Patrick Roberts - 2017/18 performances

[Neville Kneville]

I think Celtic has been absolutely brilliant for him.

It's allowed him to play, against fully grown men, some of whom don't mind giving him a kicking & in 'big' games in front of both enthusiastic home crowds & partisan/hating away crowds & under pressure. And the team plays pass & move football, where he gets on the ball & can express himself.

Very few City loanees have been so fortunate, many just wasting whole seasons at a crucial time in their careers.

Now, it's upto him. He has been allowed to develop & he has to work like fuck, to take that to the next level, but thanks to the Celtic loan, he is fully prepared for that & it really IS now purely down to whether he's good enough, rather than having his career put on hold.

With hindsight, Iheanacho would have been far better, going to Celtic along with 90% of our young players over the last 5 years

 

[MarsLlama]

It means anybody can pay 50 million for a ready made player. Great coaches make lesser players great.

Obviously Pep is a great coach at coaching the elite. So in my opinion he should be able to take a player with Roberts' potential and current talent and improve him instead of just going out and buying Mahrez.

That's not how it works unfortunately. Pep can polish and refine the roughest of diamonds but he can't turn a piece of copper into one. Roberts is copper, Mahrez is diamond.

 

[CityStu]

That's not how it works unfortunately. Pep can polish and refine the roughest of diamonds but he can't turn a piece of copper into one. Roberts is copper, Mahrez is diamond.

That's bollocks. There's no evidence to suggest Roberts isn't as naturally talented as Mahrez. However, as others have said, his decision to return to Celtic seemed like the comfortable route, rather than the one likely to push him on to be a better player. Pep won't work with someone who isn't as dedicated to making the top as he is.

 

[MarsLlama]

That's bollocks. There's no evidence to suggest Roberts isn't as naturally talented as Mahrez. However, as others have said, his decision to return to Celtic seemed like the comfortable route, rather than the one likely to push him on to be a better player. Pep won't work with someone who isn't as dedicated to making the top as he is.

The evidence is that even when fit he's really struggled to get regular minutes at Celtic this season and hasn't contributed much at all. I also suspect that his refusal to back himself to play in the Premier League is ability related- probably didn't think he was ready to hold down a regular starting place at a PL club.

 

[Clercqs]

I think Celtic has been absolutely brilliant for him.

It's allowed him to play, against fully grown men, some of whom don't mind giving him a kicking & in 'big' games in front of both enthusiastic home crowds & partisan/hating away crowds & under pressure. And the team plays pass & move football, where he gets on the ball & can express himself.

Very few City loanees have been so fortunate, many just wasting whole seasons at a crucial time in their careers.

Now, it's upto him. He has been allowed to develop & he has to work like fuck, to take that to the next level, but thanks to the Celtic loan, he is fully prepared for that & it really IS now purely down to whether he's good enough, rather than having his career put on hold.

With hindsight, Iheanacho would have been far better, going to Celtic along with 90% of our young players over the last 5 years

Agree but this last year has been a waste. I don't think he's any better today than he was one year ago.

 

[CityStu]

The evidence is that even when fit he's really struggled to get regular minutes at Celtic this season and hasn't contributed much at all. I also suspect that his refusal to back himself to play in the Premier League is ability related- probably didn't think he was ready to hold down a regular starting place at a PL club.

He's had quite an interrupted season hasn't he with lots of little issues rather than one big injury. It can be difficult to maintain momentum when that happens (think Kompany over the past few seasons).

Mahrez was just transitioning to the full Le Havre side in Ligue II from their youth team at the same age, so it's hardly incomparable. In fact Mahrez only really kicked on in the 2015/16 season, aged 25.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Agree but this last year has been a waste. I don't think he's any better today than he was one year ago.

He's been injured.

 

[decmancity]

I think Celtic has been absolutely brilliant for him.

It's allowed him to play, against fully grown men, some of whom don't mind giving him a kicking & in 'big' games in front of both enthusiastic home crowds & partisan/hating away crowds & under pressure. And the team plays pass & move football, where he gets on the ball & can express himself.

Very few City loanees have been so fortunate, many just wasting whole seasons at a crucial time in their careers.

Now, it's upto him. He has been allowed to develop & he has to work like fuck, to take that to the next level, but thanks to the Celtic loan, he is fully prepared for that & it really IS now purely down to whether he's good enough, rather than having his career put on hold.

With hindsight, Iheanacho would have been far better, going to Celtic along with 90% of our young players over the last 5 years

I disagree.

Yeah he plays against opposition who give him a kick but the team steamrolls everyone. Where is the test?

I think Maffeo at Girona has had the best learning this season, even the lads at NAC whilst they have sometimes struggled Angelino has done very well and got a lot of praise.

Roberts skipping past pub players and screaming it top bins doesn't impress me.

 

[gomer27]

I disagree.

Yeah he plays against opposition who give him a kick but the team steamrolls everyone. Where is the test?

I think Maffeo at Girona has had the best learning this season, even the lads at NAC whilst they have sometimes struggled Angelino has done very well and got a lot of praise.

Roberts skipping past pub players and screaming it top bins doesn't impress me.

roberts had his chance in my opinion....i cant see pep wanting him back

 

[Tevez City]

City bought him for 12m, after two and half seasons he spent with Celtic his value should only go up specially after what he did last season the league & CL.