Man City starlet Foden will have to wait as Pep reckons ‘you win nothing with kids’

PHIL FODEN will have to wait for regular action after Pep Guardiola delivered his own version of “you win nothing with kids”.

The Manchester City boss knows his brightest young talent merits far more game time than the 11 Premier League and Champions League minutes he has had off the bench this season.

And England boss Gareth Southgate wants to see Foden getting more chances with his club before he gives him the same opportunity for his country.

But Guardiola is convinced City can only mount serious assaults on their two biggest targets by going with the tried-and-trusted old heads.

And that means wonderkid Foden faces more frustrating days looking on in envy before he nails down a first-team slot.

Ironically, the 19-year-old midfielder could well make his first league start of the season today against a Wolves side fresh from a stamina-sapping Europa League win at Besiktas.

But in terms of that being the norm rather than the exception? When the prospect was put to Guardiola, the response was a modern-day rehash of Alan Hansen’s memorable quote.

At the start of the 1995-96 season, Hansen gave his infamous verdict on the Manchester United rookies who ended the campaign as Double-winners.

This time the comments came from the other side of Manchester — and within the walls of the Etihad.

Guardiola insisted: “This team needs to win titles and prizes and the process for the young players needs time.

With the young, young players you cannot do it.”

Pep Guardiola

“The best way for the youngsters we have here is to go step by step. Just to be in there, in all competitions every season, needs all the players we have.

“The talent is there and when they are talented they will play. But at the same time, we have to compete every single day to fight with the best teams in England and Europe.

“And for that we need David Silvas and Kevin De Bruynes and Sergio Agueros and Fernandinhos and all these types of players.

“With the young, young players you cannot do it. They can be a help for the other ones — but if the basis is young, it is not possible.”

There is no hint Foden is frustrated at the club he has always supported and no chance of City offloading him on loan.

And there is no doubt the door will open further when veteran Silva, 33, leaves at the end of the season.

On Tuesday, Foden was a last-minute substitute against Dinamo Zagreb and made an immediate impact with the second goal in City’s 2-0 Champions League win.

Reuters

But Guardiola would not be drawn on Southgate’s comments that a lack of game time has left Foden behind Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jadon Sancho.

Guardiola added: “I don’t want to comment on the opinions of my colleague about Phil. Of course, he has many things to learn — but a guy of 30 also has a few things to learn.

“He has the skills but there are things he can improve and that is why we want to help him.

“Everyone knows exactly what my opinion of Phil is. He is 19-years-old, so he plays enough minutes and will play this season and in coming seasons.”

Sancho felt the first-team door was so firmly bolted at City that he chose to move to Borussia Dortmund, which has led to England honours.

But Guardiola gunned down fears other young targets may opt against going to the Etihad for fear of not making the breakthrough.

He said: “No, I don’t think so. If the players want to come, they will come, if they don’t want to come, they will not.

PA:Press Association

“So I don’t think because Phil doesn’t play, they don’t play.”

And while Foden helped put Dinamo Zagreb to bed on Tuesday, cheeky Ivo Pinto put the boot into the atmosphere at the Etihad.

Despite a near-50,000 gate, the noise was anything but electric — and a far cry from what City can expect in the return game in two months.

Zagreb defender Ivo Pinto spent three years in England with Norwich before leaving last summer.

And the Portuguese star insisted there will be no hiding place for City at the Maksimir Stadium.

Around 1,500 Croats were at the match, amid reports that 150 seats were ripped up. Pinto said: “It was quiet and that surprised us.

“Our fans were fantastic but the home supporters were very quiet — it won’t be the same in Zagreb.

“We will have 35,000 behind us and there will be great passion, which you didn’t hear from the City fans.

“It was a big game, yes, just not quite what we expected. We know about Anfield and all these famous English grounds and the atmosphere.

“In our stadium, with the passionate support, we can surprise City.”