"A very difficult position" - Warning issued to Derby County's Nat Phillips amid Liverpool loan | OneFootball

The Liverpool loanee has struggled for minutes so far since making the switch to the Rams, and may find it tough going forward.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County have prided themselves on their defensive capabilities since Paul Warne arrived at the club in September 2022.

The Rams conceded just 37 goals on their way to promotion from League One last season, the best in the division, and so far in 2024/25, they have continued to show their prowess at the back.

While they did concede four times in their opening match of the campaign against Blackburn Rovers, since they have shipped just eight more goals, keeping four clean sheets in their first five home games.

Derby only improved their defensive group in the summer, with the loan signing of Nat Phillips on deadline day one that caught the eye of supporters following his spell with Cardiff City last season.

Phillips has struggled for minutes since his arrival at Derby

It was important for Warne to add more numbers to the defence during the transfer window, with back-up centre-back Sonny Bradley struggling for consistency in his first campaign at the club, and Jake Rooney still unavailable after suffering a setback in his recovery from an ACL injury sustained in September 2023.

Phillips brings another level of experience to the Rams with 19 Premier League and seven Champions League appearances to his name.

However, his lack of consistent game time throughout his career is perhaps a factor in his lack of minutes in the East Midlands so far, as well as the partnership of Curtis Nelson and Eiran Cashin proving to be too good to break up.

Football League World's Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, was asked for his verdict on the 27-year-old's first month-and-a-half at Pride Park, and whether he has underwhelmed so far given his lack of time on the pitch.

He told FLW: "For me, the only way that Phillips gets in the side is if we change to a back three, you're not breaking that partnership with Nelson and Cashin. They were unbelievable in League One, and they’ve carried that form into the Championship.

"So, it doesn't matter who you are coming into the club, whether you're from the Premier League or not, you're not breaking that partnership unless one of them gets injured or suspended. If that does happen, you've got to come in and show the manager that you can't be dropped."

Shaun continued: "Nat Phillips has done alright when he's played, he hasn't really pulled up any trees, but I just think he's a solid centre half who's a good option, a good replacement if either of those two get injured or suspended.

"But I don't personally think he'll be getting in the team unless we do go to a back three, so, it's not that he's been underwhelming, I just don't think he'll really have much of a chance because of that partnership.

"He hasn't done much wrong, it's just a very difficult position to come in to, especially when there are two established players in front of you."

Phillips will have to continue to watch on from the sidelines

While it may be frustrating for Phillips to have had such a difficult start for the Rams, he must be ready to step up if either Cashin or Nelson find themselves suspended or injured for a long period of time.

He has come in as Derby's third-choice centre-back, and he will have to continue watching on from the bench for the time being, but making sure that he performs when given the chance will give Warne a decision to make at some point this season.

He was handed his first start against Sunderland before the international break, and he looked defensively solid. However, he was not spell-bounding and struggled to show his manager what else could bring to the team that is not already there.

The coming months are important for Phillips, not only in terms of his short-term Derby career, but also in the long-term, with his Liverpool contract due to expire at the end of the campaign.

It seems unlikely that it will be renewed considering he has not appeared in the Premier League for his parent club since 2022, and he will need to use this loan deal as a way to advertise himself to any potential punters.