Wolves may have lost in frustrating fashion at the weekend but it was another good display from Max Kilman at the back.
Wanderers fell to a 2-1 defeat against Sheffield United, with the Blades scoring a penalty in the 100th minute of the game.
The award of that penalty, and the decision by VAR to uphold the on-field call, has been slammed by many.
Match of the Day host Gary Lineker was quick to brand it a ‘stinking decision’, and pundits Danny Murphy and Martin Keown also couldn’t understand it.
It is the fourth time this season that Wolves have been stung by a controversial decision, and it has cost the club points in the Premier League.
But, as is usual when Wolves lose a game, there were some positives to take. And one was the solid performance of Kilman, who appears to have really benefitted from the recent system change…
Max Kilman can hold his head high after his performance against Sheffield United
Wolves may have conceded two more goals on Saturday.
But captain Kilman can be fairly pleased with his showing at the back.
Sofascore data shows that he was very good on the ball, completing 57/65 passes for an accuracy of 88%. He completed 8/11 long balls which is fairly impressive.
He had the second most touches in the game after Craig Dawson, indicating that he was always available and happy to receive the ball.
Kilman was also pretty solid defensively, making four blocks, two interceptions and two tackles.
He and Dawson were both strong at the back for Wolves, with Toti Gomes a little more shaky than his defensive colleagues.
Recent system change at Wolves has helped Kilman find form after shaky start
So that’s another pretty solid display from Kilman, and good performances from him have definitely become more frequent of late.
Kilman had a bit of a shaky start to the new season, as did Dawson.
Perhaps the pressure of wearing the captain’s armband had something to do with it. But without doubt, he and Dawson were not as solid as they were under Julen Lopetegui.
Against Manchester City, Gary O’Neil changed Wolves’ formation and went with a back three, with Toti coming into the backline.
Kilman moved over to play on the right, which is a position he was absolutely superb in under Bruno Lage.
He clearly likes playing in the role because since the change, he’s looked comfortable and solid.
His distribution from that position is especially good. Kilman likes to ping balls with his left foot across the field and out to the left wing.
But he’s also got a pretty good weak foot and is comfortable playing balls down the right channel with his right. We saw him play a really good one on Saturday to get Nelson Semedo in, and it should have resulted in a goal.