Phil Foden: Why Southgate can't be Man Utd manager

Carlo Garganese

Updated: 24 Mar 2024 09:54 GMT
4 min read

Phil Foden’s dismal performance for England against Brazil demonstrates why Gareth Southgate can’t be the next Manchester United manager.

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According to a number of reports, the Three Lions head coach has become Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 'number one option' to succeed Erik Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

It is thought that Southgate has the backing of several influential players and senior figures at Man Utd, such as incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth and Ratcliffe's right-hand man Sir Dave Brailsford, having previously collaborated with both.

These reports of Southgate becoming Man Utd’s next manager have largely been met with scorn from the club’s fans and ridicule from opposition supporters and neutrals.

And these feelings have only grown after England were outplayed by a makeshift Brazil team at Wembley on Saturday.

England lost 1-0 to a Selecao side who were in dreadful form going into the game and who were without most of their first-team players.

Teenage wonderkid Endrick came off the bench to score the winner 10 minutes from time but in truth Brazil deserved to win by a much larger margin.

England, meanwhile, created only one serious chance of the game with Olly Watkins as they appeared to badly miss the injured Harry Kane.

I’ve said over and over Phil Foden doesn’t do great for England and last night against Brazil showed again. Maybe international football ain’t for him as that happens. One thing for certain is that the RW spot is Saka’s#ENGBRA pic.twitter.com/YJpsAnsHeS
— AFCReece (@Salibaaaa2) March 24, 2024

Foden dreadful performance against Brazil

But the most damning performance of the night was from Phil Foden.

Foden has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season. He has 18 goals and 11 assists for Manchester City in all competitions.

But he produced a dismal performance once again under Southgate. Incredibly, he didn’t manage a single touch in the Brazil box in the entirety of the game.

Starting on the right hand side of the England attack in the absence of Bukayo Saka, there are many who believe that Southgate still doesn’t believe in Foden and won’t start him once Euro 2024 comes along.

This has followed a pattern throughout Foden’s England career, and the inability of Southgate to get the best out of Foden is another worrying sign that the manager is not of the level required to coach such a massive team like Man Utd.