BBC pundit and former Sunderland man Marco Gabbiadini has blasted one ‘shocking’ player for the Black Cats this season.
Sunderland are now slumped in 15th place of the Championship table following a 1-0 defeat at Watford last weekend.
The Black Cats have lost their last two games by 1-0 scorelines now, condemning themselves to a bottom half finish in the Championship this season.
Interim boss Mike Dodds has now overseen the same amount of games as his predecessor Michael Beale; both have had 12 games in charge, though Dodds only has two wins compared to Beale’s four.
Where has it gone wrong for Mike Dodds at Sunderland
Dodds was a welcome appointment at the Stadium of Light following the turbulent tenure of Beale.
But looking back, it was an interim tenure somewhat destined to fail from the start.
He inherited a misfiring side, plagued by injuries and on a run of losing games as well.
And that’s not to mention the January transfer window, of which the signings have received mixed reviews, with the Black Cats once again missing out on a new striker.
To add further disappointment for Dodds and Sunderland, he’s not been helped by a general lack of quality among certain players who were impressive last year.
Perhaps more so than anyone, that’s Patrick Roberts.
Marco Gabbiadini rues Patrick Roberts’ ‘shocking’ season with Sunderland
Roberts remains a well-liked player among Sunderland fans, though right now is certainly a tough patch for him.
He’s not scored in 31 Championship outings this season, claiming just two assists; last season he scored five and assisted seven in 44 league appearances.
Roberts also came off the bench against Watford and missed a golden opportunity to score, somewhat summing up his performances this season.
Speaking on Total Sport, Gabbiadini had his say on Roberts:
“Last year he was a jot to watch; him and Amad were like some kind of party trick in the final third, you couldn’t get the ball off them. But this year, maybe he’s just not happy, maybe he’s missing not having a player on the same wavelength as him, but the bottom line is; his season has been a disappointment, because his outcomes have been shocking.”
Patrick Roberts’ downfall this season
Attributing Roberts’ downfall to one reason seems impossible.
It feels like there are a host of reasons at play here; injuries may be the main one, and not having someone like Amad to compliment his style, like Gabbiadini suggests, may have played a factor.
The overall lack of quality in attack may have contributed to Roberts’ poor performances, as last season he had more competition to push him on and more quality to play alongside with Amad in the team.
But also, Sunderland’s summer recruitment may have played a factor.
Roberts watching the likes of Nazariy Rusyn, Jobe Bellingham, Bradley Dack and maybe even Adil Aouchiche arrive last summer, wouldn’t have know what his role would be this season.
And his role has remained unclear; his best position may now be up for debate after a tough season, though at 27 years old, it shouldn’t be a question at all.
It’s certainly been a tough campaign for Roberts who’ll be hoping for more next season.
Though it may be too late for Roberts as Sunderland could well be keen to cash in and move him on in the summer, after seeing how he’s performed this year.
