I thought I’d give myself a few minutes to actually think about who to award my precious Player of the Season vote.
Like most people, I can immediately hone in on a couple of contenders, but do the underlying numbers support that choice or would data reveal I’m overlooking someone more deserving?
What about the warriors that turn up week in, week out when others are sidelined by injury? Or the players that don’t take the headlines but bring qualities to the side that maximise the potential of others?
Yeah, that’s gotta be worth a look.
Minutes
When considering the players who’ve done the most over the entire season, the time they’ve actually spent on the pitch has to count for something, right? Availability is the best ability and all that.
Skipper Kilman leads the way with 41 appearances and 3,711 minutes on the clock. He is definitely a contender on that basis alone. Sa, Semedo, Toti and Lemina are the others in the 3,000 Club. Only Max and Toti have been ever-present in all 42 matchday squads so far.
The above 11 are the only players that have clocked over 2,000 minutes, which I think is reasonable cut-off and allows me to work off a shortlist.
This (somewhat controversially) takes Pedro Neto out of the running with just 1,717 minutes to his name – less than half of Kilman. No star has shone so intensely but alas, too briefly. That second injury was a devastating blow to him and the team.
Goals, goals, goals
Having come into the season with the Premier League’s most pitiful attack (only 31 goals in 22/23) anyone that could find the net consistently would have to be considered our lord and saviour.
That means Hwang and Cunha immediately jump to the front of the queue. Both have 11 league goals at the time of writing this, which is a superb achievement for any player in this brutal competition.
But Cunha has 13 overall compared to Hwang’s 12, which includes a memorable goal (and celebration) at The Hawthorns. He also has 8 assists compared to Hwang’s 3 and is +500 minutes on the pitch, so if the choice eventually boils down to these two, then you have to lean towards the Brazilian.
Honourable mention for Pedro Neto’s 9 assists and 2 goals and Pablo Sarabia’s 7 assists and 4 goals. 22 goal involvements between those players is very respectable. When you factor in the injuries across our frontline, those four have been prolific based on output against minutes on the pitch. Same again next season?
Impact
Midfield can be a harder position to judge with statistics, but no player in any position for Wolves has made more tackles than Joao Gomes this season. If 110 sounds high, it’s because it is. Only Joao Paulinha and Vinicious Souza have managed more in the Premier League.
He’s also committed 58 fouls, which is only bettered by Conor Gallagher. One of those fouls cost us at Fulham, but generally speaking, he gets around the pitch and disrupts the opposition, which is a priceless commodity in the modern game. He’s called The Pitbull for a reason.
Mario Lemina has been just as influential but in a more diverse way. He’s made the most passes of any Wolves midfielder (1,297), had the most touches (1,750), scored the most goals (5) and played the most minutes. Factor in his general presence and leadership in that team along with the odd champagne moment like the last minute winner against Spurs and you have to say he’s right up there.
If I’m picking between these two players as the standout midfielder it’s awfully difficult. Joao Gomes is the rising star and a freakishly good talent who I suspect we’ll struggle to hold onto for much longer, but I’m going to give it Mario for everything he has brought to the team.
Resiliance
With only five measly cleansheets in the Premier League, it’s tough to defend the defence, but I think that particular statistic is down to the team becoming more offensively minded and allowing more spaces all over the pitch as a consequence.
Craig Dawson’s influence is underlined by the fact that all five of those shutouts came when he was in the team, meaning we always concede when he doesn’t play. That has to mean something?
However, it’s tough to look beyond Max Kilman as the standout defender. He’s played the most games, had the most touches and made the most passes of any Wolves player. He’s made 168 clearances in the Premier League, which puts him third overall across all clubs. On top of that he’s made 3 goal line clearances, which is as many as any other defender in the league (Toti also has 3 and Dawson 2 incidentally). His 86 aerial duals won also puts him top of that list at Wolves and 13th in the league overall. When you consider he’s also chipped in with a couple of goals (as well as having another two contentiously chalked off) I think he is a very strong contender.
If I was giving a Player of the Last Season & a Half (doesn’t have much of a ring to it admittedly), I’d be leaning towards Toti Gomes. He solved a big problem for Lopetegui by filling in down the left and was one of the major reasons we stayed up last season. He then came back in when Gary realised a back four wasn’t the way to go this time and results immediately started turning in the team’s favour again. A prime example of an underrated player who just seems to get better and more consistent with each passing game. He’s got healthy passing, clearance and aerial dual stats himself, but the problem is he’s behind Kilman on everything, which makes it tough to plead his case.
Width
Nelson Semedo has enjoyed a much better season. He’s played more minutes (3,275) than anyone other than Kilman or Sa. His 1,398 passes also puts him third on that chart, underlining his importance to the build up play. He’s made 70 tackles, which is the highest of any Wolves defender showing he gets through plenty of work without the ball too.
My problem with Nelson is his attacking output. 1 assist and 1 miserly goal is not good enough for the positions he gets himself into nearly every single game. That final action continues to hold him back and the repeated disappointment means I can’t contemplate choosing him ahead of other more rounded contenders.
The same applies to Rayan Ait-Nouri. Yes, he’s developed superbly this season and been particularly excellent in recent weeks when he’s had to carry the attack, but just one assist and two goals in the Premier League is not enough for a player of his ability. Too many times he’s driven forward, shimmied past several tackles and then let himself down with whatever comes next. He’s missed five big chances over the season, with only Hwang (7) registering more and been dispossessed 49 times, the most of any Wolves player. Yes, that’s because he carries the ball a lot, but I think these stats show there is improvement to be made in his decision making and final ball execution. A breakout season for him and and maybe the most improved player, but not the player who should be taking home the gold as the elite performer.
Between the sticks
That leaves Jose Sa. He’s missed a couple of games but generally been out there most weeks as the undisputed number one and I think you always have to consider your goalkeeper as a contender.
The standout stat is that he’s made 42 high claims in the Premier League which puts him top of that list alongside Emi Martinez at Villa. He commands his area as well as any goalkeeper and certainly doesn’t shy away when buffeted by the opposition. He’s sixth for saves (116) with a save percentage of around 72%, which puts him fifth overall for the league.
We’ve conceded 51 goals when he’s played with the stats suggesting we should have conceded 55.7 based on the shots he’s faced, so you can form an argument (depending on your trust in these figures) that he’s well in the plus column if you’re weighing up the shots he should and shouldn’t have kept out over the course of the campaign.
I think he’s a more solid goalkeeper than people give him credit for and definitely makes it onto the final 4 shortlist for the Player of the Season.
Conclusion
So I’ve arrived at Jose Sa, Max Kilman, Mario Lemina and Matheus Cunha as the elite players in their respective positions. All have played the minutes and made the consistent contributions that make them worthy winners. And I think at this point, when you’re comparing different positions in the pitch, you have to go with what you’ve seen beyond any statistical analysis.
Part of me really does want to give it to Max because I feel rebellious and I think the players that turn up every week and grind it out are never given the credit they deserve. He also plays with a certain amount of style and finesse that allows the team to be more progressive in possession, which is important for Gary’s setup.
But I can’t look beyond Matheus Cunha. Not only do his goal and assist numbers make him the standout attacker, he’s invariably been right at the heart of all this season’s best moments. Factor in how he represents the club and fights for every single decision, it’s very difficult to argue against him being the worthy winner. As our club record transfer we needed him to step up this season and be the main man after a hit and miss run in the team under Lopetegui last time and he’s done exactly that.
So, yeah, there it is – Matheus Cunha. My Wolves Player of the Season for 2023/24.
Feel free to disagree but don’t say I didn’t think about it.
I can’t think of a season ( fan since 1970,s) where wolves have had he whole first 11
improve their form. I love Neto and my heart bleeds when he get injury after injury
Gomes the one of the fans favourites is fantastic and we love his tackling. Lemina
a fully committed whole hearted wolves nut who has finally found his home., Toti for his full breakout season more to come perhaps, Semado finally playing like an expensive fullback but still failing to deliver in final third. Al Nouri for getting every fan off their seats with his slalom runs and trickery on the ball. But let’s all be honest did anyone expect a player to come out of Cunha ? after failing to impress with only 2 goals since arriving last season and a record signing and considering our impressive record of signing forward players? Not!
Matheus Cunha my player of the year outstanding!
I think Cuhna is the most important player on the Wolves–he’s proven to be the engine that drives the whole offense.
However, given his time missed with injury, I’d have to go with Kilman for PotS. His steadying and reliable presence in the back has helped keep the Wolves competitive even when there have been so many injuries around him. I think if Kilman had gone down with an injury, the team would have been in a much more precarious position than they currently are.
Oh sod you lot – I’m going for Cunha!
A really good analysis and statistical check on the candidates for PoTS Thomas … almost of VAR proportions .. brilliant nonetheless…
By a strange coincidence I thought about this award last night… and the 3 names I came up with were Lemina, Neto and Cunha.
It’s certainly could be down to sone impressive player stats … but the most important stat (to me) that I based my deliberations on were …” the love of Wolves “”Factor..!
And it’s this reason that my player of the season was chosen… and MATHEUS CUNHA got my vote.
How I’ll never forget his Chelsea away hatrick but more joyous to me was his winner against the Baggies in the Cup … the way he sambered to the delirious crowd that day, spinning around with his finger in the air will stay with me forever.
Well done to all of the other statistically notable cases but I’m happy with my choice.
It’s Mario Lemina for me, a character as well as a very good and important player, his connection with the crowd helped all of us accept the new O’Neil regime, his attitude on the pitch reflects what we would do if only we were good enough to wear the shirt. He’s played out of position to help the team and played on while running on fumes. I think he’ll be Players Player too.
A very good analysis and it’s hard to argue with the four that you have listed as the main contenders. It’s always easy to give it to a forward as of course it’s all about the goals, but I’m giving it to Max Kilman for being one of the most solid and reliable defenders in the league, and (I think) for playing every single minute of the season so far. I’d have Lemina second and Cunha third, with Sa a creditable fourth – although his distribution lets him down a bit, there aren’t many better shot stoppers in the league and at the end of the day he’s there to stop shots.
I’d also have Cunha’s first goal against Forest as the goal of the season, but perhaps that’s next week!
A brilliant analysis Thomas, and there are perfectly valid arguments for many of the first team squad being Player of the year.
Sa, for his shot stopping prowess, Neto for his sheer class, Ait-Nouri for his unbelievable footwork, Semedo for improving amazingly under GON, Kilman for his defensive stats, Hwang for his goals, Mario for his passing and tackling and just being such a lovely bloke, and Gomes for his “I am having that ball and there’s nothing you can do about it” attitude.
The list goes on, but I’m fully in agreement with you that Matheus Cunha, has everything that a Wolves fan would want in a Wolves player, loyalty, fight, goal making and scoring ability (particularly at The Hawthorns), and, injuries permitting, will only get better.
Matheus Cunha, you have my vote.
Good stuff, Thomas.
Can’t argue with your reasoning, though I slightly favour Sa in goal. He’s put in some monster performances and often kept the score respectable. It gives the defence confidence and direction when our back’s against the wall.
1 lv & COYW
What a sublime post. It’s both analytical and emotional and I’m struggling to disagree with any of the points you have made.
What is brilliant is that there are so many candidates.
That is a reflection of the seismic shift within the squad as a result of GON. He was managed to turbo boost team spirit and morale, make them play more effectively as a team and improved most players individual performance levels.
Ultimately, it’s hard to disagree with Matheus Cunha being player of the season.
UTW
Excellent and thoughtful analysis which I agree with. Now all i have to do is decide between Max, Lemina and Cunha.
Thank you for that brilliant and detailed analysis, Thomas. If it was Wolves Man on the Season, I would be going for Gary O’Neil. For it is Gary who has brought out the best in each and every one of the contenders for Player of the Season.
For me, Sa is not quite there. He is definitely underrated though, as his stats prove. The occasional error gives me an attack of the heebie jeebies. Of course, when a keeper makes a mistake it can be fatal. He just misses out on the calm, measured criteria. Keepers can improve with age and he may be my number one next year.
It all comes down to the three M’s for me, Max, Matheus and Mario. I’d love to give it to Kilman, our £35k bargain buy for his quiet industriousness, dependability and leadership. But I can’t overlook our most expensive buy, Cunha, who is simply one of the finest footballers ever to wear the Old Gold. So for me, Matheus Cunha.
Sa is our only ‘Top 5’ player, stats wise. Toti up there on tackles made too.
BTW WWWFC players wage bill is 17th in the PL. on £0.85 mil / per week. Compared to ManuTragic at £3.8 mil / week. so we’re getting a value shift from the Lads.
1 lv & COYW
For myself, I’m stuck between two players, Cunha and Lemina. Attitude and effort alongside skill; we are blessed with a few good players let down by VAR and officials again sadly… It’s hard and I would find it difficult to argue against others’ choices, but I’m going for Lemina, what an engine!
Great analysis, with some fabulous options.
But for me it is Max all the way. The goal scorers get all of the accolades and win games, and midfielders get plenty of exposure, but without a rock in defence doing all of the dirty work, doing the right things well, and keeping their calm when pressed close to their own penalty area, the team would not have a chance!
Yes, Max it is, the unsung hero, who was recently knocking on England’s door, purchased for 35k, coming through our ranks, yes he is one of us, and he is my pick!
And apparently doing all of this on only 15k a week which is paltry as far as professional footballers go! But fully motivated! For himself, for us, for Wolves!
Yes, Max, our unsung hero and my POTS!
It’s got to be Matheus Cunha for me too.
He had a bit of a shaky start when he was labelled a bit of an expensive mistake, but, boy, has he made up for it since then!
But Gary deserves an accolade for being the man who has brought out the best in all our players, including Cunha.
I’m so sad for Pedro Neto, who has been unfortunate to succumb to injury and spent so much time off the field. If he’d been on the field the whole time, where, indeed, would Wolves be now?
Think I’ll abstain
Brilliant, forensic analysis Thomas which has added substance to our gut feelings.
There has been a lot to enjoy on the field this season with skill and link up levels improving and all done at such pace- its a much different game from when I started to go in the 60’s.
Cunha’s confidence has improved dramatically as has his all round game and it’s difficult to look past him for a POTS – he is the heartbeat of the team.
However, for shear reliability, always an 8/10, injury free and world class in bringing the ball out of defence I would plumb for Max. Surely England will call him up soon.
We are blessed to
Have such a long short list
Terrific analysis Sir Thomas
Yep he’s a player most teams would want too… I add my vote
But for stirring up those wonderful memories of dear Waggy … and he’s clearly a lovely bloke… I’ll be so sad not to see Pedro in old gold again
He took on Luton single- handed
Pure impact whenever he’s played and I hope Gary puts him on the team sheet Saturday am ( just to sow panic)
They don’t like it up ‘em
I’m less forensic than you Thomas. When it comes to things football I try to be guided by my pulse rate rather than intellect (A roll of the eyes from Mrs P)
All that said my rather different approach has brought me to exactly the same conclusions.
There’s no one in the first team or the squad (same thing more or less) that you can’t make a case for. However Lemina and Cunha are the cream that rise to the top.
I’m afraid I can’t split them.
Obviously had it been a three month season then it would’ve been a one horse race. However injuries have eliminated Pedro from the conversation.
And lest we forget, Gary deserves a gong for getting such a great tune out of this group.
I can’t believe after Ipswich I was shouting for his head!