Adam Wharton

[MarkBRFC]

11 hours ago, rigger said:

He's signed till 2027, where do you get one year from ?

Before yesterday he was signed up until 2027, now he is signed up until 2028.

Hence it being a one year extension.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

10 hours ago, Ianrally said:

I presume he has an agent? Who is it, as most decisions lie in the palm of their hands regardless of length of contract. 

My wife has always done English GCSE exam marking. Years ago the subject you had to write about was “ An important decision you had to make “. One of the papers she marked was from a player who was an England schoolboy international on Preston’s books and his agent was agitating for him to move to London and sign for Spurs. That was the decision he had to make. The lad was still at school and he already had an agent !

The lad decided to stay at Preston and he went on to have a long career in pro football without ever reaching the highest level. I’ll bet he’s very wealthy now.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[G Somerset Rover]

12 hours ago, joey_big_nose said:

More broadly - if there is one thing thats changed in the Prem in the last 10-15 years its that all the centre mids are now absolutely massive units. Even the likes of palace or Bournemouth have huge athletes in midfield who also have a lot of quality on the ball. I do to be honest wonder realistically if Wharton can physically make it.

Perhaps so with some of the smaller PL clubs, but some of the best CMs in the league are of the opposite mould - Enzo, Mac Allister, Fernandes, McGinn, Odegaard - just off the top of my head (there will be many more). 

I’d be highly surprised if he’s here next season because he possesses so much quality. He’s raw, but a PL outfit will no doubt think they can sharpen him up.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Gavlar Somerset Rover!

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Perhaps so with some of the smaller PL clubs, but some of the best CMs in the league are of the opposite mould - Enzo, Mac Allister, Fernandes, McGinn, Odegaard - just off the top of my head (there will be many more). 

I’d be highly surprised if he’s here next season because he possesses so much quality. He’s raw, but a PL outfit will no doubt think they can sharpen him up.

Yeah, sorry I see what you mean but I guess my perspective is the players you mention are more number attacking mids / number 10s than centre or defensive mids which is where Adam plays at the moment. I guess for Whartons career he needs to play a bit further up, but then hes so good on the half turn you want him picking up the ball from defence....

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

9 minutes ago, joey_big_nose said:

Yeah, sorry I see what you mean but I guess my perspective is the players you mention are more number attacking mids / number 10s than centre or defensive mids which is where Adam plays at the moment. I guess for Whartons career he needs to play a bit further up, but then hes so good on the half turn you want him picking up the ball from defence....

He’s wasted playing where he does at the moment. I suppose it’s just part of the learning curve.

[NeilInBristol]

22 hours ago, Gavlar Somerset Rover! said:

Perhaps so with some of the smaller PL clubs, but some of the best CMs in the league are of the opposite mould - Enzo, Mac Allister, Fernandes, McGinn, Odegaard - just off the top of my head (there will be many more). 

I’d be highly surprised if he’s here next season because he possesses so much quality. He’s raw, but a PL outfit will no doubt think they can sharpen him up.

Declan Rice? Adam seems to be more in his mould 

[simongarnerisgod]

i think adam is an absolute class act ,though he`s not got a defensive bone in his whole being,he needs moving up the pitch behind szmodics,with that killer final ball he has it he`ll get more goals and more assists,we could play with two holding midfielders to facilitate him,it will make us more balanced as well and it`s time garrett got a run in the side

[roversfan99]

Wharton suits playing deep because he has the ability to play on the half turn and dictate games and the balance is right with the more defensive Tronstad next to him.

I cant see how the team would be balanced with Wharton, Tronstad AND Garrett and then Szmodics as well. Im not totally convinced by Garrett, technically limited. Travis is better than Garrett but in my opinion the Tronstad, Wharton and Szmodics combination is a good one.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 hours ago, simongarnerisgod said:

i think adam is an absolute class act ,though he`s not got a defensive bone in his whole being,he needs moving up the pitch behind szmodics,with that killer final ball he has it he`ll get more goals and more assists,we could play with two holding midfielders to facilitate him,it will make us more balanced as well and it`s time garrett got a run in the side

I agree with you, he’s wasted back there from an attacking point of view. Also he’s not the greatest defender on the planet. He needs to be playing where he can hurt teams and where if he loses the ball it’s not the end of the world. It does create problems setting up the rest of the “ attack “ though.

[RoverCanada]

Some quotes from JDT: https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/23980872.tomasson-gives-wharton-verdict-new-blackburn-deal/ Fair summary.

“I saw immediately the potential in Adam when I came here,” Tomasson told RoversTV. “I gave him minutes immediately and then I took him out of the team because I thought he needed to learn about being a professional football player.

“I saw the quality on the ball. He can do things that nobody sees before, he can play passes under pressure, he can play one-touch and he has great vision.

“I think he’s stepping up to another level from the start of this season. On the ball, he’s Champions League level, I’ve said that many times. I’ve played there and coached enough at Champions League level and I should know that.

"I think he’s learning a lot off the ball and is improving a lot. He’s still a young boy who needs to learn a lot but he’s improving really well.

“He’s a good boy and someone who the Academy have worked with, so it’s great for the community to have one of the local boys signing a new deal and playing the way he is.

“He also has weaknesses that we’re working on and he’s improving all the time. You can always work on becoming better. There’s still plenty to come.”

---

He obviously has work to do defensively, but I don't think it's fair to say he's useless. He's definitely made some very key interceptions and well-timed tackles here and there (see all of that Blackpool game last year!). Just a work in progress, and having the likes of Tronstad alongside him to clean up is looking promising. His effort level can sometimes look wanting but I think some of that is simply because of his somewhat 'gangly' running style...

As suggested above re: Rice as a comparable, my suspicion is they want to develop him into a deep-lying playmaker/6, where transfer fees have skyrocketed. See this (paywalled) Athletic article comparing the likes of Caicedo, Rice, Lavia, Fernandez...: https://theathletic.com/4787143/2023/08/20/caicedo-rice-lavia-transfer-fees/ Would be interesting to see how Wharton's numbers compare for the some of metrics cited within: passes completed, turnover rate, passes into final third, touches, passes under pressure, progressive passes, interceptions and 'true' tackle win rate... definitely will be part of what PL scouts will be tracking.

I think part of why Morton was generally an automatic pick last year was he our only midfielder who could semi-reliably take the ball on the half-turn in our third and JDT wants Wharton to take on that role this year. I still have some hope for Buckley, but he clearly failed to take on that role last year.

Edited December 11, 2023 by RoverCanada

[rigger]

18 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I agree with you, he’s wasted back there from an attacking point of view. Also he’s not the greatest defender on the planet. He needs to be playing where he can hurt teams and where if he loses the ball it’s not the end of the world. It does create problems setting up the rest of the “ attack “ though.

Games I have seen Adam Wharton play for the past four seasons, he has been a holding mid-fielder, who takes the ball off defenders even if he is marked. Just recently he has developed this fault of getting caught on the ball if he doesn't lay it off first-time.

[NeilInBristol]

“I saw immediately the potential in Adam when I came here,” Tomasson told RoversTV. “I gave him minutes immediately and then I took him out of the team because I thought he needed to learn about being a professional football player.

 

JDT is so transparent! Love it 

[BlackburnEnd75]

I must say I'm not convinced by the Wharton higher up the pitch argument (presumably as a 10?). I think the balance of him and tronstad works well atm for us as its not as open as early in the season and tronstads defensive ability compliments whartons passing range.

Ultimately the best role for Adam Wharton is the one where he touches the ball as much as possible. And that's cm. 

[rigger]

4 minutes ago, BlackburnEnd75 said:

I must say I'm not convinced by the Wharton higher up the pitch argument (presumably as a 10?). I think the balance of him and tronstad works well atm for us as its not as open as early in the season and tronstads defensive ability compliments whartons passing range.

Ultimately the best role for Adam Wharton is the one where he touches the ball as much as possible. And that's cm. 

Also we have plenty of No10's without trying someone else there.

[roversfan99]

Yeah he is definitely best suited in the role he is playing now, and the balance is right. He can dictate the game from deep, he gets plenty of the ball, he plays on the half turn and he can slip players in behind quickly which he regularly does. Tronstad is the perfect partner because he naturally is disciplined sitting alongside him and doing the dirty work.

When he does get the ball further forward, he still has that quality of not needing numerous touches but he is always very reluctant to shoot.

[philipl]

Wharton can and does tackle and despite his languid style is seriously quick in short bursts to cut out problems.

That said I shamed for him lolloping back in the oft repeated clips as the Wednesday player tore into our box while it went all American Football on Hill.

Completely agree he should shoot more often when forward- also goes for Tronstad too.

 

Edited December 11, 2023 by philipl

[bluebruce]

10 hours ago, RoverCanada said:

I think part of why Morton was generally an automatic pick last year was he our only midfielder who could semi-reliably take the ball on the half-turn in our third and JDT wants Wharton to take on that role this year. I still have some hope for Buckley, but he clearly failed to take on that role last year.

Only part of your post I disagree with. Wharton can much more reliably take the ball on the half-turn in our third, and could last year too. Morton getting picked ahead of him was nothing but a mistake. I don't know why it was done, but if that was a significant part of the rationale, it was wrong.

[neophox]

Wharton answers Blackburn Rovers release clause question | Lancashire Telegraph

 

Seems theres to no release clause.

[Mike Graham]

I could well be wrong but I cannot see Wharton staying more than a couple of years at best.

His contract will deliver salary wise for him but more important to his employer it increases his sale value and this fits with our new way of doing business.

[RoverCanada]

12 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Only part of your post I disagree with. Wharton can much more reliably take the ball on the half-turn in our third, and could last year too. Morton getting picked ahead of him was nothing but a mistake. I don't know why it was done, but if that was a significant part of the rationale, it was wrong.

Funnily enough, despite a long post about Wharton, it completely went by me that he was one of the players Morton was being selected ahead of hahaha... I was too caught up thinking how Buckley failed in the role and the likes of Travis obviously aren't suited for it.

Fair point and definitely a controversial one. All I can say is we have to give JDT some benefit of the doubt there given his quotes above about Wharton needing to learn to become a professional footballer and his regular comments on his defensive work.

[wilsdenrover]

3 hours ago, neophox said:

Wharton answers Blackburn Rovers release clause question | Lancashire Telegraph

 

Seems theres to no release clause.

‘Isn’t aware’ 🤔

[BlackburnEnd75]

20 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Only part of your post I disagree with. Wharton can much more reliably take the ball on the half-turn in our third, and could last year too. Morton getting picked ahead of him was nothing but a mistake. I don't know why it was done, but if that was a significant part of the rationale, it was wrong.

Your half right in my view. Wharton is better taking the ball on the halfnturn than morton can. Difference is morton could do it better than the other midfielders and was better defensively than Wharton. He was also physically more developed than Wharton was last season.

It was still a mistake to play Wharton more at the start of 2023 when he came back from his injury. 

[Gav]

14 hours ago, neophox said:

Wharton answers Blackburn Rovers release clause question | Lancashire Telegraph

 

Seems theres to no release clause.

His agent wouldn’t be doing his job properly if he didn’t have a release clause inserted. 

As Mike says above, he’ll be sold in the next few seasons to the highest bidder, on the flip side at least he won’t walk for free, but that is no real consolation  to the fans, as they never reinvest. 

 

[joey_big_nose]

13 hours ago, Gav said:

His agent wouldn’t be doing his job properly if he didn’t have a release clause inserted. 

As Mike says above, he’ll be sold in the next few seasons to the highest bidder, on the flip side at least he won’t walk for free, but that is no real consolation  to the fans, as they never reinvest. 

 

Well, depends how the Wharton family have instructed the agent. My guess is probably he and family isn't chomping at the bit for a move ASAP. He's playing at his boyhood club, one of the first names on the teamsheet, getting lots of development in a side that is setup exactly for how he plays the game, presumably well rewarded with a new contract. He's only 19, and he will be familiar with a lot of players who moved too early and then disappeared without a trace. 

From his perspective it's quite easy to see why he would not insist on clauses and just want to focus on playing.

He's in a nice place for Rovers were he is obviously a very good player, but not setting the world alight. More David Dunn than Damian Duff. So I think we will be able to hold onto him until he does start looking Premier League quality.  That could happen this season, next season or season after. Once that happens someone will pay enough to get him irrespective of release clauses etc.

[NeilInBristol]

18m... Thoughts?!