West Ham: Darren Fletcher gives Kalvin Phillips ‘credit’ for ‘PR exercise’ before Spurs clash
Darren Fletcher says Kalvin Phillips deserves “credit” for spending extra time with West Ham supporters before their 1-1 draw with Tottenham, despite calling it a “PR exercise”.
Phillips earned the ire of Hammers fans after his introduction in their previous game against Newcastle in which David Moyes’ men allowed a 3-1 lead to slip and fell to a 4-3 defeat – in part due to a penalty conceded by the Manchester City loanee.
However, Fletcher, speaking on TNT Sports, praised the midfielder for attempting to repair the rift between himself and the West Ham faithful.
He said: “There is Kalvin Phillips being applauded by the supporters, and he did stop to sign some autographs and have some pictures taken when the others went in.
“I think it was a bit of a PR exercise based on what happened at the weekend, but full credit to him for staying out and doing that and spending a bit of time with the West Ham supporters.”
Kalvin Phillips still has plenty to do to turn his West Ham loan around
Phillips’ signing on loan from Manchester City had the makings of a coup for West Ham, but the midfielder has thus far failed to demonstrate the quality that earned him a move from Leeds United in 2022.
His time at City appears to have dealt his confidence a serious blow, while a lack of regular football has affected his sharpness.
West Ham have won just one game in which he has been involved – a 3-1 victory over Everton in which he came off the bench – and while that cannot solely be attributed to Phillips, it is clear that he has not been able to lift the Hammers in the way Moyes would have hoped when he signed the midfielder.
His substitution for Michail Antonio with the scoreline 3-1 in the Hammers favour against Newcastle – and the side’s subsequent collapse to lose 4-3 after Phillips conceded a penalty – looked like the type of incident that could have broken a player’s relationship with a fanbase irreparably.
As it is, it seems Phillips still has a chance of redeeming himself at the London Stadium – but it is a long road back.
In other West Ham news, a former Hammers player has made it clear who he thinks should shoulder the blame for the defeat against Newcastle.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.