Nat Baresi
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Very true, but I think the Fabinho effect in the middle was very evident, regardless of whether it was a defender or a midfielder behind him. So many clearances, tackles, interceptions, presses that we were previously getting that left the defence very exposed.
Agree about Jota, but it felt like we created more 'good' chances in this game that others in our spell too.
Next game is Arsenal, it would be nice to put a dent in their growing confidence.
It should be mentioned that Nats form only came from a run in the team, a decision enfoced on Klopp. People would have voiced their critisim for any mistakes in defence if we had played Fab & Henderson in midfield (when available). Having Jota & Fab available is the real difference.
All he does is head
Nat Phillips' unlikely rise to Liverpool cult hero before Real Madrid test
[article]When Liverpool face Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos will not be playing but Nat Phillips will. That latter detail would once have troubled Liverpool supporters but the club's player of the month for March has not just shown that he is good enough, he is proving an asset.
There was an air of desperation at Anfield when the club signed two centre-backs before the transfer deadline but the mood is calmer now. Ben Davies has not been required. Ozan Kabak is growing into the role but only thanks to the presence of Phillips alongside him.
As Jamie Carragher pointed out on Monday Night Football recently, the presence of two inexperienced players at the heart of the defence is a situation usually best avoided.
"I have been in that position myself coming into the team as a young centre-back in the 1990s. When you are a young centre-back, you don't want the fella next to you to be a young centre-back. You want experience but Liverpool are not in a position to have that."
And yet, Kabak and Phillips are making it work.
"Because they are young, they will make mistakes. Not glaring mistakes but just things that I see through my experience. But the great thing is that the other one is always there. When one of them is just out of position, their mate is there to help them.
"That is what playing centre-back is all about. It is not about just having one player who is amazing. You work together."
The pair have now helped to deliver three clean sheets in a row for Liverpool. Their record together stands at four clean sheets out of four in total when the earlier win over Sheffield United is included. The two games in between when they were split up were both lost.
The result is that Liverpool are in with a good chance of a top-four finish again. Hopes even remain of Champions League progression against the 13-time European champions.
Phillips has helped make that possible.
He is an easy guy to root for because opportunities such as the one that will present itself in Madrid on Tuesday are just so unexpected. This is a player who was bound for Swansea in the summer. He was not even in the Champions League squad until February.
"He has made big, big steps," says Jurgen Klopp. Unlike Rhys Williams, Phillips' fellow defender pressed into action because of the club's injury crisis, he is no precocious talent.
In fact, he is not as young as his reputation suggests. At 24, he is not only older than Kabak and Williams but trophy-laden team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez too.
As such, his chance might have passed. He has approached the challenge with the gusto of a man who knows it. Liverpool are used to Rolls-Royce defenders. Now they have a bulldozer, a man who wins his aerial duels and clears the ball when it is there to be cleared.
He does the basics of defending well.
Phillips is getting a block on the ball twice as often as any other Liverpool player this season and that sheer endeavour is making a difference. It was his header against Wolves that led to the winning goal at Molineux. "He is a monster in the air," said Carragher.
Against Arsenal on Saturday, supporters were treated to the sight of him harrying Alexandre Lacazette to help win the ball back deep in the opposition half and storming down the wing.
No Liverpool supporters were in the stadium but if they were they could not show more willingness than Phillips. It is just in his nature. He was doing these things while winning promotion to the Bundesliga with Pellegrino Matarazzo's Stuttgart side last season.
Prior to making his Premier League debut against West Ham in October, Phillips' only experience of senior league football had come in Germany's second tier. "He is a good guy so I am happy for him that he is doing so well at Liverpool," Matarazzo tells Sky Sports.
"It is not a surprise how he has handled this. He is a top character. You cannot get much better as a human being. He is a great guy who is very ambitious. He needed to get his chance but I am not surprised that he has taken that chance."
While pandemic football has not brought the pressure of playing in front of huge Anfield crowds, Phillips is prepared for that too. His last home appearance for Stuttgart before games were played behind closed doors, was a 2-1 win over Bochum in front of 54,302 fans.
Expectations were high. Promotion was demanded and it was delivered, with Phillips playing an important part - on and off the field. "Nat is a great team player," adds Matarazzo.
"He works hard on the pitch. He is a guy who brings the team together, on the field and off the field. He brings a lot of emotion into his game, goes hard into the tackles."
The statistics highlight the importance of his defensive contribution, but there is more to his game. Phillips' passing has been reliable and the responsibility is not new to him. That was an obligation at Stuttgart too. "We had a lot of possession," says Matarazzo.
"I would like to believe he also developed on the field as a footballer during his time here at Stuttgart where we played an offensive style even in the second division."
That development continues. There is still no great expectation that Phillips will establish himself as a Liverpool regular in the long term. Supporters will expect Gomez and Virgil van Dijk to return, notwithstanding any future moves in the transfer market.
But Phillips has been a revelation, nevertheless. He has proven himself at the highest level. More than that, he has all the hallmarks of an enduring Liverpool cult hero. In Madrid on Tuesday evening, Nat Phillips has the chance to take his standing to another level.
[/article]
[article]When Liverpool face Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos will not be playing but Nat Phillips will. That latter detail would once have troubled Liverpool supporters but the club's player of the month for March has not just shown that he is good enough, he is proving an asset.
There was an air of desperation at Anfield when the club signed two centre-backs before the transfer deadline but the mood is calmer now. Ben Davies has not been required. Ozan Kabak is growing into the role but only thanks to the presence of Phillips alongside him.
As Jamie Carragher pointed out on Monday Night Football recently, the presence of two inexperienced players at the heart of the defence is a situation usually best avoided.
"I have been in that position myself coming into the team as a young centre-back in the 1990s. When you are a young centre-back, you don't want the fella next to you to be a young centre-back. You want experience but Liverpool are not in a position to have that."
And yet, Kabak and Phillips are making it work.
"Because they are young, they will make mistakes. Not glaring mistakes but just things that I see through my experience. But the great thing is that the other one is always there. When one of them is just out of position, their mate is there to help them.
"That is what playing centre-back is all about. It is not about just having one player who is amazing. You work together."
The pair have now helped to deliver three clean sheets in a row for Liverpool. Their record together stands at four clean sheets out of four in total when the earlier win over Sheffield United is included. The two games in between when they were split up were both lost.
The result is that Liverpool are in with a good chance of a top-four finish again. Hopes even remain of Champions League progression against the 13-time European champions.
Phillips has helped make that possible.
He is an easy guy to root for because opportunities such as the one that will present itself in Madrid on Tuesday are just so unexpected. This is a player who was bound for Swansea in the summer. He was not even in the Champions League squad until February.
"He has made big, big steps," says Jurgen Klopp. Unlike Rhys Williams, Phillips' fellow defender pressed into action because of the club's injury crisis, he is no precocious talent.
In fact, he is not as young as his reputation suggests. At 24, he is not only older than Kabak and Williams but trophy-laden team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez too.
As such, his chance might have passed. He has approached the challenge with the gusto of a man who knows it. Liverpool are used to Rolls-Royce defenders. Now they have a bulldozer, a man who wins his aerial duels and clears the ball when it is there to be cleared.
He does the basics of defending well.
Phillips is getting a block on the ball twice as often as any other Liverpool player this season and that sheer endeavour is making a difference. It was his header against Wolves that led to the winning goal at Molineux. "He is a monster in the air," said Carragher.
Against Arsenal on Saturday, supporters were treated to the sight of him harrying Alexandre Lacazette to help win the ball back deep in the opposition half and storming down the wing.
No Liverpool supporters were in the stadium but if they were they could not show more willingness than Phillips. It is just in his nature. He was doing these things while winning promotion to the Bundesliga with Pellegrino Matarazzo's Stuttgart side last season.
Prior to making his Premier League debut against West Ham in October, Phillips' only experience of senior league football had come in Germany's second tier. "He is a good guy so I am happy for him that he is doing so well at Liverpool," Matarazzo tells Sky Sports.
"It is not a surprise how he has handled this. He is a top character. You cannot get much better as a human being. He is a great guy who is very ambitious. He needed to get his chance but I am not surprised that he has taken that chance."
While pandemic football has not brought the pressure of playing in front of huge Anfield crowds, Phillips is prepared for that too. His last home appearance for Stuttgart before games were played behind closed doors, was a 2-1 win over Bochum in front of 54,302 fans.
Expectations were high. Promotion was demanded and it was delivered, with Phillips playing an important part - on and off the field. "Nat is a great team player," adds Matarazzo.
"He works hard on the pitch. He is a guy who brings the team together, on the field and off the field. He brings a lot of emotion into his game, goes hard into the tackles."
The statistics highlight the importance of his defensive contribution, but there is more to his game. Phillips' passing has been reliable and the responsibility is not new to him. That was an obligation at Stuttgart too. "We had a lot of possession," says Matarazzo.
"I would like to believe he also developed on the field as a footballer during his time here at Stuttgart where we played an offensive style even in the second division."
That development continues. There is still no great expectation that Phillips will establish himself as a Liverpool regular in the long term. Supporters will expect Gomez and Virgil van Dijk to return, notwithstanding any future moves in the transfer market.
But Phillips has been a revelation, nevertheless. He has proven himself at the highest level. More than that, he has all the hallmarks of an enduring Liverpool cult hero. In Madrid on Tuesday evening, Nat Phillips has the chance to take his standing to another level.
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When VVD wins headers he does it so gracefully like a giant swan.
But when Nat wins a header there's an entire process its not as elegant as VVD more like a Ram but its still satisfying... first that willingness to get into position, then jockeying and then the raw aggression as he puts his head through like he's angry headbutting ram.
My favourites are his crazy torpedo headers like he's just been launched from a nuclear submarine.
When VVD wins headers he does it so gracefully like a giant swan.
But when Nat wins a header there's an entire process its not as elegant as VVD more like a Ram but its still satisfying... first that willingness to get into position, then jockeying and then the raw aggression as he puts his head through like he's angry headbutting ram.
My favourites are his crazy torpedo headers like he's just been launched from a nuclear submarine.
I’m growing to like Nat not because of his improving displays only but it seems he’s a top lad too.
I'm starting to think we should keep Nat, although if an offer of £10m - £15m came in that we could use against a bigger young name then I think it would be a great story all round. Nat would likely be at a club much higher than anticipated (Championship team I reckon) and we get a surprise £10m to subsidise a signing.
Contracted till July 2023..
There was a club decision to let him go at the end of the season..
Not so sure now.. He should remain.. He has a quality which is hard to find in most Defenders.. Just look at Lovren as an example...
Exceptional in the air, and reads the game very well.. He reminds me of Sami Hyppia at times..
He is our best CB at the moment closely followed by Kabak who after a shaky start has been exceptional too.. Watch him closely he is leading the line between him and Kabak..
Favourite moment.. him bombing down the wing against Arsenal..
Purely a WTF moment.. It was a decent low cross too, but I fear no one paid attention from Liverpool as they where like WTF too..
Yeah Philips surprised everyone with that run and cross. It was a decent cross too.
But Sami Hyypia, man...you having a laugh?
He does..
He seems to read the game so well and like Sami lacks pace..
Sami was more technically gifted and cool as you like with last ditch tackles but there are comparisons there to be had... Particulary in the air, which Sami, himself excelled at .
Philips is more of a diet John Terry imo.
Good comparison that tbf.. without the shagging teammates wives/ girlfriends bit..
How do you know he’s not a playa?
Nat’s a bit like Carra. Nothing spectacular but dependable and gets better the more he plays. Definitely worth more than 10M
The Sami comparisons are way too premature. He's good in the air, but I still wouldn't say dominant - there are stats going around showing that he still loses duals and probably wins less than Matip.
I would like to see him getting on the end of corners/free kicks - a truly aerially dominant defender would be getting his big noggin' on the ball in the opposition box too.
I would like to see him getting on the end of corners/free kicks - a truly aerially dominant defender would be getting his big noggin' on the ball in the opposition box too.
Sami Hyppia moved to Holland when he was 22 and had played about 50 games in the Eredivisie when he was 24.
Age wise they might be on a similar trajectory, but a player comparison is way premature to say the least.
Phillips has impressed this season, and must be in the mix to be a CB in our squad next season.
Age wise they might be on a similar trajectory, but a player comparison is way premature to say the least.
Phillips has impressed this season, and must be in the mix to be a CB in our squad next season.
Rhys would look like Van Dijk up there. Pony tail and all.
Can’t wait to see Nat volley in a few goals!
All about the lucky breaks isn't it. Cannot compare players at their age levels without accounting for that.
If not for once in a lifetime set of injuries to our central defenders, we wouldn't be talking about Nat Phillips and Hyppia in the same sentence.
Also, Hyppia not being considered worthy of a contract at Newcastle says a lot more about Newcastle scouting than Hyppia. Maybe that was Hyppia's lucky break? As GH's style of football was pretty much perfect for Hyppia. I don't think he would have looked that good in a Klopp setup.
Not trying to downplay Nat. I really like him and the way he has developed this season. I hope he sticks around. Nat, TAA, Curtis Jones are a very good core group of local youngsters.
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