Leeds United history emerges as Chris Sutton slams Kalvin Phillips on Manchester City low point
Chris Sutton has criticised Kalvin Phillips’ professionalism in relation to being outed as overweight by Pep Guardiola, with Ian Ladyman adding that he had history of the same during his time at Leeds United.
The Daily Mail journalist reported via Twitter on 13 February after the pundit had branded it “unacceptable” for the on-loan West Ham midfielder to be too heavy as a professional athlete.
Phillips, 28, told The Guardian on 10 February that his “toughest” moment at the Etihad was when the Spanish manager publicly called out his weight following the World Cup, amid a difficult season and a half in which he rarely played after leaving Elland Road for £42million [Sky Sports].
Ladyman claimed that the “interesting” takeaway was that Marcelo Bielsa had also had similar issues with the Whites favourite in West Yorkshire.
Sutton wrote: “Kalvin Phillips was honest in his recent interview about the effect Pep’s words had on him after saying he was overweight…but maybe the bigger issue should have been the fact that’s it’s unacceptable for him as a professional athlete to have been overweight in the first place…”
Ladyman added: “Interesting thing to me is that Phillips had previously been pulled over his weight by Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds.”
Leeds United history of weight trouble as Sutton slams Phillips
Some people struggle with weight in a way others don’t, and while the assumption is that professional sportsmen and women are automatically in peak condition it can’t be equally straightforward for all of them.
Clearly it is necessary in their job for those who have slower metabolisms to work harder to maintain the right levels, but it is perhaps little surprise that Phillips says the criticism from Guardiola effected him, and his mum.
Sutton is taking a simplistic view of it, as everyone tends to do with issues that don’t necessarily effect them in the same way.
It would be difficult to argue that anyone has got more out of Phillips than Bielsa did when he made him central to the famous side that was promoted to the Premier League and turned him into an England international, so while the Argentine is known to have influenced the Catalan coach the former surely managed the midfielder better than the latter.
It was hard to begrudge the Leeds United youth product his big-money move away two summers ago but clearly things haven’t gone to plan since, as he has hoovered up medals but only featured 31 times for the treble winners, largely off the bench.
A January loan to West Ham hasn’t started particularly well either although with more football he should bounce back, but if David Moyes follows Bielsa’s blueprint more than Guardiola’s he should have a better chance success.
In other Leeds United news, Adam Pope fears the club will be bitten later this season after what one player did that wasn’t a “good look”.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.