What’s the point of Phillips in this role then? To press out of possession? Looks like a dog chasing cars.

What’s that got to do with anything? I’m talking about the way he conducted himself.

If you state your intentions without consulting another party publicly you can’t say it’s ‘out of my hands’ because it’s not. You would quite literally be putting pressure on someone or something for everyone else to see.

It wasn’t exactly out of his hands when he vocally stated he wouldn’t go on loan again, and forced the club’s hand in the press.