If you ask any neutral about Crystal Palace, it’s likely Adam Wharton will be a figure of debate.
The former Blackburn man has become known as one of the Premier League’s most aesthetically pleasing midfield operators – but this season, something feels a little off.
The most obvious reason is the general performance of the team this term compared to the campaigns which have preceded it.
Lack of support
When Wharton first joined, Palace still had Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Daniel Munoz. All have moved onto pastures new.
An individual player should be able to stand on his own two feet and perform well, regardless of the quality of those around them. But in Wharton’s case, it’s a case of having teammates who operate on the same wavelength when it comes to anticipation, movement and finding pockets of space in the final third.
At his best, the 22-year-old will receive the ball on the half-turn, with a yard or two of space in the central third of the field, before immediately looking up the pitch for an opportunity to advance play.
There are few better at identifying and finding a teammate in one of those pockets and whipping a ball into them at pace. The problem is that if those patterns aren’t emerging, his passing can appear overly ambitious and erratic.
Timber’s role
In Palace’s current set-up under Pierre Sage, Wharton occupies one of two central midfield positions, Many of this season’s games have seen him paired with new signing Quinten Timber. The twin brother of Arsenal man Jurrien arrived on a long-term deal from Marseille at the end of the summer transfer window.
Timber’s all-action displays have won him plenty of admirers, but the chaos-factor he brings seems to have hindered Wharton’s game. Wharton’s best side comes out when there is a sense of calm alongside him, not necessarily a Jack Russell flying into challenges.
Wharton is forward-thinking and while he is not averse to putting in a sliding tackle, the defensive side of his game has never been particularly convincing.
An overrun midfield
There isn’t a world in which Wharton is ever dropped from the side. He wore the captain’s armband in recent weeks when Dean Henderson was absent). But it begs the question of whether Sage could have got more points in recent league outings by using a more robust midfield duo.
The game against Hoffenheim in the Europa League should sit perfectly in Wharton’s wheelhouse. The Bundesliga side have lost two on the bounce and are in the midst of an injury crisis. Palace should dictate a decent chunk of the play, allowing Wharton to thrive as a string-pulling puppet-master.
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The task then shifts dramatically when Liverpool roll into town. Even though Andoni Iraola’s side will have just returned from an away game against Fenerbahce, it would be foolish to assume that Wharton will be able to operate with the same amount of time or possession against the Reds.
Liverpool will look to swarm the middle of the park and overwhelm a Palace team in desperate need of at least a point to avoid going into the international break as part of the bottom three.
Palace will be acutely aware that Wharton could play at one of the world’s biggest clubs – but will likewise be wondering whether his attributes work in a team who are likely to be fighting in the trenches for Premier League survival.
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