Is Patrick Roberts any good? Celtic supporter gives insight on Sunderland’s tricky playmaker

Roker Report: Patrick Roberts, then - is he any good?

Glasgow Is Green Podcast: Yes, Roberts can be a very good player on his day, and it is a surprise that he hasn’t really pushed on after his time with Celtic.

RR: What do you remember about him signing and how that was judged at the time?

GIG: His signing was met with some excitement, as we were buying a young player who was on loan at a big club in Manchester City, and he showed very quickly the kind of qualities that he had.

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RR: It looks like he did okay with Celtic then...

GIG: He did very well for Celtic in his debut season at the club, when he kept James Forrest out of the side and won an ‘invincible treble’ for the club. In fact, he did so well that he signed another 12-month loan deal after his initial 18-month deal ended.

RR: Were you disappointed that he never ended up signing permanently?

GIG: To an extent yes, but his last season on loan had been a bit of a disappointment as he had suffered from a few injuries. He did manage to score in a Champions League group stage win over Anderlecht, but that was a rare highlight.

RR: Let’s talk about him as a player then. What sort of player is he?

GIG: He is a very exciting winger that can create plenty of chances and find the back of the net fairly regularly. When he is on his game he can dominate it with his abilities.

RR: What are his biggest strengths & weaknesses?

GIG: Biggest strengths are his ability to beat a man and create chances for the team, when it comes to weaknesses he can be inconsistent on a week to week basis like wingers often are.

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RR: Do you think he’s got what it takes to light up League One? We’ve shown this season with the signing of Alex Pritchard that we can rehabilitate the careers of players who didn’t quite live up to expectations after achieving big money moves as youngsters…

GIG: Absolutely he can, and I would say it is a positive sign that he has joined Sunderland on a permanent deal, as I don’t think that moving from club to club on loan has suited him, it has led to him often not playing regular football. He is more than capable of lighting up the league on his day.

RR: How confident are you that Roberts, only aged 24 remember, can move forward from here and potentially even play in the Premier League again?

GIG: I think that perhaps the Premier League is perhaps a bridge too far for Roberts, but he is more than capable of doing well in League One and in the Championship. He just needs to get some consistency in his game.

RR: Finally - for anyone who isn’t sure about this particular signing, what would you say to them?

GIG: I would say that you have signed a player that could light up League One, and on his day is more than able to get the fans up off their feet. He could be very valuable to Sunderland’s push for promotion.

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