Leeds United’s Premier League campaign so far this season has been turbulent, to say the least. Before the game against Crystal Palace, the Whites had won just two of their last 13 fixtures in the League.
Leeds fans braced themselves for the worst after news broke out of a supposed rift between star man Kalvin Phillips and boss Marcelo Bielsa.
The reports centered around Phillips’ halftime substitution against Brighton, a move regarding which Bielsa stated, “I did what I thought was best.”
The rumours also stem from Phillip’s displeasure about his recent shift to the centre-back position by the Argentine manager. When asked about the reason behind the change, Phillips simply said, “to be honest, I don’t know why he did it.”
Fortunately, fans received signs of respite via the game against Crystal Palace last night. Not only did the game bring out a much-needed victory for the Whites it also reaffirmed the English international’s commitment to his manager. The 25-year-old was back to his preferred position in the midfield and put in a solid performance.
His dedication was evident and it typified with this crunching slide tackle on Conor Gallagher. Phillips came flying in with a perfectly-timed challenge, assuring everybody that he’s willing to put his body on the line for the manager. The tackle was a hit amongst the Leeds faithful, receiving loud cheers from Elland Road.
👊 Proper tackle! @Kalvinphillips pic.twitter.com/SAZ9KfXPJH
— Leeds United (@LUFC) December 1, 2021
If the bone-crunching challenge was not enough as evidence, Phillips put to bed any rumours suggesting a row with Bielsa during the post-match interview as he said, “There’s been a lot of talk about me and the manager falling out. I respect him so much, I’d never fall out with him!”
