"Phil Foden Won’t Be Playing"—Manchester City Star Warned He Will Be Dropped By Thomas Tuchel If His Form Doesn't Improve
Roy Keane delivers a harsh verdict on Phil Foden’s recent performances, warning that the Manchester City star could lose his place under Thomas Tuchel if he doesn't step up his game.
Manchester City star Phil Foden is under pressure to improve his performances after a disappointing display in England’s 2-0 win over Albania. Football pundit Roy Keane has questioned Foden’s form and warned that he could struggle to keep his place in the team under new England manager Thomas Tuchel.
England secured a comfortable victory at Wembley, with goals from Myles Lewis-Skelly and Harry Kane. However, Tuchel was not entirely pleased with his team’s performance, particularly from Foden and Marcus Rashford. Both players failed to register a shot on target before being substituted in the 74th minute.
After the match, Tuchel admitted that he expected more from his attacking players. Ian Wright also weighed in, suggesting that Foden and Rashford were lucky to be included in the squad in the first place.
“What it sounded to me like is that Tuchel wants players who take defenders on, not just pass sideways. We saw too many side passes from Foden, and Rashford was running into blind alleys,” Wright said.
He added, “I think those two are fortunate to have been called up based on their current form.”
Roy Keane, known for his no-nonsense approach, was especially critical of Foden’s performance. He pointed out that the 24-year-old did not make an impact in the game and questioned his confidence and recent form for Manchester City.
“If you’re an attacking player and you’ve dominated a game against a weak Albanian team but haven’t had a shot on target, you should be disappointed,” Keane said.
He continued, “When Foden is at his best, you expect something to happen every time he gets the ball. But right now, I don’t expect anything from him. He’s definitely off his game.”
When asked if Foden would prefer to play in a central attacking role rather than on the right wing, Keane dismissed the excuse.
“No matter where he plays, he has to affect the game, and he didn’t do that tonight,” Keane said. “Foden won’t have to worry about where he plays if he keeps performing like this—because he won’t be playing at all.”
England’s next match is against Latvia in their second 2026 World Cup qualifier at Wembley. With Tuchel already showing that he has high expectations, Foden will need to step up if he wants to secure a place in the squad long-term.
