Jamie Redknapp has claimed that Manchester United currently have a player who is doing things more impressive than Phil Foden did.
Considering United are having yet another underwhelming campaign, it is surprising to hear any of these players being mentioned in the same breath as Foden.
The Manchester City technician has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season and over the years, it would be fair to claim that he has outperformed a majority of the Red Devils’ squad.
Unlike at Manchester United, players at City, like Phil Foden are constantly competing amongst the upper echelon of football to win the biggest trophies and beat Europe’s crème-de-la-crème of teams.
Jamie Redknapp says what Kobbie Mainoo is doing is “more difficult” than what Phil Foden did at his age
It is safe to say that there have not been too many redeeming qualities about the Red Devils as a club ever since Sir Alex Ferguson’s exit in 2013.
Manchester City, on the contrary, have gone from strength to strength, both on the pitch and as a business.
Even Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes admitted that every team is trying to emulate the treble-winners’ style of play.
However, Jamie Redknapp feels that what Kobbie Mainoo is doing at his age in a subpar United side is far more impressive than what Phil Foden was doing as a youngster at the Etihad Stadium.
“It’s more difficult. When you come into a team that’s playing well and you’ve got the Man City team as an example, a young player, a bit like Phil Foden did, that’s not as difficult because you’re playing with great players, you’re winning games”, he said on Sky Sports.
“He’s having to take games by the scruff of the neck at 18 years of age.
The circumstances for Phil Foden were as difficult as they are for the Manchester United youngster
In our view, Jamie Redknapp is wide off the mark when comparing Phil Foden and Kobbie Mainoo in terms of the respective conditions they were playing in.
Sure, Mainoo perhaps has a lot more pressure on his shoulders in terms of having to have become one of Manchester United’s go-to players at such a young age.
But unlike the 18-year-old, Phil Foden had to fight for a spot in a Manchester City side that had plenty of legendary figures in his position.
At Old Trafford, Kobbie Mainoo is perhaps their best central midfielder and in the number six role, Casemiro has endured a fall from grace.
Regardless of where Manchester United finish in the Premier League table, Mainoo’s rise will be praised and rightfully so while if City failed to win major trophies, Foden would have been one of their many players to face stick.
Both players have had their own sets of challenges and have done incredibly well and the reality is that it is impossible to differentiate which out of the two midfielders has played under tougher circumstances.
Such a comparison downplays how Foden has managed to become a key player since a young age in one of the best club teams of all time in an effort to heap praise on Mainoo.