Kevin Phillips was on Goals on Sunday this morning and Kamara and Shephard started talking to him about Southampton. He said quite a lot about us, so I went back and typed it up. Kevin Phillips: "I've gotta say, I get horrendous stick when I go back there now. But six years of my life were spent down there, two years as a pro, two as an apprentice and two as a schoolboy." "I've got to say, I made a couple of remarks when I left, and hence the reason I get a lot of stick, but I had two fantastic years there, scored some good goals and the supporters were brilliant, I can't speak highly enough of them." "I'm absolutely delighted they're back in the Premier League, because it's where they deserve to be." "Whenever I pull on a Southampton shirt, I always give it 100%. I enjoyed my time there." "Me and Beatts struck up a great partnership there, Gordon Strachan signed me there and unfortunately Gordon didn't last long." "It was unfortunate when I left there that we had been relegated and Aston Villa, and Premier League football, was too hard for me to turn down." "Really enjoyed my time there, six years of my life spent down there. It's a fantastic place." "I'm delighted to see them back in the Premier League, and delighted to see Rickie Lambert getting called-up, Rickie's earned it." "I don't really remember what I said to be honest, but I stepped on that pitch and got horrendous stick, I thought I was going to get a good reception!" "I apologise to them for whatever I said, but six years of my life were spent at Southampton Football Club, and I still hold them very close to my heart. It's a great football club." "Pochettino's done a very good job, it's always difficult when a foreign manager comes in that doesn't speak an awful lot of English, to get your views and your thoughts across." "He's putting together a good squad, he's made two good, strong signings this year. Particularly Wanyama from Celtic, I think he'll adapt to the Premiership very well. Rickie Lambert again, this will give him a major confidence boost, playing for your country, just before the season starts." "I expect good things from Southampton, it's a great place to play football and they play the game in the right way." "Whether there's a right way to play football, Southampton always seem to play it."
I can't remember what he said either, remember baring a grudge against Kenwyne, but struggling to remember baring any ill will towards Phillips
Nice to read that. A lesson to us all to be careful what you say when you leave a place as you may go back. Always rated him as a player...I thought we had a good team at that time, but it all went down hill afterwards. For that I blame two things: the fans for not wanting Hoddle back and Redknapp because his lack of enthusiasm dragged down a pretty reasonable side. Still we are in a happy place now.
I think part of the problem is that we view ourselves as being lovable and wonderful...we expect all players to have had a great time here and say nice things. So we take serious offence if someone says that. I suspect he said it without thinking when presumably he was feeling pretty low.
He gets grief about his wife's rumored infidelity most of the time. I can't recall what he said to get such ill feeling, but it has effected the perception of him as a player for us. I doubt he would make many peoples Saints team of the noughties even though he was a better player than Beattie or Ormerod.
That's a very positive set of comments. I've never disliked him, but many still do for some reason. Remember him and Crouchy forming a good partnership.
A reminder of what Phillips said at the time... "I'm glad I was able to get away from Southampton, I never really felt happy about joining them." "It was a move that never really felt right for me and I'm glad I can resurrect my Premiership career." "My partnership with James [Beattie] never really got going." "But I know I can make my mark and still score goals in the Premiership." "It's too early to talk about targets but wherever I have played I've always set my sights on 20 goals a season." "When it became clear Villa wanted me, I didn't want to go anywhere else."
Redknapp didn't play him often enough and when he did it was often in midfield. No wonder he felt frustrated. I always had the feeling that Redknapp thought he was too old even back then.
Why do fans get so precious about players comments? Some fans spend the entire game screaming abuse at players, a lot of the time, their OWN players. Then they act offended if a player speaks his mind. Kev Phillips was a great player for us, scored some brilliant goals, scored against the skates too (normally enough in the eyes of the "Northam goons" to make a player a god for life). He also had a row with Harry Redknapp before the game at Fratton after 'Arry told the players in his pre-match talk to "take it easy"
Not just when you leave a place. I am reminded daily on these threads of things I said a long, long time ago. Unlike Phillips I have never denied what I said and what I said remains true to this day.
He would look a lot better if he just admitted what he said and that he didn't really mean it in full. Its not necessarily a reflection on us if a player isn't happy. He got the move in the end though, no need to shoot his mouth off.
Took a wage cut to leave a club where he was loved to go to the shambles that was Southampton c.2004? How dare he be unhappy.
Yep, no need for a player to answer a question asked of him. The silly fool obviously thinks this is a free country. The silly fool. And who doesn't remember every single word they said from EIGHT YEARS ago eh? I think you should drive to his house and DEMAND an apology.
He said he didn't remember what he said (as CBK said it was a long time ago), but went on to say nice things. Life is too short to bear a grudge (obviously not including Redknapp in that ).
