Phillips can lead Hammers in top 6 push
Kalvin Phillips is an excellent signing for West Ham, and I’m more than happy to predict that he’ll be a hit for the club. Of course, injury could put an end to his Hammers career before it’s begun, but assuming he’s fit and available, this Phillips transfer could be the signing that secures European football for West Ham for a fourth successive season.
Make no mistake about it—West Ham have problems in central midfield. In essence, it ceases to function when Edson Alvarez doesn’t play, and unfortunately, that’s a regular occurrence. The midfield pairing of Soucek and Ward-Prowse can’t and don’t win games at the highest level. If we’re being pedantic, they don’t win games at the lowest level either, given their showing against Bristol City and Sheffield United.
There is a very good reason why Ben Johnson looked to be the team’s best midfielder against the Blades at the weekend, and it has very little to do with him being an excellent midfielder. Put plainly, the combination of JWP & Soucek can’t control the game.
Phillips can lead Hammers: Kalvin Phillips will play in the same midfield as Edson Alvarez in the same way he does with Declan Rice and England.
As for the question of what happens when Alvarez is fit? Simple, they both play. Declan Rice and Phillips both played in the same team for England during an entire tournament. Dec was holding while Phillips played as a box-to-box player, and he thrived. The fact that he’s a current England international is a pertinent one. West Ham don’t sign current England players, we signer former or future Three Lions stars.
Phillips is captain material
At Leeds, Phillips carried the moniker ‘The Yorkshire Pirlo’ for a very good reason. He isn’t some clogger who’s incapable of passing the ball, and if he were, Pep Guardiola would never have signed him.
I suspect his arrival will put Soucek on the bench, and rightly so—he’s a much better footballer. The whole argument over where he’ll play is irrelevant. It’s based on an assumption that no cover is required and that 11 players will be available throughout the season. It never happens.
The entirety of The Hammers’ problems this season is due to David Moyes not having a squad he wishes to use. So whenever there is a suspension or injury, there tends to be a massive drop-off. Midfield is a problem position for West Ham because we don’t have a substitute central midfielder. That’s why Moyes was hurriedly chucking Ben Johnson into a central position in the last game.
Phillips is also a leader and was the captain of Leeds United until his £50m move to Manchester City. However, that aside, he’ll improve the team, and given that we’re chasing European football for a fourth consecutive year, why would we not want to sign another good player?
As for the money—who cares? We’re nowhere near FFP, and his loan fee will be repaid by finishing a single place higher in the Premier League and progressing to the next round of the UEFA Europa League.
So welcome, Kalvin Phillips, in what I believe will be a good loan move for the club and the player himself. So what if it’s a loan move; so was Jesse Lingard, and that worked out magnificently with a 6th place finish—I’ll take that again.