Anthony Patterson’s Sunderland future examined after Millwall heartbreak
Anthony Patterson looks set to return to Sunderland this summer.
Patterson was one of the unfortunate sacrifices made by the Black Cats upon their promotion back to the Premier League, with the former academy graduate shipped out on loan to Millwall.
Under former Black Cats boss Alex Neil, Patterson played an integral role in the Lions’ promotion push,m which ended on Tuesday night.
Hull City secured a 2-0 victory in the play-off semi-final at the Den, with another former Sunderland player, Joe Gelhardt, on the scoresheet.
Millwall were reportedly keen on signing Patterson permanently, though that may have changed upon their failure to get promoted.
How has Anthony Patterson fared at Millwall?
Patterson has always been an excellent shotstopper, and that was on show throughout his time with Sunderland, where he played a key role in getting them back into the Premier League.
However, other areas of his game have been lacking, and that has again been the case throughout his spell at Millwall.
| Millwall | Patterson |
| Games | 14 |
| Clean sheets | 6 |
| Save | 34 |
| Goals prevented | 1.08 |
| Errors leading to goal | 0 |
The 26-year-old managed six clean sheets in 14 Championship appearances, with a 73.9 per cent save percentage to go along with them.
That placed him among the top 16.7 per cent of goalkeepers in the league, again showcasing the strengths that we were all already aware of.
However, his 50.9 per cent pass accuracy places him among the bottom 13 per cent of goalkeepers in the Championship, with an average of just 14 passes per game.
That again places him among the bottom 22.2 per cent of Championship keepers.
For a keeper in the second tier, he is more than capable, but despite his impressive season with the Lions, his future remains up in the air.
What’s next for Patterson?
Patterson quite simply has no future at Sunderland, with Robin Roefs and Melker Ellborg both ahead of him in the pecking order.
A loan exit could be on the cards, though it’s likely that the Black Cats look to cash in on him this summer.
West Brom had been mooted with an interest, as have several other Championship clubs, though the chances of a deal may hinge on Sunderland’s asking price.
It was reported that Patterson could command a fee upwards of £8million, which would be steep for a Championship side, but perhaps achievable for a team who have just been promoted to the top flight.
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