Nat Phillips

[Rich]

Trent, Keita, Mane, Gini, Fab all had a hell of lot worse games than Philips. Even if I feel he isn't the level required our CB's got zero protection from that midfield.

Nah, I’m not buying that. Everybody was crap first half but Gini and Fabinho picked up in the second. Phillips’ positioning wasn’t great last night BUT he was up against some proper players. Not his fault that he isn’t a top class CB.

[spud_gun]

As has been mentioned previously it's about levels.

Phillips is a stop gap centre back who has filled in admirably when called upon in the league this season. To expect Phillips to be able to elevate his game to the highest of European standards is unrealistic.

Keita on the other hand cost 50m and was touted as one of the best midfield prospects in Europe during his time at Lipzieg. Based on his price tag and previous form to expect Keita to put in a performance in a game like last night isn't unrealistic.

[BigChief]

As has been mentioned previously it's about levels.

Phillips is a stop gap centre back who has filled in admirably when called upon in the league this season. To expect Phillips to be able to elevate his game to the highest of European standards is unrealistic.

Keita on the other hand cost 50m and was touted as one of the best midfield prospects in Europe during his time at Lipzieg. Based on his price tag and previous form to expect Keita to put in a performance in a game like last night isn't unrealistic.

Totally agree. Nat performed admirably to his level last night. Keita didn't. Expecting him to come good is like putting lipzieg on a pig.

[Irishnev]

I'm probably on my own here but the mistake (for the 3rd) aside I thought he had a decent game.Yes he was naive at times but there was some good defending in there too, there were at least a couple of big blocks, clearances and challenges that denied Madrid more opportunities. If we are ranking players from best to worst for me he's somewhere in the middle (perhaps that's generous I don't know) but IMO there were at least 3 or 4 of our senior players who had worse games than him, that said no-one had a good game. But the form of all of the guys in midfield and Mane plus one or two others is more of a concern to me at the moment

I agree but it showed that he was clearly out of his depth - pace and movement kill him. Again I repeat this is not his fault as he was t expected to play these games - he had no protection from midfield and Kabak beside him was a bit better but not great either.

He’s a great lad but this idea of keeping him as our 4th CB isn’t working for me. There should be no room for sentiment and we might get a few quid for him in the summer.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I agree but it showed that he was clearly out of his depth - pace and movement kill him. Again I repeat this is not his fault as he was t expected to play these games - he had no protection from midfield and Kabak beside him was a bit better but not great either.

He’s a great lad but this idea of keeping him as our 4th CB isn’t working for me. There should be no room for sentiment and we might get a few quid for him in the summer.

His biggest weakness for me is not his lack of pace. For me it is his reading of the game. Time after time against lesser teams he goes on trots out of position but we tend to get away with it more often than not and he just trots back, but last night he did it against quality players and it was punished.

He had no help at all from senior players that played even worse than him last night, but he is a stop gap until the summer and nothing else. Been my opinion on him when he came into the team and nothing has changed.

However even though he is not good enough at a higher level, the one thing I will give him credit for is the fact he would keep dusting himself down and trying.

Mad thing is that again last night he reminded me so much of an 80 million pound defender who is also pretty crap when it comes to positioning and prone to looking clumsy/slow on the ball. Think he should be looking at Maguire and thinking to himself that he could have a decent PL career in a more defensive minded team.

[Buzzo]

He’s been brilliant, but we are talking about a rookie playing in elite level football, there has not been a single bit of evidence that Phillips is set for a career at one of the top 8 clubs in Europe. He is playing now in the last 8 and finds himself a little bit out of his depth, not a lot, but enough. The games where he has looked good are the ones where the midfield has protected him, last night the midfield was over run. But, and this says a lot about him, he fronts up every game and does his best. I think he might have a taste for first team football and in a team with less expansive ambition he will definitely do well. Mentally he seems to have what it takes.

[Exiled_red]

I agree but it showed that he was clearly out of his depth - pace and movement kill him. Again I repeat this is not his fault as he was t expected to play these games - he had no protection from midfield and Kabak beside him was a bit better but not great either.

He’s a great lad but this idea of keeping him as our 4th CB isn’t working for me. There should be no room for sentiment and we might get a few quid for him in the summer.

The champions league and games against the likes of Madrid are with all due respect a level beyond him, to be honest he's probably a mid table PL CB at best who has been punching above his weight. Taking that into account as I say I don't think his performance was terrible.

Regarding the future for him, he's going to get games between now and the end of the season. But I've said before if he stays he's 5th or 6th choice, he's at an age where he needs games, he's shown what he can do but I think it's probably best for everyone if he leaves in the summer. With what he has done he could leave with his head held high.

[Doc_Piptorious]

The champions league and games against the likes of Madrid are with all due respect a level beyond him, to be honest he's probably a mid table PL CB at best who has been punching above his weight. Taking that into account as I say I don't think his performance was terrible.

Regarding the future for him, he's going to get games between now and the end of the season. But I've said before if he stays he's 5th or 6th choice, he's at an age where he needs games, he's shown what he can do but I think it's probably best for everyone if he leaves in the summer. With what he has done he could leave with his head held high.

Yep at 24 you would be expecting, as a pro footballer, to be playing regular football and having a decent number of games already played in your career.

We have a few guys in a similar boat to him at present in around that close to 24 or 25 mark that realistically are never going to become regulars or even back ups in a more normal season. Guys like Phillips, Grujic, Wilson, Ojo, and Awoniyi spring to mind straight away.

All would be better off imo if they were able to get moves to clubs where the expectations are a tad lower so they could get regular playing time.

[Charly]

Who is going to want to be 4/5th choice, and be at the levels you are expecting?

[Doc_Piptorious]

Who is going to want to be 4/5th choice, and be at the levels you are expecting?

Well if we buy Konate in the summer then someone like Kabak would be the sort of fourth choice I would be thinking of. A good young CB with lots of potential.

In recent years we have had VVD, Gomez, Matip and Lovern as our four CBs so don't really see any issue with looking to have four CBs all capable of slotting into the first team albeit with a couple of them being better than the other two.

[danperkins]

Nah, I’m not buying that. Everybody was crap first half but Gini and Fabinho picked up in the second. Phillips’ positioning wasn’t great last night BUT he was up against some proper players. Not his fault that he isn’t a top class CB.

Yeah that's what happens in the champs league unfortunately. Philips is what he is and it is who we have to play in this current situation.

IMO Fab had an absolute stinker, looked out on his feet and Gini apart from one great run was absolutely irrelevant. The midfield was a disaster & gave zero protection for the likes of Philips & Kabak

[Exiled_red]

Who is going to want to be 4/5th choice, and be at the levels you are expecting?

I don't think anyone coming in will consider themselves to be 4th choice. If we go into next season with VVD, Gomez, Kabak and for arguments sake Koante as our main 4, I think that all those last three would at worst consider themselves as in a battle to partner VVD with a realistic chance of starting. 5th choice is looking like being Davies (or Phillips if we keep him).

[danperkins]

I don't think anyone coming in will consider themselves to be 4th choice. If we go into next season with VVD, Gomez, Kabak and for arguments sake Koante as our main 4, I think that all those last three would at worst consider themselves as in a battle to partner VVD with a realistic chance of starting. 5th choice is looking like being Davies (or Phillips if we keep him).

need strong options, ones that are actually challenging for a first team spot and not just making up the numbers. There are plenty of league games and cups comps to rotate & imo the drop off in quality of our 2nd string is an issue.

In saying that the problem that we had this season was even our backups were injured

[Buzzo]

Watching PSG and Bayern last night I’m not sure getting to the final would be the best thing for us right now.

[Angryred]

Watching PSG and Bayern last night I’m not sure getting to the final would be the best thing for us right now.

Yep, looking that way as they are a totally different level to us right now...looking at the winners of this year's CL in that tie...they will destroy City in the semi's.