Agree - he’s generally in the middle third too with midfielders and defenders crowding him
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Transfers The Winter Transfer Thread - 25/26
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Haven't said anything about technical ability, just basic stuff like his head is up more, he's looking to pass more, he's running down less blind alleys, he's actually running and tracking back more...all of these things are little refinements in his game, he's a very different player to the Utd version...he's had to be.
Hoddle would still be a world beater in this era , in fact he would be even better . Not playing on a muddy field and being hacked to pieces .
Let's hope so !!
Why do we always recruit backwards.
Priority is a rapid winger so we sign a full back.
Then a decent midfielder.
Finally we will be scrambling around to get the winger, hopefully before the last day if the window !!
Priority is a rapid winger so we sign a full back.
Then a decent midfielder.
Finally we will be scrambling around to get the winger, hopefully before the last day if the window !!
Also have to remember how poor Carrick was defending space. There was a good reason England worried about using him. Oddly after he went United they must have gone mental on his coaching as within about two years he went from being shit at covering the backline to being quite good at it.
Wharton can definitely improve defensively but I don’t think he is quite as bad as Carrick was. It’s also a point that if Carrick can significantly improve his defending then Wharton probably can as well.
Anderson is the all round but Wharton is a very good player. Put him next a physical beast like Gallagher and it would help a lot.
A left footed FB has been a priority for 2 windows now, especially as Udogie has so many injury problems. Odobert, Simons Muani, and Tel can all play LWF.
What you're referring too is the value of experience. After signing for Man U at 25 he was exposed to regular CL and international games, as well as playing with much more experienced CBs (e.g. Ferdinand and Vidic). There is a reason defensive players get better with age (they tend to peak at 30) and it is primarily due to their enhanced understanding of space and patterns.
Make signing Wharton (pipe dream I know) even more important then, he is still young and already a master at passing, probably the best deep passer in the league.
Hoddle was often played out of position out wide on the right (while Villa ,a DM for Argentina, was played wide on the left).
I'd happily throw the kitchen sink at Wharton (or Anderson for that matter). Surprised to see people saying he is not good defensively as he is already a very accomplished DCM that will only get better.
Carrick was brilliant defensively! And much better than anything England fielded there.
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I would have to disagree a bit there. He was at United after about 2 years, his positioning became excellent, in his younger days he was way to easy to play through.
The priority in this current team always should be a passing midfielder as opposed to a winger because that's the profile we lacked badly. Pointless having a winger if there's no one able to get the ball to him.
Good. We've finally caught up to "signings we should have made in 2020".
Progress...
I predict in a couple of years everyone will have forgotten who Anderson is. England have produced loads of midfielders like him over the years. He’s nothing spectacular.
Wharton hasn’t played much for England because, and Tuchel has stated this, he’s been injured and hasn’t been able to get him in the team.
Out of the two I’m buying Wharton, but I wanted him when he was at Blackburn after watching him there. Sometimes it’s obvious but we didn’t push it through. Could have had him for £20m.
I do get the reservation on Wharton.
In a better team, with the pitch opened up - with more defensive responsibility - I think there are valid concerns.
He's an absolute magician on the ball, spectacular, and you can imagine how exciting he could be in a more attacking, expansive team
But... How much do you need to accomodate him? How much of a liability is he at the back?
I dont know. I do know Palace sit back, sit compact, and he always has bodies around him doing a lot of that work for him - its a very different set up that at a top 6 club.
So I understand concerns, things is we'll never know until he moves
In a better team, with the pitch opened up - with more defensive responsibility - I think there are valid concerns.
He's an absolute magician on the ball, spectacular, and you can imagine how exciting he could be in a more attacking, expansive team
But... How much do you need to accomodate him? How much of a liability is he at the back?
I dont know. I do know Palace sit back, sit compact, and he always has bodies around him doing a lot of that work for him - its a very different set up that at a top 6 club.
So I understand concerns, things is we'll never know until he moves
No, the priority is a striker and a central midfielder. Mostly it's a leader or 2.
This obsession with wingers is baffling.