Sunderland's homegrown number one Anthony Patterson has made a good first impression on Tony Mowbray after keeping four clean sheets in the new head coach's first six games in charge. A year ago Patterson was playing National League football while on loan at Notts County, before being recalled to Wearside in January as the club battled a Covid outbreak and he quickly established himself as first choice goalkeeper and helped the Black Cats win promotion from League One.
He retained his place as Sunderland stepped up to the Championship, and Mowbray has been impressed with what he has seen of the 22-year-old. "He's been really good, I have to say," said Mowbray.
"He does things naturally that I like about goalkeepers. He takes a really good starting position, he's not always stuck on his line, so if the ball is out wide and they are going to cross it, he is generally on the edge of his six-yard box knowing that he can get to the near post if there is miskicked cross that looks like it is going in.
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"At times he has shown a little bit of hesitancy, but he is a young boy and he is playing behind experienced players like Danny Batth. He has to learn to use his voice and take command of his area, but generally his shot-stopping and his distribution has been pretty good.
"If you want to break goalkeepers down, it's not just about saving shots it's about taking crosses. It's about the bravery of their positional play as the game is going on.
"Are they threatening every cross that comes in, or are they always glued to their line? He's shown good qualities to be brave but also to keep the ball out of his net, he has made some good saves.
"We like him. We like his personality, and that is something we are developing further."
Patterson has kept clean sheets in the wins against Rotherham United on Wearside and at Reading, and also in the back-to-back goalless draws against Preston North End and Blackpool at the Stadium of Light over the last week. Sunderland head to Swansea City tomorrow looking for a third successive shutout - a feat they failed to achieve in their last season in the Championship, when they were relegated in 2017-18.
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