The Manchester City Coaches Believed that Romeo Lavia Would Be a Better Fit for Their Team than Kalvin Phillips
According to a report, Manchester City coaches privately compared how Romeo Lavia would fit into their team, as opposed to Kalvin Phillips, just a few training sessions after he arrived from Leeds United.
As Lavia began to immediately impress during his time at St Mary’s Stadium, many wondered if City had made a mistake in letting him go and signing Phillips in the same summer of 2022.
At the time, the now Chelsea star showed signs that he could become one of the best in the world in his position.
Manchester City coaches felt that Romeo Lavia was more suited to their team than Kalvin Phillips
While others believed that Lavia was just as talented, Phillips only needed a settling in season to establish himself at City.
According to The Athletic, it took only a few training sessions for Manchester City coaches to privately conclude that Romeo Lavia would have been better suited to the demands of a defensive midfielder.
More details suggest that Pep Guardiola demanded that the £42 million man (The Guardian) slow the game down when receiving the ball from the goalkeeper, which he struggled to do consistently, one of the main reasons why he was frequently placed on the bench.
Especially at Southampton, Lavia showed that he was an extremely press-resistant midfielder.
Romeo Lavia being better suited than the Englishman is not much of a surprise
Having joined Manchester City at 16, Romeo Lavia had more experience in understanding their tactical demands than Kalvin Phillips.
Ultimately, the Belgian international was aided by learning the basics of the game during his debut season at Southampton.
Kalvin Phillips, on the other hand, was thrown into the deep end from day one, having to adapt to Pep Guardiola’s system while also competing with Rodri for the starting spot, challenges that Romeo Lavia did not have to face.
As a result, it’s not surprising that the Etihad Stadium coaches made their assessment when looking at the developmental context of both players.