Post For Phillips

[Robbored]

I posted this on another thread but its relevent to this one as well - Phillips has done his job on many occaisions and pulled off some stunning saves along the way.No-ones argueing with that.

But.....He's also failed to his job on many occaisions as well when he's flapped at crosses,caused panic in the defence with his inconsistant decision making,dived over ball,let it go through his hands into the net and then blamed the ball,failed to hold onto routine shots and allow the opposition to tap in the rebound....shall I go on?

The bottom line is that Phillips has taken umbrage at being dropped and since Basso has come in and done reasonably well it doesn't look as if Phillips will get his place back unless Basso gets injured or suspended.That said the word on the street is that Johnson is interested in signing Chris Weale from Yeovil and there not enough room in the squad for three 'keepers....

[Sim]

I would keep him. Quality shot stopper and with a decent defence to assist defending arial balls into the box, he is as good as they get in this div.

Anyhow, even the very best goalies don't go for big money and it is unlikely that anyone as good as him will come to mount a realistic challenge for the first team. I don't think we would see much money coming in, especially now that he isn't a regular starter.

[grebes]

I would like to see both basso and Phillips fighting for a place in the starting line up, but I cannot imagine Phillips being prepared to sit on the bench. We might need to have a younger up and coming goalie as a number two.

I think Phillips is an excellent goalie, but Basso really does deserve his place at the moment.

[Guest I bleed red 'n' white]

make a poll (i don't know how) on whether stevie or jesus loves you should go in goal

[havanatopia]

of who ive seen this season hes the best shotstopper in L1

cripes, imagine if he had not been in goal for most of this season then. I reckon swansea match could have been a creamy dozen and our goal diff would have been a whole lot worse.

i bow to the superior knowledge of our gaffer though quite frankly.

[Nogbad the Bad]

Anyhow, even the very best goalies don't go for big money and it is unlikely that anyone as good as him will come to mount a realistic challenge for the first team.

The Brentford keeper who went to Southampton - Paul Smith - cost well over 500k. i think -and he too was rated one of the best at our level.

I'd expect 300k+ minimum for Phillips, rising depending on the level of the paying club.

Perhaps one of the reasons he's not playing is that a deal has already been agreed and he won't get injured to jeopardise it?

I'm past having favourites - If for whatever reason Phillips doesn't fit into GJ's plans and a replacement has been lined up, plus City will have cash to strengthen, so be it.

I too expect Weale to be here within the next 3 weeks.

[RedTauntonian]

I'd definatly keep phillips, but the way that Basso has been performing of late, then i really can't see him getting back in the starting 11 unless Basso gets injured.

[tin]

At the end of the day, Phillips has given great service over the years and people seem to forget that he's been voted into the PFA team of the year, voted for by the players, twice in his time here and been behind one of the meanest defence's we've had over a consistent amount of time.

He should definately be retained, regardless of his reaction to being dropped, and until Basso proves himself over a long time then Stevie is most definately our undisputed number One IMO.

[ajs202]

Basso sees City as a way of getting to the premiership, kick starting his career in england and if not mistaken he said this when he joined, he wants a good season here and to move at the end of the season! Phillips stay, prove your worth!!

[tin]

Basso sees City as a way of getting to the premiership,

[Pete1975Legend]

hes been here a long time and done alot of good things for this football club and dosent deserve to be dropped to a keeper who been here less than 2 months

Look at Liverpool Dudek European Cup winner his position taken by Reina they only just signed him. So your arguement has no substance. I think Basso has played really well and should think about selling Phillips for cash and bring someone else in.

[Guest Harry Dolman]

Bristol City fans have to be about the most fickle and ungrateful fans in the world. How many times has he saved us? Hundreds. He's made mistakes, but so will anyone, including Basso.

Phillips has been a great servant of the club, and I don't think that its the fact that he has been dropped, but more of how it was done that annoyed Steve.

Johnson said allsorts to him that was never going to benefit anybody, which I think is wrong. That said, Phillips should knuckle down and try to win his place back. (For the record I think Steve could improve no end, and be twice the goalkeeper, in theory, and GJ wouldn't give him his place back, because GJ is a manager with his favourites, and doesn't strike me as someone who would ever admit he's worng; see 9 losing streak for details.)

Phillips is finished at this club, and Basso and his fanboys are living in a drea world if they think come January he'll be Number One. We'll have one of Yeovil's keepers I'd imagine, but it won't be Basso.

Phillips is one of the best keepers in this division, there is no getting away from that fact, I can only name 2 or 3 better. I want Steve to stay, but I think he is gone.

Out of interest, how do you know that "Johnson said all sorts to him" ?? All I have heard Johnson say to him is a) offering him massive encouragement from the sidelines when Phillips came for a cross (something Johnson had clearly encourged him to do, I mean the audacity of it, a manager trying to get a player to improve , b) that he was at fault for goals against Southend & Notts Co (which to anyone who had seen those goals is purely a statement of fact) & c) that he would benefit from competition - again a statement of fact.

If a team is struggling & conceding lots of goals, eventually it will get to the keeper & they start making errors (it has happened to the hitherto excellant Kelvin Davis @ Sunderland this year). Inevitably the keeper than gets dropped - quite simply if the team is on a poor run, the last thing they need is the keeper giving away cheap goals. This rarely signals the end for the keeper - they get their head down, work hard & wait for the other keeper to get injd, suspended or lose form.

Of course the alternative to that is to have a hissy fit & tell all & sundry how dreadfully you have been treated........