THE KEEPERS

With Anthony Patterson set to sign for Wrexham, what is the plan regarding the Goalkeeper situation at the club with Europa League requiring certain registration requirements to be met?

Sunderland are currently left with three first team keepers with Patto’s departure, Robin Roefs, Melker Ellborg and Simon Moore. There are two certainties with those three. Roefs is the number one and Moore is the number three. Naturally you would imagine that would make Ellborg the understudy to Roefs, however recent developments suggest that might not be the case.

Not long after it was reported that Patterson was off to Wales, the Daily Mail claimed that Alex Palmer is being eyed up to replace Patterson. Although that could just mean we are going to have four goalkeepers, which I would say is common with teams that are in Europe, with Simon Moore essentially becoming a coach who is registered to play if needed.

I do though read this as potentially more of an Ellborg replacement. That’s not me saying I expect us to sell the Swede, but at his age, he will benefit much more from being out and playing regular first team football rather than being sat around on the bench where he could never play. Of course, with so many games to come this season you would imagine whoever is the number two for the campaign will get opportunities as you are risking Roefs expecting him to play every single game.

So, it could very well mean we are looking to loan out Melker with Palmer coming in as a cheap but reliable experienced back up. Palmer is currently at Ipswich, but having only played 11 Championship games last season and the Tractor Boys having signed another keeper already, it would make sense for both parties. I understand on paper many would feel that would be daft to bring in a player who could not get a game in the second-tier last year, but he is also somebody that for many years was seen as one of the stronger keepers in the division, with his move to Ipswich happening when they were a Premier League club.

Some may argue “well why not keep Patterson?”

What if he wants to be playing regular football himself? The chance to join a side that will likely be competing at the top end of the Championship is one where you cannot really blame him for wanting a fresh start.

So overall I can understand the approach with this one if it was to allow Ellborg to go on loan and be a number one somewhere else for a year.

That might not be the case though. With registration rules in the Europa League the club need so many homegrown players in the squad. Palmer would of course fill one of those slots while Ellborg obviously would not. Could it be that Palmer would be our European number two while Ellborg is the domestic number two, with Palmer talking up Simon Moore’s role in the squad?

Although very possible I do feel you are then wasting a year of Ellborg’s development still. The fact we are in for Palmer does make you wonder if the club are indeed looking to get him out of the club temporarily, or could this simply be to add more depth to the Goalkeeping department, only time will tell.