Kalas

[formerly known as ivan]

I don’t understand why people rate him so highly. At fault for the first two goals today. In no man’s land for the first and totally no effort to jump for the second. He has been a big part of a defensive problem for the last few seasons now.

Could some please share with me their reasons as to why they think he is any good as I am genuinely intrigued as to what I am missing.

Rumoured to be the top earner, not sure where the value for money is. First one out the door this summer for me.

[Red white and red]

Really? Easily our best defender. Puts his body on the line every game. Rarely gets outmuscled. He’s been immense for the majority of the games this season. Yeah he may have been at fault today, but that doesn’t make him shite. Top earner or not. 

[Andy082005]

Needs a leader alongside him. Plays better when he is the number 2 centre back. His best days for us were alongside Webster and even someone like Baker , someone who can lead the back line and let him defend 

Someone like Aden Flint at the back would be ideal at this moment in time 

[Super]

6 hours ago, Red white and red said:

Really? Easily our best defender. Puts his body on the line every game. Rarely gets outmuscled. He’s been immense for the majority of the games this season. Yeah he may have been at fault today, but that doesn’t make him shite. Top earner or not. 

In fairness the bar is pretty low when saying he's our best defender

[Tully Bascomb]

25 minutes ago, Andy082005 said:

Needs a leader alongside him. Plays better when he is the number 2 centre back. His best days for us were alongside Webster and even someone like Baker , someone who can lead the back line and let him defend 

Someone like Aden Flint at the back would be ideal at this moment in time 

Totally agree until your last line, should have said Aden Flint from 6 years ago.

[And Its Smith]

He is what he is.  A good championship centre back who has games like yesterday in him. He isn’t a leader but is often our best defender in games.  There’s a reason he has never and will never be a premier league defender but then he wouldn’t be here if he was 

[Andy082005]

12 minutes ago, Tully Bascomb said:

Totally agree until your last line, should have said Aden Flint from 6 years ago.

That’s what I meant to be fair, didn’t explain myself to well. Flint was a leader at the back and great at taking control and talking to his team mates 

[RedM]

Kalas is good when he is led, he doesn’t lead.

He does put his body in the way a few times in games, but not always at the right time. He will go in hard when the danger doesn’t always merit the challenge, if you know what I mean. He makes him look better than he is at times. Often this will result him carrying a knock, he went down a couple of times yesterday but was then slow to react when it really mattered.

I don’t think I’ve explained it very well but it’s my conclusion after seeing how his play affects the other defenders around him.

[TDarwall]

Not sure about Flint being a leader (other than in a talismanic way). Great 1st ball defender & a fantastic goal threat for a CB, but he seemed to have to focus 100% on his own game. I don't recall him directing others at all.  Like Kalas, he was better alongside a true leader.

[And Its Smith]

3 minutes ago, TDarwall said:

Not sure about Flint being a leader (other than in a talismanic way). Great 1st ball defender & a fantastic goal threat for a CB, but he seemed to have to focus 100% on his own game. I don't recall him directing others at all.  Like Kalas, he was better alongside a true leader.

Kalas was best alongside Webster who wasn’t a leader either. Kalas is best against an extremely good defensive partner I would say, which is going to be the case with any centre back 

[Shuffle]

Personally if Kalas is our problem then we are finished.  Has bailed us out on countless occasions and has at times been a one man defence trying to plug all the gaps across both a back 4 or 3.   Sure he makes the odd mistake But personally feel we would be screwed without him.  Is there better out there it has to be a  yes but he’s our best defender by a mile & better in a back 4.

Edited February 6, 2022 by Shuffle

[And Its Smith]

5 minutes ago, Shuffle said:

Personally if Kalas is our problem then we are finished.  Has bailed us out on countless occasions and has at times been a one man defence trying to plug all the gaps across both a back 4 or 3.   Sure he makes the odd mistake But personally feel we would be screwed without him.  Is there better out there green yes but he’s our best defender by a mile & better in a back 4.

I don’t think anyone is saying he’s the problem but he is part of a defence that concedes tons of goals and isn’t exempt from criticism 

[And Its Smith]

9 minutes ago, billywedlock said:

Generally a very good player . Yesterday was his worst performance of the season , that is true . We need FB’s in the summer so we can get to a back 4 . 

Tanner, Pring, Dasilva.  Think we’ve got them. Just need tanner back fit.  I see a lot of set piece goals conceded though which isn’t done to formation. There’s a lot to like in the current set up, just need to improve on bits defensively 

[JoeAman08]

Without Kalas they score 5-6 yesterday. He isn’t always perfect but I am sorry he mops up so much for this side that is almost embarrassing at times. There are usually 4-5 occasions a game where he stops a threat before it really starts.

I don’t think he enjoys wide of a 3 as much as being in a 2 or even being central of a 3. I thought Klose would be a bit more physical than he is. Klose is calm and defends on the ground quite well. He did however get bullied by Madine quite a bit. That meant they always had a platform to build off of which in turn meant a lot of work for Kalas and Pring. 
 

 

[sh1t_ref_again]

Think Kalas is a good defender, but unfortunately worth no where near the 8m price tag. Does a lot of good interceptions and clearing the ball, but gets beat too easy when static jumping in the box

[Roger Red Hat]

2 hours ago, Andy082005 said:

Someone like Aden Flint at the back would be ideal at this moment in time

Have you not seen Flint at this moment in time?

[Red white and red]

50 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

I don’t think anyone is saying he’s the problem but he is part of a defence that concedes tons of goals and isn’t exempt from criticism 

The OP is saying first one out the door in the summer. So that would highlight Kalas being a problem, no? 

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, Shuffle said:

Personally if Kalas is our problem then we are finished.  Has bailed us out on countless occasions and has at times been a one man defence trying to plug all the gaps across both a back 4 or 3.   Sure he makes the odd mistake But personally feel we would be screwed without him.  Is there better out there it has to be a  yes but he’s our best defender by a mile & better in a back 4.

100%.

Maybe he was poor yesterday, everyone has a bad game from time to time but he played in the Euro semi final last season FFS & whilst I accept he was surrounded by better players then, he didn’t look out of place.

If he had the right partner, (he’s had good seasons alongside Webster & Baker) he’s been outstanding, our bigger problem has been getting a consistent, regularly available centre half partner, in my opinion.
 

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by GrahamC

[Southport Red]

8 hours ago, Red white and red said:

. Puts his body on the line every game.

He certainly did at Preston. Yesterday, he did seem a lot less committed. No criticism intended, just an observation. 

[Antman]

Where's Shaun Taylor when you need him...

[Dottie]

Very disappointed with Klose yesterday, hopefully will improve with more matches. Only seemed comfortable with passing a short ball to Kalas & played him to trouble so many times. 

[And Its Smith]

22 minutes ago, Red white and red said:

The OP is saying first one out the door in the summer. So that would highlight Kalas being a problem, no? 

He says that with the context of wage. 

[And Its Smith]

7 minutes ago, Antman said:

Where's Shaun Taylor when you need him...

Pretty much all of his good games were in league one so not sure he’d help much!

[maxjak]

Anybody can have an     off day......    Tomas's was yesterday, but generally this season he has been Mr Consistent , he is alongside mostly inferior players, so does well to keep up a high standard IMHO.   We are weak and ineffective defensively, but i have no problem with Kalas's effort and commitment, and ability.     .

He needs a leader next to him, the fact that there is not one there   is not his fault, and he is the last player i would ever consider letting go.  The original poster is way off target, with a knee jerk reaction to one poor game, which is an ongoing consistent theme of this forum?   There are far worst players at this club than Tomas Kalas,  he would be very difficult to replace, and hopefully is a defender we can rely upon for the next few seasons?       

[The Swan and Cemetery]

Think Kalas, along with HNM and DB, gets off lightly on this forum. Does put his body on the line and does some really good stuff, but can’t be absolved of our current defensive troubles on the basis of him needing the perfect partner alongside him. Often seems to orient towards being the zonal central defender in open play, maybe that’s what he’s told to do, but often results in him not affecting play as balls come in. Still think he’s been our best defender, with Pring challenging, but it’s a low bar and he could/should be doing more to raise the bar, not be waiting for a top class partner alongside him. 

[Antman]

3 minutes ago, And Its Smith said:

Pretty much all of his good games were in league one so not sure he’d help much!

also at 59 years old he's probably lost a yard of pace.

 

 

[Pezo]

36 minutes ago, sh1t_ref_again said:

Think Kalas is a good defender, but unfortunately worth no where near the 8m price tag. Does a lot of good interceptions and clearing the ball, but gets beat too easy when static jumping in the box

No way near £8m now but was when we signed him it’s just the world has moved on. We sold Flint for similar and Kalas is and was better than him when defending.

I think the last few seasons he has carried our defence. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he is carrying a few niggles by the way he walks once a game is finished, I’ve noticed a few times he covers it up in games but an as soon as it finishes looks like he is hobbling a lot.

[And Its Smith]

11 minutes ago, Antman said:

also at 59 years old he's probably lost a yard of pace.

 

 

Which he never had in the first place!!

[Southport Red]

42 minutes ago, Dottie said:

Very disappointed with Klose yesterday, hopefully will improve with more matches. Only seemed comfortable with passing a short ball to Kalas & played him to trouble so many times. 

Looked very good at PNE just one week earlier. Mind you, so did everyone else. 

[eardun]

2 hours ago, TDarwall said:

Not sure about Flint being a leader (other than in a talismanic way). Great 1st ball defender & a fantastic goal threat for a CB, but he seemed to have to focus 100% on his own game. I don't recall him directing others at all.  Like Kalas, he was better alongside a true leader.

Interesting that Flint is captain today v Liverpool.