Redaction Simon Brett with Srinivas Sadhanand
Published on 2024-02-01 18:00:00
Cesc Fabregas recently hinted that Pep Guardiola felt Kalvin Phillips was not at the level required to play for Manchester City, and this may be why Phillips did not see much action for the Premier League champions after his £42 million fee was paid to sign him. Phillip’s lack of play time led to questions about why he did not fit into Manchester City’s system, whether he failed to push Rodri for minutes, or if Guardiola simply did not fancy his game. There might be some truth to all of these questions.
Reports from August suggest that Guardiola was surprised by how little progress Phillips made in understanding his tactical demands. The coaches at the club even felt that Romeo Lavia would be a better fit as a number six than Phillips. Cesc Fabregas provided insight into why Phillips struggled to adapt to Guardiola’s playing style, explaining that Guardiola prefers a structured and meticulous approach, while Phillips’ style was more anarchic, coming from Leeds.
In Fabregas’ opinion, if Phillips was good enough, he would have played, regardless of competition from Rodri. He cited Phillips being called up by the England national team despite not seeing much play time at Manchester City as an example.
Pep Guardiola admitted in December that he did not foresee Phillips suiting his plan for Manchester City. Whether this was due to Phillips’ natural quality or his ability to follow instructions, it seems clear that Guardiola did not fancy him as a player. Fabregas’ comments support this point, highlighting that there seems to be a mismatch between Phillips and Guardiola’s philosophy.
Fabregas’ hint that Guardiola did not believe Phillips was at the required level to play for Manchester City raises important questions about the transfer and the club’s management of Phillips’ career. Guardiola’s management of Phillips’ career may call into question his ability to manage players who do not fit his specific mold.
Read Original article on Manchester City News
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