Louis Saha explains why Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden won't work in same England team
Louis Saha has claimed Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham can't work in the same England team ahead of the Three Lions' Euro 2024 group stage clash against Denmark.
Gareth Southgate's side claimed a narrow 1-0 win over Serbia to begin their European Championship campaign, Bellingham supplying the only goal of the match early in the first half. The Real Madrid star proved once more the increasing importance he will yield in Germany this summer.
But despite the three points secured, plenty of criticism was levied towards Southgate and the players for the overall performance, which failed to convince in its cohesion and creative intent.
One of the loudest critiques was of Foden. The Manchester City winger cut a peripheral figure for much of the match, while his tendency to drift inside seemed to conflict with Bellingham's movements.
The overall result was a disjointed tension between Bellingham, Foden and Harry Kane leading the line. And former Manchester United striker Saha has waded into the conversation regarding the duo's apparent disharmony.
“Foden can play in the middle with more freedom, but they’ll struggle to get both Foden and Jude Bellingham in the right position to provide the creativity for Harry Kane," Saha told Paddy Power. "England need Foden in the best condition but the balance in the team during the tournament is the priority."
Despite the sub-par performance from the Premier League champion, Foden looks set to retain his place in Southgate's starting XI, along with Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield.
On the criticism levied towards Foden as well as Southgate for ostensible restrictive tactics, Saha said that the pressure at the start of a major tournament can often lead to such appraisals, though patience should be heeded.
Jude Bellingham scored the winner for England against Serbia
"The criticism of England and Phil Foden is normal, especially at the start of the group stage," he added. "They will find things they can change and will improve physically. They’ll change as they go further in the competition and none of the favourites have done well or performed.
“The first two games are never great and tactically you can find out that some players aren’t in the best positions, and this is where we’ll see if Gareth Southgate can respond correctly.
"Foden is a talented player and we’ve seen that at Manchester City but the balance in midfield has been a struggle for Southgate and England. Sometimes there’s a lack of creativity with England and that’s where the manager gets criticised.
"His tactics should still give an advantage to the talented players." He added: “Let’s not jump on the manager after one game, the main thing is to get through and get the win.”
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