ITK Thread

[JerusalemMan]

Talk of Wharton wanting Liverpool and Liverpool wanting Wharton but both somehow happy to wait a year for it to happen which is an amazing coincidence because presumably Wharton and Liverpool haven’t had any direct communication yet,

I think we can all trust that Palace would have been notified of and happily approved any such communications.

 

[HarryBreadbap]

Two perspectives:

Paulina is a 35m saving on MGW. Cash we put towards another signing. And probably addresses an area of the pitch we need more (in fact I think we’d play MGW in CM anyway). We already have Maddison, Kulu (and Kudus) for AM and all are more technically gifted though not as hard working. So save the 35m and address an area we need more strength in.

Vs


Paulina isn’t what he was in his lambasting days at Fulham. Injury prone, a bit burnt out and not much different Hojberg. His passing isn’t up to scratch but he is a great destroyer if fit. Why use almost half of the MGW money on him, when longer term we’d be far better off signing the 24/5 year old MGW who has a higher ceiling and could be an awesome CM? MGW is combative and can tackle. When he gets the ball he uses it quickly. He can pass and dribble, and chips in with goals arriving into the box. So would probably be a better long term option in CM.


Which would you go for?

"Paulina is a 35m saving on MGW"

They are completely different players.

Paulina has played an average of forty games a season over the past five seasons, he was out injured for just eleven days last season, so "injury prone" isn't true.

He returned from a seventy day major injury in November 2024, after sustaining a muscle injury after a poor tackle on him, so two injuries in three seasons (one not on his fault). For a player in his position not a terrible injury record.

Frank isn't buying MGW who's primary role will be to defend, we have Bentancur, Bissouma, Gray, and Bergvall cover for that.

 

[SpurMeUp]

"Paulina is a 35m saving on MGW"

They are completely different players.

They are. But can’t see us signing both and MGW isn’t a classic AM, he is a bit more in the mould of a CM. Combative, good longer balls out etc.

Paulina has played an average of forty games a season over the past five seasons, he was out injured for just eleven days last season, so "injury prone" isn't true.

Fair enough. But at 30 with what he’s put his body through he is going to breakdown more frequently now. His game is about being combative and going into challenges. Plus you know our luck with injuries!

He returned from a seventy day major injury in November 2024, after sustaining a muscle injury after a poor tackle on him, so two injuries in three seasons (one not on his fault). For a player in his position not a terrible injury record.

Are any your fault?

Frank isn't buying MGW whose primary role will be to defend, we have Bentancur, Bissouma, Gray, and Bergvall cover for that.

I think the days of just defending or just attacking in midfield are outdated now. A DM should chip in with assists and goals. And an AM needs to be able to tackle and harry as well.

 

[Lilbaz]

They are. But can’t see us signing both and MGW isn’t a classic AM, he is a bit more in the mould of a CM. Combative, good longer balls out etc.

Fair enough. But at 30 with what he’s put his body through he is going to breakdown more frequently now. His game is about being combative and going into challenges. Plus you know our luck with injuries!

Are any your fault?

I think the days of just defending or just attacking in midfield are outdated now. A DM should chip in with assists and goals. And an AM needs to be able to tackle and harry as well.

Bentancur and bissouma are both in the last year of their contracts.
Would you swap?

 

[HarryBreadbap]

They are. But can’t see us signing both and MGW isn’t a classic AM, he is a bit more in the mould of a CM. Combative, good longer balls out etc.

Fair enough. But at 30 with what he’s put his body through he is going to breakdown more frequently now. His game is about being combative and going into challenges. Plus you know our luck with injuries!

Are any your fault?

I think the days of just defending or just attacking in midfield are outdated now. A DM should chip in with assists and goals. And an AM needs to be able to tackle and harry as well.

"Plus you know our luck with injuries!"

Mainly due to the previous manager who's history is renowned for driving players into the ground, see the Scottish Record where even he admitted that when he was at Celtic.

His long term injury was not through training, some injuries happen in training, it wasn't a tackle he made. I thought that would be pretty clear.

Every team has a DM, that usually play with a couple of AM's. It is a specified position in a game of football.

Gallagher played 33 games last season for Madrid, 3 goals 3 assists as a DM

Baena an AM scored 7, 9 assists in 32 games.

One player a DM and the other an AM two completely different players.

"Just defending or attacking in midfield is outdated"

I think you are way off the mark on that assumption.

 

[Bishop]

"Plus you know our luck with injuries!"

Mainly due to the previous manager who's history is renowned for driving players into the ground, see the Scottish Record where even he admitted that when he was at Celtic.

His long term injury was not through training, some injuries happen in training, it wasn't a tackle he made. I thought that would be pretty clear.

Every team has a DM, that usually play with a couple of AM's. It is a specified position in a game of football.

Gallagher played 33 games last season for Madrid, 3 goals 3 assists as a DM

Baena an AM scored 7, 9 assists in 32 games.

One player a DM and the other an AM two completely different players.

"Just defending or attacking in midfield is outdated"

I think you are way off the mark on that assumption.

Gallagher did NOT play DM for Athletico. He was a dual 8. De Paul played DM a lot more often than Gallagher did.

 

[Gazza]

The point is, that there is more to look at in a transfer than the transfer fee.

My point is that the calculations are way off

 

[Lilbaz]

My point is that the calculations are way off

Hark at gauss here.

Do you think he's worth £100m?

Transfermarkt has him at €45m.

Adam Wharton - Player profile 25/26

Adam Wharton, 21, from England ➤ Crystal Palace, since 2023 ➤ Defensive Midfield ➤ Market value: €45.00m ➤ * Feb 6, 2004 in Blackburn, England

www.transfermarkt.co.uk

Palace can ask for whatever price they want. Then it's if someone is willing to pay it.

 

[SpurMeUp]

"Plus you know our luck with injuries!"

Mainly due to the previous manager who's history is renowned for driving players into the ground, see the Scottish Record where even he admitted that when he was at Celtic.

His long term injury was not through training, some injuries happen in training, it wasn't a tackle he made. I thought that would be pretty clear.

Every team has a DM, that usually play with a couple of AM's. It is a specified position in a game of football.

Gallagher played 33 games last season for Madrid, 3 goals 3 assists as a DM

Baena an AM scored 7, 9 assists in 32 games.

One player a DM and the other an AM two completely different players.

"Just defending or attacking in midfield is outdated"

I think you are way off the mark on that assumption.

Your own figures back up the assumption. Gallagher created 3 goals and scored 3 himself, he does more than just defend.