Kalvin Phillips: Premier League Player Watch - The Coaches’ Voice 9/9/21
Comparisons with the great Andrea Pirlo may remain
premature, but a demonstration of the rare blend Kalvin Phillips’ abilities
represent came when he was selected by Gareth Southgate to play for England
before he had ever featured in the Premier League. He is perhaps the most
naturally gifted passer of the ball suited to playing as a defensive midfielder
since Michael Carrick, oddly so often overlooked by Southgate’s predecessors,
and contributes so much composure and vision from midfield for Leeds.
“The position he plays is a position where we need
competition for places,” said Southgate, once forced to deputise in midfield
for England long after having established himself in central defence, of
Phillips. “The way that he plays the role and the way that he has been coached
in the role is clear to see.”
Tactical analysis
Phillips is a defensive midfielder with both a superb
passing range and tactical awareness. He correctly times when to withdraw into
a deeper position to assist his teammates’ attempts to build possession in the
defensive third – particularly when he is selected as a single pivot at the
base of midfield – and, because of his stamina, is equally capable of
consistently offering movements across the pitch to create forward passing
options and resist being screened.
His availability to receive contributes to his passing
range, because of the technique that makes him capable of playing with few
touches and to combine and build while receiving the ball or under intense
pressure. He breaks lines from central territory and does so while accurately
finding those withdrawing into a deeper position or making forward runs. The
speed with which those passes – both long-range and when switching play – are
executed represents a further strength, and is complemented by the extent to
which the timing of his release has improved since first reaching the Premier
League in 2020 at the age of 24.
Phillips similarly convincingly manages the tempo of the
more immediate combinations he contributes to, often drawing defenders to one
side of the pitch and, because of his awareness of his surroundings and
therefore his teammates’ positioning and the pressure bound for his first
touch, doing so effectively. He, in turn, quickly changes his body shape to
switch from a more open stance, often drawing further opponents towards him
because of their struggles to adjust to his movements (below).
His understanding of movements – he offers numerous,
quality, off-the-ball contributions – positioning and spaces makes him
effective at stopping counters, particularly when in a central position. He
often recovers possession by intelligently predicting where loose balls will
arrive and making interceptions (below), and by anticipating his opponents’
movements.
For all that him making interceptions and collecting loose
ball is more common, he also remains effective at duelling for possession –
likely because of his experience of featuring in defence. Despite being far
from tall, he is competent at challenging for aerial balls – largely because of
his ability to predict the flight of passes – and often seeks to control them
via his chest and using his quality as a ball player instead of heading it
elsewhere.
Role at Leeds
Phillips most consistently features at the base of midfield
in the 4-3-3 (below) Marcelo Bielsa most regularly organises Leeds into. He
links from defence and into attack, where their attacking central midfielders
advance to to join their front three, and as a consequence has both time and
space in which to operate and vary his movements to receive. Opponents aware of
his importance often attempt to negate his influence by man-marking him, so
when they do so he draws them away from the ball so that another teammate can
move into his position and instead contribute to their attempts to build play.
On the occasions that 4-3-3 is under less pressure, Phillips
assists with wider combinations, receiving from their full-backs before playing
first-time passes through the inside channels; Leeds’ fluid movements ahead of
the ball involve their attacking central midfielders and wide forwards moving
to receive those passes. The width of their full-backs also means Phillips
withdrawing into or in front of central defence to receive the ball.
Bielsa’s favoured wider combinations tempt pressure from
opposing attacking players, so Phillips adopts positions that make him capable
of supporting the ball without sacrificing his ability to freely receive.
Should that pressure increase, Phillips’ potential to combine in limited spaces
regardless helps them to progress possession out of their defensive half. His
one-twos and third-man runs around Leeds’ full-backs also prove valuable when
they do so with width.
On the occasions Bielsa instead oversees a 3-3-1-3, Phillips
has featured either as their most withdrawn midfielder or in their back three
(below), where he excels in breaking lines from deep positions and into his
attacking teammates. In the moments opponents change their pressing strategy to
adjust to that, Phillips’ versatility means his play from central defence
instead focuses on starting, instead of assisting, Leeds’ wider combinations.
If the most central figure in their back three, his aerial
ability is more intensely tested. He, regardless, defends in a more reserved
manner because of Bielsa’s desire for him to cover behind their midfield three,
from where he delays attacks and waits for support instead of risking
committing to challenges against fast attackers.
It is when he is selected as the defensive midfielder in
their 4-3-3 that he is so important to preventing the counters so many
opponents attempt because of Leeds’ ability to often have the greater share of
possession. Phillips covers the three central lanes particularly well,
increasing his fellow central midfielders’ freedom to contribute to the
expansive movements Bielsa demands in the attacking half.
