- Foden to be utilised centrally
- Guardiola praises adaptability
- Warns against rushing transition
WHAT HAPPENED?Guardiola claims that Foden's adaptability can be a weapon for Man City this season, but a long-term move towards the middle of the pitch might not occur instantaneously. Foden ended the previous season in a more central role than he had in previous campaigns. There are rumours that he will continue in the same capacity for the upcoming campaign, particularly in light of the departure of previous captain Ilkay Gundogan in the summer.
WHAT THEY SAID: “Phil can play in five positions - from striker, left-winger, right-winger, attacking midfielder - he can play everywhere," Guardiola said.
"Just in the middle, he has to be more careful in many, many aspects and maybe needs a little more time to realise what he has to do defensively especially, but of course he has something special in those positions, the quality in one-against-one, arrive to the box, sense of goal, so it is all there.
“It is massively important to have a player like him who you can use in five positions. With Gundo leaving, maybe he can play more in that position. We will see."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Because of his abilities in five different roles, Guardiola believes Foden still has a lot to learn in a midfield role and that he will continue to play around with the City attack. In order to help his team's style develop and to keep opposition coaches guessing about how City will play, Guardiola prefers experimenting with fresh concepts and Foden could be one such experiment.
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT FOR FODEN? While unlikely that Foden will have the starting rights in the center of the field right from the start of the season, the Englishman could very well make the position his own as the season progresses.