Kalvin Phillips signed for Manchester City from his boyhood club, Leeds United, for a reported fee of £41million, but since his monumental move, he has only managed to appear in five of the Blues' games this season, all coming from the bench.
When Philips arrived at the Etihad, he certainly would have expected more opportunities than he has been given thus far. However, his role was always going to be as a second option to arguably one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, Rodri.
In his previous side Leeds, the Yorkshireman played a pivotal role in their rise and return to the premier league under Marcelo Bielsa, a man City manager Pep Guardiola famously admires. So, with the two clubs having similar playing philosophies and styles of play, what’s made it so difficult for Phillips to at least make Rodri look over his shoulder?
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Guardiola is famously unpredictable, in many ways, with his team selections among the most difficult to guess. However, players like Ederson, Haaland, De Bruyne and Rodri are as good as nailed in most games.
The 26-year-old Spaniard has played 26 games this season and started all 26. He averages 101.8 touches per game and has even picked up 5 assists in the league thus far.
For Phillips to start making an impression on his new coach, he must begin influencing the games he appears in. Yes, it was hard for him to impress in those minutes; however, Rodri had to be second fiddle to Fernandinho for two seasons and look where he is now.
It may be a matter of patience for Phillips; however, when he has played, he has looked miles off the mark for City. Phillips has averaged 0.2 key passes per game, a statistic that could not be further away from what is expected of him as a Manchester City midfield player.
Adding to his lack of form, his first half of the season with City was disrupted by the Qatar World Cup. After returning from the competition, his club coach, Guardiola, claimed that the player was “overweight” and “not in the right condition to train”.
However, City’s number 4 still has hope yet. With skipper Ilkay Gundogan looking set to move on in the summer, Phillips will have more opportunities in the middle of the park.
For England, and occasionally for Leeds United, he has been deployed as a number 8, pinching the ball off players higher up the field and driving forward with the ball. He played this role to a high level in England’s Euro 2021 run to the final and played a crucial role in the nation’s success.
But for Phillips to even make it past this summer transfer window still in blue and white, he must show signs of improvement for his new club.
In past years, famously new signings for the Blues have taken a while to adjust, making it a normal thing for Phillips. Players like Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez suffered from the so-called “first season syndrome”. Guardiola and City fans may give the 27-year-old a clean slate next season if he isn’t moved on.
But with what looks increasingly like a midfield that needs rebuilding in the summer, getting Phillips back to his best will be crucial for City and could play a massive role for the Blues next season.
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