Andy Goldstein & Kyle Walker DEBATE where Phil Foden fits in current England team!

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talkSPORT debates where Phil Foden fits in the current England team: best role, starting case and how to use him

The show discusses Phil Foden's form after his hat-trick for Man City against AEK Athens and asks where he fits in the current England side. The guest sees number 10 as his best role and says he should not be used as a six or on the left, while the host argues he should start for England. Both agree England's attacking depth makes it a good problem to have.

Andy Goldstein and Kyle Walker react to Phil Foden's hat-trick against AEK Athens in the Champions League and debate whether his recent form deserves an England call up! Subscribe: https://youtube.com/c/talkSPORT 🏆 Ready to win? Check out the latest prizes at talkSPORTwin.com Enjoyed this YouTube video? 😍 🖥️ talkSPORT's Website: https://talksport.com/ 📲 talkSPORT's Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkSPORT 📷 talkSPORT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talksport/?hl=en 👤 talkSPORT's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkSPORT/ 📱 talkSPORT's Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talksport ? 🔴 Download the talkSPORT app HERE! - https://talksport.com/apps/ 🔎 Want to see if you feature on our YouTube channel? Check out our Best talkSPORT callers playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFVMnSsi04LGLa9pS9xDvme-Gjmlu2 talkSPORT PremierLeague

Transcript

Yeah, Man City smashed Lake Athens 5-1 in the Champions League last night and Phil Fodden stole the headlines with a hat-tick. Uh that takes him to four goals and three assists in seven games this season. His Gaffenzo Moresca spoke afterwards and said Fodden will be important for them this season. >> Yeah, absolutely. But anyway, we know that uh Phillies is a top player again for different reason. He had some problem in the last two years but uh I know that uh he's is is he's is going to help us and he's how good is I know that that's why I'm so you know keen with him to to to have him in the best way. >> Listen I'm a big Phil Foden fan as I'm sure you are. He's your ex teammate. Um how pleased were you to see Foden back in the goals last night? No, it's good. I think um listen, he got sent off in the derby, which wasn't ideal, you know, for him, but Man City went and got the the the victory that they needed, but I think that we always talk about Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, these types of players, and we try and fit them into an England team most definitely, but they're top top players and you can't hide from Phil Foden in being a well, he's a serial winner and is an unbelievable football player. >> Where do you think his best position is? That that's a question and I think that's a question that everyone is probably asking now. Um >> you've played with him, right? Yeah. He's your pal. >> Yeah. >> Where do you think if you were his manager? Where would you fit him? >> I put him in a number 10 role. I put him in a number 10 role. But I think the likes of City where you've had Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Bernardo Silva is had to wait for these players to either leave or you know come of age or not inform to then get his chance. And then you look at England, Wendy's due Bellingham, Cole Palmer, uh Morgan Rogers, all these players that can play in the number 10. It's tough competition, but Phil can more than definitely do it. H how do you get phone into that England side? Then I I think he's one of the the most naturally gifted footballers we've had for a long long time. And and it whenever I see him not starting from Man City and the players you've named, right, an abundance of talents there from Kevin De Bruyne, silver, etc. There's there's so much talent uh up and down the years for Man City in that role, but he has to play, but I just don't know how you cram him. Let's talk about England. You touched on England. You got Bellingham in the 10, you got Rice behind, and we've got an abundance of players desperate to have that number 10 role. >> Can he play the six, do you think? Can he can he be that player that The reason I say it, you you've got someone like Fatin, right, who scored for PSG against Barcela last night. Does Spen have the the sort of same ability to potentially play a little bit deeper like him? I think it's a little bit difficult that one um putting folding in there when you're playing the lesser teams in all all respect to them. Maybe yeah, you could probably do that, but against the top nations, against the top teams in the Champions League, you know, Phil Fodin is probably not going to be best as a number six for me. >> So, how do you get him in? Well, that that's the that's the problem and it's a good problem for >> it's a good problem but >> you know Enzo to have and also for Thomas to have you know that you've got all these players that can play in these positions and you need to be playing the people that are playing in form and I think that's what England should be about. I think over the years we probably had the same amount of players or the same players called up to the squad continuously, but I think Thomas is doing it right now where you're playing there and you get into the England squad by going in there on full in the past several managers, England managers have struggled to get the best players into their starting 11 and crammed them into different areas. I remember Paul Scholes playing out wide more often than he was playing central. Joe Cole playing out wide as well. Do you think someone like Phil Foden you have to squeeze him in somewhere in that England side or should he only be playing in the role that's suited for him? >> I think we squeeze him in in the I look back at Germany and did Phil Foden probably play his best football for England then? No, we didn't. Uh he was coming off for a good season, but it was putting Phil Foden wide on the left that probably you're not going to get the best out of Phil Foden. Um, and it's not going to do him any good either when he's playing out of position and not playing and performing well. Uh, I think everyone can see that Phil Fod in a Man City shirt is a very, very good player. Phil Fod in an England shirt probably hasn't lived up to the expectations that we all put on him. And he'll probably, he won't mind me saying that. I think he'll be honest himself and say that he needs to do more in an England shirt, but he needs to play well. and putting in an act trick last night and doing the things that he does in a Man City shirt is only going to help him. >> Have we seen the best of him? And I don't mean that in a is he getting worse. What I mean is is there still more goodness to come, do you think? Has he re has he reached his pomp yet? >> I I joined City in 2017 and he was 17 years old and I remember going into the training session. There was him and Brahheim Diaz and I couldn't believe the standard that these two kids basically was at. I still think there's so much more to come from him. is going to get obviously he's won a lot and he knows a lot about the football game but he's gonna with more experience and you know picking your right times to arrive into the box to pass to shoot he's only going to get better and you know it's a good problem for the England team to have with Foden Bellingham Palmer Gibbs White Rogers um it's a great problem for England >> with with his style of football do you think it he's best suited for Premier League football and I'm not suggesting that you say actually he should move abroad I'm not But when you look at how the games are played maybe in Italy and Spain at maybe a slightly slower pace, >> would that suit his game more, do you think? >> I mean, technical ability is probably the best I've ever seen, >> hands down. >> Wow. >> With, you know, I've not had the pleasure to play with Messi. Uh, but >> you've been on a field with me? >> I've been on the field. Yeah. But for god-given talent, what Phil Foden has, it's unbelievable what he can do with a football. Um, but I I always revert back to if Phil Foden plays like he does for Manchester City, then he will obviously get into the England team. But would I say that Spain, Italy is probably more suited for him? Maybe. Maybe. But Phil Foden's won enough. He's won a trouble. He's a trouble winning, you know, um, teammate of mine and he he's got more Premier Leagues to definitely win. >> How much of the manager's job is to get the best out of him? because under Pep, he obviously played Yeah. >> his best football. >> How much of him producing that kind of talent is down to Pep? >> Of course, it's it's down to Pep. It's a lot of us and a lot of our success was down to Pep. You know, obviously he had good players and we was a good team. Uh but how he coached us and how he trained us daily to get to where we needed to was unbelievable. But Phil now sitting uh take it on his shoulders now. He's not the young Phil at 17, 18, 19 years old now. is a, you know, 26 year old man that needs to show up on each and every game and obviously we see these results and these games and these stats now, but these need to come more often for him to, you know, make sure that he's in contention to start every week for Man City. >> Just going back to what you saying before, I always I'm so curious when I get people in that know these. I I know Phil through a TV. I've never met the fella, right? He looks a lovely guy, right? And there's no doubt in his ability, but when I've got someone like you that has played with him day in day out on the training ground, I'm always curious when you say like you saw him at 17 and he was just above and beyond. What was he doing? What made him so special? What could he do as a 17, 18, 19 year old that you hadn't seen before? Is there is there a particular there there was this one day etc. No, I I think you look at it and I was very fortunate to come through obviously the likes of Tottenham with Harry Kane, Ryan Mason, Tom Carroll, Andros Towns and uh these players was unbelievable and then when I went to City was just like another a different breed. >> Had you heard about F before you? >> No, nothing. Jaden Sancho was there and obviously you've got these Jadden Sancho, Brien Diaz and Phil Foden and you're coming in and you're thinking these are 17. You look back to yourself when you were 17 I was nowhere near these. I was completely nowhere near it. But the manipulation with the ball, the knowledge of how the game should be played and what Pep wanted at that time was unbelievable. And I think, you know, all of them, unlucky for, you know, Jaden now that it's happened the way it's happened. But each and every one of them are like had great careers from a 70-year-old boy when I first arrived at Etiad. >> We're going to take calls on Phil phone just if sign off on it if you can. You think he should be I mean, we all think he should be playing for England. There's no doubt about that. But find find somewhere in that starting 11 from he needs to start for England. >> He's got massive competition and that's the good headache that we have in in this in this team. >> I'm not saying he definitely should be starting. He needs to produce the the stats that he's doing now and the games like he did last night and then he's in contention, but you've got Drew Belling, got Sacko, you've got Rio that we're talking about a little bit later on in the show. Uh so it's tough competition, but it's good competition. >> Yeah. Nice problems for us to have. >> Correct. >> And not for him. No. Uh we'll take your calls on all things Phil. Can he force himself back into that England squad? And if he can find a place where it's that simple. 03717234. A great great drive time show today. I'm very excited about it. Me Andy Goldston. More importantly, I've got alongside me for the next three hours England's greatest ever right back in Carl Walker. Who is this? >> Bryson Tiller. >> Okay. I have never heard of him. >> Never heard of him. >> No. >> So when I want to go to sleep, he's got a >> Is that a compliment? >> It's a compliment. I like it. I like it. I really like it. Just chilled out music. Okay. >> When I'm driving up and down from Manchester to London doing these shows. >> Why is the drive with music that puts you to sleep? >> Uh, well, I've got someone that drives. >> Then I Yeah. What? >> There's me talking about life on the underground. Yeah, I forgot about that. Who chooses the music in your dressing rooms? >> Um, >> is that still a thing? >> It's still a thing. Normally, it's the I think we created a playlist at Burnley. So we all put a song in um to the player care woman and then she created >> you call it player care woman. >> Yeah. So >> what does that mean? >> I don't know like the player care who looks after you. You need something then she'll >> Wow. >> Yeah. Triv you got anything? >> Have I? >> No. Can you ask for anything? There's a new pair. Travis Scott coming out. Can you get >> Why haven't we got one of them at Talk Sport? >> Talk should have a player care. >> We should have a player care. >> Yeah. Oh, it's Jack. I've just been told it's Jack. He's our player care. And there's there he just said anyway get your orders in. Yeah, it will never turn up but get your orders in. Uh still to come we'll be discussing Trent's lack of minutes at Madrid just quickly. PSG winger Kravit Scala will have surgery blah after rupturing his ACL against Barcela last night. We wish him well with that. Scott McTominay scored twice as Napoli beat Bodo glimp 4-3 last night and Liverpool came from two goals down to 4-3 at home to Val last night as well. In fact, 18-year-old Rio won man of the match after picking up two assists. One of them was outstanding and Doniierola spoke after the game and was delighted with the youngster's performance. >> I'm happy with his attitude because he's eager to improve the things that we think he needs to improve. He's eager to add more things to his game. Has changed the the sides a lot. Has played a lot on the right lately. He's feeling so comfortable now and and I think he's adding even some shoot with the left that he hasn't the score but he's getting there and if he can add this small things not to his game it will put him even in a in a better position and that's the good thing with Rio is still 18 is not the still a full package >> did you did you see the highlights last night you see Angamar >> no I was watching the Barca PSG game >> was a great game weren't it game goals in you obviously you're aware Venamoa is only a young kid, but last night he was exceptional. Two assists, one of them was sublime. >> When How do you How do you juggle playing a youngster like that and and making sure you don't give him too much game time, but at the same time, you want to give him enough? >> I think I'll go back to Phil Felden and Pep. I think what he did for Phil um in the early years of his career was vital to get to get the best out of Phil. I think you introduce him in the right way. I played against Rio uh when I was at Burnley last season. >> Uh and he was very very sharp. Very sharp. I was very impressed with him. Didn't know which way he was going to go. Um and again another headache for Thomas in the England squad. >> Yeah. Is it I mean we got the Euros in two were 2028. Too early to even suggest he should be in that squad. We're a bit later on. We're talking about will he be competition for Bio Saka on the right hand side. We'll talk about that a bit later on. So we won't go there now. Do you fully expect him to be in that Euro squad in two years time >> from what I've seen um even when he's come on with England uh and played the minutes that he's played I've been impressed >> I think three times he's played for the national side >> but it's still a far distance away Euros so I think anything can happen people can play themselves into it and also play themselves out of the Euro squad. >> Yeah. How old were you when you made your professional debut? >> Uh 18 Northampton. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> And do you you got a smile on your face? Does it bring back good memories? Good memories. Yeah, I liked it there. >> Do you I mean football's changed a lot, right? Even in that short space of time. Can you remember what it's like the pressure? I mean, you wouldn't have had as as much pressure playing for Northampton as you would do playing for Liverpool, >> but I mean that must be Do you feel like you've made it at that age when you get your >> Of course. I think even when you walk into the dressing room in Liverpool, you probably think that you've made it. Um but he needs to make sure that he keeps his I know it's a a cliche, but his feet on the ground. Um, we've seen many players start and not finish that the way that they wanted to to finish and it's important for him to, you know, I think he's is a great club. It's a massive club, Liverpool. Um, >> and he just makes make needs to make sure that he's playing his football and doing well. >> Should we take some phone calls? >> Should we do that? Let's speak to Joe's a Man City fan. I'm sure a big fan of yours. Hello, Joe. Good afternoon. >> How you doing, guys? You okay? >> I'm good, man. How are you? You've ever spoken to Car Walker before? I haven't. I haven't. I was going to say absolute legend. I was at your first City game, Kyle Brighton away. I think it was 2-0 and you wore the burgundy away kit. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And uh hero absolute hero, mate. 50 million. Not so much these days, is it? >> It's a good price now then, weren't it? >> Bargain. >> Yeah. Bargain. Bargain. >> What would you like to say, Joe? >> Uh I just wanted to say about folding really. Um I'm a big folding fan ever since he came through. I've been going to city games my whole life. uh seen him when he came on made his debut in I think it was the Champions League when he was 16 or 17 and he's worked so hard to get where he has done. I think the last couple of years, yeah, he's not hit the levels that he did when he won like, you know, double player of the year and whatnot, but I think he's been made a little bit of a scapegoat really with City because them two years where he struggled, the whole club has, you know, we had a really poor season under Pep where we whatever it was where we lost about 10 games in a row. Um, and he wasn't the only one who wasn't performing. Um, last season again wasn't great. Uh, it was better. Um, and now I think this season when he's played before he got the red card, I thought he was doing well. Looked great last night. Technically, like Kyle was saying, unbelievable playoff. I think from an England point of view, um, I agree with both really. I think it is going to be difficult for him to get into that 11 because you've got Rice, Anderson, and Bellingham, and it's pretty much set really. And I think he is a bit wasted out. I think he's a bit wasted out on the wing folding. I don't think he's quick enough. Um, and that's the problem really. But that's not to say I think he should be in every England squad because I think technically like Kyle said, he's probably the best player England have got technically. >> Yeah. >> But he's not going to get in the Bellingham. It's just not going to happen. He's too valuable to the team Bellingham and I can't see where else he's going to get in the team ahead of like Gordon and Saka. >> Yeah, Joe, thank you for your call. Much appreciated. I think everyone probably loses to what we were talking about earlier on. He's that good a player, but how do you find a place for him? And that's the that's the situation that England have got at the minute where they've got that many good players in that area. It it's stupid. You know, you look at the likes of like we've just said there, Phil and Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Morgan Gibbs White. >> Can he play a false nine? >> Well, he's done that for City. I played with him in a false nine. >> Yeah. Can he do it for England? Can we I mean, my guessing is that if Harry Kane's not fit >> Yeah. >> Dude Bellingham will maybe push a bit further forward and and feel mate. I just think we're trying to we're just trying to squeeze him in in some way, shape or form just because he is who he is and but Phil just needs to play football. You play play football and play consistive, you know, cons consecutive games and stuff like this. He then will do what Phil Foden does on the on the sheet, but >> he needs to make sure that he's hitting these numbers week in week out because we've got such great expectations for him and he needs to make sure that he can he can live up to these expectations.