Opportunity to sparkle missed by Patterson
WITH Rangers visiting the city of Antwerp, centre of the global diamond trade, how costly will the events of this week prove for an unpolished Ibrox gem?
Highly-rated young defender Nathan Patterson was part of a group of five players, including fellow first-teamers Calvin Bassey and Bongani Zungu, ordered to self-isolate after breaching Covid-19 regulations by allegedly attending a house party last Sunday.
Steven Gerrard insisted that the team’s preparations hadn’t been affected before last night’s first leg tie in the Bosuilstadion.
But, after 24 minutes, that was no longer the case and fingers were being pointed at Patterson.
It can only be imagined just how sick to the stomach the 19-year-old right-back felt watching at home as captain and virtual ever-present James Tavernier limped off injured.
Had it not been for his dreadful judgment at the weekend, Patterson would surely have been given the chance to make a name for himself on a big European night for Rangers.
After all, the talented youngster had already made his European bow off the bench in the last 16 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in last season’s Europa League.
He was then handed his first European start in a 2-0 win away to Lech Poznan in December.
This match would have been made for him to come on in the absence of Tavernier and show what he could do.
But the fact that Gerrard had to turn to Leon Balogun on a night his normally watertight side conceded three goals must have further infuriated the Rangers boss, who already described how he felt personally let down by his Infamous Five. Even the normally cheery Ally McCoist was scathing about the group’s actions, which could have had grim consequences had the players caught and passed on the virus to a team who are four matches away from winning their first league title in ten years.
‘You can count your blessings a little that none of them were first-team regulars and also that it was found out before they went back into join the staff and players at training,’ club legend McCoist told BT Sport before kick-off.
‘There’s absolutely no excuse for it and Steven is spot on, they’ve let themselves down, they’ve let Steven down and just as importantly they’ve let the supporters down.
‘Steven’s handled it very well, saying he feels let down, but he’s got a big game to focus on.’
Under Gerrard, Rangers remain unbeaten in Europe this season. But on a high-octane night of dubious VAR decisions, penalties galore and chances aplenty, Felipe Avenatti’s header and a questionable Lior Refaelov penalty put injury-hit Antwerp ahead 2-1 at half-time after Joe Aribo had opened the scoring.
Borna Barisic levelled from the spot just before the hour mark before Martin Hongla’s long-range strike made it 3-2 to Antwerp.
To the watching Patterson’s huge relief, no doubt, a thrilling second-half finale saw a Ryan Kent goal draw level once more.
Then a second Barisic penalty — after Abdoulaye Seck’s sending-off — ensured that Gerrard matched club legend Walter Smith’s record of 23 European wins as Rangers boss. Young Patterson could have played a major part in this, however. More’s the pity that he did not.