“Add nothing to this team”, “Just an NPC” - Fans slam England superstar for poor display in Euro 2024 quarter-final win vs Switzerland
England fans were left disappointed with Phil Foden's performance in their Euro 2024 quarter-final clash against Switzerland on July 6. After a drab 0-0 draw, the English won 5-3 on penalties to make it to the semi-final.
Foden put in consistently good performances at the club level with Manchester City last season, winning the Premier League's Player of the Year award. However, England fans probably expected more from the star who failed to do anything significant for his side as of now in Euro 2024. Foden didn't find the net even once for the Three Lions.
Fans took to X after the quarter-final clash to share their views about the midfielder's performance, with most being critical towards him. Many preferred Bukayo Saka over the Manchester City star. Here are some of the reactions:
"Foden needs to give all his medals to Guardiola. Without him he’s useless. Go and get the ball bro" a fan wrote.
"Foden is playing as a 10 and Saka is still outperforming him from RWB" another user observed.
"People tried comparing Phil Foden to young Wayne Rooney, that is just extremely disrespectful." a user added.
"What has Foden done in an England shirt to justify this continued selection?" another individual questioned.
"In a 115 minutes vs. Switzerland, Phil Foden failed to score a goal, register an assist, have a shot on target, create more than a single chance & lost the ball 19 times. Phil Floppen." a fan wrote.
"Foden getting all the praise on BBC, after i’ve just watched Bukayo Saka carry the whole England attack on his back. Can we be real here?" a user wondered.
As per SofaScore, Phil Foden lost possession 19 times in the 115 minutes he played for Switzerland. He had a 93% passing accuracy, but registered no goals or assists in the game. The Englishman also had no shots on target and recorded only one key pass, making it a disappointing show for a player of his stature.
England star Bukayo Saka shares feelings being named POTM in Euro 2024 clash against Switzerland
Bukayo Saka delivered a good performance against Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-final clash. After Breel Embolo took the lead for the Swiss in the 75th minute, Bukayo Saka equalized within the next five minutes. His excellent goal kept the English hopes alive.
Saka was awarded the UEFA Player of the Match award and opened up about his feelings in the post-match press conference. The Arsenal star recalled the last time England had a penalty shootout in the Euro 2020 final against Italy and they lost. The winger was content with the positive result this time.
"It was special. Last time we had a penalty shootout at the Euros, we all know what happened. I have faith in God to come back from something like that. Today, I took the chance and I'm happy," Saka said.
In the Euro 2020 final, England lost 3-2 on penalties to Italy, with the Three Lions missing three decisive penalties in the shootout. Bukayo Saka was one of the three to have missed his penalty apart from Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho. Saka's miss was fatal for the Three Lions, as it could have kept the English in the game if converted.
However, things changed for the Arsenal star in the Euro 2024 quarter-final. Gareth Southgate's side had a perfect penalty shootout, with Saka scoring from the spot in a clutch moment. He recorded an overall 8.4 rating on SofaScore for his performance vs Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-final. They will face either the Netherlands or Turkey in the semi-final on July 10.