Kilman signed

[Alan]

"OS West Ham United complete signing of central defender Maximilian Kilman from Wolves West Ham United is delighted to announce the signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers central defender Maximilian Kilman. The 27-year-old has put pen to paper on a seven-year contract at London Stadium after spending six hugely successful years at Molineux, where he played under new Hammers Head Coach Julen Lopetegui and was named captain last year. Possessing plenty of Premier League experience, Kilman has forged a strong reputation as a hugely talented and reliable defender with more than 150 appearances at Wolves, where he played his part in their run to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in 2019/20. Having started his career at non-league Maidenhead United, where he was managed by Hammers legend Alan Devonshire, Kilman has thrived ever since moving up to the top flight with his August 2018 move to the Midlands, and is now thrilled to be taking the next step of his career in east London"

[southbankbornnbred]

Like most people, I want him to improve. But, like most, I fear we’ve loaded ourselves down with a bang average player for seven years.

It’s hard to know who else will take the guy on his guaranteed wages.

He has decent positional sense, and he is a battler (when not backing off). But he is shockingly slow and immobile for a modern Premier League defender, particularly one who cost £40m. He gets soundly beaten by any attacker over ten yards - let alone 25+. You can’t really play a high line with him, which means he’s cannon fodder unless you impose the Moyesetegui low block. So he hinders the team’s wider tactics.

Hope I’m wrong, but fear he’s just never going to play for a side that finishes in the top ten. He’s a bottom half player. For £40m!

I’d also add that THIS is what happens when you make poor choices when appointing a manager. Lopetegui massively overspent on Kilman. And everybody with a brain cell knew Lopetegui would not last at West Ham. But, in theory, we’re now lumped with his “flagship” defender for seven years.

Steidten and Sullivan should hang their heads in shame for allowing it all to happen.

Best we can hope for is he has a Dawson-esque renaissance. He’s ours, so I hope he gets a lot better.

[southbankbornnbred]

Like most people, I want him to improve. But, like most, I fear we’ve loaded ourselves down with a bang average player for seven years.

It’s hard to know who else will take the guy on his guaranteed wages.

He has decent positional sense, and he is a battler (when not backing off). But he is shockingly slow and immobile for a modern Premier League defender, particularly one who cost £40m. He gets soundly beaten by any attacker over ten yards - let alone 25+. You can’t really play a high line with him, which means he’s cannon fodder unless you impose the Moyesetegui low block. So he hinders the team’s wider tactics.

Hope I’m wrong, but fear he’s just never going to play for a side that finishes in the top ten. He’s a bottom half player. For £40m!

[the exile]

He's decent bringing the ball out of defence.... now and then, but that seems to be his only strength.
For me, he's way too passive, often guilty of ball watching. He's the opposite of Dawson, who's a much more proactive defender, throwing himself into challenges. Hence the backing off against Mateta the other day. The other week against City he was close to Haaland for that headed goal but didn't offer any sort of challenge whatsoever. Unforgivable. Needs to grow a pair.

[honky cat]

Just a small thing. He was on one of those stupid sky sports things - what's your favourite pet type shit - with some of the other players and there seemed to be something a bit off, like he wasn't that popular with the others? Maybe he's a bit arrogant?  Needs a better CB partner and some tlc from potter, but at £40m should be the finished article. He's young, English, not a complete c**t, so will probably come good, or be decent enough to move on. 

[Gank]

Yeah, you could understand this one and have a bit more of a win some and lose some attitude if it had cost 15 mill and it wouldn't be a huge write off, but 40 million is ridiculous for what we're seen on the pitch so far. Would have been better off trying to convince Dawson to come back, especially financially.

We'll be stuck with him on the books for years now (SEVEN of them) unless he goes on a huge loss or a free. Lopetegui's lasting gift to the club. Wonder if SUllivan's going to come out at the end of the season and give it the old woe is me none if it's my fault 'Oh my friends begged me not to sign him but I trusted the manager....'

Let's hope that either the return of Todibo or acquisition of another CB can get more of a tune out of him. He certainly can't play with Mavrapanos as his main partner.

He was Lopetegui’s trusted captain at Wolves so I had no problem him being signed, the price tag was arranged between the two clubs so no individual to blame.

As Lopetegui’s man, the sacking may have negatively impacted him a bit where the other players saw a boost in morale.

I’m happy to give him the rest of the season to find his form again, he looked great to start with. Now that he is ours, the price doesn’t matter. It looks like he was overpriced on current form but not by a huge amount and if he becomes more reliable then it won’t be overly expensive. If he doesn’t he’ll still be able to command most of that fee back as a decent English centre back with Premier League experience at two different clubs. That alone is worth north of 25 million quid.

I hope he comes good but it’s not a tragedy if he doesn’t.

Agree that Lop had experience of managing him and should have been fully up to speed on his strengths and weaknesses and to an extent the chairman has to back his new manager (the one he appointed against everyone else's wishes allegedly), but 40 million quid was way too much and this should have been an occasion where sullivan played his usual tightarse trick rather than bending over. (So I blame Sullivan to be frank) Who is Kilman's agent? A 'friendly' one by any chance? Unless he was a hell of a lot better in Wolves colours, then there was some serious deficiency in player evaluation and there should have been some warning lights flashing. If Sullivan let himself be sweet talked by Lopetegui then more fool him and it indicates more he's a tasty little fish swimming in a pool with sharks. It's a huge fee and contract length for a centre back who has never really been talked about as a top player.

I do agree he needs to be given a chance in a team not managed by a lunatic who insists on suicidal tactics and maybe paired with a far better player than Mavropanos so it may not all be lost, BUT you have to question should a 40 million centre back in the prime of their career need to have a partner who can cover their deficiencies or make them good? They should be the player elevating the rest of their fellow defenders. If you compare his price vs performance (and add age) with several other players in the division (man U aside as they are even more of a clown show than us), then it's a joke of a signing.
I want him to turn it around and I fucking hope he does turn it around because we are likely stuck with him for at least five years.

Can’t argue with anything you’ve said there

[Lee Trundle]

He'll get his chance this season to get back to form.

He'll likely get than chance next season also, considering the fee and contract length we've given him.

I'm just not sure we'll see him back to his best, which was that 5 min cameo role against Palace in August last year.

[El Scorchio]

Yeah, you could understand this one and have a bit more of a win some and lose some attitude if it had cost 15 mill and it wouldn't be a huge write off, but 40 million is ridiculous for what we're seen on the pitch so far. Would have been better off trying to convince Dawson to come back, especially financially.

We'll be stuck with him on the books for years now (SEVEN of them) unless he goes on a huge loss or a free. Lopetegui's lasting gift to the club. Wonder if SUllivan's going to come out at the end of the season and give it the old woe is me none if it's my fault 'Oh my friends begged me not to sign him but I trusted the manager....'

Let's hope that either the return of Todibo or acquisition of another CB can get more of a tune out of him. He certainly can't play with Mavrapanos as his main partner.

He was Lopetegui’s trusted captain at Wolves so I had no problem him being signed, the price tag was arranged between the two clubs so no individual to blame.

As Lopetegui’s man, the sacking may have negatively impacted him a bit where the other players saw a boost in morale.

I’m happy to give him the rest of the season to find his form again, he looked great to start with. Now that he is ours, the price doesn’t matter. It looks like he was overpriced on current form but not by a huge amount and if he becomes more reliable then it won’t be overly expensive. If he doesn’t he’ll still be able to command most of that fee back as a decent English centre back with Premier League experience at two different clubs. That alone is worth north of 25 million quid.

I hope he comes good but it’s not a tragedy if he doesn’t.

Agree that Lop had experience of managing him and should have been fully up to speed on his strengths and weaknesses and to an extent the chairman has to back his new manager (the one he appointed against everyone else's wishes allegedly), but 40 million quid was way too much and this should have been an occasion where sullivan played his usual tightarse trick rather than bending over. (So I blame Sullivan to be frank) Who is Kilman's agent? A 'friendly' one by any chance? Unless he was a hell of a lot better in Wolves colours, then there was some serious deficiency in player evaluation and there should have been some warning lights flashing. If Sullivan let himself be sweet talked by Lopetegui then more fool him and it indicates more he's a tasty little fish swimming in a pool with sharks. It's a huge fee and contract length for a centre back who has never really been talked about as a top player.

I do agree he needs to be given a chance in a team not managed by a lunatic who insists on suicidal tactics and maybe paired with a far better player than Mavropanos so it may not all be lost, BUT you have to question should a 40 million centre back in the prime of their career need to have a partner who can cover their deficiencies or make them good? They should be the player elevating the rest of their fellow defenders. If you compare his price vs performance (and add age) with several other players in the division (man U aside as they are even more of a clown show than us), then it's a joke of a signing.
I want him to turn it around and I fucking hope he does turn it around because we are likely stuck with him for at least five years.

[Gank]

Yeah, you could understand this one and have a bit more of a win some and lose some attitude if it had cost 15 mill and it wouldn't be a huge write off, but 40 million is ridiculous for what we're seen on the pitch so far. Would have been better off trying to convince Dawson to come back, especially financially.

We'll be stuck with him on the books for years now (SEVEN of them) unless he goes on a huge loss or a free. Lopetegui's lasting gift to the club. Wonder if SUllivan's going to come out at the end of the season and give it the old woe is me none if it's my fault 'Oh my friends begged me not to sign him but I trusted the manager....'

Let's hope that either the return of Todibo or acquisition of another CB can get more of a tune out of him. He certainly can't play with Mavrapanos as his main partner.

He was Lopetegui’s trusted captain at Wolves so I had no problem him being signed, the price tag was arranged between the two clubs so no individual to blame.

As Lopetegui’s man, the sacking may have negatively impacted him a bit where the other players saw a boost in morale.

I’m happy to give him the rest of the season to find his form again, he looked great to start with. Now that he is ours, the price doesn’t matter. It looks like he was overpriced on current form but not by a huge amount and if he becomes more reliable then it won’t be overly expensive. If he doesn’t he’ll still be able to command most of that fee back as a decent English centre back with Premier League experience at two different clubs. That alone is worth north of 25 million quid.

I hope he comes good but it’s not a tragedy if he doesn’t.

[El Scorchio]

Yeah, you could understand this one and have a bit more of a win some and lose some attitude if it had cost 15 mill and it wouldn't be a huge write off, but 40 million is ridiculous for what we're seen on the pitch so far. Would have been better off trying to convince Dawson to come back, especially financially.

We'll be stuck with him on the books for years now (SEVEN of them) unless he goes on a huge loss or a free. Lopetegui's lasting gift to the club. Wonder if SUllivan's going to come out at the end of the season and give it the old woe is me none if it's my fault 'Oh my friends begged me not to sign him but I trusted the manager....'

Let's hope that either the return of Todibo or acquisition of another CB can get more of a tune out of him. He certainly can't play with Mavrapanos as his main partner.

[Gank]

When we take Pickford and Branthwaite in exchange for Soucek and £50million give us a year and we’ll have the entire England back five with those two plus Kilman and with Wan-Bissaka and Scarles on the flanks.

Potter will sort him out and make him captain.

[Lee Trundle]

I reckon Zouma, even with no knees, would have been better for us this season.

[goose]

All that money for the modern day equivalent of Roger Johnson & Gary Breen as our centre backs.

[Lee Trundle]

Started well but has declined along with his confidence.

Not sure where the player that strode out from the back and made that killer pass to Bowen away to palace has gone, but hopefully Potter can sort him out.  If not we'll take another massive loss on a player.

Personally I don't think Aguerd is the answer either.

That pass to Bowen was 5 months ago.

He can't dine out on that forever.

[violator]

Cant help having the Greek calamity next to him

[Massive Attack]

None of the players that cost us over £25M are playing anywhere near their valuation be it Kilman, Paqueta, Kudus, Alvarez, Fullkrug. 

[Ladysmith]

No he has been a complete waste of time and the absence of any pedigree or calibre was there to see when we signed him

A really head scratching transfer if ever there was one.

[fraser]

Any of those clueless Wolves fans still believing they got the best part of the Kilman deal, now they've shipped in 21 goals already, sitting rock bottom of the Premier League straight after conceding 5 against Brentford... 

 

Of course they did, had us right fucking over... 

[Far Cough UKunt]

I think we all knew that we were turned over on the fee, especially when you look at the fee forest paid for the serb. I dont really see any upgrade from Dawson.

At one point, Dawson was the second highest scorer for Everton, don't know if he still is?

[claypole]

I think we all knew that we were turned over on the fee, especially when you look at the fee forest paid for the serb. I dont really see any upgrade from Dawson.

[Percy Dalton]

Old man Ogbonna would have put in a better performance than Kilman

[cholo]

Started well but has declined along with his confidence.

Not sure where the player that strode out from the back and made that killer pass to Bowen away to palace has gone, but hopefully Potter can sort him out.  If not we'll take another massive loss on a player.

Personally I don't think Aguerd is the answer either.

[Takashi Miike]

not engaging that big cսnt mateta on saturday was gutless, back off back off back off = goal

[Lee Trundle]

Is it time to admit we had our pants pulled right down with this transfer?

He's bang average, at best.

[Massive Attack]

Any of those clueless Wolves fans still believing they got the best part of the Kilman deal, now they've shipped in 21 goals already, sitting rock bottom of the Premier League straight after conceding 5 against Brentford... 
 

[Massive Attack]

"The real deal and was definitely worth every penny. Gives me young Rio vibes at times the way he snuffs out danger then goes marauding into midfield with the ball before neatly laying it off. Loved that bit in the corner tight confined space and manages to wriggle out of danger expertly playing the ball with little options on. I never understood why he hadn't been selected already for England other than he didn't play for a more fashionable Club. Hopefully that soon changes in the future because England would be missing out on his taken in defence in the Squad. My only surprise is he's settled in quickly immediately, like he's been playing for us for years."