West Ham United defender Max Kilman has been oddly criticized by Guardian journalist Jacob Steinberg.
Kilman joined West Ham for approximately £40 million this summer, a transfer that faced considerable scrutiny at the time. However, he has proven to be an exceptional acquisition for the club. Although Julen Lopetegui considered making Kilman the new captain, the armband eventually went to Jarrod Bowen.
Lopetegui, who previously managed Kilman at Wolves, clearly valued him highly and pushed hard to bring him to West Ham. Kilman has quickly become a fan favorite, delivering strong performances and solidifying the defense.
Despite his impressive form this season, Steinberg took to X (formerly Twitter) to critique Kilman, commenting, “West Ham and Kilman get away with one at Craven Cottage. Little evidence that Lopetegui’s ideas are working yet. Outplayed by Fulham today and lucky to draw.”
This critique seems perplexing given Kilman’s consistent excellence. If anyone deserves criticism, it would be Konstantinos Mavropanos, not Kilman.
Kilman has been one of West Ham’s standout players this season. If he stays with the club for another five years, he could become a legend. His passionate and committed performances have endeared him to fans, and his potential to represent England is clear given the current shortage of top English center-backs.
At 27, Kilman likely has many productive years ahead of him, making the £40 million investment appear increasingly worthwhile as time goes on.
