Nathaniel PHILLIPS: 2021/22 (on loan at Bournemouth)

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Had a shocker tonight bailed out twice in first half by Kabak, nutmgged for the goal and generally all over the place. Get rid in summer if anyone is interested in buying.

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Incisive contribution to our away goal though, no?

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I think we need to lay off the lad. This was always going to happen when an intelligent and fast paced attacker targeted him. He has limitations in his game or heā€™d have never been in the situation he was in at the start of this season. Heā€™s played to his strengths and weā€™ve set up to get the best out of him to see us through. Weā€™ve got more points on the board because of him. Heā€™s not perfect but heā€™s what weā€™ve got and heā€™s giving every ounce not to let us down. I donā€™t believe the endless hyping up or blind eye to his shortcomings has been helpful at all but at the same time, when things do go wrong, thereā€™s also no point dwelling on it. It is what it is.

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Fucking hellā€¦

Name a player tonight who were better than Kabak and Phillips.

Lay off they did okā€¦ not perfect but not the criticism they are getting.

Got caught out on a long balā€¦ got fucking nut meggedā€¦ so fucking whatā€¦

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Donā€™t think this has been helpful. Itā€™s turning a blind eye, nothing wrong with acknowledging a fact and then getting on with it. Phillips was awful and completely misread two situations that were actually very easy for him to deal with if heā€™d read them right. Itā€™s not his fault, thereā€™s a reason moves to the Championship were collapsing last summer. Heā€™s done far better for us than we could have ever hoped from him. But letā€™s acknowledge he had a shit day, was targeted and exposed and then get on with supporting him for the rest of the season. Itā€™s our only option. But arguing about a spade not being a spade just drags the discussion out. Kabak had a few slips here and there (Robertson and Trent too) but generally did quite well.

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Kabak did well.

Praising Phillips for that performance is just being nice because itā€™s Phillips.

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Personally I feel he got sold up the river by our midfield. One or two poor decisions but he was under immense pressure all night, most of which was not of his making.

I think our midfield were waiting for the game to start at the Bernabeu

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Agree mate if every team got rid because someone got nutmegged on a shot there wouldnā€™t be any defenders left, for me a poor shot rather than deliberate nutmeg. For a nutmeg to count you have to call it 1st :stuck_out_tongue:

Itā€™s easy for the club to make Fabinho showreels, why donā€™t they make one for MOTM/POTM Nat?

:joy:

Wasnā€™t great but heā€™s a championship defender against an on form Karim Benezma who is one of the better strikers in the word, there was only one outcome. Thought he struggled yes, but end of the season only him, Jota and Mo can probably hold their heads high saying they performed. Tonight, the midfield let them down the most imo. Couldnā€™t hold the ball for a few seconds all game. With the amount of attacks , we were always going to crumble.

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Agree. Always said heā€™ll win you you everything in the air but against floor playing players heā€™s left totally exposed. Yesterday he was caught out of position so much as he was ball chasing.
Itā€™s not his fault he gives it everything by but you donā€™t win the CL with a CB like Phillips and a youngster like Kobak.

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Spearing and Flanagan spring to mind, we all want them to be a success but they belong in the championship.

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I didnā€™t say they were fantastic but they were 2 of our better performers

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I certainly agree with this.

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Why do you keep grouping them together? Kabak and Salah were the best of a bad bunch last night. Phillips was nowhere near as good as Kabak.

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They are central defendersā€¦ easy to group together.

They played ok.

Trent, Kieta, Mane were car crashes.

The rest were ok as well although I certainly wouldnā€™t say anybody played well.

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Phillips really didnā€™t. Look heā€™s done a great job and stepped up to levels I thought well beyond him but letā€™s not try and sugar coat that performance all their goals come down his channel. He was exposed which deep down everyone knew would happen but hoped wouldnā€™t.

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It ignores that one played well one did not. Two of their goals were easy for a CB to read and cut out the ball getting to the player. I donā€™t want this to turn into a bashing of Phillips, heā€™s doing what he can, but by not acknowledging he had a bad game youā€™re causing a debate and thatā€™s causing more negative discussion aimed at Phillips. Which is what I wanted to avoid. But he was poor at reading danger, was slow paced and slower to react. He was bailed out several times by those around him and directly at fault for two of their 3 goals. Kabak had as good a game as anyone did. By putting them together youā€™re using Kabaks performance to hide Phillips performance. Itā€™s disingenuous and inaccurate.

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@Kopstar you said Phillips only problem was he wasnā€™t quick enoughā€¦ Here is Rio explaning that Phillips didnā€™t drop in time.

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