‘5/10’, ‘Slack with possession’: On-loan Arsenal youngster struggles in full senior debut last night

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On-loan Arsenal midfielder Charlie Patino struggled on his full senior debut for Blackpool.

The 18-year-old Gunners prospect started his first game for the Tangerines last night against League Two side Barrow in the League Cup.

Blackpool were the heavy favourites going into the match, but fell to a disappointing defeat on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes.

In a report from Lancs Live, Arsenal academy graduate Patino’s performance was rated alongside his new teammates, although none of them made for pretty reading.

The midfielder was given a “5/10”, with only two players given a worse rating, and was described as being, “Slack with possession at times but is keen to get involved in the midfield battle.”

Patino has some pedigree in the EFL Cup already, having made his debut for Arsenal in the competition last season, and scoring within minutes of coming on for the Gunners.

Patino struggles in Blackpool debut

Patino obviously wasn’t alone in having a poor game, but an early cup exit is never ideal for a young player on loan.

If the England under-19 international can’t break into Blackpool’s league team, then he’ll suddenly find his minutes being very limited, which is the worst-case scenario for a young player on loan.

However, this hopefully won’t be the case for Patino, who made his league debut off the bench last weekend against Stoke City, after spending pre-season with Arsenal’s first team squad.

New boss Michael Appleton was pleased with his performance, despite Blackpool’s 2-0 defeat: “He takes yards off people sometimes with his ability to get away from people. I thought he was great.

“I thought he showed a calmness. He showed an old head on very, very young shoulders and I enjoyed watching him.

“I think the Blackpool fans over the coming season are going to enjoy watching him.”

The positive words from Appleton suggest he’s set to be given plenty of chances over the course of the season.