Liverpool fans’ push for Wharton feels more like echo-chamber energy from a few transfer whispers than any real understanding of football or tactical fit — and that’s how bad buys happen. Wharton in this team just recycles the flaws we saw vs Galatasaray & Palace [🧵]

Barrios is the only real midfielder worth looking at for Liverpool.

Harry Kane - 2025/26 so far @HKane https://t.co/ZWOdNbmzFC

the kind of signings UTD should be making: —a fullback who can manipulate the ball in the final 3rd —a fullback who can create when isolated —a fullback who has the frame & engine to carry the ball long distances Palestra has all the foundations of a Premier League player.

Should move to a club like a Leverkusen that would give him Florian Wirtz treatment instead of forcing a big move straightaway. He has a lot to learn & needs time to refine his game to the bigger leagues.

Pedri dominates the 1st & 2nd phase; Gilberto Mora is the version of Pedri that dominates the 3rd phase. His speed of execution is the standout, moving at 1.5x while others move at 1x. Might drop to 1.25x in a top 3 league. Career management most important at this stage.

If Alysson can refine that (would need to move quickly to a stronger league, preferably La Liga) he could develop into a Savinho Plus.

Liverpool links are interesting but they are not the be all end all. Whilst his ability to move comfortably with those long legs at that height is very impressive, he loses a lot of force output & takes time to reset post heavy contact or under unfavorable angles.

We just got Ekitike, calm down with this CF production @XFrance Just like Ekitike, players at that height with such smooth seamless motion is a guaranteed bang. Unnatural agility & mobility for a giant. As much as I hate it, I can see Barcelona getting this monster talent.

Pedri is currently one of the best players in the world and stands well above most midfielders in terms of performance. Elite Creator and Progressor.

Gadou looks to have really scaled his ball-keeping. My ideal Konate replacement is between him & Jacquet. As I value my defenders defending more than their on ball qualities, I’ll lean Gadou.

If you’re bright you’ll know that all of this, is no mere coincidence.

Subtly preparing the population to buy into Rice ‘Best Midfielder in the World’ shouts by feeding them ideas that support it. Rice’s ball-striking gives him setpieces, box quality, live creation & versatility. Coincidentally, everything he praises Kimmich for.

What my friends on this platform actually fail to realize is NNT’s intentionally inflating the value of ball-striking to set up more prop for that one Arsenal midfielder whose best trait on the ball is ball-striking, It’s always been a setup for Declan Rice prop.

A player like Pedri simply clears, unless you wanna now claim Trent is somehow more of an impactful player than Pedri. Rarity makes value. There are a lot of terrific ball-strikers across football history but very dominators in this game. Being a dominator is simply harder.

This is basically what Pedri vs Kimmich boils down to. A cascade of 7/10 or 8/10 quality of chances created, total dominance over the pitch whilst completing suffocating your opponent Or 4 or 5 big 9/10 or 10/10 chances whilst giving the opponent more room to fight you back.

No matter how overpowered that one skillset you have can be, if you don’t have the ability to constantly deliver this package, its usefulness is halved. However, if you are consistently reliable at delivering this package, you’ll deal more damage even with an inferior package.

Would I rather be a fighter who dominates fights but still can pack a punch or would I rather be a fighter who can one shot anything or anybody but can’t dominate or control the fight as well? I know what I’d rather be, I know what most teams would rather have.

This debate is a simply would you rather between —a player who has the game in the palm of his hand but slightly inferior at creating big moments —a player who can’t stamp his authority on the game as much but can show up with big game-changing moments

Kimmich’s ball-striking allows him to find that one long pass that cracks open a game, that one fierce shot to win or level the game. It’s kind of like Trent if he was a midfielder. He can’t keep the game in his team’s grasp as much but he can create big, flashy moments.

Ball-striking can be useful in more ways than one, it makes you a monster at set pieces, you are better in the box as you are a goal threat, better at generating big moments from anywhere on the pitch (versatility) as you will have range to pass. It is an overpowered trait.