5/10 England Star Must Be Dropped After 2-1 Loss vs Greece

It was an embarrassing night at Wembley for Lee Carsley’s England as the Three Lions succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against a spirited Greece side. Ivan Jovanovic’s men were impressive throughout and managed to pick up their first-ever win against the European finalists on an emotional night following the death of Greek international George Baldock.

The hosts went into the fixture without captain Harry Kane, who was ruled out through injury. While many may have expected Ollie Watkins or Dominic Solanke to be given the opportunity from the start, Carsley instead opted to play without a recognised striker, a decision that ultimately backfired.

While Jude Bellingham managed to get on the scoresheet, the rest of the attackers failed to make the impact expected of them. Bukayo Saka limped off shortly after England went behind and Anthony Gordon was also substituted early in the second half. However, the biggest disappointment was Phil Foden. He was unable to turn around his dismal international form, earning a 5/10 rating during the game, and now finds himself at risk of falling out of the starting XI completely.

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Foden Subbed Off After Invisible Display

The playmaker failed to create anything of note

With the pressure on the PFA Player of the Year to perform, particularly without the country’s captain and talisman up top, Foden struggled to produce anything of note during his 72 minutes on the pitch. The Manchester City man failed to register a single shot on or off target throughout the game and did not attempt or complete any dribbles.

While the 24-year-old did complete 24 of his 28 passes, none threatened to break the Greek resistance. He played no key passes, attempted no crosses into the box—though there was no striker to aim for—and touched the ball just 32 times.

Foden can’t be the only one blamed for England’s poor performance. Several other teammates were well below the standard expected of them on the night.

There also have to be question marks over Lee Carsley’s tactical decisions, as he admitted post-match that his squad had spent just 20 minutes practicing the system he opted to start with, only to later abandon it by finishing the game with two strikers on the pitch while desperately searching for a goal.

The issue with Foden specifically is that this is not a one-off. This has been a recurring theme in his international career over the past 12 months, affecting two managers who have struggled to get the best out of such a talented player.

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Foden’s England Woes Continued

The 24-year-old has not managed a goal contribution for his country in over a year

There was much debate over the summer regarding Foden’s best position on the international stage, as he continued to struggle throughout Euro 2024. The midfielder was predominantly deployed on the left-hand side, where he would look to cut inside and cause problems. While this may have been the plan in theory, it rarely worked in practice, as the centre of the pitch was often crowded by players like Bellingham and Kane, the latter frequently dropping deep to occupy the spaces that Foden thrives in.

With Kane absent, and Gordon and Palmer flanking either side of him, this match seemed like the perfect opportunity for Foden to prove his worth in an England shirt—but it ended up being the same old story. His substitution marked the continuation of a worrying statistic: in Foden’s last 15 international starts, he has neither scored nor assisted. This is the same player who, in the Premier League last season, achieved his best output with 27 goal contributions in 35 games.

This is not just a dip in standards that can be overlooked with the saying “form is temporary, class is permanent.” This is a persistent issue affecting the overall balance of the England XI. It has been argued that Foden must be included in the team at all costs. Gary Neville put his neck on the line and made this very point over the summer. However, just because the 24-year-old possesses undeniable quality, he cannot be shoehorned into the squad in the hopes that he will improve, especially when there has been little to suggest that anything will change.