Archived News from February 2004
|
STAGS CHANCE FOR PACQUETTE
|
 |
|
STAGS CHANCE FOR PACQUETTE
CHAD website QPR striker Richard Pacquette has been drafted into Mansfield Town's squad for Saturday's trip to Rochdale (3pm). The 21-year-old arrived on trial on Monday but ensured Stags would take him on a full month's loan with a goal and bustling 70-minute display in Mansfield's 3-0 reserves win over Crewe Alexandra on Wednesday. Parquette did enough in the game and training to make up manager Keith Curle's mind that he could get Stags back among the goals. For a while Mansfield Town were the country's top scoring team. But, although they have carried on picking up the points, the goals have dried up and they have hit just seven in their last eight League outings. "Hopefully I can help do something about that," said Pacquette. "I want to help the team, score a few goals and get Mansfield Town into one of the automatic promotion spots. "I can remember playing against Mansfield last season and I thought they looked a good team and passed the ball well. They look to be in with a good chance of promotion. "I have enjoyed it this week. Training has been good and the boys have helped me settle in. I felt I did all right in the reserve game and scoring the early goal helped take off some of the pressure to impress and built up my confidence. "But I do believe in myself and I just have to do what I do best. "I am a goalscorer who likes to help the team and work hard for the team. I like using my pace and strength but I can just hold up the ball when I have to. My strength is getting on defenders' shoulders and getting shots off." Pacquette has been at QPR since he was 13 but first team appearances have been limited due to the high quality of strikers ahead of him in the queue at the Second Division club. He has just returned from a month on loan at Conference club Dagenham and Redbridge. "It began really well for me but didn't end so well as they brought in a new striker long-term and a defender and I ended up training for two weeks without a game. "When I got back my manager told me there was a chance to go on loan to Mansfield and I said I wanted to go. It is a chance to prove to him that I am capable of doing my job. "I have been there since I was 13 so the club has obviously grown on me. But I do know that in football you sometimes have to move on. "That's Ian Holloway's decision. I am here for games, fitness and experience for a month and I think I am still capable of playing for QPR. We'll have to see what happens." Stags boss Curle added: "I haave seen enough of Richard to know there are goals in the lad. "He has a physical presence, strength and the right attitude. He wants to work and learn. "One of the most pleasing things when I asked him to name me his three main attributes was that number one was said he was a goalscorer. "That's the type of positive mental attitude I am looking for from my centre forward. He knows he will get opportunities and take them. "He is here for a month initially and we'll take it from there. He's not figuring in QPR's first team right now so there may be an opportunity to keep him longer if he can prove what a good player he is. "I have played against him myself so I know what a physical presence he has, with an eye for goal. He didn't score against me, though!" Pacquette goes into Saturday's squad but Curle said there were no guarantees he will start the game. "He will figure somewhere on the afternoon. But Richard, like the rest of my strikers, now has two days' training to impress and force my hand. "Sometimes just bringing in a new face gets you the desired response from everyone else. "I had a team picked to face Swansea before it was called off last weekend. But I am fairly certain that won't be the side I pick for Saturday which is credit to the strength of our squad." Stags carved out a hard-earned 1-0 win over a dogged Rochdale at Field Mill on Boxing Day. But the Spotland club now have former Stags boss Steve Parkin at the helm and have taken seven points from their last three home games plus one from two aways. |
Latest | February 2004