Kalvin Phillips

[Withnail]

"Drewmanc, post: 16501606, member: 31082"]
Anyone who sugar coats that performance is living in cloud cuckoo land. Bad touches, hiding from the ball, mistiming jumps for headers, no clue how to keep the ball. Awful player who will cost us at some point.
[/QUOTE]
Talking shite, whilst he certainly wasn't at the level of Rodri, I thought he had a decent game. He put himself about a bit and didn't let the team down.

 

[bluemonkey71]

He should play cup games till we can shift him. We need an engine in midfield and he hasn’t got one.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

He should play cup games till we can shift him. We need an engine in midfield and he hasn’t got one.

Hard to say if you haven't seen that much of him, unless it is just your opinion ?

 

[Cityfan]

I've not been a supporter and have reckoned he should go.
However today he was decent and put in a shift, shoring up a midfield under strain without Rodri. We improved when he came on.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I've not been a supporter and have reckoned he should go.
However today he was decent and put in a shift, shoring up a midfield under strain without Rodri. We improved when he came on.

You'll have a few frothing with this post.

 

[Withnail]

Because of the stick he's received since he's been here, a number of posters have now taken it upon themselves to go into overdrive defending him at every turn, regardless of what he does when on the pitch. You can't criticise him now without a backlash from a handful with their blinkers on.

He's slow, lethargic, off the pace, hides, doesn't make himself available often enough to receive the ball from the back line, isn't good with it in tight spaces when he does, makes too many wrong decisions. For whatever reason, he just does not work in our team, and this is exactly why Pep is reluctant to play him. No one, I repeat no one, expects him to be Rodri or close to Rodri.

If Kovacic is fit, he's gonna play.

Hides? Certainly didn't hide today.

 

[bluemonkey71]

Hard to say if you haven't seen that much of him, unless it is just your opinion ?

Just my opinion.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Hides? Certainly didn't hide today.

They just can't help themselves - they will die on that hill to try and justify their opinions.

 

[Withnail]

They just can't help themselves - they will die on that hill to try and justify their opinions.

Unfortunately, some posters will find fault in everything he does.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Unfortunately, some posters will find fault in everything he does.

Exactly. There is always somebody they find fault with - it's in the culture sadly.

 

[Dax777]

I think he worries too much about being good enough..Je shouldn't. Just play your game the way you play it and we'll be fine

Thought he was too tentative in the few times he was present. But I did not think he was bad.

 

[Gabriel]

I think he worries too much about being good enough..Je shouldn't. Just play your game the way you play it and we'll be fine

Thought he was too tentative in the few times he was present. But I did not think he was bad.

Agree with that. Playing at the Etihad is also a bit of a double edged sword for him as the weight of expectation appears to weigh on him. He’s never going to be a direct replacement for Rodri, in my opinion, but he could yet flourish in a different system. With the next four games on the road, he may have the freedom to make his case away from the scrutiny of the home critics.

 

[Blue Steel]

Put in a good shift today when he was unexpectedly thrown onto the pitch in difficult circumstances and with a shit ref not helping matters. Part of the team that helped us keep a clean sheet.

Hopefully he can start on Weds and we can see a full 90 mins. We will need his help with Rodri out the next three games.

Can see the usual negative lot using any excuse to slag him off. He was hardly going to be Rodri today, but I thought he did fine in the circumstances and probably needs some confidence right now.

 

[Dax777]

Agree with that. Playing at the Etihad is also a bit of a double edged sword for him as the weight of expectation appears to weigh on him. He’s never going to be a direct replacement for Rodri, in my opinion, but he could yet flourish in a different system. With the next four games on the road, he may have the freedom to make his case away from the scrutiny of the home critics.

Hopefully he gets a chance. But I think if Kova is healthy. Kova gets the nod next to Nunes. Hopefully, he is first off the bench and shows his true game

 

[domalino]

Next 3 games makes or breaks his career at City.

If he’s not brought in to replace Rodri…he’s done.

If he’s not good enough when he replaces Rodri…he’s done.

Hopefully he has a couple of good games and this is the moment he’s been waiting for.

 

[Gabriel]

Hopefully he gets a chance. But I think if Kova is healthy. Kova gets the nos next to Nunes

I think there’s a case for going with Kovacic, Nunes, and Phillips against Newcastle, where Phillips would have been earmarked to play anyway, and if that combination proves stable enough, deploying it again at the Wolves.

 

[Withnail]

Next 3 games makes or breaks his career at City.

If he’s not brought in to replace Rodri…he’s done.

If he’s not good enough when he replaces Rodri…he’s done.

Hopefully he has a couple of good games and this is the moment he’s been waiting for.

Do you think Pep plays him at the Emirates, I'm not so sure.

 

[uwerosler28]

Do you think Pep plays him at the Emirates, I'm not so sure.

No chance, pep has already said he can see Nunez in the DM role , that's what he will go with I think .

 

[Don Karleone]

I think he worries too much about being good enough..Je shouldn't. Just play your game the way you play it and we'll be fine

Thought he was too tentative in the few times he was present. But I did not think he was bad.

Think that's a fair assessment

 

[bert38]

Worked hard today. There’s simply no substitute for playing time. It’s there somewhere……