Mark Phillips

[beeautiful!]

All the best Mark. a 100% player which every football fan loves.

 

[NorthamptonBee]

Unless we have some great signings on the horizon I think this is short sighted and may bite us in the arse.

Legge has been great but still fairly inexperienced. Karleigh is hit and miss but hopefully can continue his recent form. Bennett...well unless his time at Wycombe has transformed him, is not particularly reliable in this division. So without some solid experience coming in, I think this is going to be a great loss and hope we don't live to regret it.

lol
I'm sorry to see him move on but Karleigh is way in front of him nowadays. Perhaps he wanted a longer deal or more money, perhaps he wanted to be first choice. Good luck to him but let's not slate Karleigh on another thread.

 

[beebopalula]

Shame for him. When he played he was solid enough but he seems to have a chronic injury problem which makes him a risk we can't afford. I wish him luck.

 

[2826 claire]

lol
I'm sorry to se him move on but Karleigh is way in front of him nowadays. Perhaps he wanted a longer deal or more money, perhaps he wanted to be first choice. Good luck to him but let's not slate Karleigh on another thread.

Where did I slate Karleigh? I said he can be hit and miss and I hoped he could continue the form. How is this slating?

Clearly he is in front, hence being offered a contract where Phillips wasn't but I still say that unless someone better and / or with more experience comes in, this could be a mistake.

 

[wanderer paul]

good luck Mark, injuries have made your football career stop/start at times, which is a shame, hope you find a club at League 1 or League 2 level. Thanks for getting us out of League 2!

 

[Holysmit]

Good luck to him seemed a decent honest pro.

 

[alikat]

Good luck in finding a new club, Mark and this must have been a close call for AS, methinks. I would have been pleased if he had been offered a new contract, but hopefully AS has some irons in the fire by way of possible replacement(s).

Thanks for your efforts over the last 2 seasons - you always gave 100% and this was much appreciated.

 

[blunstone]

yes. good bloke who gave 100%

 

[NorthamptonBee]

Where did I slate Karleigh? I said he can be hit and miss and I hoped he could continue the form. How is this slating?

Clearly he is in front, hence being offered a contract where Phillips wasn't but I still say that unless someone better and / or with more experience comes in, this could be a mistake.

This hit and miss tag is surely yesterday's news. He's been in top form for the last 10 or so games apart from 45 at RB against the second best left winger in the league.

 

[Brentford_till_die]

lol
I'm sorry to see him move on but Karleigh is way in front of him nowadays. Perhaps he wanted a longer deal or more money, perhaps he wanted to be first choice. Good luck to him but let's not slate Karleigh on another thread.

We almost struggled to sign Phillips last year coz he wanted a longer contract and most probably is on more than Karleigh... and with his injury record no thanks.
Players come and go....AS has been tracking players weekly for ages, hes not stupid !

 

[Westlad]

Good luck in finding a new club, Mark and this must have been a close call for AS, methinks. I would have been pleased if he had been offered a new contract, but hopefully AS has some irons in the fire by way of possible replacement(s).

Thanks for your efforts over the last 2 seasons - you always gave 100% and this was much appreciated.

 

[Bridge Bee]

All the best MP, unfortunately our decent run since xmas has coincided with you not being in the team. We need better if we are to get out of this league and as AS says there is no room for sentiment.

 

[bonafidebee]

Phillips was by far our best defender and held us together in the early part of the season. He helped us to a league title last season and consolidation this. Best wishes to him, I hope he gets fixed up soon.

PS I'll miss his unique "Spotty Dog" running style

 

[West Wilts Bee]

This hit and miss tag is surely yesterday's news. He's been in top form for the last 10 or so games apart from 45 at RB against the second best left winger in the league.

Very true, and if it was a toss up between Mark, and Karleigh then it is a no brainer for me. Karleigh is younger and not injury prone. Karleigh is a c/b. Do not judge him on r/b performances. Sad to see Mark go he has done a great job for us.

 

[Infatuated Bees Alter Ego]

All the very best Mark

 

[Downbeat Bee]

Bennett being on the books probably did not help his cause.

 

[bonafidebee]

Bennett being on the books probably did not help his cause.

Bennett wasn't on the list of those available for transfer which was a surprise. I wouldn't be surprised if he went though.

 

[North London Bee]

Really wish MP all the best for the future and thanks for all his service.

Good player who was a stalwart for 2 seasons and hopefully he can get himself fixed up somewhere else where he can play every week.

 

[super J]

An underrated player imo. At times last year and at the start of this season he outshone bennett without getting the plaudits. He played a key role in getting us out of the basement division and I still think is good enough for league one. My guess is scott felt he could only keep one of karleigh or phillips, I think karleighs performances towards the end of the season and better fitness record made the difference. Good luck for the future mark.

 

[Downbeat Bee]

Played well for us

 

[WarrenBee]

Best wishes Mark.

 

[didi]

all the best mark

 

[Bergen Bee]

Good luck Mark

I cross fingers for Mark, and hope he gets back to full fitness and returns to at least League One level!

 

[nick logan]

lol
I'm sorry to see him move on but Karleigh is way in front of him nowadays. Perhaps he wanted a longer deal or more money, perhaps he wanted to be first choice. Good luck to him but let's not slate Karleigh on another thread.

Karleigh isn't "way in front " of Phillips as a centre back imo.

 

[shouldbee]

Karleigh isn't "way in front " of Phillips as a centre back imo.

No way KO is better than Phillips, let's wait and see if AS has let the wrong person go ?

 

[NorthamptonBee]

No way KO is better than Phillips, let's wait and see if AS has let the wrong person go ?

You do make me laugh.
So AS and I are both mad, MP was a good solid player who I am sorry has gone. KO will never be allowed to flourish at GP because every little mistake is listed on here and groaned at during play. Karleigh is so much better than he is given credit for.

 

[2826 claire]

You do make me laugh.
So AS and I are both mad, MP was a good solid player who I am sorry has gone. KO will never be allowed to flourish at GP because every little mistake is listed on here and groaned at during play. Karleigh is so much better than he is given credit for.

Wow, you really need to get a room with KO.

 

[nick logan]

You do make me laugh.
So AS and I are both mad, MP was a good solid player who I am sorry has gone. KO will never be allowed to flourish at GP because every little mistake is listed on here and groaned at during play. Karleigh is so much better than he is given credit for.

I agree with you, i like Karleigh and hope he stays, but Phillips is a better CB imho.

 

[NorthamptonBee]

Wow, you really need to get a room with KO.

I've upset a girlie.

 

[Low End Bee]

KO over MP for me. He's progressing nicely. He would really come on with a proper run in the side at Centre Back in my opinion. His touch and distribution are much better recently too.
It's a shame he's an easy target for some people based on him playing mostly in his weaker role at RB in some appaling Brentford teams as a teenager.

 

[Thomas Bathurst]

My preference for centre halves that we used this year would be, in order;

1. Leon Legge
= 2. Karleigh Osborne
= 2. Pim Balkestein
3. Tommy Smith
4. Mark Phillips
5. Alan Bennett

 

[Paul O'Brien]

My preference for centre halves that we used this year would be, in order;

1. Leon Legge
= 2. Karleigh Osborne
= 2. Pim Balkestein
3. Tommy Smith
4. Mark Phillips
5. Alan Bennett

i agree. My only concern would be the comparative youth/lack of experience of Legge, Pim and Karleigh compared to Phillips and Bennett- but having said that, P & B are not blessed with hundreds of games under their belt and Karleigh's played around 100 games so he's not a novice.

He's better in the air than Bennett and Phillips, significantly faster, no bad tackler and is an excellent passer at times - the long one out to Miles on Saturday and the couple of great ones at the end of last season stand out for me (OK, I know they're a year apart, but still...

Cut out any silly mistakes like Phillips' against 'Pools and the main area where we may need to improve quickly is in the way our centre-backs read the game.

 

[2826 claire]

I've upset a girlie.

Yes I am a girl so I am

FFS, get a life and stop stalking KO. He's told me he doesn't like it

 

[walkerbee]

feel for him as he did well last year and at the beginning of this year.
in reality i guess neither KO of MP will be first choice next year (although KO may well push it close) and as a choice between the two as immediate backup KO is probably paid less and is less injury prone (as has been said thousands of times).
no brainer for me... but best wishes to mark for the future 100% guy who deserves to do well!

 

[North London Bee]

I would take KO over MP any time particularly as he seems to have eliminated the mistakes caused by loss of concentratiin

He is only 22 and can only improve.

 

[TW3Bee]

Good luck in the future Mark, except if you happen to be in the opposition line up when you face us.

 

[shouldbee]

My preference for centre halves that we used this year would be, in order;

1. Leon Legge
= 2. Karleigh Osborne
= 2. Pim Balkestein
3. Tommy Smith
4. Mark Phillips
5. Alan Bennett

Are you saying Osborne is better that Balkestein and Smith ?

 

[Streetboy]

My only concern would be the comparative youth/lack of experience of Legge, Pim and Karleigh compared to Phillips and Bennett.

Compare results with season when we've had any combination of Pim, Karleigh and Leon at the back, to when we had Phillips and Bennett at the back. As AS has said before, there is no place for sentiment in football, and whereas Bennett and Phillips will forever be remembered for helping us out of League Two, I'd rather have the other three (with a new addition or two) in League One.

 

[hairman]

Are you saying Osborne is better that Balkestein and Smith ?

Perhaps not - but Smith certainly wasn't that impressive compared to Balkestein - Pim & Karleigh are more realistic options to be playing for us on a permanent basis

 

[Keighley Bee]

I hope to goodness Karleigh signs the new contract. Partly because I believe he has the ability to play CB in a promotion-chasing side, but more importantly, what the heck would there be to argue about without him?

 

[TwickenhamBEE]

My preference for centre halves that we used this year would be, in order;

1. Leon Legge
= 2. Karleigh Osborne
= 2. Pim Balkestein
3. Tommy Smith
4. Mark Phillips
5. Alan Bennett

Tommy Smith is a much better player then KO Swap them around and you got it bang on.

 

[hanworthbee]

served us well but is no loss

 

[Thomas Bathurst]

Are you saying Osborne is better that Balkestein and Smith ?

No, I'm saying I'd be equally happy to see Karleigh or Pim in the side, and I didn't see what all the fuss was about with Smith ... he was okay in my opinion, but nothing spectacular ... that's the beauty of football it's all about opinions.

For the record I rate Karleigh at centre half very highly.

 

[beedeleted]

Maybe his injury record counts aginst him in a small squad? I rated MP.

 

[RoyalOakBee]

His last minute goal against Notts County at home was the moment we won the league imo not to mention the enjoyment I still get seeing McParland's face from three centimetres as I reminded him what a lovely ground to visit Griffin Park really is!!!!!

Good luck Mark wherever you go, you run like a show pony with flat feet btw but you are a credit to your profession imo and if we find two kids with your attitude in the next ten years then we will be truly blessed.

Somehow I expect to see you back near a football pitch for many years to come and my best wishes go to you in all you aim to do in the future!!

 

[moribee]

His last minute goal against Notts County at home was the moment we won the league imo not to mention the enjoyment I still get seeing McParland's face from three centimetres as I reminded him what a lovely ground to visit Griffin Park really is!!!!!

Good luck Mark wherever you go, you run like a show pony with flat feet btw but you are a credit to your profession imo and if we find two kids with your attitude in the next ten years then we will be truly blessed.

Somehow I expect to see you back near a football pitch for many years to come and my best wishes go to you in all you aim to do in the future!!

I will second the above

 

[nick logan]

His last minute goal against Notts County at home was the moment we won the league imo not to mention the enjoyment I still get seeing McParland's face from three centimetres as I reminded him what a lovely ground to visit Griffin Park really is!!!!!

Good luck Mark wherever you go, you run like a show pony with flat feet btw but you are a credit to your profession imo and if we find two kids with your attitude in the next ten years then we will be truly blessed.

Somehow I expect to see you back near a football pitch for many years to come and my best wishes go to you in all you aim to do in the future!!

Hear hear.

 

[sussexb]

I would take KO over MP any time particularly as he seems to have eliminated the mistakes caused by loss of concentratiin

He is only 22 and can only improve.

 

[King Bee]

It was nice to see him at the Red Ball yesterday

 

[hypa123]

Phillips going gracefully.

"I loved it here and wanted to stay. I was looking to stay next season too, but things don’t always work out that way. ... It’s a great club with great fans, and I will leave with a lot of good memories from our League Two title-winning season.