Cardiff City should raid Blackpool for Matt Phillips
Mon Jul 15, 2013 12:33 pm
Does he not know Matty Phillips could be out for the first few months of the season?
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ?#comments
After missing out on top target Tom Ince last week, our Bluebirds Banter blogger Scott Johnson says Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay should bid for his team-mate Matt Phillips
Without hesitation, Malky Mackay should return to Blackpool with an offer for Matt Phillips, who would be far from a booby prize after the disappointment of being knocked back by Tom Ince.
Phillips might not be as trendy as Ince at present, but that just demonstrates how quickly players go in and out of fashion.
Less than a year ago, Southampton had a £5m bid knocked back for Phillips, prompting him to hand in a transfer request.
He currently has less than 12 months remaining on his current deal, so would presumably command a fee of around half what the Saints offered.
If 21-year-old Ince is worth £8m, then the 22-year-old Phillips is certainly the Moneyball alternative.
A Wycombe Wanderers academy graduate, he won the League Two Apprentice of the Year award before joining Blackpool in 2008.
He has received rave reviews for the Tangerines since Mackay had an ambitious £800,000 offer rejected and ridiculed by Blackpool boss Ian Holloway in January 2012.
"I think they were a little bit ambitious there,” Holloway claimed at the time.
“If he goes anywhere it'll be one of the top five clubs in the country. He won't have to wait for Cardiff to become that, so slightly ambitious, slightly outrageous.”
Injury restricted his influence during 2012/13, although he appeared to be back to his best in the final few weeks of the campaign.
Current manager Paul Ince is also clearly a big fan of the Scottish international.
"There was obviously a potential move for Matty at the start of the season but he didn't go. I think that knocked him back a little," Ince explained towards the end of last season.
"Then he got injured and it was a case of coming in and trying to pick up the pieces.
"I think you can see in the last couple of games that he's growing more confident, getting more shots off and putting himself in positions where he can score goals. "He didn't have the confidence to do that before.
"He will be a Premier League player one day, I believe that.
"He has all the assets to be a top Premier League player. I've never seen a player strike the ball as well as he does. I think a confident Matty Phillips will play in the Premier League. And he's getting there.”
Phillips remains one of the best players outside of the Premier League and you would imagine he would jump at the chance to make the step up to the top flight.
He would also walk in to the current Cardiff side. A broken arm sustained recently may see him miss the start of the season, but that need not deter Malky.
Interest in Tom Ince is likely to intensify in the coming weeks, so there is no time to waste if Cardiff are to pursue Phillips.
It is unlikely that Blackpool will allow both to leave, so a prompt pursuit would appear necessary.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foot ... ?#comments
After missing out on top target Tom Ince last week, our Bluebirds Banter blogger Scott Johnson says Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay should bid for his team-mate Matt Phillips
Without hesitation, Malky Mackay should return to Blackpool with an offer for Matt Phillips, who would be far from a booby prize after the disappointment of being knocked back by Tom Ince.
Phillips might not be as trendy as Ince at present, but that just demonstrates how quickly players go in and out of fashion.
Less than a year ago, Southampton had a £5m bid knocked back for Phillips, prompting him to hand in a transfer request.
He currently has less than 12 months remaining on his current deal, so would presumably command a fee of around half what the Saints offered.
If 21-year-old Ince is worth £8m, then the 22-year-old Phillips is certainly the Moneyball alternative.
A Wycombe Wanderers academy graduate, he won the League Two Apprentice of the Year award before joining Blackpool in 2008.
He has received rave reviews for the Tangerines since Mackay had an ambitious £800,000 offer rejected and ridiculed by Blackpool boss Ian Holloway in January 2012.
"I think they were a little bit ambitious there,” Holloway claimed at the time.
“If he goes anywhere it'll be one of the top five clubs in the country. He won't have to wait for Cardiff to become that, so slightly ambitious, slightly outrageous.”
Injury restricted his influence during 2012/13, although he appeared to be back to his best in the final few weeks of the campaign.
Current manager Paul Ince is also clearly a big fan of the Scottish international.
"There was obviously a potential move for Matty at the start of the season but he didn't go. I think that knocked him back a little," Ince explained towards the end of last season.
"Then he got injured and it was a case of coming in and trying to pick up the pieces.
"I think you can see in the last couple of games that he's growing more confident, getting more shots off and putting himself in positions where he can score goals. "He didn't have the confidence to do that before.
"He will be a Premier League player one day, I believe that.
"He has all the assets to be a top Premier League player. I've never seen a player strike the ball as well as he does. I think a confident Matty Phillips will play in the Premier League. And he's getting there.”
Phillips remains one of the best players outside of the Premier League and you would imagine he would jump at the chance to make the step up to the top flight.
He would also walk in to the current Cardiff side. A broken arm sustained recently may see him miss the start of the season, but that need not deter Malky.
Interest in Tom Ince is likely to intensify in the coming weeks, so there is no time to waste if Cardiff are to pursue Phillips.
It is unlikely that Blackpool will allow both to leave, so a prompt pursuit would appear necessary.
Re: Cardiff City should raid Blackpool for Matt Phillips
Mon Jul 15, 2013 12:46 pm
If Dave Jones was incharge, we may well have gone for someone with a broken arm 
Re: Cardiff City should raid Blackpool for Matt Phillips
Mon Jul 15, 2013 1:03 pm
Good player but out injured for 3 months so would he pass a medical ?
Re: Cardiff City should raid Blackpool for Matt Phillips
Mon Jul 15, 2013 3:11 pm
Double G wrote:Good player but out injured for 3 months so would he pass a medical ?
I question that too.
Re: Cardiff City should raid Blackpool for Matt Phillips
Mon Jul 15, 2013 3:12 pm
I reckon we should just RAID Blackpool - I'm still bitter about the play off final... 