‘Speak to Pep’, Southgate Says City Also Use Foden Out Wide 

Football - Euro 2024 Qualifier - Group C - Ukraine v England - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - September 9, 2023 England's Phil Foden in action with Ukraine's Vitaliy Buyalskiy. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 Qualifier - Group C - Ukraine v England - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - September 9, 2023 England's Phil Foden in action with Ukraine's Vitaliy Buyalskiy. (Reuters)
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‘Speak to Pep’, Southgate Says City Also Use Foden Out Wide 

Football - Euro 2024 Qualifier - Group C - Ukraine v England - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - September 9, 2023 England's Phil Foden in action with Ukraine's Vitaliy Buyalskiy. (Reuters)
Football - Euro 2024 Qualifier - Group C - Ukraine v England - Tarczynski Arena, Wroclaw, Poland - September 9, 2023 England's Phil Foden in action with Ukraine's Vitaliy Buyalskiy. (Reuters)

England manager Gareth Southgate has defended his use of Phil Foden in a wide position, saying Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also plays the midfielder in the same role.

Foden has said he feels his game is more suited to the central number 10 role, but Southgate has been reluctant to use the 23-year-old there.

"He doesn't for his club," Southgate said. "Presumably there is a reason for that.

"You'd have to speak to Pep, who is the best coach in the world, who plays him from wide. He's always got the freedom to drift if we play him wide and that's important."

England were held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine on Saturday, their first dropped points of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. They face Scotland in a friendly match later on Tuesday.



Man Utd Boss Ten Hag Says Brentford Win No More Important than Any Other

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brentford - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 19, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag celebrates with assistant manager Rene Hake after Rasmus Hojlund scored their second goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brentford - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 19, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag celebrates with assistant manager Rene Hake after Rasmus Hojlund scored their second goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington
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Man Utd Boss Ten Hag Says Brentford Win No More Important than Any Other

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brentford - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 19, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag celebrates with assistant manager Rene Hake after Rasmus Hojlund scored their second goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v Brentford - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - October 19, 2024 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag celebrates with assistant manager Rene Hake after Rasmus Hojlund scored their second goal REUTERS/Molly Darlington

While Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Brentford was their first win in more than a month, and came amid a cloud of speculation around Erik ten Hag's job, the manager said it had no more significance than any other result.

Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund scored as United came back after conceding to climb up to 11th in the Premier League standings.

The victory at Old Trafford came a day after Ten Hag said rumblings about his job were media "fairytales and lies".

Asked if it could be a turning point in the season, Ten Hag said: "No, it is just a win. The pressure is always there. We have to win every game, Reuters reported.

"Every game we win is important. This team, you see the togetherness, a fighting spirit. Today we had some determination to score goals, and that's what we need. Today we scored two brilliant goals and we are very pleased with it."

United kicked off the game level with Crystal Palace for the league's fewest goals scored this season (five) which Ten Hag blamed on his team's horrible start to the season.

"This team has the capacity to score very good goals," the Dutchman said. "Today the two goals we scored were high quality and when you score and win you add confidence.

"At the start of the season we had some good performances but didn't score enough, then everyone is negative.

"This result can help us, but it is only one win and we must build on it."

Ten Hag had high praise for Marcus Rashford, who has been the target of criticism from fans but had a superb game including a pinpoint cross that found Garnacho at the back post for United's first goal.

"Really enjoyed how he played, you see what he's capable of, a lot," Ten Hag said. "We want this every game, really intense and then a brilliant cross. Starts with fighting spirit. When we all bring this we have a team that can play for trophies."