12 Jul 2023 09:59:19
Nat Phillips potentially going to Leeds for £8.5 million. Good business for us, but isn't it strange the way clubs work?

If Leeds had signed him last season, they would probably still be in the Premier League. He's a decent defender, and they don't have one. £30 million plus on several nothing signings and they could've sorted their defence out for comparatively cheap.

1.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 10:21:36
An absolute bargain for them a complete warrior of a defender. Thanks for filling in so brilliantly when called upon, I hope he smashes it at Leeds!

2.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 10:33:56
Someone to whom I genuinely wish the best of luck. Nat Phillips never let us down and was always ready to come in and give his best.
Though I think we priced him out of a move previously, £8.5m seems too cheap for now.

3.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 10:47:26
I thought Nat would stay tbh. At least this ends the debate about who leave between Matip and Gomez to make room for a new CB. The answer is now probably neither ?

Wish him all the best though. He saved our 20/ 21 season when almost no other CB was tough enough to ride out the curse!

4.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 11:00:08
Good luck to the lad, a genuine old school ‘club man’ but despite giving him heroic names like ‘warrior’, the truth is that he just isn’t quite good enough. If he was he would be a starter for us or a top PL side, which he isn’t. He did a great job for us when our 4 ‘top’ CBs were out injured but the writing was on the wall when the others returned to fitness.

The odd thing is, he’s a really good defender but that’s just not enough these days for CBs in the modern game.

5.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 11:07:28
He should have been allowed to leave 2 years ago. Good luck to him.

6.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 11:10:25
Yep good luck to him. I think he's good enough to make his way back to the Premier League and get himself in a few England squads. If Coady and Mings can do it so can he.

7.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 11:38:02
Mk, Matip still needs to go imo if we can get a fee for him or we lose him on a free next season?

8.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 12:02:54
8.5 mill plus his wages off the books! Take it and move on.

9.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 12:06:14
£8.5 million is certainly cheap enough. He has hung around long enough. I think he will relish the battle of the Championship and no one will ever forget THAT Cruff turn at the San Siro ?.

10.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 12:07:27
I remember him coming on once when matip was injured. Straight away he was the most aggressive and confident defender on the pitch.

11.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 11:54:26
Good luck to Phillips at Leeds. Served well when called upon, and yes, agreed that he should have been allowed to leave at least a year ago. But he signed the extension so he knew what he was doing.

I hope Matip is moved on. Don't want him to walk away on a free next summer. But knowing Klopp, it may be his way of thanking players for loyalty and service.

The Phillips sale tells me we're close to Schuurs. I hope I'm right.

12.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 12:21:44
To be honest Pegleg, i've always said we should only be looking to move on a couple more first team players. When you look at players who were part of the senior group of players last season a lot are gone already. Carvalho, Ramsay, Arthur, Milner, Keita, Ox and Firmino is 7 players. Although none brought in transfer fees, that must be close to £700k a week off the wage bill. Phillips and it looks like probably Thiago going too could make that up to 9 players departing and push that up to nearly £1m a week off the wage bill. That's quite a big clear out in one go. Considering the guys we've signed and the 1 or 2 more we're linked with won't even earn salaries totalling half of that between them!

People know who my 2 choices to sell were so i don't want to reopen that wound as it's been done to death. But Phillips and Thiago are looking likely to go so I'd shut the flood gates behind them. No need to over do it and then leave ourselves short. 9 out, 3/ 4 in. Job done. If we need to raise more funds then we should sell the likes of Morton, Williams and van Berg who weren't even in the squad last season. Just my humble opinion though mate.

13.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 12:51:19
Philips did his best when ever he was called upon!
He never said he was a superstar he just did what he could and got us a champs league spot!
Will always get a warm welcome if he ever returns against us!
Hope he gets his move and revives his career at a massive club like Leeds!
All the best Nat ??.

14.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 13:38:09
Understand what you’re saying MK, I’m just sick of losing bit part players for free when they should’ve been moved on a few seasons ago.

15.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 13:57:03
No that is fair enough Pegleg. This changing of the guard should've started 3 years ago. Strengthen whilst you're on top and all that. We missed a trick though and now i'm just a bit worried in case we do too much at once and end up in a mess like Chelsea with loads of disillusioned players and a lack of experience and leadership at the club.

But your point is valid. If we sold Matip we'd get a small fee and his salary off the books. What it boils down to is do we think Matip's contribution to the team on and off the pitch is worth that money for an extra season out of him. It is a more than fair argument to say "no" and had we not already lost 7-9 players I'd be in the same camp as you. My thought process is how much experience do we take out the dressing room in one hit without it being damaging. It's completely subjective at the end of the day and i fully understand and respect your reasoning mate.

16.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 13:43:57
The kid deserves a shot a a professional career. Happy he played his heart out for us when we needed it. He will always be rememberd for his bravery and desire to win during that disaster of a season. Good luck, man.

17.) 12 Jul 2023
12 Jul 2023 16:19:13
Best of luck to him. Would have preferred he stay than an aging and injury prone Matip but he deserves a chance to prove himself. In a team that sits deep I think he’ll be an absolute monster defender.
Still think we can loose Matip though if we bring another CB in. No need for more than 4 first team CB’s in my opinion.