West Ham Online

southbankbornnbred wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 14:15 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!

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 11:28

Gank wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 11:01

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 10:56 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 wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 11:01

El Scorchio" wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 10:56 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" wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 10:56 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.

cholo wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 09:27 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.

Massive Attack" wrote: ↑06 Oct 2024, 01:50 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... 

 

claypole wrote: ↑20 Jan 2025, 09:30 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.