Transfers The Winter Transfer Thread - 25/26

[Deuterz]

You need much more than just being a passer. That’s all he is really and being a left footer sort of makes it look better. He’s terrible off the ball and that’s in a palace side that is deep and compact. On our big pitch he’d be getting run past all day. You can’t dismiss that side of his game.

We’ve become obsessed by a passer but there’s way more that goes into being a good midfielder/team than that. What really good teams have had a player like that? Especially in England?

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Sort of post that is just going to age terribly.

What really good teams have had a completely press resistant, silky midfielder with gorgeous passing range? Oh jeeze, what a tough one.

Off the ball he’s more about intercepting/blocking passing lanes than an active defensive force but he’s not half as bad as you act. He just has a more languid style because he’s very composed.

The elite are over him like a fly on shit if most reports are to be believed.

 

[dustybin]

Sort of post that is just going to age terribly.

What really good teams have had a completely press resistant, silky midfielder with gorgeous passing range? Oh jeeze, what a tough one.

Off the ball he’s more about intercepting/blocking passing lanes than an active defensive force but he’s not half as bad as you act. He just has a more languid style because he’s very composed.

The elite are over him like a fly on shit if most reports are to be believed.

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Let’s see which of the two posts age terribly

 

[Teach]

Off the ball he’s more about intercepting/blocking passing lanes than an active defensive force but he’s not half as bad as you act. He just has a more languid style because he’s very composed.

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I’ve not seen this from him. Carrick did this brilliantly but Wharton looks quite easy to run off…. Granted only seen him live once

 

[Deuterz]

I’ve not seen this from him. Carrick did this brilliantly but Wharton looks quite easy to run off…. Granted only seen him live once

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He’s not amazing at it. Defence is his weakest area. But he’s does do it. People make out he doesn’t move off the ball and it isn’t true.

It’s a side he can/should develop, which is what Carrick had to do.

Wharton has elements you can’t coach or improve easily at all. That level of passing range and someone so hard to press is absolute gold dust.

 

[Teach]

He’s not amazing at it. Defence is his weakest area. But he’s does do it. People make out he doesn’t move off the ball and it isn’t true.

It’s a side he can/should develop, which is what Carrick had to do.

Wharton has elements you can’t coach or improve easily at all. That level of passing range and someone so hard to press is absolute gold dust.

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Agree - he’s quite tall too. Another underrated part of Carrick game was his defensive header…. Nodded away so many corners for us

 

[Shadydan]

In the summer the general feeling was we need a dribbler on the wing , everyone saw the compilations of Kudus, the moments and the stats and ignored or didn’t see all the flaws in his game. Now we’re watching it every week it’s not the answer.

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Uh half a season in a team barely coached and as a result our attackers and attacks are suffering

Bit early to jump ro such a conclusion, slow down there buddy...

 

[Shadydan]

Elliot Anderson is far superior in every aspect in comparison with Wharton

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Clearly not

 

[Teach]

Uh half a season in a team barely coached and as a result our attackers and attacks are suffering

Bit early to jump ro such a conclusion, slow down there buddy...

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You might be right, I’m sure a good coach will improve him but I’ve absolutely hated this bloke. Some good moments and plenty of ability but he’s fucking awful thus far.

 

[Teach]

Clearly not

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Sums it up well. Two good players, would be a good pair tbh!

 

[Shadydan]

You might be right, I’m sure a good coach will improve him but I’ve absolutely hated this bloke. Some good moments and plenty of ability but he’s fucking awful thus far.

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I see so many flaws in his game that can be ironed out with basic coaching, it annoys me that hes been allowed to get away with some of the shit he's gotten away with.

For example when he receives the ball it's always with his back to goal or back to his defender allowing the defender to get set in a position making it harder to go past them...look how Arteta has Saka take the ball, always on thr half turn and he curves his run so that it's more difficult for a defender to mark him.

Little things like that for example...maybe his mate from Ajax Heitinga can get the best out of him who knows.

 

[dustybin]

Uh half a season in a team barely coached and as a result our attackers and attacks are suffering

Bit early to jump ro such a conclusion, slow down there buddy...

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I think Franks a terrible manager for us but I’m not blaming him for kudus apart from the fact he bought/wanted him. It’s inherent in his game. He’s always going to take the ball back to goal and not side on, he’ll always will be head down dribbling into players. It’s the only way he feels comfortable playing. It was the same at West Ham.

After his last game against Sunderland we actually look a bit more fluent going forward in spells. Low bar I know

 

[Matt1882]

Glen Hoddle could not tackle and got run past very easily . Not saying Wharton is his level , he lacks the goal threat but Hoddle hops into this team if he only has one leg

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The 1970's and 1980s were as close to WWII as they are to 2026.

We can't really compare modern football to then anymore, sadly.

 

[Shadydan]

I think Franks a terrible manager for us but I’m not blaming him for kudus apart from the fact he bought/wanted him. It’s inherent in his game. He’s always going to take the ball back to goal and not side on, he’ll always will be head down dribbling into players. It’s the only way he feels comfortable playing. It was the same at West Ham.

After his last game against Sunderland we actually look a bit more fluent going forward in spells. Low bar I know

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Teaching a player to take the ball on the half turn as opposed to their back to goal really isn't that difficult to coach, until I see some sort of evidence of coaching for any of our players I'm gonna assume this is a coaching issue and not a player issue.

 

[THFCxDUFC]

We need someone that can dictate the tempo of a game. Someone who knows when to slow things down, and when to get it moving quickly. That’s not Adam Wharton at all. Wharton’s amazing at picking out a pass, and threading the ball through the lines.m, but he doesn’t control games.

Angelo Stiller is much more the player that we need. He’s like a Kroos regen, controls games AND can pick out line breaking passes the way Wharton can. And he’d cost about half of what Wharton would. If you want to go even cheaper, Ruben Neves is a decent option, only worry would be how Henderson be after 3 years with his feet up in Saudi.

 

[latman]

Clearly not

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People just say things like there categorical facts sometimes lol.

 

[dustybin]

Teaching a player to take the ball on the half turn as opposed to their back to goal really isn't that difficult to coach, until I see some sort of evidence of coaching for any of our players I'm gonna assume this is a coaching issue and not a player issue.

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He’s been the same everywhere. If he could change the way he accepts the ball among other stuff it would have happened by now. he was at Ajax as well. He would have had plenty of technical coaching. It’s definitely not easily coachable imo, it goes all the way back to being a kid. It’s a natural thing. There was that story of Keegan trying to teach his Newcastle players how to take the ball on the turn like Ginola, He couldn’t do it, even Ginola couldn’t show it as was just a natural thing in a game that he could do. Slight tweaks maybe but Kudus isn’t going to change much as a player now.

 

[Shadydan]

He’s been the same everywhere. If he could change the way he accepts the ball among other stuff it would have happened by now. he was at Ajax as well. He would have had plenty of technical coaching. It’s definitely not easily coachable imo, it goes all the way back to being a kid. It’s a natural thing. There was that story of Keegan trying to teach his Newcastle players how to take the ball on the turn like Ginola, He couldn’t do it, even Ginola couldn’t show it as was just a natural thing in a game that he could do. Slight tweaks maybe but Kudus isn’t going to change much as a player now.

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If you have watched Rashford this season you will know that statement is nonsense. You cant just put an age on something and assume that players stop learning or unwilling to take on new information and instructions, that's not how football works.

 

[dustybin]

If you have watched Rashford this season you will know that statement is nonsense. You cant just put an age on something and assume that players stop learning or unwilling to take on new information and instructions, that's not how football works.

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Technically whats Rashford been doing differently?
Looks the same, just more hunger and confidence to effect games. Hasn’t changed technically at all. His pace is more effective in Spain as well

 

[Streaky Bacon]

I see so many flaws in his game that can be ironed out with basic coaching, it annoys me that hes been allowed to get away with some of the shit he's gotten away with.

For example when he receives the ball it's always with his back to goal or back to his defender allowing the defender to get set in a position making it harder to go past them...look how Arteta has Saka take the ball, always on thr half turn and he curves his run so that it's more difficult for a defender to mark him.

Little things like that for example...maybe his mate from Ajax Heitinga can get the best out of him who knows.

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100%, all Kudus's major issues come from coaching, or a lack of it. The skills are all there, the decision making isn't. A great coach makes him among the most threatening players in the league. To me, that's one of the more obvious issues to solve, and if I were hiring someone I'd want them to be excited by that prospect

 

[Dixiefish61]

In the summer the general feeling was we need a dribbler on the wing , everyone saw the compilations of Kudus, the moments and the stats and ignored or didn’t see all the flaws in his game. Now we’re watching it every week it’s not the answer.

It’s similar now to just looking for a passer. We need a really good player, who’s press reitant, mobile, good feet, can carry the ball fairly well and with good vision and decent passing and good off the ball. Most things really good with a couple of very good attributes You can’t just look for one thing imo.

I’ve seen it said that we’ll have a bit of everything, but when someone’s running passed Wharton you can’t transport Gallagher there and vice versa when Gallaghers on the ball trying to find a pass. They have to actually do that.

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I feel Kudus may have been carrying an injury prior to dropping out of the team. Just my gut but would explain the drop off. Next season will be the time to judge him.