Pep Guardiola believes there is still one thing Phil Foden can work on in order to improve at Manchester City.
The 23-year-old was yesterday named the Premier League Player of the Season, having already been named the FWA Player of the Season. His teammate Erling Haaland then told him that he deserved it, a verdict many fans will share.
Foden has enjoyed the best campaign of his career to date, making 51 appearances and scoring 25 goals and providing 11 assists.
Foden has shone in most of the games he has played, and looked especially good when playing in the middle. He really stepped up in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne when the Belgian was injured.
City’s incredible academy graduate deserves individual awards as a result of his excellence – but Pep Guardiola reckons there is one thing he could improve to become even better…
Pep Guardiola calls on Phil Foden to be ‘more calm’ for Manchester City
In 2023/24, Foden has gone to a whole new level at Manchester City.
The England international has regularly been the standout performer in sky blue, no matter the competition.
When City have struggled in games, Foden has often turned out to be the difference-maker, and this is easily the best-scoring season of his career to date.
Foden is genuinely at the top of his game right now. But in the eyes of his manager, Foden could still become even better, with Pep thinking he will benefit from becoming a bit more calm on the pitch at times.
He said (via mancity.com): “Sometimes his game is excited, and you have to be more calm because of the excitement he has. It’s a question of time.
“But he has been really, really important.
“I have a feeling he can be better. He can do it because as I said many times he loves football, he enjoys to be on the pitch, and I have the feeling he doesn’t like it when we have a day off.
“He likes to be in training sessions. He still can be better.”
Pep is right with Foden verdict
Foden has been absolutely sensational in 2023/24, and he is deserving of all the individual accolades coming his way.
Pep is spot on about Foden though, and how he should be looking to become more calm.
Foden – described by Txiki Begiristain as ‘unbelievable’ – can be excitable at times, which is clearly down to how much he just loves football and wants to be the best he possibly he can be.
£225,000-a-week ace Foden can be emotional which can sometimes lead to his focus and level dipping, but admittedly this doesn’t happen very often. As Foden gets older, he will surely become much more calm on the pitch.
