Nathan Patterson - The Athletic

[Scotitch]

Nathan Patersons new deal is all but done, agreed to stay etc - believe deal is until 2022

Is this one of the lads who played in our Glasgow cup wins a couple of seasons ago, I remember both full backs impressing me but the RB stood out.

 

[nithbear]

Any news on his injury?

Iirc Graeme Murty said in his interview on Saturday that they were going to have it assessed,but looking nothing more serious than a soft tissue injury.

 

[Big Buff]

Very true, nothing would give me more joy than seeing some of own coming through the ranks and holding their own in a successful Rangers team. Ultimately we need to run a gold-standard youth programme alongside a "buy low sell high" player acquisition system. We will sell Morelos for tens of millions, but we need to have the next Morelos either scouted or about to break through from the youth ranks.

Shamefully I don't know enough about our own youth players to say who could make it in the short to medium term. If there are players who are both talented enough and have the right mentality to cope with the enormous pressure of a traditional, tight Scottish title race then they should be given a chance, but that is a decision for the manager with the advice of those who know the players like Murty. In the long term, from what I have heard and seen, we are going about things the right way.

As a side note, if and when we start bringing our own lads into the first team, anyone shouting anything but encouragement from the stands should be chucked out and told not to come back.

You're right. Developing young kids and selling them on for an enormous profit is how we become sustainable.

I'm no expert on the youths, but it sounds like the guys potentially likely to break through in the short term are Patterson, Mayo and maybe Barjonas (though the Athletic reports that he's likely to go out on loan in January).

Ideally, we'll start to see some quality ones develop in the forward areas of the pitch too. The first rule of Moneyball in football is that strikers are overvalued by the market, so if we can develop a good one for free, we're in a very strong position. Dapo and NYC are the obvious candidates, but they're probably a few years away yet I think (even if Dapo is built like a wee tank).

 

[MearnsUnionist]

Is this one of the lads who played in our Glasgow cup wins a couple of seasons ago, I remember both full backs impressing me but the RB stood out.

That's him mate.

 

[Earl of Leven]

In reality these lads will need to be better than our squad players, and I am sure some will be....but we can't just 'make room for them'. That's not what youth football is about.

 

[MSF]

Is this one of the lads who played in our Glasgow cup wins a couple of seasons ago, I remember both full backs impressing me but the RB stood out.

He was immense in the final at Hampden last season that we won 3-2. There was a lot of chat about the boy Okoflex that came from Arsenal before the game, Patterson didn’t give him a sniff during it. And was a big threat going forward.

Said it before but I loved during that game he was giving Okoflex it tight off the ball, with wee sneaky shoulder barges and pushes. Wee aggressive streak in him.

 

[jomacbe]

In reality these lads will need to be better than our squad players, and I am sure some will be....but we can't just 'make room for them'. That's not what youth football is about.

That's the problem, they only get better by playing against better players.

Not an easy one.

 

[MSF]

Unfortunately as much as it’s good news about Patterson, Leon King (who’s an amazing prospect at 15) is being seriously pursued by Chelsea and Man City which means funny money etc

Club are bracing themselves to lose him unfortunately

Can’t blame the lad as deals being discussed are absolutely eye watering and that’s football these days

Hopefully we can persuade him but fair to say we are up against it

That will be hard to take if it happens.

 

[55 and counting]

None of this will matter if Patterson doesn't sign a new deal, unfortunately.

Also, if he is being primed as Tav's backup, then it means the end of Flanagan and Polster.

We've talked about the prospects we have in our youth system for a few years now. At some point we need to actually start using them.

 

[Earl of Leven]

Would we get any sort of compensation for Leon King?

 

[Big Buff]

Unfortunately as much as it’s good news about Patterson, Leon King (who’s an amazing prospect at 15) is being seriously pursued by Chelsea and Man City which means funny money etc

Club are bracing themselves to lose him unfortunately

Can’t blame the lad as deals being discussed are absolutely eye watering and that’s football these days

Hopefully we can persuade him but fair to say we are up against it

There was an air of inevitability about this one to be fair.

Happened to us with Billy Gilmour and happened to them with Liam Morrison.

 

[TommyEgan]

Seen the boy in the last two CL games at Firhill, an absolute standout.
He puts me in mind of a young Alan Hutton
Let's hope he makes the step up , I'm certain this boy will make the grade, I just hope its with us ?

agreed, thought the same at those same games. Maxwell also doing good on the left side tbh.

 

[Big Buff]

We've talked about the prospects we have in our youth system for a few years now. At some point we need to actually start using them.

That's up to Gerrard and Wilson (and to some extent, probably Beale as well).

If they create the pathway, we have the prospects good enough to travel that road. Plenty have said that the current crop of U18's are very good.

If we can't make room for them, that's on us, not them.

 

[Bothwell Street Bear]

Unfortunately as much as it’s good news about Patterson, Leon King (who’s an amazing prospect at 15) is being seriously pursued by Chelsea and Man City which means funny money etc

Club are bracing themselves to lose him unfortunately

Can’t blame the lad as deals being discussed are absolutely eye watering and that’s football these days

Hopefully we can persuade him but fair to say we are up against it

these Chelsea f^ckers ruining my soft spot for them.

 

[55 and counting]

Would we get any sort of compensation for Leon King?

Would be a nominal fee I'm sure. The rules are shit that allows this to happen but don't even know if there's much footballing authorities could do about it as I think employment law would make it impossible.

 

[imvaison]

Great to see all the very positive comments about one of our young players.
Patterson certainly has made significant progress in the last year or so and is eventually destined for our first team (new contract permitting). He must indeed have something special if he’s moved alongside/ahead of Jordan Houston who is a very good player

 

[strider]

I will not shed many tears, I can promise you that.

We're still operating at a deficit compared to Celtic when it comes to wages. We have to make our pounds go further than theirs do. The best way of doing that is by bringing young players through, because they're cheap, valuable and you get a high level of performance from them. The money you save on experienced pro's can then be put into other areas of the team and raise the overall standard of the squad.

That's why it's so maddening when folk say that this season is "too important" to use youth players in. Using youth players actually gets you a better overall standard of squad.

That's not a guarantee. Not close to one in fact. Plenty of our young players won't be close in level to the likes of Murphy, Docherty, Polster, Flanagan, Grezda, Edmundson, King, and they don't make the bench most weeks.

 

[giogaddi]

Nathan Patersons new deal is all but done, agreed to stay etc - believe deal is until 2022

Excellent news.

 

[giogaddi]

The boy and his family bleed red white and blue mate and I mean real fans, not fake ones who'd happily sign for the mentally challengeds, if the money was right.

He's desperate to stay and Gerrard rates him very highly, so that's a good base for negotiators I'd say.

Sounds very promising mate. The boy Kennedy looks a player too, very nice style on the ball.

 

[LiviLoyal]

Glad to hear Patterson is close to signing up till 2022. If Leon King goes down south then all the best to him with his career, but I won’t lose any sleep over it. If he was a big Rangers fan, he wouldn’t be away down south at this stage (see Patterson for proof).

All I ever wanted to do as a child was play for Rangers. No amount of money from United/Chelsea etc would have taken me down south before I realised that dream if I was as highly rated as these boys are. Unfortunately, these situations show who is in the game to fulfil their dreams and make very good money and who’s in it to purely make money.

I’m not having a go at Leon King or Billy Gilmour for that matter btw, if King does go down south, it’s just my views on youngsters and their desires in this day and age.

 

[Ronniemca]

Have watched Houston At Ayr and he is doing well.He is more of a Defensive player than Patterson who epitomizes the modern-day fullback.Patterson is going all the way in th he game no doubt about it.Imperitive this kid is given game time.Use him or lose him

 

[D-Von]

Unfortunately as much as it’s good news about Patterson, Leon King (who’s an amazing prospect at 15) is being seriously pursued by Chelsea and Man City which means funny money etc

Club are bracing themselves to lose him unfortunately

Can’t blame the lad as deals being discussed are absolutely eye watering and that’s football these days

Hopefully we can persuade him but fair to say we are up against it

Not surprised about Leon unfortunately
Monster of a boy and a phenomenal talent

Has De Ligt like potential

 

[strider]

Glad to hear Patterson is close to signing up till 2022. If Leon King goes down south then all the best to him with his career, but I won’t lose any sleep over it. If he was a big Rangers fan, he wouldn’t be away down south at this stage (see Patterson for proof).

All I ever wanted to do as a child was play for Rangers. No amount of money from United/Chelsea etc would have taken me down south before I realised that dream if I was as highly rated as these boys are. Unfortunately, these situations show who is in the game to fulfil their dreams and make very good money and who’s in it to purely make money.

I’m not having a go at Leon King or Billy Gilmour for that matter btw, if King does go down south, it’s just my views on youngsters and their desires in this day and age.

Just curious - did you grow up playing at a high level? It really does make a difference to how they view football and their careers.

 

[TommyEgan]

I'm not party to the lads contract negotiations. Forgive me. Which clubs?

Rumours of a few EPL clubs and Bundesliga too.

 

[Big Buff]

That's not a guarantee. Not close to one in fact. Plenty of our young players won't be close in level to the likes of Murphy, Docherty, Polster, Flanagan, Grezda, Edmundson, King, and they don't make the bench most weeks.

But they don't necessarily need to be close in terms of level to those players, they just have to be good enough to fulfil the role in the squad that they're being asked to cover.

I mean, how valuable is having a fifth-choice winger that is as good as Jamie Murphy? When accounting for the wages that we'd be paying him compared to having a young player with a high ceiling in that spot, which is the better value?

What about a sixth choice CM in Docherty? Or a third choice RB/LB in Flanagan/Halliday?

These players do not represent value, because they take comparatively large wages to provide little to no output.

And the risk of getting rid of them is minimal, because what are the chances of us ever having to rely on our sixth choice midfielder to do anything extensive in the side? He's getting 2-300 minutes a season, mostly against bad teams.

Take the wages that you're spending on these players, and put them towards improving the key positions in the side. E.g. get rid of Halliday and Docherty and stick an extra £6k a week on Morelos's wage to keep him happy for another year.

 

[hms]

If king is definitely away then get him in the first team squad and give him minutes, I’m sure that pushes the compensation up further

 

[Grigo Yossarian]

Nathan Patersons new deal is all but done, agreed to stay etc - believe deal is until 2022

Brilliant news ID10.

 

[The Dude]

The good thing is that if The Athletic are saying it, it's true.

Club are giving them great access and it's certainly better than seeing the S*n and the likes getting the "exclusive"

It's quotes from Murty's post-match presser. Both the Sun and Record were there (as was I)

Murty says Rangers youngster Patterson has traits of 'elite-level' player

Rangers Colts coach Graeme Murty believes Nathan Patterson has all the qualities you would ascribe to an 'elite-level full-back'

www.rangersnews.uk

 

[The Dude]

On another note, it would be really, really great if RangersTV started to show full matches of the youth games so we could get a proper look at these boys. It's tough to evaluate them purely from highlights packages, and there are some of us that can't actually attend the youth team games.

@Greg Marshall I know it was included in the fan survey as a potential option for a membership scheme - is there any word on how the membership scheme is progressing and whether RTV coverage of youth games would be included?

Problem comes to TV rights. Challenge Cup is held by BBC Alba, and Youth League held by BT Sport.

 

[nasalsinatra]

I saw this lad for the first time in a Glasgow Cup Final against Celtic in 2018 and my immediate thought was 'This lad is better than Alan Hutton at this stage'. Our academy is starting to get noticed by big clubs in the EPL and Germany. We need to start getting them into the top squad or risk losing them like Billy Gilmour.

 

[Big Buff]

Problem comes to TV rights. Challenge Cup is held by BBC Alba, and Youth League held by BT Sport.

Aye I know, but we do plenty of games outside of those competitions.

Plus, they don't need to be shown live - even if they were shown on delay, it would be great. Don't even need commentary on them if they don't want to give Tam Miller any more money to spend on cigars.

 

[Chimo]

If king is definitely away then get him in the first team squad and give him minutes, I’m sure that pushes the compensation up further

If we are able to give minutes to a youth player, it should be given to someone who wants to stay.

 

[The Dude]

Aye I know, but we do plenty of games outside of those competitions.

Plus, they don't need to be shown live - even if they were shown on delay, it would be great. Don't even need commentary on them if they don't want to give Tam Miller any more money to spend on cigars.

There aren't as many as you'd think (for the development squad) that clubs would be willing to show highlights of as many are 'behind closed doors' etc.

Tbf to Tam, he doesn't take a single penny from the club for doing any of the non-first-team games. Same can't be said for some of the other club staff who attend games and do %^*& all.

 

[elfideldo]

Would we get any sort of compensation for Leon King?

It's complicated, related to the what clubs are involved and what leagues they play in. Statutory compensation would be around £100k and a small percentage of future transfers.

In the Billy Gilmour case Rangers & Chelsea agreed higher compensation and certain conditions, for which both clubs got sanctioned. Rangers received a small fine.

To be honest it is only a matter of time until compensation rules are challenged through the courts. Currently you can move for free at 26 but not at 16. That would never stand up if challenged.

All depends where you are in the food chain Rangers do the same thing, Josh McPake (Hibs), Murray Miller (Mothewell) & Harris O'Connor (Kilmarnock) all came for development fees. Pretty sure these clubs would rather have kept the players.

 

[RFCRyan]

The boy and his family bleed red white and blue mate and I mean real fans, not fake ones who'd happily sign for the mentally challengeds, if the money was right.

He's desperate to stay and Gerrard rates him very highly, so that's a good base for negotiators I'd say.

I know Leon King has a bright future that a doubt will be with us, but if I was putting money on someone to have the best career in our academy at the moment a would put it on Patterson the boy has it all. Their number 12 on Saturday was lucky to stay on the park for that tackle tried to run it off but was struggling hopefully not out for too long.

 

[LiviLoyal]

Just curious - did you grow up playing at a high level? It really does make a difference to how they view football and their careers.

Not overly high, no. Maybe as a result, that influences my thoughts as I think more as a fan than a player. It’s possible I suppose that guys like Halliday and seemingly Patterson based on his desire to stay, are few and far between?

I can only rationalise to my thought process and if I was 15 and in Leon King’s position, as a Rangers fan, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. Even if I became Rangers 1st choice CB and never went anywhere else my entire career, I and my family would still be set up for life.

 

[elfideldo]

If king is definitely away then get him in the first team squad and give him minutes, I’m sure that pushes the compensation up further

He is 15, can't play in League as a 15 year old.

 

[The Dude]

It's complicated, related to the what clubs are involved and what leagues they play in. Statutory compensation would be around £100k and a small percentage of future transfers.

In the Billy Gilmour case Rangers & Chelsea agreed higher compensation and certain conditions, for which both clubs got sanctioned. Rangers received a small fine.

To be honest it is only a matter of time until compensation rules are challenged through the courts. Currently you can move for free at 26 but not at 16. That would never stand up if challenged.

All depends where you are in the food chain Rangers do the same thing, Josh McPake (Hibs), Murray Miller (Mothewell) & Harris O'Connor (Kilmarnock) all came for development fees. Pretty sure these clubs would rather have kept the players.

The compensation for youth players has already been challenged in court in Europe iirc and found to be perfectly acceptable. I believe it was actually a FIFPro legal challenge to the previous system that saw the current statutes implemented with approval from CAS.

 

[Big Buff]

There aren't as many as you'd think (for the development squad) that clubs would be willing to show highlights of as many are 'behind closed doors' etc.

Tbf to Tam, he doesn't take a single penny from the club for doing any of the non-first-team games. Same can't be said for some of the other club staff who attend games and do %^*& all.

The U18's play every Friday. There are no broadcasting restrictions on those games.

And the development squad has had approx. 15 games that could have been broadcast too.

It would just bring the fans a bit closer to the club if they could see what is happening with the Academy. The best way of doing that is making the games accessible.

And I'm not having a shot at Tam FWIW, I love the big patter merchant.

 

[The Dude]

The U18's play every Friday. There are no broadcasting restrictions on those games.

And the development squad has had approx. 15 games that could have been broadcast too.

It would just bring the fans a bit closer to the club if they could see what is happening with the Academy. The best way of doing that is making the games accessible.

And I'm not having a shot at Tam FWIW, I love the big patter merchant.

There are regulations on those games, just because they aren't publicly shouted about, it doesn't mean they don't exist. For example, Sky hold the exclusive TV rights to the Reserve League as it's all bundled in with the main TV rights deal. Clubs are allowed to post highlights but can't broadcast live/full games without Sky's approval.

Again, many of those 15 games are closed-doors or ones that clubs don't want broadcast for whatever reason. (There's also been quite a bit of apathy within the club to covering youth teams until recently. One member of the media team told me it was a waste of time because nobody was interested).

EDIT: Got a LOT of time for Tam, he's been an invaluable help to me over the last few years and feel he gets it a bit harsh sometimes.

 

[strider]

Not overly high, no. Maybe as a result, that influences my thoughts as I think more as a fan than a player. It’s possible I suppose that guys like Halliday and seemingly Patterson based on his desire to stay, are few and far between?

I can only rationalise to my thought process and if I was 15 and in Leon King’s position, as a Rangers fan, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. Even if I became Rangers 1st choice CB and never went anywhere else my entire career, I and my family would still be set up for life.

Sadly, you have to make your decisions on the worst case scenario.

Worst case at Rangers - you don't make it, you end up part time or out of the game as many have, and made very little money.

Worst case at Chelsea - you don't make it, but you've made a very decent wedge of cash.

 

[elfideldo]

The U18's play every Friday. There are no broadcasting restrictions on those games.

And the development squad has had approx. 15 games that could have been broadcast too.

It would just bring the fans a bit closer to the club if they could see what is happening with the Academy. The best way of doing that is making the games accessible.

And I'm not having a shot at Tam FWIW, I love the big patter merchant.

The games are accessible, it is only very rarely a game is deemed closed doors.

Anyone can pop along and see "what is happening with the academy".

I am going to one tonight and another tomorrow night.

 

[Big Buff]

There are regulations on those games, just because they aren't publicly shouted about, it doesn't mean they don't exist. For example, Sky hold the exclusive TV rights to the Reserve League as it's all bundled in with the main TV rights deal. Clubs are allowed to post highlights but can't broadcast live/full games without Sky's approval.

Again, many of those 15 games are closed-doors or ones that clubs don't want broadcast for whatever reason. (There's also been quite a bit of apathy within the club to covering youth teams until recently. One member of the media team told me it was a waste of time because nobody was interested).

EDIT: Got a LOT of time for Tam, he's been an invaluable help to me over the last few years and feel he gets it a bit harsh sometimes.

Then we need to find out among ourselves if there is a serious demand for broadcasting these games and if that demand does exist, then I'm sure the Club would take whatever steps are necessary to get these games out on RTV (if I understand what you're saying correctly, it's difficult but not impossible with the exception of the Youth League and Challenge Cup)

 

[Big Buff]

The games are accessible, it is only very rarely a game is deemed closed doors.

Anyone can pop along and see "what is happening with the academy".

I am going to one tonight and another tomorrow night.

Aye I know, but for those of us who can't do that, it's very, very difficult to know much about the young players at the Club. And I'm sure there are a good few of us that would love to watch these kids play on RTV.

 

[strider]

But they don't necessarily need to be close in terms of level to those players, they just have to be good enough to fulfil the role in the squad that they're being asked to cover.

I mean, how valuable is having a fifth-choice winger that is as good as Jamie Murphy? When accounting for the wages that we'd be paying him compared to having a young player with a high ceiling in that spot, which is the better value?

What about a sixth choice CM in Docherty? Or a third choice RB/LB in Flanagan/Halliday?

These players do not represent value, because they take comparatively large wages to provide little to no output.

And the risk of getting rid of them is minimal, because what are the chances of us ever having to rely on our sixth choice midfielder to do anything extensive in the side? He's getting 2-300 minutes a season, mostly against bad teams.

Take the wages that you're spending on these players, and put them towards improving the key positions in the side. E.g. get rid of Halliday and Docherty and stick an extra £6k a week on Morelos's wage to keep him happy for another year.

That's riskier than it sounds on paper.

The only thing I ever remember John Brown saying about our youths when he was in charge of them that I agreed with is that to get chances in and around the squad, they need to be better than the players who are there. The experience of guys like Murphy and Docherty will be valuable even if they are just playing a handful of games.

That's the safer approach in the eyes of a manager. It also allows us to get youngsters out on loan and playing regularly as youth and reserve football isn't enough, which is of far more benefit than hanging around filling squad places with us.

 

[Big Buff]

That's riskier than it sounds on paper.

The only thing I ever remember John Brown saying about our youths when he was in charge of them that I agreed with is that to get chances in and around the squad, they need to be better than the players who are there. The experience of guys like Murphy and Docherty will be valuable even if they are just playing a handful of games.

That's the safer approach in the eyes of a manager. It also allows us to get youngsters out on loan and playing regularly as youth and reserve football isn't enough, which is of far more benefit than hanging around filling squad places with us.

I'm not sure I agree that it's riskier tbh.

Between Polster (206), King (69, nice), Halliday (449), Docherty (171) and Murphy (53), there are 948 minutes between them, including friendlies. In the league, that number drops spectacularly (26, 21, 135, ZERO, 53) for a total of minutes across twelve league games. If you project that forward, you're talking about a total of 744 minutes across the season in the league, or 20 minutes a game.

What's the bigger risk, that our league results suffer because we play one of our young kids for 20 minutes a game (bearing in mind that pretty much all of the opportunity will come in games that we're comfortably ahead), or that we risk losing these young prospects altogether and never developing them because they don't have a pathway?

To me, the risk of losing the kids completely is a much bigger risk than us losing a game we're two goals up in because we subbed on a youngster.

Even if Murphy and Docherty are better than the youths right now, if you give the kids time in the first team they will eventually become better than those players. And if you have a really good prospect that you just can't find the time in the team for, that's the player you loan out.

 

[11huistra11]

Seen him play a few times and he’s looked a right good prospect.

Also loved watching him on the RTV away days they done for the last round of the Challenge Cup. His passion & love for Rangers was ripping out of him. Great to see

 

[elfideldo]

That's riskier than it sounds on paper.

The only thing I ever remember John Brown saying about our youths when he was in charge of them that I agreed with is that to get chances in and around the squad, they need to be better than the players who are there. The experience of guys like Murphy and Docherty will be valuable even if they are just playing a handful of games.

That's the safer approach in the eyes of a manager. It also allows us to get youngsters out on loan and playing regularly as youth and reserve football isn't enough, which is of far more benefit than hanging around filling squad places with us.

Initially they are never going to be better then what is there, but they need to have the potential to be better than what is there. The difficult bit is finding an environment to develop that potential without affecting results. Than is where the loan system comes in, but that is also risky, look at the contrast in levels of success of out current loanees.

 

[ca100]

The boy and his family bleed red white and blue mate and I mean real fans, not fake ones who'd happily sign for the mentally challengeds, if the money was right.

He's desperate to stay and Gerrard rates him very highly, so that's a good base for negotiators I'd say.

When you hear this about one of our youth players it makes you all the more keen to see them progress!

 

[Let's roll..]

Sounds very promising mate. The boy Kennedy looks a player too, very nice style on the ball.

Iv said before he is the real deal top drawer still young too hes the youngest in most games we see him I'm sure but a talent ,unfortunately I'm with most of the fans on here ,were do they go?