I sat down with Tony Bowen, the man who first spotted Collins playing for Cherry Orchard in Dublin and decided to offer him a trial at Stoke City.
Fresh injury concerns for Wolves as Chiquinho sidelined with ACL injury
Chiqiunho has suffered a serious injury and could see him sidelined for some time.
Betmate announced as Talking Wolves’ channel partner
Talking Wolves are delighted to announce Betmate as an official channel partner.
Betmate is a social fantasy football betting app that allows you to bet against other people’s team selections across a number of top leagues around the world. Not only that, the best thing about Betmate is that there is ALWAYS a winner.
Entry fees for games range from £1-£10, with 90% of the money going into the prize pot that will be split between the top-scoring users.
Talking Wolves will be producing their own Betmate games throughout the month for you to get involved in and we’ll be discussing our team selections and where we feel we went right and wrong on the podcast.
Unlike traditional bookmakers, Betmate allows you to bet against your mates, rather than betting against the bookies. Betmate still promotes responsible gambling, with cool-off periods and deposit limits available within the app too.
Betmate offers a range of game modes too, from Head-to-Head games, which allows participants to pick their fantasy team of six players between two teams that are playing to Multi Fixture Games which combines all of the fixtures over a weekend.
Betmate updates the leaderboards in real-time unlike most fantasy football apps, including substitutions.
All is fair on Betmate
Traditional fantasy football apps rely heavily on goals and clean sheets to score points but Betmates rewards players for actions such as interceptions and tackles too, meaning picking your six-man team just got a whole lot more strategic.
How to sign up on Betmate
Wolves fans can sign up by clicking this link. Downloading the app and signing up is a simple process that takes two minutes!
Think you can beat Talking Wolves? Sign up today and join the FREE to enter prize pot for Wolves’ game vs Arsenal on Thursday for your chance to win a share of £200.
18+ Only. BeGambleAware.org.
Max Kilman – From Futsal to Premier League regular
Maximilian William Kilman, classy by name, classy by nature. A young man on a mission to write himself into Wolves’ starting XIs for the future. After years of widely reported success playing futsal, and a three-year stint in the National League, a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers followed, joining the u-23’s on their quest for promotion. Kilman played a key role in achieving this goal, the personal reward being recognition from Wolves’ first team Head Coach Nuno.
Espirito Santo’s penultimate year at the helm of Wolves birthed the start of Max’s rise. A plethora of confident cameos in Europe gave Wolves fans something to be excited about, appearing assertive in the tackle and quick across the ground for someone of his stature. Additionally, a combination of major injuries and stagnating form for the likes of Willy Boly, gave Max even more reason to stake his claim in the first team selection – warranted with a contract extension. Nuno’s final year of his tenure was where the centre-backs confidence shot for the moon, pocketing the best of what the Premier League had to offer. Wolves fans were particularly impressed by Kilman, despite the clubs shambolic season of defensive frailty. His album of standing and sliding conviction, partnered with an underappreciated ability to bring the ball out from the back was ever-growing for the 24-year-old, akin to “national hero,” Harry Maguire at the time.
COVID-19 took fans out of stadiums, players struggled to adapt to the change of scene. But not many had a worse season behind the scenes than Max, with his father passing in November 2020, it would have been entirely understandable to see a significant drop off in his form. However, Max’s performances displayed consistency that his defensive teammates could only wish for that year, and a Premier League man of the match award was to come following a hard-fought battle in Yorkshire at Elland Road.
A season of dire football and a 13th place finish in the Premier League meant NES was consequentially relieved of his duties at Wolves. Fears began to grow amongst fans over who would take the wheel, with rumours appearing out of the cracks of Wolverhampton pavements. Yet, there was an overriding hope that the new gaffer would start with a defensive 4, taking the shackles off our attacking talent and bringing our defenders off the by-line. Left-footed centre backs somehow became the talk of footballing punditry during the European championships, particularly those who can pass the ball efficiently, with pace.
Unsurprisingly, Portugal provided Nuno’s successor, by the name of Bruno Lage. A coach with an attacking mindset and an unrivalled admiration for goals galore. Being the baby of Wolves’ first-team centre backs (minus the addition of Yerson Mosquera), fans worried that experience would take him out of favour of Lage. Don’t let his height deceive you though, Max is still a cub amongst this pack of Wolves, he just so happens to be a better hunter than his elders. Seven games into the new Premier League season, not one performance below a 6/10. Beyond comfortable in the most competitive league on the planet, baffles me to this day that FIFA would not permit this man to play for Ukraine if he could, no doubt that he’d be a seasoned international already. A proper centre-back, a position Wolves fans have been crying out to fill in the rear of 4 years with midfielders protecting our goalkeeper.
Max hasn’t got to his peak just yet, but he’s way past base camp. Kilman’s climb is well underway, evidencing a constant lesson in the art of defending, and pride in a clean sheet. Molineux is his classroom, the prem is his playground. Preachers state that consistency is key, and if that is the case, Max has got a bright future at the top echelons of professional football.
Sam Beeken is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him here
Wolves’ pre season round up
Wolves have had an indifferent pre season under Bruno Lage. Read the Talking Wolves round up here today.
Wolves 1877 Trust to become independent fan representation for Wolverhampton Wanderers
Last month saw the launch of the first ever independent Supporters Trust at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Wolves 1877 Trust
Rui Patricio looks set to seal move to AS Roma
Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Rui Patricio looks set to seal a move away from Molineux this summer as AS Roma close in on the Portuguese shot-stopper’s signature. Talking Wolves understands that it’s a matter of when not if for the deal in question.
There have been various reports in Italy that suggest that personal terms between Patricio and Roma have been agreed but both clubs were still yet to agree on a fee. Wolves reportedly value Patricio at between €10-15 million with Roma reportedly only tabling €6 million plus add-ons. New Roma head coach Jose Mourinho has long been an admirer of Patricio and could finally land his man once the Euro’s have finished.
Wolves are keen to get the 33-year-old off the wage bill, along with Joao Moutinho who are both among the top earners at the club, earning reportedly in the region of £85,000+ per week. Patricio, who signed from Sporting Clube De Portugal back in 2018 and has made 118 appearances for the club.
Wolves will now turn their attention towards another Portuguese shot stopper in Jose Sa. Sa is said to be close to sealing a move to Molineux and is being reported by a number of news outlets in Greece. Sports journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos has reported that Jose Sa will travel from Austria to England to complete his medical ahead of his move to Wolves. The 6ft 4inch Sa has been a mainstay in the Olympiacos goal since he made his loan move from Porto a permanent one in 2019. It’s believed Wolves could pay between £8-10m for Sa.
Wolves have also held interest in other goalkeepers such as Bartłomiej Drągowski and could still make a move for him but the competition for Dragowski’s signature is said to be fierce.
Catch up on the latest batch of transfer rumours over on our YouTube channel below
Matthew Cooper is a Talking Wolves co-founder and you can follow him on Twitter here.
Wolves Loanees – How did they get on?
Plenty of players spent the season out on loan playing in many different leagues of all levels gaining promotion, missing out on promotion, avoiding the drop, getting relegated, placing midtable and so on with their respective teams.
Those players being:
Goalkeepers: Matija Sarkic and Jamie Pardington
Defenders: Toti Gomes, Oskar Buur, Ryan Giles, Luke Matheson, Dion Sanderson and Rùben Vinagre
Midfielders: Christian Herc, Bruno Jordão, Connor Ronan and Meritan Shabani
Strikers: Lèo Bonatini, Leonardo Campana, Patrick Cutrone, Rafa Mir and Dongda He.
Here is how they got on this season:
Matija Sarkic
Age: 23
Position: GK
On loan at: Shrewsbury Town (League One)
Games played: 29
Clean sheets: 11
Goals conceded: 28
Despite some injury troubles that he suffered at the start and the end of the season (knee and quad injury respectively) Sarkic, managed to play a total of 29 games and keep a modest 11 clean sheets with Shrewsbury Town that placed 17th in League One, avoiding the drop to League Two by 7 points with a goal difference of -7. The Vocal Montenegrin shot stopper that can command his area quite well received many plaudits while at Salop, his performances alone earned various points for the club, and you have got to think that if he had a full season without any injuries, he could have helped the team achieve a higher position in the League. A very promising player to keep an eye out for, it will definitely be interesting to see how much Wolves value him and what they will decide to do with him. With all the rumours surrounding the 2 first choice keepers, is another loan on the horizon or will he take up a place in the team as the 3rd or 2nd choice Goalkeeper? We will just have to wait and see.
Toti Gomes
Age: 22
Position: Defender (CB)
On loan at: Grasshoppers (Challenge League)
Games played: 36
Goals: 2
Toti Gomes has been key in Grasshoppers promotion to the Swiss Super League, the Portuguese defender played 36 times and was the outfield player with the most minutes (3094 minutes). Gomes did not have any troubles adapting to Swiss Football at all, he has been regarded by many Grasshoppers fans as one of the best defenders and players at the club and league this season. Without him and his performances, promotion to the top of Swiss football probably would not have been achieved. The tall, quick, and strong defender has had a great season in Switzerland but he did make some mistakes at the end of the season, the best thing for him next season would be another year at Grasshoppers to see how he does in the top league, then you can work from there and see what the next step will be. A good investment overall.
Ryan Giles
Age: 21
Position: Defender (LWB/LM)
On loan at: Coventry City until January, Rotherham (Championship)
Games played: 44
Goals: 2
Assist: 1
In the end, Rotherham weren’t able to avoid relegation they just didn’t have enough in them and missed out on safety by 2 points. Nonetheless, Ryan Giles had a decent overall season in the Championship with Coventry (in the first half of the season) and Rotherham (in the second half of the season). To get 44 games under your belt at any level is great, especially in the Championship. That many games and minutes can only have done him good. Not to be forgotten is that this was his first year playing in the 2nd tier and the step up he made from the previous season. All this at 21 years of age is a good feat and a good experience for him. Aside from the number of games played, the former England U20 international got a total of 3 goal contributions, it doesn’t sound great, but he did show promise, he was good with the ball, had quick footwork and a good crosser of the ball. There is definitely potential and room for improvement in him, another loan in the Championship where he can get regular gametime is what would be best for him, or do you think he should be at Wolves next season because “Is Rayan Ait-Nouri for 20 million better than Giles?”.
Dion Sanderson
Age: 21
Position: Defender (CB/RB)
On loan at: Sunderland (League One)
Games played: 27
Goals: 1
Dion Sanderson got off to a slow start at Sunderland, he didn’t get regular game time at the Stadium of Light until Lee Johnson took charge. He only managed a few games here and there, but as the season progressed he made the CB position his own at the Black Cats. He had an extended run of 18 games in the team with him playing the full 90 minutes in 14 of those games, he would have played even more games if he hadn’t suffered a back injury that kept him out for the final and decisive games of the season. His performances were good and he got praise from many Sunderland fans, so much that he won the Young Player of the Season. Following his performances and with just one year left on his deal many teams are interested in him, a move away from Wolves seems the most likely option for all parties if a new deal isn’t agreed.
Rùben Vinagre
Age: 21
Position: Defender (LB)
On loan at: Olympiacos until January (Greek Super League), Famalicao (Liga NOS)
Games played: 27
Assist: 3
The Portuguese LB had a very poor first half of the season. He started off at Wolves making 3 appearances in old gold, but it was evident he was not good enough, so he was sent out on loan to Olympiacos. His poor form continued there as well so Wolves then sent him out on loan to Famalicao back in his homeland. He got back on track while at the Liga NOS side, playing a total of 20 games and picking up 3 assists in the meantime. Despite his form, and with the arrival of Bruno Lage his time at the club still looks to be numbered. He doesn’t have a place in the team and isn’t good enough at this time and moment but with his current form he could bring in a good sum of cash of around 10-15 million, Benfica and Sporting seem to be the two teams most interested in his signature.
Bruno Jordão
Age: 22
Position: Midfielder (CM)
On loan at: Famalicao (Liga NOS)
Games played: 11
Goals: 1
Assist: 1
Jordao’s season was hindered by a long-term injury that he suffered at the beginning of January and kept him out for the rest of the season. Before injury, the Portuguese midfielder featured 11 times and grabbed 1 goal (which was awarded the September/October goal of the month) and 1 assist. A shame for Jordao as he wasn’t able to display his qualities and has now fallen down the pecking order. Pre-season at Wolves and another year out on loan seems the best option for him and the club.
Connor Ronan
Age: 22
Position: Midfielder (CM)
On loan at: Grasshoppers (Challenge League)
Games played: 32
Goals: 1
Assist: 3
An overall good season for Ronan but also slightly unfortunate, he joined Grasshoppers and immediately picked up an injury that kept him out of their pre-season and first two games. Once he recovered, he had to fight for a place in the team, which he did really well, becoming a regular face in the team and helping the Swiss side to promotion. In his time at the club the former Ireland U21 international showed great mentality and determination, always running and fighting for every ball. He managed to reach the consistency that he was lacking in the first half of the season and although he only got 4 goal contributions, his passing and crossing was very good. The only weaknesses were duels and headers due to his stature. Unfortunately for him though, the season ended two games early as he suffered a metatarsal fracture. Hard to predict what we will do with him, one thing for sure is that he will be at Wolves recovering from injury, when he recovers who knows? Maybe another loan, because Wolves must see something in him as they have kept and persisted with him for quite a long time now.
Lèo Bonatini
Age: 26
Position: Striker (ST)
On loan at: Grasshoppers (Challenge League)
Games played: 33
Goals: 13
Assist: 2
A very bad start to life in Switzerland for Bonatini, hardly any goals in the first half of the season and didn’t seem to be enjoying it at all, or more than anything not wanting to be there. His luck changed in the second half of the season once he found his scoring boots, and he seemed to be more motivated. He contributed to 15 goals in total with 13 goals and 2 assists. He started off as a massive flop and disappointment in Zurich but ended up being instrumental by pushing Grasshoppers to promotion as the club’s top scorer and the fans seemed to finally appreciate him too. There’s no doubt where he will be next year, he will be playing in the Swiss Super League with Grasshoppers as he was signed on a two year loan deal.
Rafa Mir
Age: 23
Position: Striker (ST)
On loan at: Huesca (La Liga)
Games played: 39
Goals: 16 (two hat-tricks one in La Liga and the other in the Copa del Rey)
Assist: 1
Wolves most prolific player with 16 goals, Rafa Mir, spent the season out on loan in La Liga with Huesca. The Spanish side that sat in 20th position for the majority of the season moved up the table thanks to his goals but they weren’t enough to ensure them safety as they finished 18th, 2 points away from 17th placed Elche. The former U21 Spain international was clearly the best out of the Wolves players out on loan and he didn’t go unnoticed, many teams in Spain have shown interest in him and some Wolves fans think he should be given the chance to come back and play with us. It seems unlikely this will be the case as he is entering the last year of his contract and Wolves seem willing to cash in on him or even use him as a makeweight for a possible swap deal. Signed for 1 million, you have got to say this has been good business from the club as they will be getting double that amount in the event of his sale.
Other players out on loan:
Patrick Cutrone
Games: 24
Assist: 1
Where do you start off, it has definitely been a shocker and a season to forget for Cutrone, 24 games in total with Fiorentina, Wolves and Valencia and no goals. Left Fiorentina for the lack of game time and played 4 times at Wolves before moving back out on loan to Valencia where he encountered the same problem he had at Fiorentina. Possibly one of the worst signings under the Fosun reign, they will be lucky to get back the same amount they paid for him if they wish to sell him.
Oskar Buur
Games: 11
Sent out on an 18 month loan deal to partner club Grasshoppers and in the half a season he was there he played 11 times, his time at the club was interrupted by various injuries and when he did play he wasn’t anything special. Oskar Buur will be spending the next season on loan with Grasshoppers in the Swiss Super League along with Leo Bonatini.
Meritan Shabani
Games 7
Goals: 1
A promising start on loan with Dutch side VVV-Venlo, scoring on his debut to send the club into the Semi-Finals of the Dutch cup and some decent cameos for him. This could have been the big breakthrough for him having recovered from his ACL injury and having done well in Wolves u23s before his loan move, but unfortunately he suffered another injury that kept him out of action for the rest of the season.
Leonardo Campana
Games:10
Goals: 2
Assist: 1
The Ecuadorian internationals time in Portugal at Famalicao with fellow Wolves men Jordao and Vinagre was ultimately hindered by a muscle and a hamstring injury. He only featured in spells, getting the odd minute here and there. In his limited playing time, he did manage to grab 2 goals and 1 assist. At just 20 years of age the best option for him will be another season out on loan.
Christian Herc
Games: 32
Goals: 7
Assist: 1
The forgotten Slovakian midfielder spent the season out on loan at Czech side MFK Karvina, where he played 32 times and contributed to 8 goals. A decent season as one of the key players after an unsuccessful time at Viktoria Plzen the previous season.
Luke Matheson
Games: 2
His time out on loan with Ipswich didn’t last very long as he played 2 games and got injured shortly after. Following the injury, the loan was cancelled and Matheson returned to Wolves where he would recover and eventually feature for the U23s.
Jamie Pardington
The 20-year-old shot stopper spent time out on loan with Dulwich Hamlet and League Two side Mansfield Town, where he got his first taste of action in men’s football.
Dongda He
Games: 3
The 19 year old Chinese striker from the U23s has been sent out on loan to Chinese Super League side, Beijing Guoan, where he has made 3 appearances from the bench.
Most surprising player – Rafa Mir
Nobody would’ve expected much at all from the 23 year old Spaniard at the beginning of the season, an unsuccessful time in England, first year playing in a top division and only playing with newly promoted Huesca. In the end, he defined the odds and surprised many fans, netting 16 times in total, attracting interest from many sides.
Most disappointing player – Patrick Cutrone
No goals in 24 games, I think that says it all!
The Italian didn’t manage to get a single goal at any of the 3 clubs he played with this season, he was never a regular and fell out of favour with the managers at basically all clubs this season. The only place where the 23 year old has done well is with the Italian U21 side at the Uefa U21 Championships where he got 4 goal contributions in 4 games (3 goals 1 assist).
Most unfortunate players
Bruno Jordao
A season back in his homeland with Famalicao where he would be able to get regular gametime and thrive, what could go wrong? He got off to a decent start, getting regular gametime, scoring and assisting once, won the September/October goal of the month and then a long- term injury struck and kept him out for the season.
Meritan Shabani
A good start to life in the Netherlands for Shabani but it wasn’t to be for the German midfielder. As stated before, it could have been his breakthrough but unfortunately he received a major blow because of injury.
This time around there were 17 players out on loan and as you can see, they all had varying levels of success over the season. It’ll be interesting to see how they develop and mature this time next year.
Stats and numbers accurate as of 14/06/2021.
Matthew Gentile is part of the Talking Wolves editorial team – you can follow him on Twitter here.
Who is Bruno Lage? All you need to know about the speculated new Wolves manager
Bruno Lage is set to become Wolves’ new manager but who is he and what will he bring to Wolves? Find out here.
Wolves Women Off to a Flying Start
After the well-documented halt to last seasons near-perfect run, Wolves Women have hit the ground running this season