Patrick Roberts is thriving under Tony Mowbray at Sunderland - and says the head coach has been like a 'breath of fresh air' since taking the reins back in August. Former Manchester City man Roberts helped the Black Cats win promotion from League One last season but at the start of the current campaign found himself on the fringes, and did not start a game in the Championship under then-boss Alex Neil.
But all that changed once Mowbray took over at the end of August, with Roberts drafted into the starting XI for the new head coach's second game in charge and retaining his place virtually ever since. Mowbray has himself wondered aloud why Roberts was not in the side in the early weeks of the season and frequently labelled him 'the best player in the division'.
And, for his part, Roberts has responded to Mowbray's holistic approach to man-management, which has helped him produce his best form. "I've seen how Tony manages his teams and when he came in he had a chat with me - I wasn't really in the squad, I didn't really play many times before he came in, and he sat down and said 'I don't know how you're not playing'," said Roberts, who took part in Sunderland's open training session at the Stadium of Light yesterday which was watched by more than 3,000 fans.
