Leeds United may be one of the most highly-praised team units in the Premier League right now but there’s no denying one man sitting in the centre of it all is what makes Marcelo Bielsa’s side tick.
Kalvin Phillips was typically unassuming when asked in his post-match interview after Leeds’ 1-0 win over Everton on Saturday what he made of his own performance on his 150th league start for the club.
“Obviously I’m pleased when we win, but it’s all about the team,” he said. “If the team doesn’t play well, I don’t play well. It comes down to individual efforts but it’s collectively as a team. The manager has talked about that every week.
Kalvin Phillips match stats vs Everton
- Passes – 84 – Most of any player
- Passing accuracy – 95% – Best of any player
- Opposition half passes – 43 – Most of any player
- Possession won – 11 – Most of any player
- Distance run – 12.1km – Furthest of any player
- Long balls – 21 – Most of any player
Stats from Sky Sports & WhoScored
“We haven’t got one really good individual player. We’re a team and we work hard as a team to get results.”
Indeed, Leeds have come to embody the essence of team spirit under Bielsa since the Argentine rocked up at Elland Road at the start of the 2018-19 Championship season.
But Phillips – one feels – is surely aware of the heightened reputation that is falling his way after a string of top-level performances earned him his first England caps earlier this campaign.
It’s hard to emphasise just how important the anchoring midfielder is to this team – but the stats don’t lie. The 24-year-old was first for distance run, passing accuracy and passes in the opposition half during the clash at Goodison Park. It was his positioning in the centre that caused Everton’s midfield all sorts of problems trying to find the isolated Dominic Calvert-Lewin. What’s more, the win was Leeds’ second consecutive clean sheet – they had conceded eight goals in three games during Phillips’ absence with a shoulder injury before that.
This is no surprise and one of the reasons Leeds are looking up the table, rather than down, this season. Keeping an attack like Everton at bay is quite some feat for a side that typically doesn’t concern itself with conceding nearly as much as it does scoring.
Yet Phillips’ display on Merseyside wasn’t the crunch-tackling, chest-thumping, bombastic performance many would associate with the midfield general role. Leeds have had plenty of those down the years – from Vinnie Jones and David Batty through to Sean Derry.
What the academy product does so well is read the play. He made just two tackles in the whole game against Everton, yet persistently intercepted the cross-midfield pass that Allan tried to deliver to the likes of Richarlison and James Rodriguez. It’s soft power, not overt aggression.
Furthermore, Leeds can trust the England international to act fast when in possession. So much of Bielsa’s attacking mindset in nestled in how the team sets up to attack while defending. Yes they remain compact but crucially the players face goal-wards. So, as soon as the ball is won – often by Phillips after a swift press – the trigger goes off and lone striker Patrick Bamford swiftly has three or four men alongside him.
As fans watching on TV – and sadly not in the stands – we notice the sprayed pass out wide to Jack Harrison or Raphinha on the wing, with the Sky Sports camera pulling out and panning across the field to capture the delivery. It’s a trait of Phillips’ that he employed during the Championship and the tactic works here too. As the ball is floating to the winger, the Leeds full-back – usually Luke Ayling – bombs past his man to provide an option when it lands. Leeds can quickly overload on the opposite wing.
It shows not only the vision but also the attacking insight of a central midfielder whose role under previous Leeds managers was restricted to winning the ball back and sitting tight.
Before the game Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness said that while he admired Phillips’ midfield play, he wanted to see more goals from the England anchorman. And yes, the midfielder hasn’t found the net for the Three Lions or Leeds this season – and in fact has managed to score just three times during Bielsa’s reign.
“One obvious criticism, 37 games last year in the Championship, two goals,” Souness said. “I think he is a good striker of the ball, he should be shooting more. Get more goals. Be more of a goal threat. There’s a lot to like about him.”
But as Bielsa would readily point out, the act of scoring is not what Phillips is selected for. He is the ball winner and supplier for his teammates – and that gives the other nine outfield players the opportunity to implement Bielsa’s wider game plan.
While some may argue the very top teams in the Premier League produce goals across the board, Leeds aren’t this team. They don’t need to be. Right now, ensuring the Elland Road club can embed itself back in the Premier League is what is required over anything else. And Phillips – under contract until 2024 – is the sort of root they need to flourish into the future.
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from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/39oQ2nh
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