t do. But in the same way, with those little bits of skill, Bellingham can’t do what Foden does. Foden’s strength is in the final third, driving with the ball, looking for a pass or with his finishes.

Bellingham can be effective in many ways, whether it is a last-ditch tackle, winning a header, competing and pushing past people or using a bit of guile.

Everyone understands that was not Phil’s best performance yesterday. The left is not his best position. But there are times when you don’t have the best game or have the same influence.

Sometimes that is down to personal things, sometimes it is the way the game flows. I am not panicking about it. There is a way for him to have a bigger impact on the game. But it is less visible at times because Phil’s impact is always going to be in the final third.

A comparison between him and Bellingham slightly misses the point. They are both supremely talented, but Foden is not going to be making a massive tackle on the edge of your own box, then bursting past people on a 40-yard run.

Jude Bellingham is one of the most complete players England has ever seen for his age, so you will see his influence on the game in far more areas.

One of the key factors is we are comparing between league football and tournament play. Manchester City are first or second in possession stats. You have longer to influence the game because your team has the ball for longer.

You can be more patient and you have more moments within a game. Spain beat Croatia at the weekend with less possession. Some of their forward players might have been frustrated because they have more possession at club level.

There are little things to clean up but the way he can play for Manchester City is very different to the way he can play for England because it is a different style of football, not just due to Gareth Southgate but the way international football is played.

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty

I think the role on the left does not suit him. He was magnificent in the central role for Manchester City but Jude Bellingham, perfectly understandably, is the focal point of this England team so Foden has to spend much of his time in a wider position.

It will take a change of formation to sort that but I also agree with Cesc Fabregas that it is also up to Foden himself to make things happen – and I am certain he can. He is too good not to.

Southgate wants to utilise Foden, but against Serbia he once again struggled to make an impact in an area where there have been impressive reports about Anthony Gordon, a potential rival for his position, filtering out of England’s training base.

Foden's left-flank partnership with Kieran Trippier did not look a natural fit and it is something Southgate must consider before England face Denmark on Thursday.

There was no lack of endeavour, but Foden was never the constant threat he poses for City at club level. It was a low-key, peripheral performance.

No-one would ever question the talent of the English footballer of the year but accommodating him effectively is a conundrum for Southgate.

Read more from Phil McNulty here