West Ham manager remains confident in Phillips’ ability despite recent struggles.
David Moyes has expressed no concerns over a potential fan backlash towards Kalvin Phillips following the England international’s confrontation with a supporter after West Ham’s loss to Newcastle on Saturday. The 28-year-old, who has struggled for form since his loan move from Manchester City in January, was involved in a frustrating incident where he conceded a penalty moments after coming on as a substitute, which led to Newcastle’s dramatic 4-3 comeback.
Despite the mistake, which was part of a series of costly errors since joining the Hammers, Phillips was heckled by fans outside the team bus after the match. A video surfaced on social media showing the midfielder responding by raising his middle finger to the crowd after being called “useless.”
Moyes, however, is not concerned about Phillips’ relationship with West Ham supporters and said, “I’m not worried one bit, no,” when asked if he feared any backlash.
The West Ham manager, who has always supported Phillips, may need to rely on him in the upcoming London derby against Tottenham, as star midfielder Edson Alvarez will serve the second match of his two-game suspension. Moyes stressed the importance of supporting players even when they are struggling: “Sometimes when people are not playing so well, they need support, and they need everybody to get behind them. Let’s hope we can change his luck and his form between now and the end of the season.”
Moyes had previously warned that Phillips would need time to adjust to first-team football after a prolonged period of limited game time under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. With just eight Premier League games remaining and a crucial Europa League quarter-final tie against Bayer Leverkusen, Phillips’ time to make a significant impact is running out. Nevertheless, Moyes remains confident in the midfielder’s abilities.
“The players have to show the manager when they get the opportunity,” Moyes said. “Kalvin Phillips is a really good player. He has not quite found it, but we hope that we will in the weeks and months to come. We’ll continue to use him if we need him.”
