Sunderland fans have had plenty to say in recent weeks. But the club’s most recent win over Luton Town has certainly silenced a few brewing critics.
On Wednesday night, Sunderland beat Luton Town 2-0 at the Stadium of Light to maintain their unbeaten record on Wearside this season, and to keep up the pace in the race for promotion.
Now, the Black Cats sit just seven points behind leaders Leeds United and five behind Sheffield United in 2nd. On Monday, Sunderland play Leeds at Elland Road in a game that’s undoubtedly a huge one in the promotion picture.
But Regis Le Bris will be buoyed by his side’s most recent outing against Luton. The Black Cats barely got out of second gear but made lightwork of the Hatters, who albeit were very poor on the night.
There were some impressive individual performances on the night too with Dan Neil earning praise, whilst Dan Ballard shone on his return to the starting XI.
But wide man Patrick Roberts continues to be a figure of debate among Sunderland fans.
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Gary Bennett actually thought Patrick Roberts played well vs Luton Town
Roberts has certainly had some divisive performances this season. The 28-year-old has faced criticism for his lack of goals with just two to his name in 31 Championship outings this season, as well as five assists.
Against Luton Town, there were plenty of Sunderland fans who were critical of Roberts. But there were also many who thought Roberts had a good game, arguably his best in a while with the Englishman looking lively in the second half especially.
After the break, Roberts fashioned an opportunity for himself and hit the post. Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle after the game, pundit and former Sunderland man Gary Bennett said he thought Roberts was ‘excellent’ on the night.
Bennett said: “He was unlucky. It was a great bit of trickery on the edge of the box and a great strike that came back off the post. I thought he was excellent. He’s always a threat, isn’t he?”
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Michael Graham explains why Patrick Roberts can be so frustrating at Sunderland
It’s pretty widely agreed that Roberts is, on the whole, a good player. He boasts great technical ability and in terms of beating opposition players on the ball, there’s few better than Roberts at Championship level. But therein lies the problem.
Earlier in the season, journalist Michael Graham shared his verdict on Roberts and hit the nail on the head, explaining: “If Patrick Roberts wasn’t so talented and so good, he wouldn’t be so frustrating.” Although much easier said than done, Roberts just needs to add some goals to his game.
He could take a leaf out of Enzo Le Fee’s book after the Frenchman scored against Luton, cutting inside and curling into the bottom corner in a fashion that Roberts could easily do as well.
Sunderland’s upcoming game against Leeds United kicks off at 8pm next Monday.