Nathan Collins

[KnowNuttin]

I've been critical of Collins since he's joined because I don't think he's half as good as many on here make him out to be and I still stand by that and still wonder what some of you lot have been watching. But today he and Bueno were the pick of the back four. Kilman had his worst game in a Wolves shirt... and Jonny? Jesus Christ!! He's finished at this level.. Injuries have taken their toll and he seems to know it.. I think he's just taking his money and can't believe he keeps getting picked. Kilman seems to have lost confidence (he's not the only one) and is a shadow of the player we've seen previously.

 

[Wolf79]

They aren't a mess, the three of them did little wrong in pure defensive things today.

We conceded four but we didn't deserve to, they were ridiculously good (or lucky) with their efforts.

I will agree that Kilman has looked a bit off the past month but today he was bad with his passing, he wasn't getting terrorised by Daka or anything.

If we play Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri we'll be alright. It's not the best defence in the world but it's not bad.

Semedo got far too much stick for Palace away. He was outstanding for 45 minutes and even the goals, he got under the ball for the first one, it was a mistake obviously, but Eze was Traore's man, he should've been goal side as well!

The second, he didn't sprint back, again, it's not good enough but this happens so much with players everywhere, I think it's switching off and not appreciating the danger as opposed to a lack of effort. Again, if Kilman hadn't stupidly dived in then it doesn't get mentioned.

Jonny is simply nowhere near a Premier League player. Kilman's low on confidence it seems but the three defenders today weren't anywhere near as bad as the scoreline suggests. It was a freak.

You must be watching a different game to me, without Coady our back 4 & indeed the overall team are lacking both passion & organisation. Just read what the Everton fans are saying about him.

 

[Bostin]

I would to see a back 3 of Collins - Coady - Kilman, but it’s not going to happen.

He’s gone and we need to find other solutions

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

You must be watching a different game to me, without Coady our back 4 & indeed the overall team are lacking both passion & organisation. Just read what the Everton fans are saying about him.

It's the easy excuse.

The reality is last season Jose Sa had the season of his life. We should've been in the bottom 5 or 6 and the fact we weren't, according to the stats, was down to Sa.

This season, Sa is not at that level and we're down there.

Today was a freak, we didn't deserve to concede four goals.

I agree we are probably missing Coady's organisation as he's excellent at that but the reality is our defence was bad last season, or as bad as it is now, but it was bailed out by the keeper.

 

[JayStringer]

I don't think it's down to Coady. The team looked bereft of structure and leadership during the run-in last season, when Coady was in the team. No. I think the time was right for him to move on with great memories. But the failure has been in not recognizing the dressing room needed more leaders.

 

[Sussex Wolf]

They aren't a mess, the three of them did little wrong in pure defensive things today.

We conceded four but we didn't deserve to, they were ridiculously good (or lucky) with their efforts.

I will agree that Kilman has looked a bit off the past month but today he was bad with his passing, he wasn't getting terrorised by Daka or anything.

If we play Semedo, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri we'll be alright. It's not the best defence in the world but it's not bad.

Semedo got far too much stick for Palace away. He was outstanding for 45 minutes and even the goals, he got under the ball for the first one, it was a mistake obviously, but Eze was Traore's man, he should've been goal side as well!

The second, he didn't sprint back, again, it's not good enough but this happens so much with players everywhere, I think it's switching off and not appreciating the danger as opposed to a lack of effort. Again, if Kilman hadn't stupidly dived in then it doesn't get mentioned.

Jonny is simply nowhere near a Premier League player. Kilman's low on confidence it seems but the three defenders today weren't anywhere near as bad as the scoreline suggests. It was a freak.

We’re you at the game? I was, and the defence was shocking. Jonny was comically bad - like Hwang bad. Kilman was lost, indecisive and sloppy. Collins did his best. Bueno was a shadow of the mid week self. Sa had little to do other than pick the ball out of the net 4 times. It wasn’t a freak, it was simply that Leicester made few moves into the Wolves final third, but so poor was our defending, that they could score in almost all their attacks. First goal was a case in point, nobody closed the Leicester player down when the ball was cleared out of the box.

By contrast, when we did attack, Leicester blocked on the line, they closed our forwards down, they made it hard to get into decent scoring positions. In short, they defended, we didn’t.

 

[Wolf79]

It's the easy excuse.

The reality is last season Jose Sa had the season of his life. We should've been in the bottom 5 or 6 and the fact we weren't, according to the stats, was down to Sa.

This season, Sa is not at that level and we're down there.

Today was a freak, we didn't deserve to concede four goals.

I agree we are probably missing Coady's organisation as he's excellent at that but the reality is our defence was bad last season, or as bad as it is now, but it was bailed out by the keeper.

It wasn’t

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

We’re you at the game? I was, and the defence was shocking. Jonny was comically bad - like Hwang bad. Kilman was lost, indecisive and sloppy. Collins did his best. Bueno was a shadow of the mid week self. Sa had little to do other than pick the ball out of the net 4 times. It wasn’t a freak, it was simply that Leicester made few moves into the Wolves final third, but so poor was our defending, that they could score in almost all their attacks. First goal was a case in point, nobody closed the Leicester player down when the ball was cleared out of the box.

By contrast, when we did attack, Leicester blocked on the line, they closed our forwards down, they made it hard to get into decent scoring positions. In short, they defended, we didn’t.

I haven't defended Jonny, I said he was 0/10. It was one of the worst displays I've ever seen from an individual.

It was a freak. Tielemans isn't scoring goals like that every week. We cleared a set-piece. Yes they could close down better now you know it's a goal but it's an unreal goal, it's not a major problem a player shooting from there. Either way, that's not the defenders fault specifically.

The second goal is all on Jonny, it's embarrassing.

The third is a keeper error in truth but either way, it's another shot from the edge of the box or around that. You can nit-pick, Collins maybe should get closer but these don't always end up in goals.

Four shots, four goals.

The fact you think they defended well is bizarre.

Nunes' chance was from awful play from them. We should've scored 2/3 fairly easily - and that's not us taking chances at anywhere near the rate they were.

We have problems but today was a freak scoreline.

 

[fleck1]

What's the point of Collins posting the obvious?
It's no good spouting off after the game, re how embarrassing today was.
Why didn't he try and fix the problems on the pitch during the match?
Same goes for the rest of the no marks !
The players are the ones to hang their heads in shame!
More effort and commitment is required.
Don't moan after such a pathetic display, sort it BIG TIME!!

I don't mind a player holding their hands up showing some accountability. At least he had enough about to applaud the fans and apologise at full time, while the rest disappeared down the tunnel to plan their escape route with Mendes.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

I have a lot of time for Collins. Unlike Jonny and Kilman he actually looked like he had some bottle yesterday. Soon as the first goal went in two of the senior defenders looked like they wanted to get off the pitch, especially Jonny who's apparently in the leadership group. Collins who's only 21 let's not forget, didn't hide even at 4-0 and unlike others who's more senior and been at this club a lot longer, had the balls to clap the fans and apologies.

 

[Mugwump]

It's the easy excuse.

The reality is last season Jose Sa had the season of his life. We should've been in the bottom 5 or 6 and the fact we weren't, according to the stats, was down to Sa.

This season, Sa is not at that level and we're down there.

Today was a freak, we didn't deserve to concede four goals.

I agree we are probably missing Coady's organisation as he's excellent at that but the reality is our defence was bad last season, or as bad as it is now, but it was bailed out by the keeper.

Listening to some of the comments from ex players, we are missing characters in the dressing room. Ruddy, Saiss and Coady are way bigger misses then anyone was expecting them to be.

 

[greco wolf]

Listening to some of the comments from ex players, we are missing characters in the dressing room. Ruddy, Saiss and Coady are way bigger misses then anyone was expecting them to be.

What I was told on Friday by a certain ex player

 

[Matt]

Listening to some of the comments from ex players, we are missing characters in the dressing room. Ruddy, Saiss and Coady are way bigger misses then anyone was expecting them to be.

To be fair, a lot of people on here said that at the time they were let go. It was obviously going to be an issue imo.

 

[KnowNuttin]

I don't understand this obsession with players clapping fans. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against it, but I don't understand why fans get so uppity about it.

What I want to see is competent performances and exciting football during the match. That's the best way they can show us respect, rather than patronising us by begrudgingly and awkwardly clapping after they've been a steaming pile of ****.

 

[wolfslair]

It's the easy excuse.

The reality is last season Jose Sa had the season of his life. We should've been in the bottom 5 or 6 and the fact we weren't, according to the stats, was down to Sa.

This season, Sa is not at that level and we're down there.

Today was a freak, we didn't deserve to concede four goals.

I agree we are probably missing Coady's organisation as he's excellent at that but the reality is our defence was bad last season, or as bad as it is now, but it was bailed out by the keeper.

But we did deserve to concede four goals.

We gave 3 excellent chances to score and guess what? Unlike our bunch of muppets who couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat they scored. Hahaha

Granted the first was a worldy, but in the prem like the saint maximan goal this is a league of extreme talent, plus the more striker friendly balls mean that bangers like that happen nearly every week now so aren’t as much of a collectors item as they were in the 90’s or even early 2000’s.

In elite sport especially the prem, deserving to lose happens every time. It is a matter of who executes skills and takes their moments.

And yesterday we deserved to concede four goals and deserved to lose because they took 4 out of 5 shots on target and we scored none in over 15.

In pure statistical terms we are ****ing **** and they were clinical to the extreme, deserving all their goals and to win the game.

Nothing more and nothing less

 

[Rauls Headband]

Collins I think, has unfairly come in for some pelters this season. He's a young man who has been dumped into the middle of a club that right now is doing a great impression of a horror show; on match days he doesn't have the benefit of someone like Coady, who would have put an arm around him.

A small number aside, he's surrounded by players who instead appear to have already checked out. I'm hoping this doesn't impact his development, but instead may give him some experience in pulling through difficult times which will be massive for him when he's a more 'senior' player but feel he deserves a little bit more slack than most.

 

[OLDGOLD]

I don't think it's down to Coady. The team looked bereft of structure and leadership during the run-in last season, when Coady was in the team. No. I think the time was right for him to move on with great memories. But the failure has been in not recognizing the dressing room needed more leaders.

This exactly

 

[TheConcourse]

It's the easy excuse.

The reality is last season Jose Sa had the season of his life. We should've been in the bottom 5 or 6 and the fact we weren't, according to the stats, was down to Sa.

This season, Sa is not at that level and we're down there.

Today was a freak, we didn't deserve to concede four goals.

I agree we are probably missing Coady's organisation as he's excellent at that but the reality is our defence was bad last season, or as bad as it is now, but it was bailed out by the keeper.

People re-writing history. Coady was **** last season.

 

[Flump]

I don't understand this obsession with players clapping fans. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against it, but I don't understand why fans get so uppity about it.

What I want to see is competent performances and exciting football during the match. That's the best way they can show us respect, rather than patronising us by begrudgingly and awkwardly clapping after they've been a steaming pile of ****.

Fans during the game: booooo, you're ****, you're rubbish, you don't know what you're doing.

Fans after the game: why didn't they clap me for supporting them?! I'm so hurt by this lack of respect being shown.

 

[Anglostone]

Championship calibre defender.

Well I'm glad you can tell this about the lad at just 21, who needs to wait til a player has had and blown every chance and is a washed up 27-30 year old? I'm relieved this forum has a rational voice, someone who knows better than more than half the premier league clubs' footballing directors when it comes to the potential of someone who has been considered one of the best CB prospects in the British Isles since he 16/17...

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

Well I'm glad you can tell this about the lad at just 21, who needs to wait til a player has had and blown every chance and is a washed up 27-30 year old? I'm relieved this forum has a rational voice, someone who knows better than more than half the premier league clubs' footballing directors when it comes to the potential of someone who has been considered one of the best CB prospects in the British Isles since he 16/17...

Regardless of his potential his performance was unacceptable along with a few others. Only the players know if they want to fix this or be the whipping boys week in week out

 

[WalsallWolf]

Still a young player, has potential

I do get some worrying Richard Stearman vibes though

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Still a young player, has potential

I do get some worrying Richard Stearman vibes though

Same. I think he's quick and strong but all over the shop. If coady got pulled about like that for the 3rd, and failed to get the block away he would be receiving pelters all weekend.

 

[k-dog]

Not gonna lie, I fell for the Burnley fan hype around him. Not seen a thing to suggest he’s good enough, yet.

 

[Golden Arrow]

Not gonna lie, I fell for the Burnley fan hype around him. Not seen a thing to suggest he’s good enough, yet.

I think you should cut this guy some slack.
He's 21 years old with plenty of time for development with a good coaching team. Both Stoke and Burnley fans thought he was good enough, but we seem to enjoy pointing the finger when the chips are down just because he's not performing like Virgil Van Dijk.

It would help if we could stick the ball in the net at the other end and perhaps there would be less scrutiny on our defenders right now.

 

[WickedWolfie]

Not gonna lie, I fell for the Burnley fan hype around him. Not seen a thing to suggest he’s good enough, yet.

He looked pretty decent until the sending off. Since then he's come back, with apparently impaired/knocked confidence, into an increasingly struggling team.

 

[Incognito]

I like Nathan's honesty, at least he can be applauded for that. Yesterday though, him, Kilman and of course "the head and body's gone" Jonny were really poor. I wanted Coady to be upgraded and I think in time Nathan will be an upgrade. However, him and Kilman weren't done any favours by having the central defenders at Molineux being culled so severely, what with Boly and Saiss leaving as well. That has placed so much pressure on them to perform as pair immediately, with no chance for a breather or a switch back to a back 3 to alleviate the pressure, when things are not going so well, which is the case now. It's the decision to let Boly and Saiss leave that just doesn't make any sense. Both are decent defenders, one arguably decent, even as a utility player. Another couple of nails in the coffin of our Prem identity, with those two going.

 

[k-dog]

I think you should cut this guy some slack.
He's 21 years old with plenty of time for development with a good coaching team. Both Stoke and Burnley fans thought he was good enough, but we seem to enjoy pointing the finger when the chips are down just because he's not performing like Virgil Van Dijk.

It would help if we could stick the ball in the net at the other end and perhaps there would be less scrutiny on our defenders right now.

Not giving him any stick, just haven’t seen anything to suggest he’s good enough to play in the premier league, YET.

 

[Golden Arrow]

Not giving him any stick, just haven’t seen anything to suggest he’s good enough to play in the premier league, YET.

I have, but admittedly it was before his crazy kung fu chop.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Leicester City’s 4-0 smash and grab against Wolves shows improvement is genuine​

Ladies and gentlemen, this was a robbery, simple in conception, ruthless in execution.

Outplayed for long periods of the match, including the entirety of the first half, they faced 21 shots but conceded no goals. They had five shots themselves and scored four.

----

This is the title and part of the first few sentences from the Leicester reporter in The Athletic.

I think he's slightly excessive but good to get an opposition perspective, and certainly shows that we weren't that bad.

Jonny let himself down yesterday with an atrocious performance but aside from that there really was nothing in the teams. In fact, if you swapped Jonny for Semedo we might even win the game as the crucial second goal doesn't happen and things might be different at 0-1.

We need to keep perspective here. There was one member of the defence that was a shambles, the rest were okay besides Kilman's passing surprisingly.

Hopefully Jonny and Moutinho were that bad that they play themselves out of the team for the foreseeable, it certainly has to be the case with Jonny.

But let's not turn on all the other players just yet.

 

[Lichfieldroadwolf]

I think you should cut this guy some slack.
He's 21 years old with plenty of time for development with a good coaching team. Both Stoke and Burnley fans thought he was good enough, but we seem to enjoy pointing the finger when the chips are down just because he's not performing like Virgil Van Dijk.

It would help if we could stick the ball in the net at the other end and perhaps there would be less scrutiny on our defenders right now.

My little one is 6 years old doesnt mean he should play for Wolves

 

[Golden Arrow]

My little one is 6 years old doesnt mean he should play for Wolves

?

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

I think you should cut this guy some slack.
He's 21 years old with plenty of time for development with a good coaching team. Both Stoke and Burnley fans thought he was good enough, but we seem to enjoy pointing the finger when the chips are down just because he's not performing like Virgil Van Dijk.

It would help if we could stick the ball in the net at the other end and perhaps there would be less scrutiny on our defenders right now.

We shouldn't have signed another 21 year old centre back then. We have toti who has much the same inexperience and many of the same faults and gets called out on every single one he makes.

 

[Golden Arrow]

We shouldn't have signed another 21 year old centre back then. We have toti who has much the same inexperience and many of the same faults and gets called out on every single one he makes.

Perhaps we shouldn't, and instead gone for an International class defender who has PL experience and had played in the Champions League. I wonder how many top class defenders may have bought into that unless we'd thrown big money that way.

As I said in a previous post, if we were scoring goals (remember them), the close scrutiny on our defenders would be less.
As it stands, unless we draw 0-0, Collins, Kilman and company will continue to get the rough end of the stick whilst your front men or midfield players who blaze chances into row Z will continue to go "Scot-free".

 

[Peszkywolf]

Like what the poster above says, all these individual players come under ridiculous scrutiny over every mistake or slip..... because of our failure at the other end to convert 20 chances.

Leicester have been poor at the back this year, but can score 2 or 3 goals a game, so a lot less pressure on the defenders not to concede the first 'golden' goal.

 

[WolfInSheep'sClothing]

Perhaps we shouldn't, and instead gone for an International class defender who has PL experience and had played in the Champions League. I wonder how many top class defenders may have bought into that unless we'd thrown big money that way.

As I said in a previous post, if we were scoring goals (remember them), the close scrutiny on our defenders would be less.
As it stands, unless we draw 0-0, Collins, Kilman and company will continue to get the rough end of the stick whilst your front men or midfield players who blaze chances into row Z will continue to go "Acot-free".

We could have just gone for Tarkowski or Ben Mee and added another 24 million to the "Buy Toney" kitty.
But he's here now I guess.

 

[Golden Arrow]

We could have just gone for Tarkowski or Ben Mee and added another 24 million to the "Buy Toney" kitty.
But he's here now I guess.

I take your point but you're making a big assumption that any of those players would have wanted to sign for us, in particular Ivan Toney who appears more than happy at Brentford and doing that well that he's now part of the England squad.

I think we're both in agreement that our failings are up front and even having the best defenders in the league won't make a scrap of difference if we arn't scoring goals.

 

[Anglostone]

Regardless of his potential his performance was unacceptable along with a few others. Only the players know if they want to fix this or be the whipping boys week in week out

I wont deny that, but if we are to judge him on a few matches in the context of this current situation (at the age of 21)... well all I'd say is that there would be practically no players in the world who could come up smelling of roses in that case.

I would be much more willing to critique players like Moutinho in this context, because being the experienced pro he is, you can much more fairly expect more from him, even if it isn't athletically but leadership-wise instead.
Nathan Collins might (and probably will) be the player to turn a struggling team around with his attitude in 4 or 5 years time, but as of right now it seems a bit harsh to expect that of him, its simply poor planning to have two young centre-halves as your starters week in week out w/out an experienced backup for situations such as the one we find ourselves in

 

[Mile End Wanderer]

I wont deny that, but if we are to judge him on a few matches in the context of this current situation (at the age of 21)... well all I'd say is that there would be practically no players in the world who could come up smelling of roses in that case.

I would be much more willing to critique players like Moutinho in this context, because being the experienced pro he is, you can much more fairly expect more from him, even if it isn't athletically but leadership-wise instead.
Nathan Collins might (and probably will) be the player to turn a struggling team around with his attitude in 4 or 5 years time, but as of right now it seems a bit harsh to expect that of him, its simply poor planning to have two young centre-halves as your starters week in week out w/out an experienced backup for situations such as the one we find ourselves in

Add to that we lost our leader Coady total shambles ay we

 

[Wolf79]

Add to that we lost our leader Coady total shambles ay we

Agree & neither of these two should have been picked ahead of Coady. Kilman is a shadow of the player he was without Coady coaching him through games & clear to see why he hasn’t made the England squad. As for Collins, decent player but should have been brought in as backup (loss of form/injury) not first choice this season.