wonderkid Charlie Patino has been told what he needs to do in order to get more game time for loan club .
Patino broke into the Arsenal first-team in 2021 and looked set to be the future of the club’s midfield, especially after scoring on his debut against Sunderland with his very first touch.
Things haven’t panned out as expected however, having made just two appearances for the Gunners and spending last season on loan at Blackpool where he hardly set the world on fire.
For the current campaign he joined Swansea with , but his time in has been a mixed bag.
He did well initially, registering seven goal contributions in his first 15 appearances but he hasn’t been named in the first XI for a Championship game since new manager Luke Williams arrived in January.
In fact, he’s completed 90 minutes just once all season, in an FA Cup win over League Two Morecombe.
His physicality, or lack thereof, is a key reason why Williams has omitted him from his team, telling : ‘There are two sides to the game. If you can’t effectively take the ball off the other team then it doesn’t matter how much ability you’ve got.
‘So, the very, very best players in the division can take the ball off you as equally as they can hurt you with it.
‘He [Patino] came to see me the other day off his own back asking if we could have a chat. He was in my office for about an hour and he talks so passionately about football.
‘I think Charlie sometimes, what’s in him, the passion and the love he has for football, doesn’t always come out of him. Just because of his personality, he can give appearance of being very laid back. Very calm and without intensity.
‘But actually inside he’s very passionate and has so much desire. At the top level of the Championship the physicality is just mind-blowing. I think this is probably the toughest thing for Charlie at the moment.
‘But I think if the team plays with control more and controls the game with the ball more, Charlie’s going to be exceptional. He has a way into the team. There’s no doubt.’
Swansea are currently 18th in the table, just four points above the relegation zone, and while Williams won’t be inclined to take risks with his team, he does back Patino to succeed in the future.
‘It’s not like Charlie has no one to compete with. He’s a young guy really with nowhere near as much experience.
‘So there’s many reasons why sometimes he doesn’t get picked. But I don’t doubt his ability for one moment.
‘He’s an excellent player. He will be back in the team at some point.’
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