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Pep Talk: Why Kalvin Phillips is an England star but a Man City flop
In the summer of 2022, two players born in Leeds joined Manchester City.
Both Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips made big-money moves to the reigning Premier League champions, but their trajectories at the club since have been different.
While Haaland had a record-breaking debut campaign last season, Phillips played only 340 minutes and made just two league starts.
He was signed to push Rodri for a starting spot, but there were times when Pep Guardiola did not even trust him to come on as a substitute.
This was a huge contrast to the 27-year-old’s time at Leeds United, where his performances under Marcelo Bielsa saw him being regarded as one of England’s best midfielders.
A national team call-up followed, and Phillips even started all seven games as the Three Lions finished runners-up at Euro 2020.
But things have not been much better at club level this season. City’s success is in part down to their ruthlessness, and this meant that they were quick to move on and signed Mateo Kovacic and Matheus Nunes for a combined €90 million.
Despite Phillips wanting to stay and turn things around, it increasingly looks like he will have to seek new pastures to get his career back on track.
Kalvin Phillips Transfer Value - how much is he worth?
According to our player valuation model, Phillips’ Expected Transfer Value (xTV) is currently €21.4million.
His xTV was on a constant rise from the 2019/20 season, where his excellent performances helped Leeds win promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 16 years.
His value continued to grow and reached a peak of €27.9 million when he joined Manchester City. The €49 million that City actually paid is in line with the premiums paid for capped homegrown players.
A lack of minutes since his move to the Etihad has resulted in a steady decline in his value, but Phillips still has a lot to offer.
City’s willingness to sell can make him a great acquisition for a team with European ambitions - Tottenham for example.
A club flop but an international star. Why?
Phillips’ struggles with his club have not shaken Gareth Southgate’s faith in the midfielder. But the England manager has come under scrutiny not just for his loyalty to Phillips, but also towards the likes of Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire.
National team selection is not only based on player form, and managers need to play the long game by bringing together the best group of players for an upcoming tournament which can be many months into the future.
So players with certain profiles or leadership qualities can continue to be called up at the expense of players who are currently playing better.
James Ward-Prowse was a shock exclusion from the squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers, but he is not a defensive midfielder. Phillips’ selection might just be down to the lack of quality players who can play in that deeper midfield role.
There is also the case of the England manager being more conservative in the way he sets up his team. This makes Phillips and Declan Rice his first-choice pairing.
Things are very different at City, where they have arguably the greatest footballing mind in charge.
It has been reported that Guardiola and his coaches felt Phillips was struggling to grasp some key traits needed to play in the holding midfielder role.
But qualities such as playing the ball quickly into small spaces, especially when receiving it from the goalkeeper, can be coached into a player.
Nathan Ake and Jack Grealish also had slow starts in Manchester before turning it around. But the case with Phillips is more complicated given that Guardiola seems to have made a shift in the attributes he wants in the centre of the pitch.
“Don’t give the manager an option to leave you out!” 🗣️ @Carra23 @IanWright0 and Roy debate about Kalvin Phillips and what he can do to force his way into City’s starting XI! pic.twitter.com/xZBDevkBp6
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) October 11, 2023
We saw this when John Stones inverted into midfield with great success last season.
This points to Guardiola’s preference for ball carriers in his midfield. Phillips, for all his qualities, is not great at carrying the ball into space. His ball carrying distance in his final season at Leeds was less than half of what Rodri or John Stones cover in 90 minutes.
The Spanish manager has also shifted his focus towards more physical and aerially dominant profiles in midfield. While Phillips does offer a physical presence, his low performance in terms of aerial win % is an issue.
Phillips’ excellent decision-making, fantastic range of passing and solid defensive game was what earned him a move to the best team in Europe.
All of those qualities are still here, and there are many clubs who will be closely monitoring the situation in the hopes of offering the England International a new lease of life.
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