Sky Sports pundit sets Leeds star ‘Fantastic’ challenge to prove recent doubts wrong

Sat 10 October 2020 14:00, UK

Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has started this season superbly and earned his second England cap on Thursday.

Despite his success, there have been many doubts over his ability to perform at the highest level for club and country.

After a slow start against Manchester City, doubters started to appear on social media – a group that continued to criticise during the 3-0 win over Wales.

Leeds United

Sky Sports pundit, David Prutton has claimed that Phillips has a “fantastic challenge” ahead of him, to continue proving those doubters wrong.

“You look for a player that can dominate the game and make the team tick and opponents will then try and stifle you like Man City did to Phillips on Saturday night,” he wrote for the YEP.

MORE LEEDS STORIES

“That’s the next challenge for him, to be able to outthink opponents that don’t want him to play well within the framework of what his manager wants.

“It’s a fantastic challenge for him but let’s not get carried away because if Kalvin is played on his own as a holding midfielder and he doesn’t step up instantly then there will be a massive pile-on of people saying he wasn’t good enough to do that saying they were right.”

Phillips himself will admit that he started slowly against Manchester City, but after the opening quarter, he dominated the midfield area.

As for his England outing against Wales, the criticism he received was uncalled for, given his impressive outing at Wembley.

Gareth Southgate puts less responsibility on the Yorkshire Pirlo compared to Marcelo Bielsa and uses him as a pivot in midfield to keep possession rolling.

Phillips completed 83% of his actions against Wales according to WyScout – his highest total of the season as he was in the heart of everything.

Prutton is right though, teams will start to try and keep Phillips quiet, and it will be down to him and Marcelo Bielsa to find ways around that – starting against Wolves next week.

In other Leeds United news, Jermaine Beckford delighted with Whites ace v Man City

Be sure to follow MOT Leeds News on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Whites and more exclusive content with Paul Robinson.