Adam Wharton's future, the FA Cup third round & Championship promotion - Clinton Morrison Weekly Column
Will Jackson 
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week, as well going over some of the hot topics in the football world.
This week Clinton discusses Crystal Palace's win over Ipswich on Tuesday, Adam Wharton's transfer links to Manchester City, the FA Cup third round draw and the Championship play-off race.
Here's a full transcript of everything discussed this week.
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Adam Wharton to Manchester City?
Q: Morning Clinton. I've seen rumours today linking Adam Wharton with a January move from Crystal Palace to Manchester City. Do you think that's realistic?
I think it could happen, but I don't think it would happen this January. I can't see Palace being ready to sell because he's a top player and they need him until the end of the season.
He is such an important footballer for them. It's not worth selling your best players now when you need to try and stay in the Premier League. If it does come (a move away) - which it will because he's a top talent and a fantastic midfielder - you can see why Man City would be interested.
I think it could happen in the summer but I would be astonished if he was to leave in January. But listen, money talks so if they pay X, Y, Z - say £60/70 million - Palace would find that hard to refuse.
I get it, but it'd be a huge blow because he's a fantastic little player and someone Palace really need to build a team around. But it's hard to build a team around someone like that because of all the big clubs come knocking on the door.
Let's be honest, Palace are a selling club. They can't compete with the big teams in the Premier League. It would be disappointing to lose them, but hopefully that doesn't happen until the summer.
Q: Is that the sort of price range you reckon he's in, that £60/70m bracket?
I would say between £50m and £70m. I think he's a top player and an England international as well. Your price always goes up when you become an England international and at a good age, he’s only going to get better.
For me, he would cost that much money. It'd be a good move for him to go and work with the world's best manager (Pep Guardiola), but I just don't want it to happen as of yet. So let us have him until the summer or even beyond that. But you can understand why Man City will be looking at him because he's a top talent.
Premier League Relegation Battle
Q: That win for Palace on Tuesday night was a big one for them, wasn't it?
Massive win because I wouldn't say it was the best performance. I was surprised at Ipswich, especially at Portman Road, I thought they’d be better because I've seen a lot of them this season but credit to Palace.
It's a fantastic goal from Mateta to win the game and get a much-needed three points. They needed it because they’ve not been in good form and are hovering around that relegation battle.
The teams in and around them have been getting results as well. So yeah, it was crucial. It’s a three-point gap at the moment and Palace have some tough fixtures, so it was a big result.
Q: With Leicester picking up a win in Van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge, Everton winning last night….it was an important win for them wasn’t it?
Yeah, it was. And that's why I think Ipswich will be gutted that they didn't get anything because it did look like it was probably going to just be a draw, but then a bit of brilliance from Mateta, who with Eze is probably the key for me this season.
If they can keep them fit from now to the end of the season and try and invest in January, I think they will survive.
No one really thought Leicester would get a result against West Ham. So it's the Ruud van Nistelrooy effect and Leicester were outstanding. And then Everton beat Wolves which was another six-pointer, and it throws it wide open now in that relegation battle.
The Christmas period is going to be big for the teams in and amongst it because some of the teams down there have some big matches
Is Gary O'Neil under pressure?
Q: That win puts three points between Palace and the bottom three. Ipswich and Southampton were probably expected to be down there, but the pressure must be mounting on Gary O’Neil now?
Yeah he will face quite a few questions. When that happens, Gary usually pulls a result out but I think the result last night against an Everton side who haven’t been scoring goals and fans have been really frustrated with, will be hugely disappointing.
I still think Wolves have enough to get out of trouble and Gary O'Neil will turn it around.
But sometimes you know what it's like when people press the panic button when there's no need to. But it was a big result. Pressure will start mounting on Gary O'Neil. But I think he is a brilliant young manager. He's only going to get better, but It's a results game, isn't it?
And if you go to Everton, a team who have been struggling, and concede four goals it will be disappointing. But I think Wolves will turn it around with him.
FA Cup third-round draw
Q: The draw for the FA Cup third round took place on Monday and threw up some really interesting games. You picked out a Tamworth upset in the last round - what a tie they got against Spurs!
It’s a big money draw for the football club, it’s great news for them.
It won’t be easy to play on that for Spurs, especially if there are any injuries going round. So Ange is going to have to be careful of what players he picks and stuff like that because it won't be every player who is able to play on that pitch .
There'll probably be a televised game but if Tottenham turn up and play they should be too good for Tamworth. And that's not being disrespectful to Tamworth, Tottenham are big Premier League team and have world-class players in their team.
If they turn up and play like they can do, it should be easy for them but it won’t be easy and it’s a great draw for Tamworth.
Q: There are more good stories. Leeds v Harrogate is a local one, there's Tamworth v Spurs, Man City v Salford is quite tasty with the owners involved...
Arsenal v Man United too. I don't think any Man United fan wanted that draw to come up and even Ruben Amerian probably thought ‘let me just ease my way into it and have a good little FA Cup run’ but that's a good draw.
Coventry v Sheffield Wednesday is another big one. That's two of my old teams, to be fair. You probably don’t want them to play each other! You want them to go further and play different teams, but that's a good draw.
And then another one, I think, was Palace v Stockport. Stockport have had a good start to the season but Palace will be at home and Glasner takes the competition seriously, which is why they’re in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup against Arsenal.
He’s always picked a strong team, so I can't see him changing for the FA Cup.
Q: You mention Palace, that's a pretty friendly draw for them isn't it? They're one of those sides you could always see having a cup run
Definitely, it just depends if the draw is nice. It wasn’t nice for them in the Carabao getting Arsenal at the Emirates, but you just never know in a one-off game.
It's not going to be easy because Stockport have some good young players - Louie Barry is on loan from Aston Villa and scoring a lot of goals - so it's going to be difficult, but if they put a professional performance on, there's no reason why if the cup draws nice to Palace, they can’t go far like they're doing in the Carabao Cup.
Q: And Coventry v Sheffield Wednesday - as an ex-player of both sides can you pick a side on the day?!
I have to split my loyalties, sit in the middle and say, may the best team win! I didn't want them to play each other, but whoever comes out on top, fair enough.
The other can concentrate on the league and try and get into the play-offs. So I look at it as a bonus. Whoever's knocked out, concentrate on the league.
When I saw it come out, I was like, ‘oh, come on’. It could have been a bit nicer!
Burnley v Middlesbrough
Q: EFL games this weekend then. The Friday night game immediately looks decent with Burnley v Boro...
Definitely. And two teams that are flying at the moment in the top-half of the table. Middlesbrough have been outstanding.
I think Michael Carrick should get huge credit. There'll be a lot of Premier League clubs at the moment when managers lose their jobs sniffing around Carrick because of the way he's got Middlesbrough playing.
I know Middlesbrough fans won't be happy for me to say that, but it's the truth. I think he's a fantastic young manager.
Q: Having someone like Latte-Lath up front makes a massive difference, especially when he’s in form like he is now
He's very good. I think in the summer, someone bid £20 million for him and they turned it down.
They might have been concerned that teams would come back in for him in January but if Middlesbrough are in and amongst it, they can't afford to let him go.
I think he's the key for them. You've got the people like Finn Azaz as well, is scoring goals, Ben Doak is causing a lot of problems on the right and keeping a very good player in Isaiah Jones out of the team.
They have got competition for places and I think Michael Carrick is enjoying his football.
Q: Ben Doak is someone who has really caught the eye recently, ever since coming into the side. He is going to be a very good player isn’t he?
He's very good. I've seen a lot of him, even when at younger age. And I watched him for Scotland against Croatia and he gave Gvardiol a horrid time. And that was the start of Gvardiol’s dip in form when he came back to Man City.
He's got pace. And that's one thing defenders don't like playing against is pace. I think he's fantastic. Liverpool have sent him on loan and I think it's the perfect club for him to go on loan to Middlesbrough.
The style that Michael Carrick wants to play and the way it develops the younger players. He's causing a lot of problems for full-backs in the Championship
He's a nightmare to play against because he's so direct. He's getting goals. He's getting assists. And it's been a brilliant signing and yeah, he's a real standout player for me in the Championship. They've got loads of talented individuals there.
The job Carrick is doing is brilliant. Even the job Scott Parker's doing is good as well because they've had a lot go out and then he's had to rebuild the squad. The only thing you look at Burnley and the lack of a number nine who can get them the goals
But defensively, I think they're the best defensive unit in the Championship. They've been absolutely outstanding. Whatever Scott Parker has done when he's gone in there, full credit to him.
So this will be a close game because as I said, Burnley are very good defensively and Middlesbrough are outstanding attacking. So something has to give on Friday night.
Q: How do you see that game going?
I think there'll be goals, maybe like a 2-2, because I think Middlesbrough can't contain them and as we’re at Turf Moor I think I'll go for a draw.
It will be a really good game between two young managers who play the game the right way. I'm really looking forward to it.
And both look quite swaggerish, don't they? It will be the battle of who looks the best on the touchline! I always say I want my managers to look good. Ruud at Leicester is another who looks very good on the touchline.
It'll be the battle of who looks the best!
(On van Nistelrooy) he looks like Clark Kent! He looks like Superman. That's what he does when he puts his glasses on. And if he's going to be Superman for Leicester, Leicester fans will be happy about that!
Championship promotion race
Q: You’ve mentioned a couple of Championship managers who are quite fashionable and get a bit of attention, but one guy who goes under the radar is John Eustace at Blackburn. He’s doing a hell of a job there after Birmingham last year...
He is definitely underrated. I was disappointed when he left Birmingham last year, and he's doing a fantastic job. They haven't got money at Blackburn, they lost their top-scorer in Sammie Szmodics in the summer and there's not a lot of money coming into the club. So the job he's doing on the shoestring that he's got and the budget he's got, is fantastic
The Championship is open this year. So if you put on a good run, you could get into that top six because it's so open. There are three or four standout teams, but the rest of them have a great opportunity of getting into that top six, it's wide open.
The likes of Tom Cleverley and John Eustace don't really get talked about but are delivering as managers. And I'm really impressed with it.
Q: There are some really big clubs at the top of the Championship. The likes of Leeds, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackburn…
You probably want these clubs in the Premier League because they're huge football clubs with grounds like Elland Road and the Stadium of Light
That fans are fantastic. They will give you stick but I love all of that because they're the teams that you need in a Premier League. My old club, Sheffield Wednesday, the fans are fantastic. I'd love to see them back in the Premier League.
I think the fans really deserve it there. It's a huge football club.
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