03 Jul 2026 07:14:29
I agree with others on here that based on the eye test that Wharton doesn’t appear to be particularly fast.
However many of the best centre mids we’ve ever seen aren’t.
Kroos, Modric, Busquets, the list goes on.
Wharton possesses some standout features which I think give a clue as to how we’ll be looking to play next season, and appear positive given how slow and laboured we were in the build up last season.
Wharton was the best pressured-passer in the entire Premier League last season, and his line-breaking pass rate was unmatched in Europe’s top five leagues.
That’s a genuinely elite, differentiating trait — most PL midfielders recycle possession safely under pressure; Wharton looks to break lines instead.
Maybe this means MacAlister is off and this is his replacement and we still go after an all action option like Scott if Jones also leaves.
03 Jul 2026 11:28:35
Wharton is useless if you play with a mobile midfield cos he is simply not mobile enuff to play it. You can apply the same to Macca as he lacks mobility and athleticism too.
So replacing a midfielder who lacks the tools to play in a high press and pacey midfield with another another one who can't do the same things, makes no sense to me, personally.
And mentioning Wharton and elite in the same sentence is just bonkers, imo.
03 Jul 2026 13:47:04
Dom's pretty mobile, mate ;-) Plus I don't think you can play for AI unless you put in a shift. A lot would be down to other managers' tactics, as might not be the quickest, but surely the lad can run a bit. What we don't know is if he can play in a high press team, as he's never been in a team that does it.
Maybe he'll surprise us all. Probably more of the Alonso-type midfielder (not saying he's as good as), but that worked pretty well for us? Here's hoping if we do sign him that he bosses it for us.