Pep Guardiola has backed Thomas Tuchel’s view that Phil Foden is at his best in a central role but the Manchester City boss said the England star’s willingness to play anywhere shows his winning mentality.
Foden was City’s saviour in Saturday’s 3-2 victory over Leeds, hitting a stoppage-time winner after City had blown a 2-0 lead that was built on Foden’s opening goal that came with just 59 seconds on the clock.
The brace took Foden to six goals for the campaign, City’s second top scorer after Erling Haaland.
The 25-year-old earned an England recall in November after missing the previous three camps, but Tuchel made clear which position he was fighting for when he said “I don’t see him as a winger at the moment and maybe not any more.”
Speaking after Saturday’s win, Guardiola said: “I agree with Thomas. I like to play Phil behind the striker close to the ball because a guy with this sense of goal has to be close to the goal. Sometimes he can be wide with other players more inside but I like Phil in the central positions.
“We lack a bit of the sense of goal, it’s hard to bring players close to Erling. I like players like him who arrive and have the feeling they can score. The big teams score with many, many players. If it’s just Erling that scores the goals we will struggle.”
But although his best position may be clear, Guardiola treasures Foden’s willingness to play wherever he is asked.
“It’s a joy, a pleasure, it’s a gift to have him and he’s happy in his life,” Guardiola added. “He has an incredible thing because if you say, ‘Phil, you have to play there’ and it might be against his potential to play right, left, wide. [He will say]: ‘I want to play right, left, I want to help the team, I want to run.’
“It’s an incredible pleasure to be his manager because he is open to improve and has the mentality and composure to say ‘I’m going to win the game’ and never play behind the situation.
“Some players, when it’s smooth and good they can play their best and some players when the situation isn’t comfortable they make a step back but Phil is completely the opposite.
“He says, ‘Give me and I’ll do it.’ How many times do I see from Phil the reaction when he gets alone in the box and he doesn’t get the ball, he’s frustrated, ‘Give me the ball,’ he wants the ball, he wants to score.
“That is the difference between players who are here [middle] and here [high]. Phil has that. Give me the ball, I want to dribble, I want to score and win the game. He has this ambition and mentality since he was a little boy and I’m happy for what he did [on Saturday]. He was the man to win the game.”
