Manchester City Fans Turn on Kalvin Phillips After Celtic Defeat
Manchester City’s pre-season tour got off to a disappointing start with a 4-3 defeat to Celtic in North Carolina. While the Blues struggled to find their rhythm, one player in particular caught the ire of the fans – Kalvin Phillips.
The 28-year-old midfielder, who was signed from Leeds United for £42 million in 2022, failed to impress in the opening 45 minutes. His lacklustre performance led to some scathing criticism on social media, with fans calling for him to be given less playing time.
One Twitter user wrote: "1 minute in and I have already remembered how bad Kalvin Phillips is." Another user tweeted: "Phillips is so bad in tight areas that he makes Erling Haaland look like Xavi." A third fan chimed in: "Pep needs to give Perrone more game time not Kalvin Phillips. What a baller."
The criticism didn’t go unnoticed, with Pep Guardiola defending his player’s first-half performance. "He’s training really well and made a really good first-half," the City boss said. "He came from an injury, that’s why we didn’t give him more minutes. But we’ll see, like all situations I don’t know what’s going to happen."
However, the stats tell a different story. Phillips has struggled for game-time at City since his transfer, and his performance against Celtic was just the latest example of his dip in form. His exclusion from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 was another blow, and a move away from the Etihad this summer has been mooted.
Manchester City supporters are crying out for a change in midfield, and it seems that Phillips is the one feeling the heat. Maximo Perrone, who was introduced in the second half, was praised for his energetic performance, and fans are calling for him to be given more minutes on the pitch.
As the Blues look to get their pre-season campaign back on track, Phillips will be hoping to silence his critics with a strong performance. But for now, it seems that his City career is hanging in the balance.
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