Romeo Lavia

[Mayor West]

He's also partly responsible for why Southampton are currently rock bottom of the PL. They just played better than us last night, and we were crap.

Not really, he's been injured for most of the season, and he started the season brilliantly before getting injured.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

He absolutely did. Rodri was pants that first season. Even struggled to get going in 20/21. Have we all forgotten that 1-1 home draw against West Brom when he slipped over the ball and landed on his arse?

Here's a bunch of tweets from that night.

Bluemoon following a defeat is not a place for the facts I'm afraid. I think you are knocking at an empty house :)

 

[Saddleworth2]

He absolutely did. Rodri was pants that first season. Even struggled to get going in 20/21. Have we all forgotten that 1-1 home draw against West Brom when he slipped over the ball and landed on his arse?

Here's a bunch of tweets from that night.

So what are you saying? That Phillips could become as good as Rodri and challenge him. Good luck with that.

 

[youngbob]

Bluemoon following a defeat is not a place for the facts I'm afraid. I think you are knocking at an empty house :)

You don't even have to go to Twitter to see people slagging off Gundogan, Rodri, Zinchenko, etc. as late as the beginning of the 20/21 season. And people will tell you that no, Grealish is definitely worse, or that no, Phillips is much worse.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Yes I think the club made a mistake here and it's down to Pep's belief that, having played under Bielsa (and probably having spoken to Bielsa about him), Phillips had the ability to be a top DM for us.

What I would say though, is playing the DM role for City is probably the hardest position. Firstly you've got a manager who played there. Secondly, it's critical to how we perform both with and without the ball. Rodri was slated for about 18months, with this forum full of potential replacements. He wasn't a patch on Fernandinho. Now, he's one of about three who are consistently performing to a high standard.

I'd still expect way more of Phillips. He wasn't in the right positions to receive the ball, he doesn't seem to grasp that he should be on the ball more than anyone else. It was noticeable how easier Gundogan was able to link up in attacking areas once Rodri came on last night. He sits in space to receive the ball and dictate play, whereas Kalvin was stood parallel but marked out as an option.

It's easy for a DM to look good elsewhere when all they have to do is win the ball back and marshal the defence. That's a small part of the role for City. They need to have a full picture in their head. They need to be picking it up with their back to goal from a goalkeeper, under pressure. They need to always be in a position to receive the ball to enable our attacking players to get it in attacking areas. They need to be on the front foot, reading the game to win it back.

But is Phillips anymore capable than Lavia at doing that? I'm not sure. And he'll be about 28 before he gets anywhere close to performing to a decent level, whereas Lavia would be 20!

Lavia was performing that role for the EDS,he was incredibly consistent and impressive and it was as clear as day that the step up into first team football would not be a difficult one.
From the moment he arrived it was clear he had more about him than the usual 16 year old.

As for Philips,i championed him as he looked like the best of the bunch after management made the decision not to give Romeo a deserved opportunity.I thought he would have hit the ground running.....

 

[CWMCFC]

We had the perfect opportunity to bed him last season when Fernandinho was on his last legs. Pep persisted with Dinho, when it was clear as day he wasn't up to it, and Lavia looked like a star in the making and couldn't get that chance to get him intergrated in the squad (like Lewis this season, for example).

Yes, we don't see what goes on in training and Pep may have his reasons etc. but I'm not remotely surprised he's hit the ground running at Southampton, bar some fitness issues.

I think Phillips will come good - he's hardly played so him dropping a clanger (when the entire team was also dire) after months of no football is no suprise. It just feels like one of the many wasteful/expensive transfers we've made when there's been an obvious solution staring us in the face and aren't willing to take a risk - instead deciding on the 'safe' option of signing an experienced player for £40m, which often doesn't work out.

 

[youngbob]

So what are you saying? That Phillips could become as good as Rodri and challenge him. Good luck with that.

No. I'm saying that people (myself included) didn't rate Rodri at first because he was abject in his first 18 months at City. He was signed as a first choice DM and it took him 18 months to become that. Now he's one of the best DMs in world football. Phillips has been signed as a back-up and might take 18 months to settle into that role. I'd wait until he's started more than one game after being injured/unfit for five months before rushing to any kind of judgement about him.

 

[FantasyIreland]

No. I'm saying that people (myself included) didn't rate Rodri at first because he was abject in his first 18 months at City. He was signed as a first choice DM and it took him 18 months to become that. Now he's one of the best DMs in world football. Phillips has been signed as a back-up and might take 18 months to settle into that role. I'd wait until he's started more than one game after being injured/unfit for five months before rushing to any kind of judgement about him.

I think concern is justified because,unlike Rodri who was a young lad coming from a foreign league and different culture,this is a seasoned International Premier league midfielder.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Bluemoon following a defeat is not a place for the facts I'm afraid. I think you are knocking at an empty house :)

That’s not BM though. It’s a bunch of random tweets.
My observation was that despite a lack of game time I saw no sign last night that Phillips understands the role he is being asked to play. No amount if whataboutRodri will change that view. Let’s hope it was an aberration as we cannot go through the season with Rodri playing every game.

 

[Saddleworth2]

No. I'm saying that people (myself included) didn't rate Rodri at first because he was abject in his first 18 months at City. He was signed as a first choice DM and it took him 18 months to become that. Now he's one of the best DMs in world football. Phillips has been signed as a back-up and might take 18 months to settle into that role. I'd wait until he's started more than one game after being injured/unfit for five months before rushing to any kind of judgement about him.

I’m only judging what I saw last night. Nothing more nothing less.