Kalvin Phillips

[Bluemoon has risen]

I'm always one for giving players time as it takes players time to adapt to Pep's demands. I learned the hard way with Rodri and we've seen the progression with the likes of Grealish too.

But, I think its absolutely clear Pep doesn't really want Phillips here. He brought on Palmer, Laporte and McAtee last night, 3 players who could all be out the door in some form come the end of the window. He also wasn't seen last week in the Community Shield. If that message isn't loud and clear to everyone I don't know what is.

The links to Paqueta and Doku are out there and that will just put him further down the order, as I suspect Kovacic will cover Rodri when he's rested rather than Phillips.

The guy seems a lovely guy, but the signs are staring him and everbody in the face now. He should've come back into pre season fighting and snapping into tackles, but I just didn't see it and for me that's the writing clearly on the wall and was the last chance saloon for Pep.

 

[waspish]

The thing is if anything happens Rodri this lad is unlikely to get the nod to fill in and one assumes that is the main reason we bought him. At the current rate he could spend 3 or 4 seasons here and only start a handful of games. Hard to see a future for him.

The rags at home last season we played silva and gundo in midfield when Rodri was out! If Rodri isn't playing pep will play Kovacic and silva in there

 

[Tricky_Trev]

He really needs to take the fucking hint now. Either go to West Ham as part of the Paqueta deal, or go to Liverpool. Even that would help us as it would mean they don’t sign Lavia and maybe, just maybe, we can actually get to our buyback clause activating next year with him still a Southampton player.

 

[Keeper!]

He really needs to take the fucking hint now. Either go to West Ham as part of the Paqueta deal, or go to Liverpool. Even that would help us as it would mean they don’t sign Lavia and maybe, just maybe, we can actually get to our buyback clause activating next year with him still a Southampton player.

If Phillips does leave we would have to replace him, Paquetta a very different player.

Maybe we are tempted to bring Lavia back, a reasonably cheap option with our sale % taken off.

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

Despite having countless examples Bluemooners still fall for the trap that a player will never make it here. And don’t give me that point about “other players who eventually found their feet showed signs that they would come good unlike Kalvin.” I recall it was said about Nathan Ake that he wasn’t our level and he’d never come good.

We make this judgment call every time and we get it wrong every time. By now I thought we’d be humble to see how things pan out in the second season at the very least but no, we want to make the definitive judgement now.

Nathan Ake got game time. Pep clearly doesnt trust phillips and doesnt want him

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

If Phillips does leave we would have to replace him, Paquetta a very different player.

Maybe we are tempted to bring Lavia back, a reasonably cheap option with our sale % taken off.

Replace him? Replace him around the training ground cracking jokes? Im sure the kitman brandon will cover that role too

 

[Keeper!]

Replace him? Replace him around the training ground cracking jokes? Im sure the kitman brandon will cover that role too

two peas of the same pod

 

[Blue Smarties]

He’s not being played because he is not ready. Getting 500 minutes as against 1000 for some of his contemporaries in their first seasons is not definitive. There is nothing to indicate that he’ll never come good for us.

He's been fit since December, he's just not impressing. Better for him to move on now and retain a Euros place whilst we can make our money back, rather than another season sitting on the bench with no ticket for the British Airways flight to Germany.

 

[Paul1970]

Quite concerning for the season that.

I really hope Pep rests him when he can this season because a repeat of last year plus a Euros next summer and I think we will see a burnt out footballer.

Start Phillips next game to see where we are at because Rodri burning out is unthinkable.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

If Phillips does leave we would have to replace him, Paquetta a very different player.

Maybe we are tempted to bring Lavia back, a reasonably cheap option with our sale % taken off.

Think we would be fine. Phillips doesn’t play. At all. For the double pivot we’d still have Rodri, Stones, Rico, Bernardo, Paqueta can play there in a double pivot, Kovacic. Loads of options.