I think we've found our new Ali Dia...

[matthieu]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

[Deanovski]

very ott..

[saint peach]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

Give it a rest. You're embarassing yourself.

[Mase]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

I agree with the bold. I thought he was shocking yesterday as well…

 

But he’s 18 isn’t he? Providing Papa and Saga are still in the squad, maybe he should go on loan.

[Deanovski]

why papa isnt a striker...hes a rw and can play at lw .

[AlfredKo]

I was not in the game yesterday. He was poor against Brentford, was he even worse against Colchester?

[Eastcowzer]

Give the lad a break.

Are we not expecting TOO much from him.?, after all he's only 18, and would admit himself that he's no Alan Shearer.

Give him some encouragement, not continuous 'sniping'.

[lordswoodsaints]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

I would have said there was one or two in front of 'yes mrs Paterson',mellow springs to mind,what Chelsea see in him god only knows.

[washsaint]

Pathetic, idiotic, moronic post.

 

The lad is learning his trade - do you go as OTT with Lambert or Saganowski?

 

Perhaps Pardew's baffling (or lack of) tactics might have something to do with the inability of ANY of our strikers to score.

[sidthesquid]

Most stupid post of the week award won early this week. He did not have a great game but he has talent and he will be a good player. He reminds me of Rasiak, wandering around looking uninterested, but then suddenly wakes up and does something good

[chocco boxo]

I thought Thomson was awful when he came on.

[tonibell]

Wrong colour. For christ sake he only a KID and learn his trade

[CHAPEL END CHARLIE]

The worst miss of the day fell to Trotman not Paterson if you ask me (you kinda expect defenders to mess up in the opposition box) but that seems to have escaped comment somehow on here . I don't think anyone who witnessed yesterdays match could possibly claim that Paterson had a good game - he clearly didn't - but writing off a young player at such an early stage of his career is the absolute height of folly .

 

This lad needs to introduced gently into the first team or loaned out , not to be starting in important matches yet IMO . I'm quite confident that's exactly what will happen as soon as Alan Pardew has better options to choose from .

[Bearsy]

I agree with the OP. The boy had a poor game yesterday and therefore should never be allowed to wear a Saints shirt again.

 

We should cut our losses now and give him a free transfer.

[S-Clarke]

What a stupid post.

 

He's a young lad learning his trade, but just isn't ready for first-team football just yet.

 

He played well against Millwall IMO - so has shown he has something about him, but he can't do it week in - week out for us yet. I agree with the comments above, that he should be loaned out.

 

He just had a woeful game yesterday, i admit that - but this thread is what you call OTT, to say the least.

[Plumstead_Saint]

Give it a rest. You're embarassing yourself.

+1.

[VectisSaint]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

Can only assume you didn't see him play against Millwall where he was our best player. He needs to be played in his best position, up with the other CF, playing close but just off him. He has the ability to hold the ball up which is more than Lallana can do. Unfortunately after that game he has been played in different positions where he does not fit in.

[beatlesaint]

He was better than Jake Thompson.

 

Towards the end several times James and Spiderman had the chance to pass to him and didnt bother. I can understand why.

[Gingeletiss]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

Oh great thread...........lets go and knock the confidence of another of our young players......Christinabasket.........some of our fans are shocking in their support.....IMO of course.

[Ewell]

Give it a rest. You're embarassing yourself.

 

Alsmost but not quite as much as Baj's whip round comment on the match reaction thread!

 

This is a young lad learning his trade who is still 18 years old and the lack of support from the fan base is ****ing disgraceful.

 

There was a time in the past where as fans we would support the younger members of the team but the NOW NOW NOW instant success world we live is creating complete morons, so is it any wonder some of them support Saints? I hear X Factor is back on maybe lads like this would be better suited to watch Cowell and his talentless gimps and then they would have something to moan about!

[S-Clarke]

He was better than Jake Thompson.

 

Towards the end several times James and Spiderman had the chance to pass to him and didnt bother. I can understand why.

 

Jake's an odd one...he has the ability, but his issue is that he has no idea what to do with it.

 

I saw a couple of times yesterday, he ran at a defender, beat him...great....but then the cross deflected off the first defender and went for a throw (i don't even think he got any height on it). Not good enough.

 

for a RW one of his strongest attributes has to be crossing....if he works hard, goes out on loan for a season (which is desperately needs - not just 1 or 2 months away) then he'll come back stronger and hopefully with confidence after discovering an end product!

 

i think it's too early to be writing off any of the young players tbh.

[ulstersaint]

Oh great thread...........lets go and knock the confidence of another of our young players......Christinabasket.........some of our fans are shocking in their support.....IMO of course.

 

Let's get real, folks! Pardew had few other options up front. Also, the new manager has not yet had enough time to transition the team from being full of inexperienced and immature youngsters (Lowe's stupid cheap policy) and replacing them with mature and experienced pros.

 

Most of the players Pardew has brought in so far (esp' Lambert, Murty, Harding, Hammond, Trotman, Jaidi, Waigo) are a great improvement.

 

The problem with playing youngsters before they are ready for the first team, with one or two exceptions like Bale and Walcott, is that it usually sets their development and progress back several years.

[Block 5]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

You are mental.

[John B]

Let's get real, folks! Pardew had few other options up front. Also, the new manager has not yet had enough time to transition the team from being full of inexperienced and immature youngsters (Lowe's stupid cheap policy) and replacing them with mature and experienced pros.

 

Most of the players Pardew has brought in so far (esp' Lambert, Murty, Harding, Hammond, Trotman, Jaidi, Waigo) are a great improvement.

 

The problem with playing youngsters before they are ready for the first team, with one or two exceptions like Bale and Walcott, is that it usually sets their development and progress back several years.

 

I think it is impossible to make a comment about Waigo

 

but

 

Lambert, Murty, Harding, Hammond, Trotman, Jaidi, are they better than

 

 

Surman John Rasiak Saejis McGoldrick Skacel BWP only time will tell

[Clifford Nelson]

What is sad is because of the lack of strikers Paterson is asked to play a role he isn't any good as. He is another target man, just like Lambert, and on the occasions when he has been able to do the job, against Millwall for instance, he showed that he has got talent in that department. But he is not of Lambert's quality yet, and a target man needs a runner, not another target man.

 

A bit of analysis would help rather than slagging off a young and talented player.

[ringwood]

patterson, hmm can't get past a player

melias , hmm can't get past a player

thompson , hmm can't get past a player

 

Yes I thought yesterday when they went a man down was the time for Spiderman to come on, and Fish, then stretch them, we didn't we either all pushed to the left or straight down the middle. I thought maybe Thompson was invisible at first as the ball never went up to him.

 

Who else thought it took ages to get the ball moving from Kelvin? , it all changed when their captain went off injured, Saints stopped at that point , nearly lost a goal in that last minute and near regained any real tempo.

 

When Fish came on we didn't allow him any space because it seemed to me that the whole team migrated to that side of the pitch doing Colchesters work for them.

[paulwantsapint]

Can we decide how good or bad Pato is when we start scoring sh1t loads which even our big money signing & international CF's aren't really doing ATM but IMHO we will soon have one of those days when everything we hit goes in the net

[Nexstar]

patterson, hmm can't get past a player

melias , hmm can't get past a player

thompson , hmm can't get past a player

.

 

I find it funny how you managed to spell the names of all three players wrong

[shurlock]

What is sad is because of the lack of strikers Paterson is asked to play a role he isn't any good as. He is another target man, just like Lambert, and on the occasions when he has been able to do the job, against Millwall for instance, he showed that he has got talent in that department. But he is not of Lambert's quality yet, and a target man needs a runner, not another target man.

 

A bit of analysis would help rather than slagging off a young and talented player.

 

Paterson is not a target man!

[Gis]

General opinion on the U18s coming into the first team seems totally unfair, and yet understandable.

 

I've always posted stuff that talks up the likes of Lallana, Paterson, Mills, and Thomson; but it's always based around performances I've seen them give in the youth teams - where they each of them has always looked very special when compared with others on the pitch.

 

So the real issue should be to find out what goes wrong when they get in the first team? Well it seems pretty obvious to me is that going direct from the U18 to the first team is simply a step too much, too quickly.

 

Paterson may be over 6', but he's a baby compared with the defenders he is coming up against every week, and he should be used for 20 minute spells for 3 to 4 matches this year until he is more ready towards the end of the season. Don't blame Paterson, blame the situation where we are relying on 4 or 5 kids to make up a decent team, it just makes us too easy to be bullied.

[Professor]

General opinion on the U18s coming into the first team seems totally unfair, and yet understandable. ..................... Don't blame Paterson, blame the situation where we are relying on 4 or 5 kids to make up a decent team, it just makes us too easy to be bullied.

Agreed, BUT, shouldn't Pardew have noticed this a bit earlier and explained to the owners what the consequences might be? Maybe there was no one left at the the club to tell him of the lesson from last year about expecting a lot from the young players..........

[callysaint76]

He is useless!

No pace.

No strength.

No skill.

[eelpie]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

Had he scored with some of his near misses you would probably be acclaiming him our next MLT. Be realistic. Yes, we should not be in a position in which we have had to rely on our immature youth. He is a promising young player who like most of the Academy have been promoted by previous regimes much too early. He should now be learning his craft on loan like the rest of Lowe's legacy youth.

[Whitey Grandad]

I agree completely. He was carelessy offside on at least three occasions when we had a good attacking position. He is has no pace and no physical presence. It drives me mad to read this 'he is only a kid learning his trade', 'give him time' and so on. It is this approach which has got us into our present situation. We cannot afford to have apprentices out on the field. We need seasoned hard-nosed professionals now or we shall continue our slow predictable sinking down the leagues. If they're not good enough now, then they aren't good enough.

[derry]

Matt Paterson is a really shy quiet introverted lad that needs to be helped to come out. He wasn't helped by Reilly sending him off v MU, and he isn't being helped by having to take the load in the first team, because we are short of a striker and he isn't ready. He needs to score goals in the reserves to become confident.

 

Paterson, Lancashire etc need to be put back in the reserves and be re-educated and allowed the time to develop properly.

[saintsmike25]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

Guess you didn't see him against Millwall?

Or Ipswich last year.

He's had about 6 first team games and two good ones and 3-4 average to bad ones like most players he's not going to be consistant. He's good when he tries to run the line, and is confident enough on the ball.

[RedAndWhite91]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

What a stupid post. Sensationalism at it's best. Ridiculous to compare him to Ali Dia.

[WealdSaint]

Can't comment on Paterson as hav'nt seen him play.

 

But remember a young striker called Scott Macdonald who was'nt good enough when he was a youngster?

[TheMidfieldGeneral]

He is useless!

No pace.

No strength.

No skill.

 

I`LL SECOND THAT!!

 

If thats what we`re relying on to get out of trouble then we`re fooked!!

Let him learn his trade at a club that can afford to play someone as bad as him.

[Saints foreva]

He had 3 good chances yesterday.

 

One got cleared off the line - unlucky.

 

One was where he had plenty of time to watch the ball - it was up in the air and coming down on his foot perfectly BUT he missed the ball. I could have put that in the net.

 

Another was a free header. For someone his height he has a terrible header.

 

Loan him out imo.

[eelpie]

Matt Paterson is a really shy quiet introverted lad that needs to be helped to come out. He wasn't helped by Reilly sending him off v MU, and he isn't being helped by having to take the load in the first team, because we are short of a striker and he isn't ready. He needs to score goals in the reserves to become confident.

 

Paterson, Lancashire etc need to be put back in the reserves and be re-educated and allowed the time to develop properly.

 

A major problem with the Reserves is that there are relatively few fixtures, and this has been the case ever since we were relegated from the Premiership.

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/ReservesFixtures/

 

There has been just one match I believe since 4th August and there are only 7 matches scheduled before January. None in November ffs, and only one in December. We now have an enormous squad not fit for the first team, and so we are paying wages to a lot of players who have little chance of playing much at any level. This is no way to blood players for first team duty.

 

I am amazed that this problem has not been addressed by the club.

[VectisSaint]

A major problem with the Reserves is that there are relatively few fixtures, and this has been the case ever since we were relegated from the Premiership.

 

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/ReservesFixtures/

 

There has been just one match I believe since 4th August and there are only 7 matches scheduled before January. None in November ffs, and only one in December. We now have an enormous squad not fit for the first team, and so we are paying wages to a lot of players who have little chance of playing much at any level. This is no way to blood players for first team duty.

 

I am amazed that this problem has not been addressed by the club.

Pardew mentioned it before the transfer window closed. He stated clearly that there were too many players even to coach. Sounded like he was about to ship several of the younger players out on loan, but apart from Poke it never happened. I would be surprised if a few do not go on loan starting this week as the loan window will be open.

[Whitey Grandad]

Pardew mentioned it before the transfer window closed. He stated clearly that there were too many players even to coach. Sounded like he was about to ship several of the younger players out on loan, but apart from Poke it never happened. I would be surprised if a few do not go on loan starting this week as the loan window will be open.

That's a very interesting point. Having too many players dilutes the coaching effort We are still several games away from knowing our best first eleven, and nothing beats a settled team. Once we have a compact squad that have had enough time to build up an understanding then the results will follow.

[Clifford Nelson]

Paterson is not a target man!

 

If I re-phrase that then: When he has been used as a target man he has looked remarkable good for his age and experience, and when he has been used instead of Saga to play off Lambert he has looked bad. OK?

[Gis]

A major problem with the Reserves is that there are relatively few fixtures, and this has been the case ever since we were relegated from the Premiership.

 

Sorting out some regular competitive Reserves fixtures would seem a great way to mix up a team of older squad players like Wooton (Perry maybe soon), those coming back from injury Holmes, Mills, with up and coming youngsters. And if the fixtures were Mondays, and or Thursdays, it shouldn't impact too much on the First Team subs.

 

Are there any local few 'Blue Circle' clubs that may be interested I wonder?

 

It might also give players like Bart something to do instead of a life just training and sitting on the bench.

[oxfordshire_saint]

He's a young lad with a lot of weight on his shoulders at the moment, it's not his fault that he was 1 of only 2 recognised strikers available yesterday!

 

In an ideal world he'd be at a League 2 or a Blue Square side on loan learning his trade.

 

If I could suggest some things for him to work on though, get in the gym and get some upper body strength (although he'll probably get that naturally in the next couple of years) and also, work on striking the ball a little more cleanly.

[solentstars]

...Step forward number 17 Matthew Paterson

 

Truely, truely shocking. Has very very limited ability, and just strolls around. All I can say is thank god we'll have Saga and Papa available for saturday.

 

I rate him lower than Paul Wotton becuase what Wotton lacks in skill, he makes up in effort

 

embarassing and ott:toimonster:

[niceandfriendly]

Loan him out imo.

 

That'd leave us with only 3 strikers again. Not a good idea.

 

Pato didn't do great yesterday but he came very close to scoring let's not forget - he was unlucky to have his shot cleared off the line.

 

He was no worse than Lambert yesterday. IMO both weren't up for it.

[rpb]

He is useless!

No pace.

No strength.

No skill.

 

The number of players slagged off on here by self-appointed 'experts' is quite remarkable - how many of them are now playing at a level higher than Saints though?

 

Stoke are doing quite well out of our 'rejects'.

[Bailey]

I've been pretty critical of Paterson in the past but to compare him to Ali Dia is very unfair. He's young and learning his trade. Admittedly he isn't ready for first-team football yet, but he COULD develop into a half-decent player at this level. I'm not convinced by him at all, but the original poster is slightly over-critical in my opinion.