The Incoming Transfers Everywhere Thread: Summer 2023

[big mean bunny]

Would Kilman or Collins improve if we had a GK who was trustworthy behind them?

I just don't see the idea that more experience or being guided is going to solve Collins issues. He seems to have the physical tools you'd want but has too many lapses or doesn't see play progressing well enough. The mistakes he makes arent something I would consider would be ironed out by experience. He is reactive rather than proactive too often, and he seemed worse when asked to play higher up, I think he has been scouted hoping he would adapt but he hasn't.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Was he actually good in those first few games? I genuinely can’t remember.

 

[Tredman]

I’d hope the mistakes are exactly the sort of thing which could be resolved with experience and better coaching. He’s still young for a CB.

I much rather a CB were reactive even if not proactive, as compared to the inactive we get from Kilman.

 

[Lycan]

Was he actually good in those first few games? I genuinely can’t remember.

The mistakes were always there but he wasn't getting punished for them for the first month or so.

 

[PuntsWolf]

The mistakes were always there but he wasn't getting punished for them for the first month or so.

I’m just not sure I’m buying “he was great until the sending off and then lost confidence”. Like it was a flick of a switch.

He benefited from gold tinted specs early on in the way that new signings who the fan base approve of do. Plus it was the new 4 atb everyone had been clamouring for so you get even more grace. So makes me think we just turned a blind eye to it.

I agree with @big mean bunny that I don’t see coaching fixing all his problems. Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor body shape. Definitely has more in common with Roger Johnson than we’d like.

He might be a better fit at Brentford in their back line of mutants than in our proposed higher line

 

[Lycan]

I’m just not sure I’m buying “he was great until the sending off and then lost confidence”. Like it was a flick of a switch.

He benefited from gold tinted specs early on in the way that new signings who the fan base approve of do. Plus it was the new 4 atb everyone had been clamouring for so you get even more grace. So makes me think we just turned a blind eye to it.

I agree with @big mean bunny that I don’t see coaching fixing all his problems. Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor body shape. Definitely has more in common with Roger Johnson than we’d like.

He might be a better fit at Brentford in their back line of mutants than in our proposed higher line

He definitely should be capable of playing in a higher line, he's very fast for his size, reacts to passes into the area behind him quickly and turns well. The problem comes when he actually has to engage with a forward player, he often comes off 2nd best against players who are physically inferior to him or in situations where the odds are stacked in his favour as he's so clunky and usually off balance.

He absolutely boils my piss and I hope we sell him but I do get the argument that he could show improvement. He's still fast, dominant aerially, if the lapses in concentration on the ball can be ironed out then he could progress the ball well and he seems like a decent person to have around the squad. He'll never fulfill the hype he had when we bought him though, £20M will always seem like a waste of money, he's just got too many fundamental flaws to his game. I don't see the improvement happening overnight either, the mistakes happen with far too much regularity and like you, I'm not buying that it's down to confidence, I just don't think he's very good.

To be honest, at his stage in his career he probably needs to be looking at loans to Championship level, not a sideways move to another Premier League club he isn't ready to start for. If Brentford signed him he'd be stuck on their bench after a month or 2, just like he's stuck on ours. He'd have probably been better served staying at Burnley under Vincent Kompany last summer but unfortunately for him, some idiot has spent £20M on him so he's a bit stuck.

 

[sycophantia]

Was he actually good in those first few games? I genuinely can’t remember.

I thought he was OK those first few games, Kilman too. Could have just been 'lucky' I suppose. He's been a bombscare since, maybe he's just reverted to standard.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Burnley fans speak/spoke really highly of him. Admittedly probably because they played a deep back 4.

But even so there MUST be something there.

 

[Lycan]

Burnley fans speak/spoke really highly of him. Admittedly probably because they played a deep back 4.

But even so there MUST be something there.

Thing is, he didn't even make 20 appearances for Burnley. We've seen more of him and he spent most of last season on the bench.

Most Stoke fans seem to have rated him but then I saw this from a clayhead the other day. "Collins is a weird one. Highly rated at Stoke despite not playing much. Then when he did play, he didn't look anything special. Then got injured and didn't play even more. But despite that Burnley come in and pay £10m odd for him. Doesn't seem to do much there and they get relegated in his first season there. Then goes to Wolves for £20m. Very odd. Reputation and 'potential' that seems to far exceed his abilities and performances on the pitch."

 

[Kenny]

We were all sold because Deutsch put him top of his wanted list when he was at Stoke.

If you can't trust that judgement then we are all doomed...

 

[jd1981]

I’d like to think there’s a good player in there, the chaos of being in a dressing being run by Dean Lage can’t have helped plus 3 clubs in 3 seasons is a lot of change and upheaval. Nevertheless even when players are out of form you generally still get glimpses of what they can do ie Nunes. Collins has barely shown that unfortunately.

 

[Dire Wolf]

I seem to recall when we signed Collins it was met with universal approval. Wasn't it even suggested that we'd only have him for a season or 2 and then he'd be sold on to one of the big teams for a huge profit? It would appear we are all either easily hoodwinked or massively incapable of judging talent!

 

[Kenny]

I seem to recall when we signed Collins it was met with universal approval. Wasn't it even suggested that we'd only have him for a season or 2 and then he'd be sold on to one of the big teams for a huge profit? It would appear we are all either easily hoodwinked or massively incapable of judging talent!

Or just evil and like to beat people up when they are down.

For all our negative comments a team higher up the table are prepared to pay good money for him, so what do we know really.

 

[WsWolf]

I seem to recall when we signed Collins it was met with universal approval. Wasn't it even suggested that we'd only have him for a season or 2 and then he'd be sold on to one of the big teams for a huge profit? It would appear we are all either easily hoodwinked or massively incapable of judging talent!

That was primarily from some Burnley fan who signed up here to wax lyrical about him. I was relatively pleased with him, he's been disappointing but I do sympathise as he's had to play with Kilman who I imagine is really painful to play alongside from a communication standpoint then been dropped.

 

[Jinky]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1670380965124816900

Would be very, very surprised if he goes there.

 

[AndyWolves]

Yeah, just don't see it. Ruben seems to have more integrity than that (if that's the right word) and wants CL football.

It would be a result for us as a football club though

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Yeah, just don't see it. Ruben seems to have more integrity than that (if that's the right word) and wants CL football.

It would be a result for us as a football club though

I’d be surprised but he might feel that a couple of years there are worth missing out on CL and he could then return to Europe and fulfill that ambition once financially secure for life. The money being bandied about is massive.

 

[Del Woppio]

He's already financially secure for life, his career earnings will be well in excess of £15m.

I'd be very surprised and a more than a little disappointed in him if he went there. Obviously it'd be best for wolves as presumably they wouldn't low ball us, but still

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

He hardly lives a bling bling lifestyle, you can see him happily going about his business in Tettenhall if you hang around long enough.

He only wants to leave for football reasons, money doesn't come into it.

 

[Alan]

That was primarily from some Burnley fan who signed up here to wax lyrical about him. I was relatively pleased with him, he's been disappointing but I do sympathise as he's had to play with Kilman who I imagine is really painful to play alongside from a communication standpoint then been dropped.

“Irish VVD”, that guy said.

I’m sure he meant well but that’s up there with “80% of training is the attack” and “Sako has all summer to get over his hamstring”.