England manager Gareth Southgate has warned of the pressure being put on Phil Foden after the Manchester City star was left on the bench for England's 0-0 draw with the USA.
After a superb start against Iran, England's World Cup group-phase campaign was dented with a dismal 0-0 draw against the USA on Friday night. England lacked a creative spark going forward, and were put under some pressure by Gregg Berhalter's side.
As the game went on, the absence of Foden became more and more alarming, with many calling for the introduction of the City star to help unlock a stubborn USA defence.
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Southgate addressed the media ahead of England's final group game against Wales, and warned about the pressure being put on the 22-year-old's shoulders.
“We have to be careful because we are putting a lot of pressure on him now,” he said. “We’re a team and we need all of the players and they can all play a part but not any one of them is the reason we will win or lose. And we need to make sure we are not building Phil into a situation where actually if he steps on the pitch this is becoming really difficult for him because the level of expectation is beyond a young guy who is still establishing himself.”
“Internationally, in a different environment from his club where you’re comfortable with all the players you play with, it’s really distinctive, you’re going home every night, you’re calm with everything else. This is still a unique environment. He is still a really young player and he’s doing brilliantly well and we love him to bits. We also have got to look after him a bit as well.”
Southgate also acknowledged he was aware of the overwhelming calls to play Foden, as he admitted he went through a similar phase with Jack Grealish.
He added: “We have Jack who 18 months ago I was being murdered for not using, Marcus [Rashford] we feel has been in really good form. Phil of course is a player we love who can change games as well.
“Had we put Phil on [against the USA] and he hadn’t scored we would have been talking about Jack or Marcus. That’s a little bit where we are. I’m not going to change that. I know for a lot of people they have decided how it is and I’ve just got to keep making the decision that give us the best chance of winning.
"We’re happy with how he is, we’re happy with how he is training. He’s bright, he’s ready and he’s a good player… He is going to play a big part in this tournament, there is no doubt in my mind about that."
The Three Lions boss also addressed the specific tactical decisions that stopped him from bringing Foden on during the 0-0 draw on Friday night.
He said: “Sometimes the discussion around just plopping him in as a 10 in every game isn’t realistic because in a game like the other night [against the USA] you have to have the ball and there are defensive responsibilities that he doesn’t have to do at his club. From the wide area it’s different, the defensive responsibility is different.
“In the 10 you have to cover a lot more ground and be a lot more aware of the spaces without the ball. If that bit of pressure isn’t right then they are through you and into your back line. That is why we didn’t put him in as a 10. There are games where there isn’t that same tactical challenge in midfield.
“There might be a little bit more freedom and that might be the slot he can go and express himself. But his club don’t do that, so there must be a reason for that. But he’s a great option for us in two or three different positions and he will have a big impact in games.”
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