The West Bromwich Albion star was selected in Crooks’ team of the week following another brilliant display.
Garth Crooks has told BBC Sport that Matt Phillips’ continued exile from the Scotland team is a mystery to him given his recent form for West Bromwich Albion.
The 25-year-old put in yet another excellent display as the Baggies continued their ascent up the Premier League table with a 3-1 over Watford on Saturday, scoring the third goal to seal the three points.
West Bromwich Albion’s Matt Phillips celebrates scoring their third goal against Watford
The goal against the Hornets was the latest example of how the summer signing is certainly finding his feet after a slow start to life at the Hawthorns. And after including the winger in his team of the week, Crooks explained what he initially thought of Phillips when he first featured in the top flight before questioning Gordon Strachan’s decision to keep overlooking him in recent times.
“I saw Matt Philips at QPR when they were fighting for survival in the Premier League and I was of the opinion then that he was a player who had all the pieces to the jigsaw. The only problem was they didn’t seem to be in all the right places,” he told BBC Sport.
“Now, under Tony Pulis at West Brom, the pieces seem to be falling into place quite nicely. He looks a different player under Pulis’ direction and why the ‘deep and ever so complicated’ Gordon Strachan refuses to select Phillips for international duty is a mystery to me.”
There are surely few players in the Premier League that are in such fine form as Phillips currently is. In his last four games, he has provided three goals and three assists to help West Brom remain unbeaten during that run.
And with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal ahead in their next four games, Tony Pulis will need Phillips to maintain that kind of form if they hope to remain in the top half of the table going into the New Year.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis
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