Kalvin Phillips has experienced a horrendous start to life at West Ham United, and Michail Antonio thinks he knows exactly why the 28-year-old has endured so many problems.
David Moyes brought Kalvin Phillips to West Ham on loan from Manchester City in January, and Michail Antonio has opened up about his new teammate’s struggles.
The 28-year-old hadn’t started a Premier League game since May before he joined the Hammers, and he has looked painfully off the pace since his swapped Manchester for East London.
However, Moyes apparently has full faith that Man City-owned Phillips will come good for West Ham at some point.
I’m just not too sure about that. The England international midfielder has already cost us dearly numerous times this season, especially during our clashes with Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle.
In seven Premier League appearances for the Hammers so far, he has recorded some really poor stats, via Who Scored:
- 79% pass completion
- 0.6 interceptions per game
- 0.4 clearances per game
- 2 errors leading to goals
- 1 red card
So why has he struggled so badly?
Michail Antonio shares why Kalvin Phillips has struggled
Phillips looks like an absolute shadow of the player who performed so well for Leeds in the Premier League and England at the Euros in 2021.
The 28-year-old clearly isn’t match fit, and he’s probably regretting having joined Manchester City 20 months ago.
But what has his main issue been at the London Stadium?
Antonio told the BBC’s Footballer’s Football Podcast exactly why Phillips how found it such tough going at West Ham so far:
“It’s always confidence, that’s exactly what it is, you don’t lose your ability overnight. Like the gaffer said the other day, we just need to put our arm around him and let him know we all believe in him. That’s what the main part of it is. Obviously fans want you to turn up and just do the job, but life just doesn’t work that way. We haven’t got a big squad so he’s going to get another opportunity. We need the fans to back him instead of getting at him, because right now and at least for the next six weeks, he’s a West Ham player so try to build him so that he can help us, instead of knock him down so that he doesn’t.”
That’s fair enough but I’m sorry, he really shouldn’t have responded to criticism from a fan up at Newcastle last weekend the way he did.
It was unacceptable and unprofessional in every single way. That said, he’s clearly going through a tough time right now, and dragging him over hot coals clearly won’t do anybody any good.
Michail Antonio has made it very clear that Kalvin Phillips is struggling with his confidence right now, and there’s only one way to help him overcome that.
The West Ham fans need to support him and show him that we’re all 100% behind him…as long as he gives his all when he wears the shirt of course.
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