Rommel had similar criticism from some of his soldiers during the initial Tobruck attacks for lack of concern for his men.
Rommel's quick advances in the battle of France early in the war rivaled Patton's fast movements.
Rommel criticized Hitlers strategic thinking and constantly tried to change it. Patton resisted against the strategic decisions of his leadership.
One interesting contrast, if Rommel had survived he may have transitioned from the military to civilian leadership in postwar Germany. He was regarded as naive in politics, yet began to learn it later in the war.
With Patton, every day of postwar Europe caused him more problems, and the Allied leadership was desperately looking for ways to get rid of him, or send him home and quiet him.
I think if Rommel & Patton played simulations against each other with equal forces, there would have been no clear cut winner, they would alternate wins.
***Rommel. Hands down.***
Rommel ran shoestring operations in Africa, especially in 1942 I'm not sure Patton [or anyone else] could have pulled off. Way fewer tanks than the enemy, no air superiority. etc. His Gazala campaign is one of the greatest in history.
Rommel could [and did] fight set piece battles, one of the flaws in Patton's game [see the above mentioned Cherbourg].
As a junior officer in WWI, while not rising above the rank of Captain, Rommel achieved a record Patton could only envy. His contribution to the victory at Caporetto earned him the Pour La Merite [the ‘Blue Max’]. His inter war writings, ‘Infanterie Greift An’ [”On Infantry Attacks”] was not only a best seller, but led to an assignment as an instructor at the Dresden Military Academy.
Finally, it should be noted that the first time Rommel handled armor was 1940. He had been an infantryman through his entire career. He not only made the transition seamlessly, he proved to be a major innovator as well. Although the Germans may have experimented with 88s in the antitank role in Spain, the first time they were used in that role in WWII was at Arras - by Rommel. By the cauldron in 1942 at Gazala, the had turned the technique into a lethal art.
Rommel, hands down.