Roy Keane fears that a couple of stars damaged their England hopes with their performances against Albania.
He insisted that one player in particular lacks confidence and risks falling out of Thomas Tuchel’s plans unless he turns things around.
Tuchel started his England era with a routine 2-0 win on Friday night at Wembley as his charges took their first steps towards the 2026 World Cup.
Myles Lewis-Skelly did himself every favour and become England’s youngest-ever debutant to score, while Harry Kane netted his 70th Three Lions goal to avoid a nervy ending.
Tuchel opted for Phil Foden on the right flank and Marcus Rashford on the left, and it is this pair that failed to impress Keane – particularly the former.
‘You’ve got a new manager, you want to make a good impression, and Rashford and Foden certainly didn’t do that today,’ he told ITV.
Phil Foden could lose his place in the England team and lacks confidence, Roy Keane has said
Keane thinks Foden and Marcus Rashford did not make a ‘good impression’ on Thomas Tuchel
England ran out 2-0 winners against Albania at Wembley to start their World Cup qualifiers
‘If you’re one of them attacking players, you come off the pitch and you’ve dominated a game like that against a poor Albanian team, and you’ve not scored a goal, you’ve not had a shot on target, you’ve not tested the goalkeeper, you would be disappointed, because you’re there to affect games.’
Honing in on Foden, he added: ‘I think he might be lacking in confidence, and he’s definitely off it, his club form is not great, but we know he’s got that quality.
‘But even tonight when he was getting it, I wasn’t sitting there going… usually when Foden’s at his best, you’re sitting there going, something’s going to happen, even when he cuts in, he’ll pick a pass out, get a shot away, he’s done none of that tonight.
‘And every time he gets the ball now, I’m looking at him going, “I don’t expect anything from Foden at the moment.”
‘Wherever he’s playing, you affect the game, you can affect the game in different ways, and he didn’t do that tonight.’
‘Listen, Foden won’t have that problem coming up about where he wants to play (out wide or at No 10), because he won’t be playing. That’s a bigger problem for him.’
After the game, Tuchel said: ‘Both our wingers who started were not as impactful as how they have been in their clubs.
‘They didn’t have the influence that we expected from them. We lacked runs off the ball.
Keane claims that he ‘doesn’t expect anything’ when Foden gets on the ball amid his slump
The Manchester City star has endured a drop-off in form after suffering from burnout
He enjoyed a phenomenal 2023-24 campaign, scoring 27 goals and landing 13 assists to boot
Foden was ‘frustrated’ at Euro 2024 as he was played on the left wing, not down the centre
‘There was too much passing and not enough carrying the ball. We were not aggressive enough towards goal.
Amid Manchester City’s wider struggles, Foden has suffered a sharp dip in form from what was arguably his best season ever last campaign.
Foden scooped up accolades aplenty as he banged in 27 goals and registered 13 assists for Pep Guardiola’s side, but this term those numbers have been slashed to 10 and six respectively.
He has endured long droughts of goals and assists this season, but it is worth remembering that he is still only 24.
His status with England has come under the microscope after a tricky Euro 2024 campaign where, despite reaching the final with England, Foden struggled to impose himself from the less familiar left flank.
He later told the Manchester Evening News: ‘I feel frustrated I didn’t get out what I wanted to get out of it. The position I was put in on the left was very difficult to influence the game.
‘Coming off last season being the best player in the Premier League and playing centre midfield, I do feel the position was quite difficult to get used to.
‘I’m one who can play multiple positions and had to try to deal with it the best I could. I don’t feel like England ever got going or performed to our potential.’
