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The Football Show · 2 October 2026
"I do not get the fixation with this boy." The Journos on why Nathan Patterson should be one of Sebastien Pocognoli's changes for North Macedonia: an elevated fee from Rangers to Everton, hardly a regular game since, and now at Torino. Plus the Alan Hutton theory (athleticism down the wing makes you a multi-million pound full-back), why Seamus Coleman kept him out at Everton, and why Aaron Hickey is first choice "all day long and most of the night" when he's fit.
Transcript:
I think you'll see some surprise changes this weekend, because I know from speaking to people within the squad that that's what his intention is: to see people, try and get an eye on as many people as he can in the next few games. So I think you're going to see a completely different look. I think you'll make three or four changes. Patterson's one of them, Parksy, for me. Oh dear.
I mean, honestly, I do not get the fixation with this boy, and I've got nothing against him, other than I'm looking at his first-team appearances, Hugh, over a long period of time, even with injuries. It's not good. It's an elevated price that they got him from Rangers to Everton. He never featured in the Everton plans at all. He's now at Torino. It doesn't do it for me. I think his distribution's poor, and I think, you know, he gets caught out defensively.
Got a theory on that. Nathan Patterson is a beneficiary of the Alan Hutton trailblazing move to Spurs, where if you had athleticism and you galloped up and down the wing and you looked as if you'd occasionally get a touch and put a ball into the box, your value becomes multi-million. Nobody that he's signed for, no manager's been convinced, because he has not sustained a position in a team anywhere.
We've only got to deal with what we're seeing. And I didn't see it at Rangers. He made lots of substitute appearances before they shipped him on. Fair play to Rangers for getting the money for him, but he didn't feature at Everton. He picked up an injury when it looked as if he was maybe going to get a sniff of a regular game. Couldn't push Seamus Coleman out, because Seamus Coleman is a really good top player. But over and above that, you only judge on what you see from the boy. And I think he's in that Anthony Ralston mode. He is, but 25 caps for doing nothing.
But Hickey is your first choice all day long and most of the night. But the reason that Hickey doesn't start is you can't play him three times in a week, you know, because he's got injury problems. I mean, presumably Pocognoli said that to his club, you know, his club said, well, listen, but you know, by the way...
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With Peter Martin, Hugh MacDonald and Gordon Parks.
Should Patterson start for Scotland? Have your say below.
Full Scotland team debate: https://youtu.be/tqAWxoJjKvo
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