Kalvin Phillips: I will recover from my nightmare start at West Ham

Kalvin Phillips has insisted he will recover from his nightmare start at West Ham, as pressure continues to build on his new manager David Moyes.

Phillips was signed on loan from champions Manchester City in January in a move designed to offer him regular first-team football and help secure a place at Euro 2024 with England.

Yet the midfielder has endured a bumpy ride so far, with a high-profile mistake on his debut against Bournemouth and another error in the 3-0 defeat at Manchester United earlier this month.

The 28-year-old was then sent off in the second half of Saturday’s loss at Nottingham Forest after picking up two cautions in the space of two minutes and 56 seconds.

“I wanted this to be a fresh start, to really get my head down and go for it. It’s not gone as I would have hoped,” he said.

“Everyone can see that, but I know football. I’m experienced enough to know that if I get my head down and grit my teeth and do the basics right that things will turn.

“It’s easy to say, but now I’ve got to do it. They say bad luck comes in threes, so let’s hope I’ve had my three pieces of it and I can kick on now.”

Phillips will miss West Ham’s next game against Brentford on Monday night through suspension, and he has claimed the dismissal was harsh.

The first booking was for pushing over Forest midfielder Nicolas Dominguez as he prepared to take a free-kick, before he was then sent off for a foul on Morgan Gibbs-White.

Phillips said he waited for 30 minutes after Saturday’s match to speak with referee Thomas Bramall but boarded the team coach frustrated.

“I’m just disappointed — more so because I’m working hard to get myself back into a position where I can help and now I’ve got to miss a game,” he said.

“I’m annoyed with myself over the first booking. He’s got my shoulder and I’ve tried to push him off — perhaps next time I should kick the ball at him to make my point. I was frustrated and we were losing, but it’s something I’ll learn from.”

West Ham are yet to win in eight matches this year and scrutiny is growing on Moyes, who defended his record after the match.

The club’s board are also under pressure but, at this stage, do not plan to sack Moyes despite their alarming run of results.

Moyes is out of contract at the end of the season and negotiations over a new deal have come to a complete standstill.

Forest, meanwhile, are currently five points above the relegation zone and it was arguably their best performance under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Taiwo Awoniyi and Callum Hudson-Odoi delivered a goal apiece in stoppage-time at the end of each half, but Forest could have won by an even more comfortable scoreline.

Nuno’s squad will also be boosted this week by the return of Ibrahim Sangare, Willy Boly and Ola Aina after their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.