McLeish in plea for Kevin Phillips to set a perfect example
Oct 3 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail
ALEX McLeish has urged Kevin Phillips to set the perfect example to his Blues teams, even though he has been struggling to earn the manager’s favour.
Phillips came off the substitutes’ bench to score his first goal of the season against Bolton Wanderers.
It was the third occasion in seven Premier League games he has been added to the fray.
Phillips has started just once – and was replaced against Stoke City – and didn’t see any action at Manchester United, Spurs or Hull City.
“Let’s not make any bones about it, Kevin is 36 now and I want to see Kevin strutting his stuff on the training field as well and helping the other players and he’s got a part to play in that sense,” said McLeish.
“But I also want to see Kevin playing with a smile on his face, as he did last week.
He came on and he was extremely bright and this week in training he’s been bright.
“I still see that being most probably his most significant role, coming on and doing what he did last week.
“Kevin might argue and feel that he could start games but I’ve got to be the judge of that and I think we could get the best out of him in doing what he did last week.”
McLeish said: “I’m not saying he’ll never start a game because I also had this conversation at the beginning of
season and then played him against Stoke.
“He played in the Sunderland Carling Cup game for 90 minutes but he didn’t look himself.
“I didn’t think he had that smile that we associate Kevin. He didn’t look himself with his body language. He didn’t look as if he was enjoying his football and doing that linking in the strikers and midfield.
“But last weekend, having had a chat with him after Sunderland, he was buzzing. I want to see his enthusiasm rubbing off on the others and he did himself no harm with his goal and performance.”
For today’s game with Burnley, Phillips is vying with Garry O’Connor to replace Christian Benitez from the off.
