The big thing that Walton reminds me of, and which we often forget about, is how young players are when they arrive in the first team. He was just 21 when he joined us, physically talented, but mentally, little more than a boy. Think about the consistency of play from Sarc, Moore, Canavan, and Sawyer compared to Bakinson, Josh Grant, and even Cooper. The latter are still maturing and improving and becoming more reliable. Walton eventually matured into a leader on the field at 24.
Following the exit of Ian Holloway because of his desire for massive investment in players, Argyle management (perhaps to prove Holloway's accusation wrong) were throwing big cash and contracts at players in a gamble that we could move up to the Premier League. But, there was little investment in the backroom staff or training facilities needed for us to be capable of managing and supporting young players and getting the level of performance that players were capable of. Catastrophic for the club and bad for players involved. Walton had been signed on a big contract with the expectation that he would be a Phil Foden, or a Mason Mount, etc. but they are rare and well supported.