West Ham United: Ally McCoist shares new Kalvin Phillips-England verdict after what he’s done
Ally McCoist believes Kalvin Phillips needs to forget about getting back into the England team and focus on performing for West Ham.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Tuesday (27 February), the pundit said he doesn’t believe the 28-year-old is ever going to “hit the ground running” with the Hammers due to his lack of match practice at Manchester City before making the loan switch to the London Stadium.
He added that there is an “awful lot of pressure” on the England international after enduring a disappointing opening few weeks with the Irons, but that his focus must be on performing at club level before thinking about being called up to Gareth Southgate’s next squad.
“I don’t think he’s ever going to hit the ground running,” said McCoist. “When I say hit the ground running, he’s not going to be in peak form because of the lack of match practice.
“I’m looking at him just now, I think there’s an awful lot of pressure on him on his own personal performances now.
“Forget about getting back in Gareth’s squad and things like that, he has got to start performing for West Ham.”
Kalvin Phillips could still be a success at West Ham
It’s far too early to be writing Phillips off at West Ham just yet despite him having an extremely difficult start to life at the London Stadium.
It isn’t a massive surprise that he’s looked off the pace after barely playing for Man City in the 18 months before joining the Hammers on loan.
The problem for the midfielder, however, is that his one-game suspension following the red card he picked up against Nottingham Forest could have set him back even further.
There is a lot of pressure on the Englishman to succeed with the Irons over the next few months to ensure he earns a place in the national team for the upcoming European Championships.
But the only way he can help his cause is by getting his head down, building his fitness up and putting in some solid performances for us throughout the rest of the season.
In other West Ham news, a Sky Sports pundit has blasted the Hammers fans after what they did to Moyes.
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