There goes Julen!

[Kenny]

He’s our current vice captain now that Joao has gone - I wonder if he’ll be made captain once Ruben leaves?

Well he was vice captain when Davis took over and he demoted him....then Lop's kept that set up

 

[Kenny]

It's a friendly against the reserves of a Spanish second tier team.

Ah last year you were praising that goal as if Zidane had done it in a World Cup Final*




*maybe

 

[PuntsWolf]

Kilman is really bad, honestly.

Dreadful in the air, weak physically, turns like a skip and outright refuses to tackle at times.

Look at Bournemouth's goal. It's not an outright error but it's Max Kilman to a tee. He isn't doing anything. Doesn't close off the cross, doesn't press the ball, doesn't track the man in the middle. He's just there. And it's a goal. He shrugs and puts his hands on his child bearing hips. I go home in a mood because we've lost to a shit team.

He's rubbish.

I haven’t got past the first 10 seconds yet because Cunha did Cunha things and did his best Dave Edwards impression fucking up a 5 yard pass by 25 yards. A better ball there and Semedo has a ton of options which probably have a much better chance of a goal than a rushed cross at the near post.

Now got to the goal. He doesn’t do a huge amount wrong. He’s marking the space where he thinks the ball will go, it doesn’t. Maybe should have been a yard deeper but that’s about it

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He doesn’t do a huge amount wrong. He’s marking the space where he thinks the ball will go, it doesn’t. Maybe should have been a yard deeper but that’s about it

And if that happens for years (which it has)?

It's a game of fine margins and he's always the wrong side of them.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

A year ago it was "Lage can't have been that bad, we finished 10th". Yes he can have been that bad.

The irony of this is the cracks were papered over by Sa having a ridiculously good first half of the season, but plenty didn’t want to accept that. I bet you hold that against Sa too!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The irony of this is the cracks were papered over by Sa having a ridiculously good first half of the season, but plenty didn’t want to accept that. I bet you hold that against Sa too!

I don't hold it against him, I've been consistent right from the start on him. He does stupid stuff regularly. Man Utd at home was an own goal even if it wasn't officially registered as such, an absolute shambles at home to Brentford, cost us a goal faking injury at home to Newcastle, numerous instances of just passing it to opposition forwards. Sometimes he'd sort of make up for it but that was never going to hold for long. And that was his "good" season, he was awful for 60-70% of the second one.

We can keep these players if you like but you'll get the same results.

 

[PuntsWolf]

And if that happens for years (which it has)?

It's a game of fine margins and he's always the wrong side of them.

I don’t think he’s great. But that example is a rubbish one to criticise him for as he’s not doing a fat lot wrong.

The bigger issue is Dawson retreating back to the right side when he should maintain position on the left till they get chance to reset. This means he’s miles off the Solanke run so can’t cut it out and Semedo watches the run and reacts too late. Those two miles ahead of Kilman on the blame game on that one.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I don’t think he’s great. But that example is a rubbish one to criticise him for as he’s not doing a fat lot wrong.

You tell me what he does right then. In general, not on that goal.

If you offered to pay me 10 grand to put together a sales pitch for Max Kilman as a Premier League defender I'd be struggling. It boils down to "he has played quite a lot of games at that level". Which puts him on a par with Christophe Berra, who was a better defender than Max Kilman.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

I've told you why I think Kilman is shit but I'll happily repeat it for you - he can't turn, he's rubbish in the air, he struggles against anyone physical, he drifts through games, he doesn't engage properly, he's average at absolute best on the ball and he's got the fight of Audley Harrison. Can't lead either so constantly needs his hand holding.

You can present the alternative case if you like.

I know you have. I don't agree.

I think he's an average mid to lower Premier league defender who is capable of playing well and capable of making mistakes.

He's not "shit" and nor is Sa.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

And that's fine.

But if you're using players who by your own admission are mediocre for this level, don't be surprised or complain when we get mediocre results.

I want better than mediocre.

 

[Jolemai]

Just two minutes behind Percy.

Turning those notifications on has been a game changer for the lad.

New personal and season best. Previous was eight minutes.

 

[HanDoJin]

Who is “Ballbag”?

 

[Derby Wolf]

I feel like Kilman for where we want to be is as equally unsuited as Batth was for where we wanted to be in 2017.

He'd likely still do a job for a team with lower expectations than that but that wasn't grounds to keep Batth then and isn't now for Kilman.

I wouldn't be averse to him being a squad player but if the speculation is correct we aren't ever going to be offered money for him like that again so I'd take it, much as we should have with Adama in 2020/21.

 

[Jolemai]

Who is “Ballbag”?

Guillem Balagué

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I guess a lot depends where you want to be. I think given where other teams are on their cycle top half would be very acceptable, 8th probably as good as it gets given the predicted transfer situation. There’s very few I’d be sorry to see leave and I put Sa and Kilman in that bracket but there are plenty more I’d be happy to see go as well. The majority of our squad can play a role in getting us into the top half but few are going to be the catalyst and raise those around them. Pod, Semedo, Hwang for a start. Sarabia, post injury Neto, Collins aren’t far behind.

 

[PuntsWolf]

You tell me what he does right then. In general, not on that goal.

His biggest weakness is his lack of aggression (and switching off, but everyone guilty of that, the better players do it less), and it’s a big weakness.

He has good physical attributes when he chooses to use them. Strong and tall with a big frame which makes up for his lack of ability to get off the ground. He’s quick enough and he carries the ball excellently.

As I said in a previous post, he has a lot of raw tools to work with. But not being aggressive and coasting through games is what holds him back. Can you instill that in him? Surely you can as I’ve seen him do it.

If you offered to pay me 10 grand to put together a sales pitch for Max Kilman as a Premier League defender I'd be struggling. It boils down to "he has played quite a lot of games at that level". Which puts him on a par with Christophe Berra, who was a better defender than Max Kilman.

Christophe Berra was underrated.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It's just this weird dichotomy.

"We've been shit for three years, haven't we?"

"Yeah, not many highlights. We've been poor"

"Let's keep loads of these players"

 

[HanDoJin]

Whatever, I’m glad he’s committed to the season and am, weirdly, looking forward to seeing what he can do.

Bit of a win-win for him. If we push for Europe (pipe down at the back) he’s brilliant. If we struggle, well the chairman never backed him.

Seville wiped the floor with us a couple seasons back, so watching something more entertaining than grass growing would be nice. Please, Julen?

 

[PuntsWolf]

If we’re offered a suitable fee he can go.

But the same applies to every other player apart from João Gomes and probably Craig Dawson (purely because we need him and he’s more important to us than his value).

There’s other players I’d like to keep but if someone’s offering you a quick decent profit on someone like Lemina then you’re not saying no are you?

 

[ROVERT47]

Currently watching the first half of Spain v Italy in my hotel room, watching the second half in the bar, might put my Wolves training top on and see if I can engage in some Lopetegui infused conversation.