I think it's just snowballed tbh. There's a completely disproportionate volume of posts for the player it's about but there's a group of posters who feel very strongly that he should a) be in the team b) be highly rated as a player of great potential by everyone who posts here. They're seemingly itching to jump on the thread en masse to make their case at all hours of day and night too.
If you scroll back to the beginning of the thread you'll see the posters who don't rate him come and go but those defending him are the same people and they're the ones who turn this thread into the circus that it is. Personally I rarely post on this thread anymore mainly because the player is regressing and you can't add a lot more than has already been said, but also because some poor soul has to come in and moderate the tantrums the Patterson fanboys have every time someone tries to debate his value to our club and it's not fair to put that burden on admin who give up their spare time. Particularly when, from looking at the unbelievable number of posts some make on this thread, many of those defending him seem to have a hell of a lot of spare time on their hands. They accuse everyone of having an agenda when the sheer number of posts they make on the thread unwittingly demonstrates that they have an obsession with the lad.
I think when he signed many hoped he'd be the next Tierney/Robertson and rather than admit that he just hasn't produced they'll abuse anyone who doesn't rate the lad.
