Phil Foden finds himself at a critical crossroads in his international career as England manager Thomas Tuchel puts the Manchester City playmaker through what amounts to a World Cup trial during this international break.
The Darts That Masked Deeper Concerns
When Thomas Tuchel first gathered his England squad in March, he observed Foden and Morgan Rogers playing darts at Tottenham Hotspur's Myddelton Lodge. The new head coach appreciated what he witnessed from Foden during these casual moments - quality darts and positive energy suggesting a contented squad member.
However, when Foden exchanged arrows for football boots, his cheerful demeanour vanished. Tuchel became sufficiently concerned that he excluded the 25-year-old from subsequent selections until this current call-up. Had Foden not rediscovered his form at club level, particularly with his two-goal performance against Borussia Dortmund last week, reputation alone wouldn't have secured his recall.
Positional Clarity and Fierce Competition
Every aspect of Foden's performance during these days in London and the upcoming match in Albania will undergo intense scrutiny, especially given the wealth of alternatives in his position. Tuchel has made it clear that Foden's role isn't on the wing. Instead, the manager views him as either a number 10 or potentially a false nine when Harry Kane is unavailable.
To secure a starting position in England's lineup, Foden must outperform both Rogers and Jude Bellingham. Merely maintaining his squad place requires demonstrating superiority over Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White and, when fit again, Cole Palmer.
The notion of Foden missing the World Cup would have seemed unimaginable just last year, when England typically selected their best players first and devised systems afterwards. Tuchel has inverted this approach, determined to build his optimal team regardless of whether it includes established names like Foden, Bellingham or Palmer.
The Search for England's Missing Smile
Creating an environment blending equal measures of apprehension and motivation represents perhaps the most significant achievement of Tuchel's ten-month tenure. Yet an accomplishment that could rival this would be transforming Foden into the England player he has always promised to become but never quite fulfilled.
Since making his debut slightly over five years ago and earning 45 caps, Foden's international performances have deteriorated rather than improved. He scored twice during his first start at Wembley against Iceland, yet has managed only two additional goals in the subsequent five years, against Wales and Scotland. Across 14 appearances at major tournaments, he has contributed just one goal and two assists.
Tuchel recognises that Foden's statistics are modest, but the absence of what he describes as Foden's 'childish joy' in playing football troubles him more than the numbers. Except when representing England, that characteristic enthusiasm seems to vanish.
The German coach aims to determine this week whether this stems from squad dynamics and environment or relates to more technical factors involving positioning and instructions. Tuchel believes deploying Foden in a central role will provide clearer definition to his responsibilities.
During last year's European Championship, Foden and Bellingham evoked memories of the Steven Gerrard-Frank Lampard partnership - two leading performers sharing the stage but following different scripts. Tuchel has no intention of repeating Gareth Southgate's mistake.
In England's strongest lineup, assuming Kane's availability, the choice will be Foden or Bellingham, but not both. Neither might feature if Rogers retains the jersey he currently occupies.
Should Foden fail to secure a starting role - and the odds certainly favour him beginning the World Cup on the bench - he must demonstrate himself to be an engaged and positive squad member around the camp.
Tuchel appreciates Foden personally, unlike some concerns he holds about certain aspects of Bellingham's character. However, regardless of how pleasant his personality might be, Tuchel demands lions rather than kittens both on and off the pitch.
The manager displayed his claws during Wednesday's media briefing ahead of the Serbia match, correcting suggestions that he had experimented during September and October camps. He insisted this was incorrect and that he wouldn't commence experimenting now.
Yet regarding Foden, this international break does resemble an experiment, both socially and practically. The objective for manager and player is to jointly discover how to hit the bullseye - though this time the target lies inside the penalty area rather than the games room.
