Fan Letters: "Against Plymouth, Anthony Patterson wasn't commanding enough"

01/27/2025 01:00 AM

RR reader Peter Welsh feels that the weaknesses in Patterson's game came to the fore against the Pilgrims. Got something to say? Email us: RokerReport@yahoo.co.uk

Dear Roker Report,

I know this won't go down well, as the whole team was poor vs Plymouth, and Anthony Patterson has a lot of supporters on here, but I would sell if we get a decent offer for him.

Yes, he's a good shot stopper but he has too many weaknesses, with his distribution being slow and poor, plus he doesn't command his box.

These weaknesses aren't improving, and in the first half of the Plymouth game, Patterson passed to their player, who luckily kicked the ball straight back to him when, from where I was standing, he appeared to have a lot more of the goal to aim at.

He tends to do this in most matches and I think Patterson was to blame for the second, as he stayed on his line instead of coming out to try and clear or claim the ball.

He did something similar after Plymouth's second when a defender was shielding the ball back to him but Patterson just stood like a mannequin, which nearly led to the Plymouth forward getting in between and most likely scoring. That wasn't the first time he's done that this season.

The best move we made, if my memory is correct, was when Patterson quickly threw the ball out (it must've been after a a Plymouth corner) and we went from defence to attack within seconds and were unlucky not to score, but he doesn't do it enough in matches.

He often waits for the opposition to get back in their defensive formation.

Peter Welsh

Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Peter. Thank you for your letter.

I fully understand why Anthony Patterson is in the spotlight in the wake of the Plymouth game, as he did concede two scrappy goals and looked very nervy at times.

For the second goal in particular, he seemed to take a step forward when the ball went up into the air (as if to try and claim it) before appearing to change his mind, by which point the ball had fallen to Nathanael Ogbeta, who duly finished for 2-2.

It's in these moments where I do feel that Patto needs to be more commanding, and there seemed to be a lack of communication between himself and his defence for much of the game.

I do think he's a very talented goalkeeper and I wouldn't be too eager to sell him, but on Saturday, we did see elements of his game that certainly need to be improved.

Dear Roker Report,

That was a pathetic game against Plymouth.

We could easily have lost and we should've buried them before half time, but we let them play in the second half.

If we can't beat teams like Plymouth, we have no chance of promotion. We gave the ball to them too often and wasted a lot of chances.

With several hard matches to come — the next at Middlesbrough, where I think we'll get hammered— bye bye promotion?

Bill Calvert

Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Bill. Thank you for getting in touch.

Saturday was definitely a frustrating game for everyone and it's impossible to see it as anything other than two points dropped.

I felt that Régis Le Bris' team selection and system weren't right for this game, and we looked nervy and quite unconvincing throughout. Did complacency play a part? Did we think it was going to be easier than it was? These are certainly valid questions.

The trip to Middlesbrough is a great chance for us to make up for what happened against Plymouth, but it'll also be a tricky game and if we want to continue to challenge for automatic promotion, we simply can't afford perform as we did on Saturday.

Dear Roker Report,

This has to be investigated. Who on earth has the power in the Championship to contradict and change the referee and linesman's decision?

Did someone in high places bet on the match outcome?

Alan Hedley

Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Alan. Thank you for your letter.

I don't think we'll ever get an answer to the question of what actually went on at Pride Park, but all we can hope for is that we don't have any more incidents like that for the remainder of the season, as it could be hugely costly.

On the other hand, this is the EFL and their officials we're talking about, so I won't hold my breath.