‘It’s an incredible pleasure to be his manager’ – Guardiola on Foden’s form | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola agrees with Thomas Tuchel’s comments about Phil Foden operating best in central areas.

The Manchester City star scored twice in his side’s 3-2 win over Leeds on Saturday.

“I agree with Thomas,” Guardiola answered on the England’s boss’ preference to play Foden centrally. “I like to play Phil behind the striker, close to the goal. Guys who have this sense of goal have to be close to the goal.

“Sometimes, you know, he can be wide and be another player more inside, but I like Phil in central positions.”

“But he can play as a winger. But for me as a winger, Savio and Jeremy and even Oscar have other attributes. You know, because the other three don’t have the sense of goal.

“If we lack a little bit the sense of goal, I have to bring people close Erling. Like Omar is the case or in that position. I like the players that arrive and have the feeling that they can score.

“The big teams have many, many players that score. If just Erling is the guy who scores goals, we’ll struggle.”

After enduring a disappointing season last year, Foden has started to look back to his best this campaign. His manager insisted: “This season has been the Phil that we met a long, long time ago.

“The impact when that guy arrived 16, 17-years-old in the training sessions and started to play was, oh my God, what a player.

“And every year he was better and better and better. Two years ago when we won the Premier League here against West Ham in the last game, he was the best player of the league.”

Foden’s brace on Saturday helped City to a vital three points, keeping them within range of the league leaders.

Guardiola continued: “The growth of Phil every season is top for many, many, many reasons.

“It’s a joy, it’s a pleasure, it’s a gift to have him.

“He has an incredible thing. You say, Phil, you have to play there, in a position where maybe it’s against his potential, like playing the right or playing the left more wider.

“‘I want to play right or left. I want to help the team, I want to run’. It’s an incredible pleasure to be his manager because he’s always open to improve and has the mentality the composure to say, ‘I’m going to win the game’.

“There are some players that when the situation is uncomfortable, make a step back. Phil is completely the opposite.

“Phil has that, ‘give me the ball because I want to dribble, I want to score, I want to win the game’. And this ambition and mentality arrived since he was a little boy.”