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. I felt he can make the difference if the game opened up in the second half.
“He played with a lot of responsibility.”
The vast majority of Tuchel’s assessment was positive, but Foden’s lack of cutting edge in an England shirt has been a long running problem and one that the manager will not ignore.
Having that extra dimension in the attacking midfield role, that ability to cut open defensive structures, will be crucial to the Three Lions’ chances of going far in the World Cup. If Foden fails to provide it, someone else will.
Tuchel has reiterated that he will not be taking an abundance of players in one position, even if it means leaving some of his most talented players at home. Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer are all vying for the same spot, but it’s likely that only two, maybe three at most, will be on the plan to North America.
The more immediate concern for Foden, and City, however, will be the potential injury he incurred on Friday. Ronald Araujo left a crunching tackle on the 25-year-old, forcing him off in the 56th minute and possibly ruling him out of another opportunity to book his plane ticket when England face Japan on Tuesday.
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