- England and Manchester City star endured frustrating night against Serbia
- Fans jumped to Phil Foden’s defense after spotting a moment in the game.
- LISTEN It’s all starting! Was England good in their first match or is the criticism fair?
England fans were left stunned after watching the moment Phil Foden was ignored by his teammates during a crucial moment of the match in Sunday’s opening Euro 2024 victory over Serbia.
The Three Lions got their European Championship campaign off to a winning start thanks to Jude Bellingham’s brilliant header, but a nervy second-half display has raised concerns over their ability to progress in the competition.
The opening matches of a new tournament are always a matter of caution, as players enter a competitive match for the first time in months and put in weeks of practice. England’s performance in Gelsenkirchen was no different.
Gareth Southgate has been blessed with a wealth of world-class talent in his team, but faces the problem of trying to fit those superstars into his system, with Foden being one player left out of his favored central role against Serbia.
The Manchester City star, who was named Premier League player of the season, was deployed on the left wing and struggled to impact the game as much as expected, but eagle-eyed fans jumped to his defense after spotting a moment in the game.
England fans were left stunned after watching the moment Phil Foden was ignored by his teammates against Serbia.
Foden endured a difficult outing against Serbia as he struggled to show his attacking threat.
England were looking for a second goal in the 68th minute that would have calmed fears of a Serbian comeback when Foden found himself in a huge space on the edge of the area.
The 24-year-old was left isolated when his teammates ran into the area and desperately called for the ball to be returned to him as Bellingham dribbled near the corner flag.
Foden continued to ask for a pass and was frustrated when a cross eventually floated into the area which was easily claimed by the goalkeeper, and the fans were upset that he was denied a chance to shoot.
27 goals in all competitions for Manchester City this season have made Foden one of the most clinical finishers in the English top flight, with the Stockport-born striker often scoring from cut-back opportunities on the edge of the area or just inside her.
Foden (bottom of screen) shouted for Jude Bellingham to pass the ball to him (top of screen)
Now fans want England’s stars to focus more on playing to Foden’s strengths as the Three Lions look to live up to their status as favorites ahead of the tournament.
One supporter expressed his frustration against X after watching the game unfold, stating: “This is why I can’t support the idea that Foden was ‘terrible’ last night.” He was available many times in the pockets, but the players behind him (Rice and Bellingham) didn’t have the quality/ability to find him like Rodri and KDB can.
Another added similarly: ‘At Man City, Foden gets the ball. That is the difference. He took some lovely positions last night when he was in, I don’t disagree that he was bad but you can’t do much without the ball.
Meanwhile, one comment praised Bellingham’s man-of-the-match performance but criticized England’s decision-making, adding: “Jude was our best player by far but I’d love a bit more vision from him, especially in moments like Here they drag him out and there is room to exploit in the middle. Overall, I need better decision making from the whole team.’