Calvin Phillips has had to get used to being a replacement at Manchester City. Credit: Getty Images/Adrian Dennis
Pep Guardiola says Calvin Phillips' future at Manchester City will be decided at the end of the season, with the manager admitting he's struggling to adjust to the international midfielder with a tight title race England. Phillips has not started a Premier League match for City since signing from Leeds United for £45m last summer.
City will face former club Phillips on Saturday at Etihad Stadium, knowing that a win would put them four points clear. Arsenal are at the top, having played four games and taking another significant step towards their fifth league title in six seasons.
Phillips, 27, has played just 103 minutes in the top flight for City, and questions about his long-term future at the club are mounting. campaign and only recently winning pole position, Guardiola said he couldn't look at Rodri and John Stones in central midfield with so little margin for error.
«I'm not complaining [to] Calvin because when you don't play much, it's hard to catch the rhythm,» the city manager said. “John — we've been together for 7 years; Rodri [four] years together. I don't need to tell them anything, just the little details — movement here or there.
“Calvin, if maybe he played more minutes in the past, he'll get it, but Rodri was in exceptional condition. form. This role [of midfield] is so, so important that the lack of minutes makes the lap more difficult. But he always pays attention, in training he is always open for this.
“But since we are so behind Arsenal [for a long period of the season], we cannot lose points. We didn't have a situation where eight, ten points are ahead — it happened in the past. He [Phillips] can do it, but at that moment I always had the feeling that Rodri knew exactly what to do in this role. He keeps doing what he knows exactly what he has to do.”
Guardiola: Players must earn my trust, all of them, not just Calvin
With many top clubs entering the central midfield market this summer and several clubs at risk of losing key assets likely to be looking for replacements, there could be demand for Phillips if he and City decide to cut their losses.
Guardiola said he's not paying any attention to the summer at the moment as City are still in contention for the league, Champions League and FA Cup trebles, but acknowledged the Phillips situation will be discussed at the end . season.
«In some things he needs to adapt a little more, but what happens next season, I don't care for a second right now,» he said. “We'll see at the end of the season. We will sit with the players. Maybe they want more minutes, or maybe they don't like the situation. But now I'm not going to discuss anything.»
It's not uncommon for newcomers to take a season to adjust to Guardiola's methods, but even players like Jack Grealish, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva have had some hardships in their first year in City played a lot of games.
Phillips, by contrast, was a side figure all season, starting in just two games in total, and Guardiola admitted he had the burden on the players to show that they can cut it.
«Jack may not have played many important games last season, but he played many minutes,» said Guardiola. “It depends on the players. I try to be honest with the questions [asked] and my feelings. My feelings sometimes change. But, in the end, it belongs to the players, they have to convince themselves and the team, and not because I say something, that it will happen. They must earn my trust, all of them, not just Calvin.
Свежие комментарии