OMARI Patrick believes he has no more beef with the Bantams.
Patrick will play his former club again tomorrow in Tranmere colours, having left Sutton for the Wirral in the summer.
He is currently Tranmere’s top scorer with four goals, but has not scored since August.
Patrick, who played two and a half seasons at Valley Parade, has some history with City dating back to his time with Carlisle, and even ridiculed the away fans after he scored in one game after receiving a stick.
But he has put that behind him as Tranmere look to halt a run of five league games without a victory.
“When I first left, I felt I had a lot to prove,” Patrick confessed. “There was a lot of noise and things occurring in the background that most people are unaware of.
“It was more about proving myself to the coaches and staff who were present.”
“But I’m over it now.” I’ve played games against them numerous times.
“I’ve scored against them before, and they’ve defeated us before. It’s like a back-and-forth.
“But right now, all I want is to win. All of that is in the past for me now.
“If they want to carry it on, that’s up to the fans.”
Patrick was with City when they were demoted to League Two in 2019, but he spent half of the season on loan at Yeovil, making only one brief substitute appearance.
However, he is aware of the team’s continued high expectations.
“They have aspirations to be higher,” he told Tranmere’s club website. “They undoubtedly believe as a club that they should be far higher than they are.
“When I was with them in League One, they shared that sentiment. This will be especially true in League Two.
“They gave a good performance (on Monday), so they’ll always be ready. Their followers will continue to have expectations.
“Being a player there, like I have been previously, you want to do all possible to please the supporters. Otherwise, they could take a disastrous turn.”
Omari Patrick and Carlisle teammates wave to the City fans.
Omari Patrick and Carlisle teammates wave to the City fans. (Image: Tom Pearson)
Tranmere manager Nigel Adkins has greater competition for slots as injuries subside. He expects a physical contest.
He said: “They get the ball forward, cross the ball as well as anyone, and clearly Andy Cook, an ex-Tranmere player, is a huge threat and is fit.
“We’ve done some work on the training ground to put ourselves in the best possible position to deal with that.
“But even if you prepare it, you’ve still got to be ready and it will be tough.”
Graham Alexander has only managed to beat him once, in a 2-0 Scunthorpe victory over Sheffield United in 2016, Adkins’ final game at Bramall Lane before being fired four days later.
But he has a lot of respect for his Tranmere counterpart.
“I know Nigel, and he’s a great football guy,” remarked the City manager. “His CV is really impressive, so they are in capable hands.
“I remember playing against Tranmere in the Championship several times for Preston.
“It’s a major club in that region of the world, with two clear heavyweights right on their doorstep. However, they have certainly held their own over the years.
“Every club deserves to be ambitious. It is not just up to the chosen few to achieve success.”
Read more news on:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
Leave a Reply