Player Watch - Ashley Phillips

[DogsOfWar]

The first time Romero was injured I was all for Phillips playing after watching him against Peterborough and Cambridge.
He's good in the air, fairly pacy, comfortable on the ball, read the game well, and had that aura/confidence about him that made him look like he belonged there.

But there is an element of risk playing him.

Not for me sitting behind my keyboard, but for Ange.
If he plays Emerson/Dier and they cost us the players get the blame and/or Levy for not getting in a senior replacement.
But if Phillips costs us the blame hits the manager for gambling on youth.

Other positions you can get away with it but CBs and keepers are much higher risk positions and there is no place to hide.

And, whilst it's easy for me to say I'd play Phillips knowing the worst I'd get is a couple of dislikes on here, I can understand why Ange would want to be 100% sure before doing so as he's got to face Levy, the entire countries press/media, and hundreds of thousands of fans over his decision.

 

[archiewasking]

Official site says he's injured? So it's going to be Dier or Royal.

 

[mil1lion]

Official site says he's injured? So it's going to be Dier or Royal.

Where? The team news doesn't mention him

 

[philll]

Ange spoke at length about him in the press conference (well, he answered a specific question about him) and said he's available.

Edit - the only team news I see on the site says nothing about Phillips...

Defender Cristian Romero is now sidelined with a hamstring strain and misses out tonight.

Left-back Destiny Udogie returns from suspension but James Maddison, Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon, Manor Solomon, Rodrigo Bentancur and Micky van de Ven are long-term absentees and remain out of action.

 

[soflapaul]

We see time and time again at all sorts of clubs, not just Spurs, how young players brought into makeshift teams have a bad experience and then quickly get phased out and forgotten because they didn't take their chance - and the chance they got was an unfair one on them.

That's why I completely agree that throwing a Phillips or Dorrington into the mix if the rest of the XI is more or less our best team makes way more sense, and would be far better for their development, than giving them a debut in a makeshift, ragtag outfit like we'll be playing tonight.

In a team that has an ordinary mindset, you couldn't be more right. That may not apply equally as well though in this case. Ange's philosophy is for players to "just play". And if he brough Ashley on tonight, you know he'd take him aside and say "just play mate if you make a mistake, it's on me." That's the antidote to the curse of the traditional inauspicious start .

Ange (and therefore we) would/should expect some mistakes. We aren't at our final destination nor is Ashley. Winding ourselves up pre-game by staking definitive claims on who should it be only results in a bunch of "told you so's" after the game from one side of the argument.

With that said, to me the decision of Royal vs Ashley comes down to a balance of how strong our midfield is in front of him to reduce exposure as well as be available for passes vs balls in the air. It's less than ideal but i'll trust this coaching staff to make the best decision they can.

 

[archiewasking]

Where? The team news doesn't mention him

It says so on this site. Front page news, Brighton vs Spurs team news.

 

[easley91]

It says so on this site. Front page news, Brighton vs Spurs team news.

The official website has been updated as of today and does not mention Phillips.

Brighton vs Spurs | How to watch, team news, kit colours, key information | Tottenham Hotspur

We have a chance to move back into the top four if we can claim victory at Brighton & Hove Albion this evening (Thursday 28 December).

www.tottenhamhotspur.com

 

[archiewasking]

The official website has been updated as of today and does not mention Phillips.
View attachment 135773

Brighton vs Spurs | How to watch, team news, kit colours, key information | Tottenham Hotspur

We have a chance to move back into the top four if we can claim victory at Brighton & Hove Albion this evening (Thursday 28 December).

www.tottenhamhotspur.com

That explains it! Sorry all!

 

[jpascavitz]

"Ashley Phillips has joined Championship side Plymouth Argyle on loan for the remainder of the season.

Good luck, Ash! "

 

[mr ashley]

"Ashley Phillips has joined Championship side Plymouth Argyle on loan for the remainder of the season.

Good luck, Ash! "

Positive news and suggests we are closer to a cb incoming

 

[Col_M]

"Ashley Phillips has joined Championship side Plymouth Argyle on loan for the remainder of the season.

Good luck, Ash! "

INTERESTING......

Morgan Whitaker plays fro them, their striker. I wonder.

 

[Styopa]

Positive news and suggests we are closer to a cb incoming

Yeah surely letting him go on loan because we are confident of a new new CB soon.

 

[Col_M]

Positive news and suggests we are closer to a cb incoming

do you think so? We played 4 FBs and never used him.

 

[luRRka]

"Ashley Phillips has joined Championship side Plymouth Argyle on loan for the remainder of the season.

Good luck, Ash! "

They have the 3rd worst goals conceded in the championship so could be a good yard stick come the end of his loan. (Obviously he can't single handedly stop them conceding but interesting nonetheless)

 

[marion52]

Let’s hope they actually play him!

 

[luRRka]

do you think so? We played 4 FBs and never used him.

But one of those fullbacks is now injured and Ange has confirmed Dier can go

 

[Styopa]

do you think so? We played 4 FBs and never used him.

But with Davies now injured we’re even starting to run out of full backs to play there!

 

[yojambo]

Good move. Pretty sure new Plymouth manager Ian Foster may have worked with him at England youth level.

 

[mil1lion]

But one of those fullbacks is now injured and Ange has confirmed Dier can go

Davies is injured but VdV and Sess are back, Romero not far behind so I don't see it personally. Phillips never played and we also have Dorrington so I don't think this is linked to an incoming. Not that we won't bring one in of course.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Davies is injured but VdV and Sess are back, Romero not far behind so I don't see it personally. Phillips never played and we also have Dorrington so I don't think this is linked to an incoming. Not that we won't bring one in of course.

I am not sure Sess is really back, and I don't think that has much impact on CBs (or LBs).

I do think this is more an indication that Phillips wasn't going to play much - no matter who was here, and he needs to play, hence the loan to a Championship side.

I think this also explains why Royal was preferred at CB - if Phillips' current level is still Championship level. (This is not to say that Phillips won't develop - just that he is not ready for PL football right now)