Oliver Glasner has taken his Crystal Palace players to Marbella for a training camp – where Adam Wharton impressed the Austrian.
The 49-year-old could be heard shouting in delight after something the England U20 international did during one particular drill.
So, why was Oliver Glasner delighted with Crystal Palace No.20 Adam Wharton in training? Let’s take a look…
Oliver Glasner praises Adam Wharton
Well, footage from Crystal Palace’s Training in Marbella video showed Glasner walking his players through a drill, in which six quick passes must be made inside one square – under pressure from two defenders – before a switch of play into another box.
Presumably, it is a session designed to improve counter attacking football and get the players fixated on direct, forward passes.
Wharton could be seen combining well with Will Hughes before punching a firm pass quickly into the other box after Glasner’s pass count hits six, before the Austrian can be heard shouting “yes” after the 19-year-old’s switch.
Clearly, the £18.5m January signing did a great job in this particular drill.
Crystal Palace have signed a gem
Dougie Freedman signed Wharton amid a highly chaotic period at Crystal Palace, in which there were doubts over John Textor staying at Selhurst Park, anger towards Roy Hodgson and widespread dissatisfaction all round.
This arguably took some shine away from the teenager’s arrival, as he represents a real coup for us.
Wharton has adapted to life in the Premier League very well, performing like someone who has been in England’s top-flight for a decade as he combines strong tackling with crisp passing skills.
WhoScored shows that the Blackburn-born maestro impressively averages 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League, while also making 1.7 key passes every 90 minutes.
Hopefully, Wharton can be a huge player at Selhurst Park for many years.
