The emergence of Kalvin Phillips has arguably been the biggest positive for Gareth Southgate’s England side at Euro 2020. The Leeds United midfielder has provided a different dimension to England’s midfield. Phillips’ performance against Croatia saw him boss a world-class midfield that included former Ballon d’Or winner Luka Modric.
His impressive display has posed a huge selection dilemma for Gareth Southgate ahead of their round of 16 clash against Germany. Phillips’ performances have been so good that England have barely missed the absence of Jordan Henderson.
But Henderson’s return has put a huge question mark over the selection of Kalvin Phillips for England’s next match.
Should Kalvin Phillips Start for England in the Upcoming Matches?
Kalvin Phillips: Tournament So Far
Several players have benefitted from the postponement of the Euros, and Kalvin Phillips is one amongst them. He was playing in the Championship for Leeds last season, and his inclusion then would’ve been a long shot. But an impressive season in the Premier League this season has helped propel him into the Euro 2020 squad.
Jordan Henderson’s lack of match fitness meant a dream start against Croatia in the opener for Kalvin Phillips. The 25-year-old proved himself to be a game-changer and helped England outperform a Croatian team that, three years earlier, knocked them out of the 2018 World Cup at the semi-final stage. Phillips played like the piece that was missing for England three years ago. But the two games since have seen Phillips fail to reproduce his form against Croatia.
Phillips Providing a Different Dynamic to the Team
Kalvin Phillips is unlike the other England midfielders. He likes direct approaches more than flamboyant Hollywood passes. The Leeds midfielder enjoys playing against a compact opposition midfield – a trait he learned from the Bielsa school. The 25-year-old is a wrecking ball, a relentless machine with an exceptional ability to break up attacks and provide killer passes.
His spatial awareness and ability in tight spaces make him a midfielder that has long been not seen in English colours. It’s as if Phillips calmest when the space around him gets smaller. But it has been Gareth Southgate’s decision to provide an advanced role in midfield for him that has changed his dimension.
Phillips may be showing statistics well below his Premier League standards, owing to his change in role. But he has proven himself to be a wrecking ball in attack. The midfielder has had far more recoveries while becoming more of a goal threat for England, unlike his defensive role for Leeds. His direct approach and progressive playing style combined with supreme technical skills have made the England midfield a tough nut to crack.
Southgate’s double pivot formation has also utilised Phillips well. Deploying Declan Rice as a defensive midfielder and Phillips as an advanced one has seen the duo form an impressive partnership. Southgate’s safety-first attitude has seen England keep three cleans in the campaign so far.
The Return of Jordan Henderson
One man’s injury is another man’s chance. That has been the case for Kalvin Phillips, who has capitalised on the absence of Jordan Henderson. A groin surgery back in February had kept the Liverpool captain out. Despite recovering from the injury, the 31-year-old was left short of match fitness, prompting Southgate to pick Phillips.
Henderson made his return during England’s 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, coming on as a half-time substitute. He showed a lack of match fitness, but arguably had a better calming influence in midfield than Phillips.
The Liverpool man played his first game in four months and barely put a foot wrong. His game reading ability was in full display as England comfortably managed to win over the Czech Republic. Henderson may not have the athleticism of Phillips, but he has experience on his side. He is the second highest-capped player in the English squad and provides a calming influence in the midfield. Playing in the knockouts needs nerves of steel and playing Germany in the knockouts need even bigger nerves.
Different Approach on the Cards?
Gareth Southgate has earned a name for himself as a pragmatic manager. The 50-year-old has set up his team to defend more rather than taking a risk and playing on the front foot. The approach has seen Southgate win notable victories but without the satisfaction of an entertaining game.
The double-pivot system has so far worked wonderfully for England. The two natural defensive midfielders, Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice, have stifled the opposition in midfield, making it difficult for them to take the upper hand in the middle of the park. Despite its success, the system has also had its own flaws. It has reduced the game time of several of the creative English players, Jude Bellingham being one of them.
Jude Bellingham
Despite his tender age, Bellingham has proven himself adept on the biggest stage. He has established himself as a starter in Germany with Borussia Dortmund and has looked at home in the centre of the park. His Dortmund season has also proven himself capable of handling the physical aspects of the game. He is also capable of doing the dirty work while playing as a holding midfielder.
But what sets him apart from the rest of the English midfielders is his far better creative output. Deploying Bellingham could help England yield a much better attacking threat than Phillips or Rice from midfield.
Declan Rice
It may have come as a surprise to many but Declan Rice could make way for Kalvin Phillips and vice versa. The two players play in the same position and have many similar traits. By deploying the two of them together, England are depriving themselves of a much better attacking threat. Graeme Souness recently compared the situation to that of the age-old Lampard-Gerrard debate.
Despite being very similar, the duo have some distinctive features. While Phillips is a better passer and has marginally better defensive stats than Rice, the latter is a better reader of the game and has a marginally better aerial presence. Picking any one of them instead of both could improve England’s offensive threat.
Tough Decision
Whoever might be Gareth Southgate’s selection against Germany, he will have a big task in hand. But, the emergence of Kalvin Phillips has posed a bigger headache to Southgate than what many imagined.
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