---
title: "Manchester City: Adrian Durham slams Pep Guardiola for Phil Foden’s lack of opportunities"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/manchester-city-adrian-durham-slams-pep-guardiola-for-phil-fodens-lack-of-opportunities/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Stephan Georgiou"
section: "Features"
published: "2019-11-12T19:40:34Z"
modified: "2019-11-12T19:40:34Z"
---

# Manchester City: Adrian Durham slams Pep Guardiola for Phil Foden’s lack of opportunities

**TalkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham has blasted Pep Guardiola for not giving Phil Foden a fair enough crack at breaking into the Manchester City first team.**

Foden has been used sporadically since making his debut in November 2017, with [45 appearances and eight goals](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/phil-foden/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/406635/plus/0?saison=&verein=281&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=) across the last two years.

Durham seemed furious as Foden was an unused substitute in the weekend defeat to Liverpool, directing his ire at his Spanish manager for leaving such a talent on the bench so often.

He said on [TalkSPORT](https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1193944036467499008): “Phil Foden is talked up – and I’m not saying he’s the saviour of City’s title challenge – but we’ll never know.

“He’s got three defeats under his belt, Pep Guardiola, in the Premier League – that’s probably going to mean they have no chance of winning the title this season.

“And Phil Foden’s been nowhere to be seen. He hasn’t been given a chance. That lack of chance given to Phil Foden is totally unacceptable. Why is Pep Guardiola so against giving Phil Foden a chance?”

Foden is well-known to Guardiola. He handed him his debut in the [Champions League](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42055934) nearly two years ago, and even recently [apologised to the teenager](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11679/11825060/pep-guardiola-apologises-to-phil-foden-for-lack-of-game-time) after impressing in one of many cameos in a City shirt to date.

Durham may not need to make Guardiola aware of the option Foden offers, but with an average of little over 39 minutes per appearance (as per [Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/phil-foden/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/406635/plus/0?saison=&verein=281&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&trainer_id=)) you can see where the pundit’s anger stems from.

And for the City boss to afford such little time to a player he once labelled as ‘[the most talented player he has ever seen](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49127119)’, his continued bit-part role at the club seems even more confusing.

Perhaps Guardiola has struggled to integrate the youngster into a team full to the brim with stars, but for a player who scored [more than the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne last season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/manchester-city/leistungsdaten/verein/281/reldata/%262018/plus/1), it seems the youngster has been hard done by despite his promising performances for City so far.

\[freshpress-poll id=”250600″\]

***City fans, should Foden be playing more often? Let us know your thoughts below!***