Phil Foden is becoming a star.
Having been introduced gradually by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Foden now looks like a player
his club can’t be without.
And, long-term, he looks like someone whom Gareth Southgate’s England could build around.
But in what position?
And at whose expense?
Compared with other attacking midfielders and wingers, Foden excels at scoring, getting
into the box, and making and receiving passes. He’s a dynamic ball-carrier; maybe not elite,
but certainly in good company.
But he’s less creative. His assist numbers are not world-beating, although that could
be because City have often been without a specialist number nine to play towards.
He does, however, have the ability to take the ball on the turn and hit long passes wide, which
can begin counters, and his proficiency in tight spaces also allows him to simply retain possession
or recycle it through a team-mate.
And he reads the game well. He’s not an outstanding presser or defender, but his
anticipation shows as much in his interceptions as it does his attacking play and run-making.
So where does he do most damage?
On the basis of goals and assists
per game, it’s in advanced, central areas. Based on a broader assessment of his skills, though,
central midfield and the right wing probably play most to his strengths. Foden can use his left
foot to hit angled passes across the pitch before rushing up to join the attack. He can cut inside
and cause disruption with his ball-carrying, and he’s a threat arriving late in the box or
when drifting inside from a right-hand position. He’s versatile enough to add something in other
positions too – attacking central midfield, left wing, even as a centre-forward – but he’s best as
a free eight or a right inside forward.
England used a 3-4-3 in all their games in 2020 except the first, which saw Foden
start as a central attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1. In 2019, the 4-3-3 was preferred,
with a midfield diamond also used.
Gareth Southgate’s side have two main ways of playing.
With three at the back,
they like to retain possession, using the spare central defender to make an extra man in midfield.
They look to create numerical overloads out wide as a way of breaking down sides that
sit deep. The three-man back line enables this because the spare defender can push forwards,
either to carry and pass, or to drag an opposition player towards them.
The wing-backs also have more freedom to attack, partly because of the additional cover,
and partly because the extra man draws defenders centrally, freeing up the wide areas.
The 4-3-3 is more about quick countering against
sides who press hard and are difficult to play through. Using rapid wide attackers, with Harry
Kane dropping into space to link play, England look to get over and behind the opposition,
rather than round or through them.
Foden works in both these systems.
In the 3-4-3, he could function as a potent inside forward, cutting towards goal into the space
created by a dropping centre-forward, linking intelligently with an aggressive, overlapping
wing-back, and moving infield to receive vertical passes from the midfield or defence,
with room to turn and run.
In the 4-3-3, as a more attacking central midfielder, his long passing comes into effect,
as does his ability to get forwards. His press-resistant ball-carrying would be effective
in central midfield against the kind of teams that Southgate prefers to counter-attack against, too,
although he would probably need to play alongside an accomplished
pressing midfielder like Mason Mount to help maintain the team’s defensive structure.
England’s issue is that, in the 3-4-3 especially,
Foden is in competition with some extraordinary talent. England’s roster of wide attacking players
includes Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Jack Grealish. Mason Mount has
played there too. And in central midfield, balance is crucial. A three-man midfield would likely be
anchored by Declan Rice and supported by Jordan Henderson, who himself prefers the right-hand
slot. That means accommodating Foden could require Henderson to move, or, if Foden lines
up on the left, it would mean displacing Mount, possibly Grealish, as well as Jude Bellingham
and Harry Winks, and even potentially players like Kalvin Phillips or James Ward-Prowse.
To flourish, Foden needs to be
given the freedom to take up attacking positions and run with the ball, as he does for City. He
thrives in a system that is positionally flexible, in which his movement and ability to find the
space created by others can be most damaging. Too much defensive onus would hamper this,
and so it feels like the 3-4-3 is the best option.
But can he dislodge Sancho or Sterling, or Rashford on the left?
He might not have to.
A switch to the 4-2-3-1, in fashion at a number
of top Premier League sides, could accommodate Foden as a 10, flanked by Sterling or Rashford and
Sancho. It would ask more of the midfield double pivot – presumably Rice and Henderson – but would
allow England to play with pace and threat.
If Southgate wants to maximise his attacking talents and, crucially, feels his midfield
and centre-backs are strong enough to cover, this gets Foden into the side without dislodging anyone
else. It might not get the best from Foden individually, but it could achieve the best
balance for the team as a whole.
There’s a wider point here, though. International football has to be more pragmatic. Coaches have
less time to work on things and so players should be selected with a system and style in mind.
Whether Foden gets picked or not is likely going to be a reflection of how Southgate wants
England to play: controlling possession or counter-attacking; building from the back or going
quickly wide and into the channels.
Whether Foden is good enough for international football isn’t in doubt.
How well his abilities work for Southgate’s England still is.