Kalvin Phillips

[Cjay]

Feel bad as i keep having a go at Phillips.

But again he was poor . .that aside .

Kicking the ball away and now being banned become of it is so stupid.

2 game ban because of it.

[The Subhuman]

Good time to get suspended maybe with Vierra getting healthy and Forshaw hopefully starting very soon. If we can get through this blip and make a run would be nice to have all key moving parts ready to go

[Cjay]

Hoped maybe he would come back eager to make amends, new manager, clean slate, back to early season form.

That didnt happen . . . .. .

Just anonymous today, he didnt do anything really crap like O'Kane, he didnt do anything good like Lassie, the problem was he didnt actually do anything.

Not good enough, he could have not come out at half time and doubt anyone would have noticed, must do better Kalvin.

[Cjay]

Poor again. . . . . Not good enough.

[1964white]

I don't want to see him again in the white shirt of Leeds

The only way that is going to happen is if I stop going to matches

[whiteswan]

I don't want to see him again in the white shirt of Leeds

The only way that is going to happen is if I stop going to matches

[Cjay]

A player who divides opinion.

Widely accepted by most that he is a more attacking midfielder then Vieira.

He played more defensive for Gary Monk, a season where he was outshone by his younger teammate

Last season he played a more attacking role and scored a few goals but only won 1 MOTM vote all season compared to Ronaldo Vieira who played a good few less games and won 4.

This season Bielsa clearly sees a defensive midfielder in there.

Despite his lack of height.
Despite his reckless tackling.
Despite his poor passing (for all the criticism of Vieira he has a higher passing accuracy).

I do think Phillips as a more box to box midfielder has some potential.

He is full of energy and passion and tries really hard.

As a defensive midfielder i cant see it, watched him enough to form an opinion and for the above reasons i expect to see him found out very quickly.

Not enough height, to much throwing himself in when he needs to stay on his feet, lacks the strength to muscle players off the ball hence the diving in.

He did well last season in a totally different role, he was average the season before in a similar one.

I'm biased of course as a Vieira fan.

But forget Vieira for one moment.

Forget he did ok in pre season (look at the opposition).

Forget Connor Coady who had the height.

Forget Bielsa, he is to be respected but he isnt perfect (like everyone)

Hand on heart, when Phillips is trying to match Assombalonga for pace, when he is trying to win a header with Gestede.

When some tricky number 10 is running at him at pace.

Can anyone say that doesnt make them very nervous?

If not why not? Why is he able to cope.

[1964white]

I'm not going to make comparisons between Phillips & Vieira

I personally don't think either cannot dominate a midfield as they don't possess the close ball control or passing skills of what Klich has produced of late or the experience & neatness of Forshaw's style of play

I reckon Bielsa realised immediately that KP & Vieira were not his choice of midfielders in the system he intends to play

Hopefully he has found a position that suits KP's play, Phillips has certainly impressed in the pre-season friendlies in his new role. He needs another tall CB alongside him which will be the case when Pontus returns

[Cjay]

I'm not going to make comparisons between Phillips & Vieira

I personally don't think either cannot dominate a midfield as they don't possess the close ball control or passing skills of what Klich has produced of late or the experience & neatness of Forshaw's style of play

I reckon Bielsa realised immediately that KP & Vieira were not his choice of midfielders in the system he intends to play

Hopefully he has found a position that suits KP's play, Phillips has certainly impressed in the pre-season friendlies in his new role. He needs another tall CB alongside him which will be the case when Pontus returns

Putting my opinions on Vieira aside.

Concerned that the best dms, ones who drop into cb are either.

Tall, technically gifted powerful players who win compete in the air with decent passing -Sergio Busquets for example.

Or Smaller but still strong players who read the game wonderfully and dont need to be the biggest or the quickest - Claude Makelele for example.

Different level of course but even so.

You want an excellent reader of the game or at least decent who rarely dives in preferably with decent height.

Phillips is none of those.

He wont ever be very tall which means he will need to work on the rest.

Maybe Bielsa can teach him, just it will be unlocking something that Kalvin has never shown he has before.

[The Subhuman]

Playing at around his ceiling for me, this is as good as he gets. Solid Championship can do a job type guy. ...which is fine but we'd need better to do better.

[1964white]

Phillips on his new role & Bielsa

“Obviously I was surprised with me scoring seven goals last year,” admitted Phillips, asked about being switched to play at centre-back. “But I’m not bothered. As long as I’m playing, I don’t really care and I felt I did quite well, considering we kept a clean sheet.”

Opening up on what Bielsa has asked of him, Phillips reasoned:

“Just to be a ball-playing centre-half. Coops and Berra have done that really well throughout pre-season and I think he wanted to add a midfielder there to be composed when we’ve got the ball. “Hopefully I showed that and hopefully I can do a lot better and show that throughout the season. I thought I did all right.

“There is still work to be done because I am not a natural centre-half but I don’t actually mind it. You get a lot of the ball which I like and I get to drive forward with the ball. I found it very good. “It takes a bit of getting used to, but with the training that I’ve had and the confidence that I have in myself I believe I can play there.”

“We will be very high tempo,” said Phillips. “At home he wants us not to give the opposition a second on the ball and if we do that then we have got to be compact and we need to do that throughout the season.

“I don’t think there’s going to be many teams that can match us for fitness and physicality and I believe if we do that well in the season then we have got a very good chance.”

Nearly seven weeks into his tenure, Bielsa’s messages are evidently being understood loud and clear through the help of his translator though Bielsa admitted upon being appointed by Leeds that he would try to get to grips with the country’s language. Phillips has been able to provide a promising update.

“It’s not bad to be fair!” laughed Phillips, asked how Bielsa’s English was. “Obviously he has still got a translator but he did a speech the other day and all the lads were quite impressed with his English.” Revealing the ways that Bielsa gets his messages across, Phillips smiled: “His interpreter tells us! “Obviously you get the gist of it but if we are not doing it right he won’t shout at us. “He will shout at his interpreter. Then his interpreter can tell us!”

[1964white]

Playing at around his ceiling for me, this is as good as he gets. Solid Championship can do a job type guy. ...which is fine but we'd need better to do better.

2nd best player after Klich in our pre-season matches culminating as two massive surprises for the coming season

All down to Bielsa's shrewd/out of the box management

[weasel]

All down to Bielsa's shrewd/out of the box management

We'd better start saving these comments to show back to you in a few days/weeks/months when you turn on Bielsa.....

[becchio bear]

Putting his playing abilities to one side, the one thing that annoys me about KP is his hair!! Apart from it looking bloody ridiculous he is always faffing about with it, readjusting, if he heads the ball he has to stop playing to tweak his hair

[Genghers]

2nd best player after Klich in our pre-season matches culminating as two massive surprises for the coming season

All down to Bielsa's shrewd/out of the box management

Bit harsh on Ayling, who has been excellent whenever he's played.

Klich had one and a half good games and people are raving about him...

Hopefully that management can get the best out of our whole squad.

[The Subhuman]

Ayling, Forshaw and Roofe have all had better pre seasons. Clarke, Dallas, have at least been as good. Plus KP starts well every year, usually flatters to deceive

[1964white]

We'd better start saving these comments to show back to you in a few days/weeks/months when you turn on Bielsa.....

A bit harsh after all the stick aimed at the hapless Heckingbottom on here. Truth is Christiansen was inexperienced & had sadly lost his way.

I have a lot of faith in Bielsa & the way he sets up his teams to play, certainly seems different to the British style, totally out of the box imo !

[1964white]

Putting his playing abilities to one side, the one thing that annoys me about KP is his hair!! Apart from it looking bloody ridiculous he is always faffing about with it, readjusting, if he heads the ball he has to stop playing to tweak his hair

Even though I look after my hair, I do think KP's hairstyle is horrendous & yes you are right young lady he spent far too much time fiddling about with his locks rather than concentrating with matters on the pitch

[1964white]

Bit harsh on Ayling, who has been excellent whenever he's played.

Klich had one and a half good games and people are raving about him...

Hopefully that management can get the best out of our whole squad.

Just read my match reports Tom, you'll see I highly praised Ayling in our pre-season matches, yes he was up there too.

Klich, Phillips & Ayling's performances have been very encouraging

[Genghers]

Putting his playing abilities to one side, the one thing that annoys me about KP is his hair!! Apart from it looking bloody ridiculous he is always faffing about with it, readjusting, if he heads the ball he has to stop playing to tweak his hair

Has it affected his ability on the pitch/caused him to make any mistakes?