Following England’s 2-0 victory against Albania on Friday night, Cesc Fabregas’ frank criticism of Phil Foden has come back into the spotlight. With debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly opening the scoring and Harry Kane scoring his 70th goal for his country, Thomas Tuchel’s reign got off to a winning start at Wembley Stadium. This week’s first of two 2026 World Cup qualifiers was the ideal starting point.
The visitors’ traditional low-block and counterattacking strategy sent England into a passing frenzy, resulting in more first-half passes than they have made since the beginning of time. It was difficult to break through since the visitors gave little space to breathe in the latter third. However, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice’s inspirational moments were ultimately what opened the way.
It’s obvious that the Three Lions will probably encounter more opponents using this obstinate strategy in the future. However, Foden of Manchester City was one player who was unable to discover the secret to unleashing England’s attacking prowess. The Premier League Player of the Year from the previous season has frequently failed to translate his club success to the international arena, and following yet another quiet shift, he is once again the focus of harsh criticism.
Fabregas’ Euro 2024 Foden Criticism Resurfaces
Much of what the Spaniard said still holds true
During the European Championship last summer, there was a lot of discussion about Foden’s optimal position. Many supporters became armchair managers as they debated whether he should be used on one of the flanks or be free to flourish in his favourite No. 10 position.
There has long been a perception that England has too many cooks in the kitchen because Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, and Cole Palmer are all competing for comparable positions.
After the Three Lions defeated Serbia 1-0 in the group round, Fabregas addressed the Foden problem in a conversation with Ian Wright (see the entire segment below):
Jude [Bellingham] exudes class in the same manner that you see him asserting himself, vying for the ball, and confronting an opponent. And he [Foden] must do that himself. Sometimes a guy with this class, level, and talent doesn’t even require the coach to tell him what to do. He must desire it more than the others.
He subtitulado al español este vídeo del post Serbia – Inglaterra de la BBC. Me parece buenísimo el debate que abren Micah Richards y Cesc Fábregas entorno a la figura de Phil Foden, aclamando finalmente que debe imponerse.
Contenido muy 🔝 pic.twitter.com/m7taJSBP9K
— Raúl Martínez (@ral_mar) June 19, 2024
Under Tuchel, Foden’s international future is uncertain; he is merely a bystander to England’s present trophy predicament.
Roy Keane’s assertion that Foden shouldn’t be starting for England right now brought Fabregas’ remarks back into the spotlight. Many people who witnessed the midfielder’s decline are completely in agreement with him after he reached the unwelcome milestone of playing 20 international games since last helping to score a goal.
“Fabregas is such a great pundit, he hit the nail on the head,” said one X user, while another added, similarly, “He was always right.” One of Foden’s issues is this. He isn’t strong enough to lead a team because of his personality. A third remark went on:
“Cesc [Fabregas] being a top player who has played multiple positions and styles, like 8 in a 4-4-2, 10 in a 4-2-3-1, False 9 and wing in a 4-3-3 knows that even if you aren’t being optimally used, there is a base level of performance expected of a top player regardless.”
Big performances don’t often follow big names. In light of this, Tuchel needs to find the ideal balance between dazzling superstars and hard-working players as England attempts to snap a 60-year trophy drought at the World Cup next year.
Under a manager who will probably expect more of his players than Gareth Southgate ever did, Bellingham is now putting up a good case for a starting position in Foden’s preferred role. Given the latter’s recent performance, his seat on the plane shouldn’t be guaranteed any more.
