Leeds News

Carragher: How to stop Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips

|
Image for Carragher: How to stop Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has outlined that the best way to beat Leeds United would be to stop Kalvin Phillips, citing this similarity to the tactics used to overcome Manchester United’s Paul Scholes.

Confirming what we already knew, Kalvin Phillips’ shoulder injury at home to Wolves highlighted just how vital he is to the system we play under Marcelo Bielsa.

With Phillips missing for three games against Aston Villa, Leicester City, and Crystal Palace, deputies stepped in to take his place with limited effect.

It’s not to say Pascal Struijk, Jamie Shackleton, and Mateusz Klich don’t have what it takes to play there, but it’s obvious they’re not on Phillips’ level.

Returning to the lineup against Arsenal saw the Yorkshire Pirlo help the Whites to a clean sheet and complete control over the Gunners.

However, his performance against Everton the following week was arguably his best for Leeds.

Misplacing just five passes throughout the game, he was the constant presence every time Leeds regained possession, but also the key reason for why Richarlison, James Rodriguez, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin had barely any chance to threaten the Leeds goal.

His performances are becoming more and more noticeable to the neutral and there might be a case for making special preparations to ensure he cannot influence the game as well as he does.

This is the view of Jamie Carragher, who believes that Leeds’ next opponents, Chelsea, might need to stifle Phillips to get the result they want.

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher had this to say about Phillips and what Leeds’ opponents need to do when facing Phillips.

“He was fantastic and I have wanted to do this piece for a while really.” The former Liverpool defender stated.

“The way the game is going with most teams playing 4-3-3 or as Everton played at the weekend, 3-4-3, what we are seeing now is front threes in the main rather than front twos.

“What that means is there are no no10s in football now or a second striker to drop off and I think it is always a debate for coaches and managers who stops the opposition’s holding midfield player in that situation and Everton just never got it right all day.

“Whose job is it actually to go and press him? That was something they never got right all day and I’m not sure if someone was designated as such. His passing was fantastic.

“What could Everton have done? When you are at home, it is very difficult to say to your striker to drop on. That might be something you do away from home certainly.

“But when the ball went one side I thought it would be the job of maybe Richarlison to come in and almost make a box around him where you are actually trying to keep them on one side because all Phillips did all day was just switch play.

“It was like a Paul Scholes performance, that’s the best way I could really describe it.

“He had absolutely acres of space, he ran the game from minute one to 90, and when the second half started I expected to see something different from Everton and almost like a plan of how you are going to stop him. But the space around him was unbelievable.

“It is a problem for coaches because of how teams play now, 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 with no no10 in that position.

“But they had to do something to stop him, certainly in the second half.

“If you are coming up against Leeds United, who are brilliant as a team, not just Kalvin Phillips at the weekend, he is going to be a major part of your team talk, exactly the way that Paul Scholes was if you were playing against Manchester United.

“You had to stop Paul Scholes pulling strings in midfield and this lad, that was one of the best performances I have seen from an individual this season and if you come up against him you have got to stop him.”

Everton MotM

Illan Meslier

Illan Meslier

Raphinha

Raphinha

Kalvin Phillips

Kalvin Phillips

Jack Harrison

Jack Harrison
1 of 15

In 1967, goalkeeper Gary Sprake unfortunately gifted Liverpool a goal as he threw the ball into his own net - which defender was he actually aiming for?

Share this article