Manchester City fans turned on ONE player following their pre-season defeat to Celtic last night.
Manchester City started their United States tour with a loss to Celtic, who won 4-3 in North Carolina.
Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn scored twice, with Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma also finding the net for the Scottish champions.
Oscar Bobb, Maximo Perrone, and Erling Haaland scored for Manchester City. Jack Grealish, Rico Lewis, and James McAtee were in action for City, alongside Kalvin Phillips, who had a loan spell at West Ham United last season.
Phillips struggled to make an impact, making only eight Premier League appearances for West Ham. He failed to impress upon his return to City, leading to criticism from fans on social media about his performance in midfield.
Manchester City fans also expressed their preference for Maximo Perrone over Kalvin Phillips, suggesting the Argentine deserves more playing time than the Englishman.
One fan on X platform commented, “Just 1 minute in and I’m reminded how poor Kalvin Phillips is.”
Another tweeted, “Phillips is so ineffective in tight spaces that he makes Erling Haaland look like Xavi.”
A third supporter stated, “Pep should give Perrone more opportunities instead of Kalvin Phillips. Perrone is a fantastic player!”
And another fan remarked, “Perrone really deserves more minutes on the field. He’s incredibly talented!”
Phillips was substituted at halftime, but Pep Guardiola clarified that it was a planned decision. “He’s been training very well and had a good first half,” Guardiola explained. “He’s returning from injury, which is why we limited his minutes. We’ll assess the situation as it develops.”
Despite being excluded from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024, the 28-year-old has faced challenges in maintaining form. Since his £42 million transfer from Leeds United in July 2022, Phillips has struggled for consistent playing time at Manchester City.
There have been discussions about Kalvin Phillips potentially leaving Etihad Stadium this summer.
