Champions Manchester City have endured a stuttering start to the Premier League season.
Midfield maestro David Silva has been instrumental for City ever since he joined the club and is arguably the club’s best player of the Premier League era.
However, with the Spaniard set to depart at the end of this campaign, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher feels that young Englishman Phil Foden should be given the chance to replace Silva.
Pep Guardiola has spoken incredibly highly of Foden in recent years, but he has only been used in cup competitions this season. As quoted on the Telegraph, Carragher said:
He [Silva] no longer controls games in the way he once did. This partially explains why City have, so far, not been able to match the extraordinary levels of the last two years under Pep Guardiola.
Their midfield is not what it was. They are easier to play against. Is now the time he must turn to Phil Foden and trust him more regularly? Give him the experiences the second half of the season will bring.
We have heard about Foden representing City’s future, being Silva’s natural successor, for 18 months now. We have only seen snippets of what he can do so far
We are yet to see if he can make that massive impact to carry City forward once Silva has gone. We will not know in the next few months if he continues to be used as a back-up player. We need to see how good he really is. It’s now time for Foden.
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Jurgen Klopp’s flying Reds have passed every test so far this season – the same can’t be said about City.
Carragher is right to feel that the new generation now needs to be given the chance to step up and cement their places in the team. The likes of Silva, Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho and now all into their 30s and are slowly deteriorating, so players like Foden need to be given their chance now before it’s too late.
Whether that will help City get back to their peak level or not, we don’t know. But it definitely will help the development of the players and the team.
