Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips performance verdict against Celtic FC in the pre-season friendly defeat

When Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips came on against AC Milan, footage of his performance went viral.

Manchester City players have little to lose on the pre-season trip given most senior stars are missing.

Maximo Perrone has been neat enough for a few questions regarding whether he definitely will be heading out on loan; Oscar Bobb is demonstrating he can make the leap to a serious first-team option; and Troyes winger Amar Fatah now has a City appearance after the trialist came off the bench against AC Milan. Ederson certainly has other things on his mind even though he did not have the best night in goal behind an inexperienced defense on Saturday.

Kalvin Phillips then comes in front. His two years at City have gone so wrong that he missed a guaranteed berth in the England squad for the European Championship; so, his determination to impress has not brought an end to the shockingly poor fit with the Blues he keeps experiencing.

In 45 minutes against Celtic in the first friendly, Phillips was not very good in a midfield that sieved three easy goals. Later, Pep Guardiola noted he was recovering from an injury and complimented the performance.

That was insufficient to maintain his position against AC Milan, and his visit was another nightmare. Apart from being caught off guard in a similar manner, he also managed to loft a ball straight out of play close to Guardiola and unintentionally handed away possession in his own third to almost gift another goal.

The hardest aspect for Phillips is that his performances are blatantly laughed at by fans. For supporters of many teams, his play is being clipped on social media as a source of entertainment. West Ham fans understand the level from his challenging loan last season, and an experienced international footballer is being seen as a figure of fun in much the same manner that Harry Maguire became for United where every mistake is highlighted.

City and their supporters would really like the amiable Phillips to thrive at the Etihad; it would help to address some of the problems around Rodri for a start, but it has never seemed like it. City would have hoped Phillips could remind some interested teams of his potential although both of his performances on tour so far are more likely to have reduced his value. With the chances of a reprieve under Guardiola exceedingly doubtful.

Phillips really needs a fresh start away from City focus this summer. Although he might feel he lost enough on his Etihad relocation, the pre-season trip shows there is always more to fall from.