That may be so ILLOK…
But what was he like during his first 20games in the first team…!!!
For that is what Nat Phillips is being judged upon by everybody
How old was Carragher for those games? Phillips isn’t a kid. He’s nearly entering his peak.
It’s not a fair place. If it was lads like Coady and Spearing would have spent their whole careers with us.
Nat did us a solid, we should always be thankful and look on him favourably. He’ll no doubt get great reception whenever he visits Anfield if he does leave. But he simply isn’t good enough. He’s too old and expensive to be an emergency choice ahead of a youth player like Williams or Billy who would be on the UEFA B list and not take a senior spot and having Phillips over one of them doesn’t improve us enough in quality to justify it (in the case of Williams I think Rhys is actually already better).
It’s not just our benefit this. Phillips was heading for a career move to a squad role in the Championship, probably unlikely to get promoted too. He could well have found himself needing to drop to league one or two to be a starter. He played his heart out for us but also himself because although he may not be good enough for us he will likely now be able to move to a Prem side, possibly as a starter. Him doing us a favour did him a massive, life changing favour too.
On numbers of CBs for me we have 3 main concerns in VvD, Gomez and Matip coming back from injury. Any could face a difficult period coming back. To me we have to be prepared for the worst reasonable possibility which is one or two may not feature much before Christmas. Those that do could be spotty with form and availability too. For that reason, to me, we need two good strong options that may get significant playing time in first half of the season. Konate should be good for one of these. Phillips, Davies and Williams shouldn’t be considered for the other. Maybe, at most, one of them around for cover till 2 of the injured are back healthy, fit and regularly available again.
To me having Phillips doesn’t solve what I see as a quite probable issue we will experience. He could also fetch a significant amount being sold that would go a long way to paying for an appropriate solution. Along with Davies they may between them pay for a young, up and comer with potential who can fill in a while and develop.
I also legitimately believe Phillips needs to grasp this opportunity of Prem clubs wanting him. He could stay with us and not kick a ball next season if everything goes right for us. Or he could end up thrown into a game with a possibility of being exposed ruining all the good his reputation has built up this season. This chance may not come along again for him and he may be back for hoping for a chance at a Championship club again.
5 Likes
In a broom cupbaord I presume with the brooms not the cups? 
I thought he was cheap and being a man makes a big difference.
That’s very true, i bet he has a nice girlfriend now.
Yep so we could do with Nat hanging around till January where we could reasses?
Yet he is our solution, if we sell him I don’t see that money going toward another CB. I therefore think the club would be wise to keep him till Jan and then see where to go from there. With our predicament most if not all our earmarked CBs will get game time in that period due to cup commitments.
My main view on keeping Nat is that i don’t feel if he were sold we would get another CB in. If we get another CB it will be a youth (which I believe comes from another kitty and isn’t reliant on selling Nat). If we sold Nat the money would go toward midfield or Attack.
1 Like
You guys are erring a bit, but every post counts. 
1 Like
Going to smash all records before next season starts. 
1 Like
Different roads to the top. Some footballers/sportsmen mature later than others. You can’t say every teenage footballer rated highly is going to go and conquer the world.
2 Likes
Equally you cannot say every journeyman will go on to be a Drogba or Vardy.
3 Likes
Oh dear. It’s nice to still view everything through romantic rose coloured spectacles. Nat the saviour.
Cmon, seriously, some are comparing him to Carragher a man who played over 700 games for us? Really?
The lengths some will go to, instead of just saying ‘Yep, you’ re right. Great guy, great attitude, did his best for us. Love him for that, but ultimately not good enough. And his value is as high as it will ever be. So for the mutual good of him and the club, if a good offer comes in, it would be wise to sell him.’
What’s so hard about that?
And Carragher is his prime could definately have played in a Klopp team. He was no Kylian Mbappé for pace but he wasn’t a tortoise either. I don’t think Dortmund’s two CB’s were pace merchants.
Again no criticism of Nat. He’s obviously worked as hard as he can to get where he is, unlike a lot of gifted players who don’t have the grit.
4 Likes
It is about having a realistic estimate as to what a Carragher was. A great Yes… Was he the starting defender for the absolute majority of his career… Nope.
Also, Tell me in how many cases , Carragher was the best CB for liverpool… throughout his career ?
2 Likes
Except when he was younger breaking through he was a starter till he got old. One of the first on the team sheet. For a lot of that he was the best defender too. Hyypia was better but got older and slower as Carragher got to his best. A couple years later Agger had settled and (when we could get him on the bench) was better. But both Agger and Hyypia in their peaks were exceptionally talented CBs so it’s no harm saying they were better, I’m not sure the point you’re trying to make there?
Edit; Pretty much the entirety of Rafas time with us Carragher was the first CB chosen. Rafa isn’t exactly a mug at these things. Carragher may not be as comfortable as Klopp would like with high line or as quick as he’d like but I think too many are remembering Carragher in his last few years, the most recent Carragher but slowest, as opposed to in his peak.
2 Likes
Well he played over 700 times for Liverpool so I don’t know what to say?
Again, no one is saying Carragher is the best defender who has ever lived or even the best defender to play for Liverpool. This conversation isn’t about having a realistic opinion of Carragher, it’s about having a realistic opinion of Nat Phillips.
1 Like
Great to see this thread progressing so well. LEGEND!
1 Like
As the venerable poster who set this thread rolling, would you do the honor of the 1000th post @cynicaloldgit .
1 Like
When we win the CL next season, remember, without Nat we wouldn’t have even been in it.
#Natforlegendstatus
6 Likes
I’m going to talk about Nat Phillips and his exploits so much that my great grand kids will be posting about him on here long after I have past away. 
2 Likes
Strange… in '05 don’t remember anyone stopping to thank Murphy or Diouf. Both played more the season before than Nat did this season.
We don’t know we wouldn’t have finished top 4 without Phillips, we can be thankful to him and his heroic efforts but I feel some are getting ridiculous in here.
1 Like
Should have never let him go, he had a good 2-4 decent seasons left in him, very underappreciated player in my view.
Shit pundit though, but that’s for a different thread!
1 Like
Murphy did reasonably well here but ultimately he was replaced by better players and Liverpool improved because of it. The best midfield in the world song didn’t include Danny Murphy.
3 Likes