Pat Roberts

[Mince n Tatties]

This boy is disappointing me (yes I know he is only 17) players his age have done
it before though.
He doesnt seem to be progressing any from what Ive seen of him this season (little boy lost sometimes).
Im not saying he want reach the top, long way to go to achieve that, but want be the first kid not to
reach the expectations expected of him.
Im not having a go at the boy just stating that Im disappointed in what Ive seen, that could be down to
the coaching staff or maybe believing in all the hype about himself...

[madffc]

Too much hype imo. Williams is a much better player for me. Im sure roberts will be a great player one day but as far as last night goes he was just the wrong sub....Blackpool already had the left side figured out and roberts was non existent when he came on

[F(f)CUK]

I disagree. He can only get better by playing. The odd 5 mins here, 10 mins there and we will not see the best of him.

[Mince n Tatties]

I disagree. He can only get better by playing. The odd 5 mins here, 10 mins there and we will not see the best of him.

I think Pat would be one of them players who would greatly benefit from a loan
spell at a Division below, clubs like Swindon (who play nice stuff) or Yeovil or whoever.
Think getting regular 90 mins at these clubs would bring him on better.

[MJG]

Last night was not a game for him. Against a condensed team defending on the 18 yard box he's not going to get into his stride and run at players. That's his main strength and was a mistake to bring him on.
Maybe he should be deployed more away from home where we counter and he can get those runs in from just inside their half.

[Putney]

People were calling him the next big thing when he hadn't even played 90 minutes of first team football. It's not his fault that there's been an incredible amount of hype around him which coincided with a dreadful period at the club where fans were looking for a messiah. He's young, he's learning.

MJG put it nicely.

[The Bronsons]

He's too young to tell if he will make it or not. He's a "good prospect", that's all. And Felix has probably put his development back by a year.

[MJG]

He's too young to tell if he will make it or not. He's a "good prospect", that's all. And Felix has probably put his development back by a year.

Felix did many things, but putting back Roberts development is not one of them

[leonffc]

You say that players of 17 have done it before but it's not just about birth age, it's also about maturation age. Patrick looks a very young 17, are you comparing him to players like Rooney or Milner whose maturation age was probably 19 or 20 when they broke through?

[Mince n Tatties]

You say that players of 17 have done it before but it's not just about birth age, it's also about maturation age. Patrick looks a very young 17, are you comparing him to players like Rooney or Milner whose maturation age was probably 19 or 20 when they broke through?

No not comparing him to them.
Plenty of kids in the lower leagues have progressed from playing
at that age.Agree about his maturity thats why I think it would benefit him to go on
loan to league 1...

[TonyGilroy]

I think we saw last night that Roberts, Williams and Dembele aren't quite ready.

Great prospects but I'm not convinced that games like this are helping their progress.

I think they should be excelling in the under 21s and getting occasional first team games on the back of that when their confidence is high.

Alternatively of course we could have a functioning defence so that there  is less pressure on the attack who seem to need to be scoring 3 or 4 every game.

[leonffc]

You say that players of 17 have done it before but it's not just about birth age, it's also about maturation age. Patrick looks a very young 17, are you comparing him to players like Rooney or Milner whose maturation age was probably 19 or 20 when they broke through?

No not comparing him to them.
Plenty of kids in the lower leagues have progressed from playing
at that age.Agree about his maturity thats why I think it would benefit him to go on
loan to league 1...

He may not benefit form playing league 1 football with his maturation. That's effectively why the U21 league was brought in

[Mince n Tatties]

I think we saw last night that Roberts, Williams and Dembele aren't quite ready.

Great prospects but I'm not convinced that games like this are helping their progress.

I think they should be excelling in the under 21s and getting occasional first team games on the back of that when their confidence is high.

Alternatively of course we could have a functioning defence so that there  is less pressure on the attack who seem to need to be scoring 3 or 4 every game.

Yes Kit has to make the defence number 1 prioity.
Already heading same way as last season 30 let in worst in Division.

[Mince n Tatties]

You say that players of 17 have done it before but it's not just about birth age, it's also about maturation age. Patrick looks a very young 17, are you comparing him to players like Rooney or Milner whose maturation age was probably 19 or 20 when they broke through?

No not comparing him to them.
Plenty of kids in the lower leagues have progressed from playing
at that age.Agree about his maturity thats why I think it would benefit him to go on
loan to league 1...

He may not benefit form playing league 1 football with his maturation. That's effectively why the U21 league was brought in

It will benefit him if he is playing regular in league 1, simply by being up against
and playing with seasoned pros...
He has to move on from playing with the kids if he is to step up.

[andyk]

Making it as a professional footballer is very, very difficuit. Read Nick Hornby's chapter on Gus Caesar in Fever Pitch,

http://remotestorage.blogspot.ie/2011/01/hornby-on-excellences-long-tail.html

It was difficuilt then, now with every footballer from every country in the world trying to play in England it is even more difficuilt. The sad fact is he, probably, won't make it, anyone remember Sean Doherty, we signed him as a 17 year old wonderkid from Everton. I don't think he ever played a game for us, and was last heard  warming the bench at Sligo Rovers in the Irish League.

[snarks]

I think he will make it, he's a good prospect. I'm not sure what position would suit him best in the team at the moment, he likes to run at people, and for me his best performances have been the 10 -20 minute cameos against a tiring defence running at them with the ball at his feet.

He needs more of that, but also playing in the Ruiz role, using his ability to pick a pass, and in all honesty at the moment I'd rather have Bryan (3 goals in 2 games) Ruiz.

[Jamie88]

It is frustrating watching him for the first team these days, as I've seen what he can do with the ball for the U18's and U21's. I'm still convinced he has the ability to tear through defences at this level, but he clearly hasn't got the confidence yet. His physicality doesn't bother me in the slightest - he was a tiny 15 year old going up against big strong tall 18 year olds when he first broke into the U18s and he didn't need strength as he either won free-kicks/penalties or glided through them all.

[Mince n Tatties]

Making it as a professional footballer is very, very difficuit. Read Nick Hornby's chapter on Gus Caesar in Fever Pitch,

http://remotestorage.blogspot.ie/2011/01/hornby-on-excellences-long-tail.html

It was difficuilt then, now with every footballer from every country in the world trying to play in England it is even more difficuilt. The sad fact is he, probably, won't make it, anyone remember Sean Doherty, we signed him as a 17 year old wonderkid from Everton. I don't think he ever played a game for us, and was last heard  warming the bench at Sligo Rovers in the Irish League.

Yes it is hard for them, and I think some of our fans are expecting too much
from Pat (maybe because he looks like a shining light to them) with all the
Drivel we been served up last few seasons.
Another example is Freddy Sears at W Ham was going to be the best English
striker since whenever..
Now at Colchester. ..

[Craven Mad]

I personally think Pat needs to learn to play as part of a team. He's been so far ahead of everyone around him, in youth setups, he's been able to bypass the players around him and do everything alone.

Whenever he gets the ball, he looks to do a "Youtube clip-reel", spectacular, mazy run and get a goal - but, instead, loses it cheaply near the corner flag, every time..

If he focussed on basics - pass and move - he'd be so much better. Yes, if there's a space he should look to exploit it (he clearly knows how to dribble, shoot and has heaps of pace), but he shouldn't be doing this (often from his own half) every time he touches the ball!

He currently reminds me of Kerim Frei a few years back; great at dribbling, but too-often lightweight and one-dimensional - which can be easily countered by experienced defenders..

I still think he'll get there but, as said by others before, maybe some time on loan in a lower league could help smooth the transition...

[terryr]

Look
He is 17 years old.
Some on this board are obsessed by youth players ( they follow the under 21s and under 18s) and I can understand they want to see a player progress and break through.
However last night shows we cant afford the luxury. We should only play the likes of Roberts when we are comfortably ahead. Then give him some time. Subbing him last night was unfair to him and absolutely the wrong decision.
Smith should have come on instead.
I'm worried that Kit's time with the development program is blinding him to the blindingly obvious.....we cant win with Kids.
The Derby debacle shows how bad it can get.
Let Roberts develop but don't play in in crucial/pivotal points in the game. HE IS NOT AN IMPACT  SUB YET
he may never be.
Fulham first team is NOT a training academy.......Kit you don't manage the youth team anymore.