Tony Pulis added to Stoke’s midfield options last week with the deadline day signing of Charlie Adam from Liverpool on a four-year deal. The 26-year-old moves to the Britannia for an undisclosed fee just one season after joining the Merseysiders and was handed his debut at Wigan the following day, climbing off the subs bench for the injured Andy Wilkinson:
Adam became The Potters’ fifth acquisition of the summer, following the likes of Maurice Edu, Jamie Ness, Michael Kightly and Geoff Cameron to the club and his new manager revealed he has high expectations for the playmaker:
It’s no secret that we’ve been looking to bring more goals to the squad and Charlie is a fantastic signing in that respect. Not only will his creativity and his eye for delivering a pass be a great asset to us, he scored twelve goals for Blackpool in the Premier League two seasons ago. In fact, he scored 28 League goals for Blackpool over two seasons which is a fantastic return for a midfield player. We are looking for more goals from all areas of the team and his arrival gives us more competition for places in that department.
The Statistics
Adam’s career began in the youth ranks at Dundee before joining Glasgow Rangers on his fifteenth birthday. His time at the Ibrox club proved frustrating, though; the midfielder was unable to break into the first-team and made just four league appearances in his first three seasons, with loan spells at Ross County and St Mirren providing him with game time instead.
The 2006-07 season was Adam’s only campaign as a regular for Rangers – a total of 11 goals from 32 appearances highlighted his capabilities but midway through the following term he was packed off to Blackpool on loan. Having scored twice in 13 games for the Seasiders, Adam was snapped up on a two-year deal by Ian Holloway in August 2009 and, with spot-kicks and set-piece duties under his belt, helped lead the club from the Championship to the Premier League with 16 goals and nine assists in 43 matches.
Adam continued to prosper in the top-flight – his cut-price appeal across the Fantasy games earned significant investment, with 35 appearances harvesting 12 goals and eight assists in spite of his club’s subsequent relegation. A move to Liverpool last term saw his Fantasy price rise substantially and, with no penalty duties to fall back on, he scored just twice in 28 matches, with 11 FPL assists also accrued. Adam has also featured 12 times for his national side, scoring on one occasion.
The Prospects
The move certainly looks to hand Adam the opportunity of a regular role under Pulis. The installation of Brendan Rodgers to the Anfield hot seat was always likely to see him edged towards the exit door – Adam’s sometimes wayward distribution was completely at odds with the Irishman’s style of play and, with Joe Allen, Lucas and Nuri Sahin all ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s little surprise he has moved on.
While Stoke’s rigid 4-4-2 formation won’t afford him the same sort of leeway as the 4-3-3 at Blackpool, Adam’s style looks the perfect fit for Pulis’ side. With Peter Crouch to aim for up front, the midfielder’s distribution from deep could be a key weapon for the Potters this term, as Pulis looks to address a record that saw his side score a mere 36 goals last season – the lowest of any side in the Premier League.
Ideally, Pulis will partner Adam with an industrious ball-winner such as Glenn Whelan or Geoff Cameron in the centre of the park, allowing him a little more freedom to push on and spark his side’s attacks. He’s likely to be handed the majority set-pieces and corners and, with Crouch, Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross all supplying a significant aerial threat, Adam could easily rack up a decent number of assists over the season. It’s worth noting, however, than Jon Walters maintained penalty duties when the new boy was on the pitch at Wigan last weekend, a factor that will surely diminish his overall potential.
Coming in at 6.8 in FPL, his initial classification as a Liverpool player means Adam is costlier than any Potters player, while the Sky Sports game have handed him a 5.8 price tag – 1.0 less than Matt Etherington in Pulis’ midfield. Looking at the short-term fixtures, though, it’s unlikely many Stoke players will be primed for investment. Pulis’ side square up to City, Chelsea, Swansea, Liverpool and United in the next five – such a schedule will surely see us look elsewhere, keeping an eye on Adam’s progress at the Potters until the fixture list smiles a little kinder.
