Kalvin Phillips is going to have to develop a “thick skin” and “broad shoulders” if he’s to thrive under Marcelo Bielsa, according to Phil Hay.
The Yorkshire Evening Post correspondent explained on the newspaper’s Inside Elland Road podcast (2:55) that the midfield anchorman has been sent the clear message he’s going to have get used to being the fall guy.
Phillips was withdrawn 34 minutes into Leeds’ 2-1 defeat to Millwall last Saturday after being taken off 28 minutes into their 2-2 draw at Swansea City last month.
“A real kick in the teeth for Phillips,” Hay said. “It’s rare for lighting to strike once like that and extremely unusual to happen twice. I think it does tell him he’s going to have to have thick skin and broad shoulders this season because Bielsa’s evidently going to do that when things go wrong.”
OPINION
If the first seven weeks of the season are anything to go by, Phillips is going to need the hide of a rhino while Bielsa is calling the shots. The manager has humiliated the midfielder twice already by hooking him at around the half-hour in high profile league fixtures. Some see this as evidence of expert problem-solving by the Argentine, who spotted what he felt was a flaw in Leeds’ set-up and moved to sort it quickly and early. It paid dividends against Swansea, as United came from behind to claw back a point, but did not work as well against Millwall. The question is, what are the potential ramifications in terms of Phillips’ mind-set? Is the Leeds academy product going to be willing to run through a brick wall for a manager who has twice throw him under the bus in a month? Or, could Bielsa have alienated a player he regards as vital to the way Leeds play and who has started all nine of the team’s league matches this season?