England were labouring - if not floundering - on the world's biggest stage and everyone was asking the same question: where's Phil Foden?
The enthusiasm and optimism produced by England's 6-2 thrashing of Iran earlier in the week dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared, as Gareth Southgate's side played out a dour goalless draw with the United States in their second World Cup group stage match.
England were disjointed and flat from the first whistle until the last, unable to play through the US' excellent pressing front or string together coherent attacks. As the second half progressed and nothing changed, Southgate looked to his bench for inspiration.
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Jude Bellingham was sacrificed for holding midfielder Jordan Henderson, an understandable switch given that England were struggling to get the ball from defence to attack without losing it. The need to keep hold of the ball more was the reason behind Jack Grealish replacing Raheem Sterling.
Both did what they could, but it seemed strange that Southgate refused to bring on Foden, the most technically gifted English player of a generation.
To be clear, I'm not suggesting that Southgate should have started Foden on the wing or introduced him off the bench in that position. Bukayo Saka has enjoyed an excellent start to the season and was one of England's best performers on Monday, while Sterling seems to have a knack for performing in an England shirt.
Southgate made the obvious move of introducing Grealish on the flank in hope of gaining some control. What was baffling was the manager's decision to leave Mason Mount - playing as an attacking midfielder just behind Harry Kane - on the field for the full 90 minutes. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what Mount did wrong because, well... he just didn't really do much at all.
Mount didn't make any glaring errors, but he couldn't provide the creative spark in the middle of the field that is so important when breaking down well-organised opponents. Foden could have done, but Southgate didn't trust him to play in a midfield role.
"We didn’t think it was a game for Phil in the middle because he doesn’t play there for his club," Southgate said after the match.
He is right, of course; Foden rarely plays in midfield for Manchester City. But there's a difference between not doing it often and being incapable of doing it.
Pep Guardiola has stressed on multiple occasions this season that Foden is capable of playing as an eight if needed, it's just that currently Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva represent better options. In Southgate's defence, Guardiola has also said that Foden doesn't quite have the level of 'control' to play there every week.
However, were you to stumble upon a portal that could transport you to an infinite number of alternative dimensions, there would not be a single one in which Mount is a better number eight than Foden. Yes, Mount plays the role regularly for Chelsea, but Foden is a level above in almost every single technical aspect.
It's not as if Foden doesn't understand the number eight role either; he came up through City's academy playing it. On the rare occasions Guardiola has pushed him back into midfield, the 22-year-old has impressed.
Mount is a very good footballer and does not deserve the criticism he receives. It's just that Foden is better.
"We love Phil and think he is a super player," Southgate also said. It's time to prove it, Gareth, or England could end up wasting the greatest talent of a generation.
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