KING KEV EYES A NEW CROWN Prem ace is proving a dugout hit too
A QUICK look back at Kevin Phillips’ impressive playing career brings tales of England call-ups, promotion with Sunderland and claiming the European Golden Boot.
But nothing he experienced on the other side of the white line could prepare the South Shields manager for the challenges that have come his way during the first year of what he hopes will be a successful career in the dugout.
It just over 12 months since Phillips completed a return to the north-east when he replaced the long-serving Graham Fenton at the 1st Cloud Arena.
At first, progress was slow and limited as the former Aston Villa striker worked largely with the squad he inherited and experience penalty shoot-out heartache in a NPL Premier Division play-off semi-final against Warrington Town.
However, Phillips has overseen something of an overhaul of the Mariners squad and the fruits of his summer labour are starting to show now the light nights of spring are approaching.
Ahead of yesterday’s visit to Warrington Rylands, Phillips’ side were sat eight points clear at the top of the table with three games in hand on nearest rivals Hyde United.
Life is rosy right now but the former England striker is taking nothing for granted as he looks to secure the first notable achievement of his managerial career.
“There are 15 games to go and you come out after games and it’s still almost light so you can almost smell the end of the season,” he told The NLP. “But there is still a long way to go and it’s down to the players and how badly they want it. I know they want it very badly and they want to do it for this club.
“They have the bit between their teeth, they can smell it but we are taking each challenge as it comes and we are determined to do all we can to get this club promoted. It’s a massive learning curve, possibly the biggest of my career, and I am still learning everyday. But I am enjoying everyday and that’s what I love about this role and this club.
“It’s not just learning on the pitch, it’s learning off it too. It obviously helps when you’re winning football matches, that’s a big plus, but I’ve learnt more when we have lost games.
“We are all desperate to get out of this league and take the next step. The buck stops with me and that is all we are focusing on achieving this season.”
It would be a stretch to say the response to Phillips’ appointment was overwhelmingly enthusiastic from the South Shields faithful.
Curiosity and anticipation seemed to be the overriding emotions when he took his first tentative steps into the dugout.
Decisions
The same could be said of the playing squad he inherited from Fenton and the current set of players that hold the fortunes of the Mariners in their hands at this key point of the season.
Despite enjoying a career at the top end of the game, Phillips has felt the need to prove himself as a manager and admitted that process is far from over with a number of big calls to make during the title run-in.
“Yes, I have had to prove myself. Every now and then I may reference my playing career, but I won’t say I did this and I did that because the players don’t need that.
“I might refer back to an experience in a game and nobody can argue with that. I don’t have experience as a manager before now, I was a first-team coach and an assistant manager.
“As a manager, you make those decisions, the big calls, I’ve had to make them and they’re the decisions that can make or break you.
“People can say what they want, there will always be criticism, but it’s not about me, it’s about the players and I want them to get promoted for them.”
There is a feeling Phillips now firmly feels in control of events within his remit after firmly putting his own stamp on the Mariners squad.
The arrival of the vastly experienced Gary Liddle and Michael Woods have been successful moves and the likes of Tom Broadbent and Martin Smith have added a mix of silk and steel to Phillips’ ranks.
With Darius Osei – a player inherited from Fenton – firmly among the goals and Mackenzie Heaney starting to produce the form that led to him being touted as a bright prospect at Newcastle United, the signs are promising for a positive end to the season.
Top pro Phillips, however, is taking nothing to granted and says the experience, quality and character of his squad will need to come to the fore over the next three months.
“You judge a manager when he’s had time to get his own players in and get a summer to put their own squad together,” he said. “With the help we’ve had, with [chairman] Geoff Thompson supporting us, I think this squad is the best this squad has had in a long, long time.
“That doesn’t guarantee anything at all, nothing at all, and we know that. But what I do know is we have a lot of experience, a lot of quality and a lot of good characters that can help us get where we want to be.”