Kalvin Phillips’ loan move to West Ham was supposed to be a win-win situation. The England midfielder, a treble winner with Manchester City and a key figure in the national team’s recent success, needed regular playing time. West Ham, on the other hand, craved a quality central midfielder to bolster their squad.
However, the dream has turned into a nightmare. Phillips’ performances have been a stark contrast to his past glories.
The 28-year-old boasts an impressive resume. A Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League winner with Manchester City, he’s also one of the select few Englishmen to start a major international tournament final. At Leeds United, he was a hero, the lynchpin of their Championship-winning side, earning the moniker “Yorkshire Pirlo.” His 2021 Player of the Year award for England further underlines his talent.
Phillips has been a driving force behind many of England’s recent victories, playing a pivotal role against Germany, Denmark, Italy (both home and away), Belgium (the then-number one ranked team in the world), Senegal, and Scotland.
The irony of the situation is undeniable. Had Phillips remained on the bench at City, he might be preparing for a starting role at Euro 2024. Instead, his loan move to West Ham, initially lauded as a sensible solution, has become a disaster.
He has completely lost his form. Words like “unwatchable,” “toe-curling,” and a “disaster” are used to paint a picture of a player struggling immensely.
There is a sense of misfortune surrounding Phillips, everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong.
Phillips’ slump raises serious questions about his Euro 2024 prospects. Gareth Southgate faces a selection headache, with Phillips’ past a reminder of his talent, but his present a cause for concern.
Let’s face it moyes thought Philips was going to be another lingard , and it didn’t work, I don’t care about England they have a host to chose from we ain’t we can’t afford no hopers, the only player who impresses me at the moment is Alvarez I see a lot of Bobby Moore in him and i think we could do with more with his attitude , he should be captain then at least new manager new captain things would look up, and if reports about philips being so fat were true perhaps we should have put him in goal