Phillips Ready To Do Battle

Goalkeeper Steve Phillips is back from injury and ready to take on loanee goalkeeper Rhys Taylor for the number one shirt.

The former Bristol Rovers goalkeeper is due to play in Tuesday afternoon’s reserve friendly with Liverpool, his second piece of action following 90 minutes against a Barrow outfit last week. Phillips is hoping his performances in the reserves can help him press for a starting place in the first team, though it looks unlikely Taylor will be ousted any time soon.

Taylor originally arrived to fill in between the sticks whilst Phillips recovered from a summer shoulder operation. The Chelsea youngster’s performances however have been outstanding, forcing Dario to extend the 20 year old’s loan spell to the end of the season.

Phillips told BBC Radio Stoke this morning that whilst Taylor hasn’t done much wrong, he wants to play – hinting that he may not be willing to wait around too long:

‘I don’t think Rhys has done much wrong but if I do ok on Tuesday (against Liverpool) then I hope to be in and around the first team again, but that’s for Dario to decide and not me.

‘Then it’s a case of how long it takes to get back in the team. At my age I don’t want to be sat on the bench, so we’ll have to judge that as we go.’

Phillips signed a permanent two year deal just this summer, but then he is not exactly known for his patience. Ask the fans of both Bristol clubs. Are we facing another summer next year without the guarantee of a permanent keeper? Hmm…

Meanwhile, Phillips says that if mistakes can be cut out in defence then the Alex should be right up there.

‘We’re definitely better than last year, if we stopped conceding we’d be in the top 3!

‘It’s just these little things that have crept in that were there last year and we need to stamp them out sharpish.’