Archived News from February 2004
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RICHARD PACQUETTE JOINS ON TRIAL
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Stags run rule over QPR striker
CHAD QPR striker Richard Pacquette could find himself thrown into the Stags front line for Saturday's trip to Rochdale. Pacquette, who celebrated his 21st birthday last week, arrived at Field Mill on trial this week with a view to taking him on loan for a month. Stags saw their hotly-anticipated home clash with Swansea City beaten by the weather on Saturday. And manager Keith Curle has used the breathing space to line up what could be Mansfield's first loan move of the season. But first Pacquette will have to prove himself worth a gamble in training and a reserve friendly the club are hoping to arrange especially this week. "We are lucky in that QPR have offered us the chance to have a look at Richard before taking him on loan," said Curle. "I have been friends with their manager, Ian Holloway, since we were 16 and I am on the same course at Warwick University as his number two, Kevin Reeves. "So they've allowed Richard to come up here and show us what he can do. I don't want to waste the kid's time, but there is an opportunity here for him if he can take it. "He came on as substitute against us last season and I also played against him when I was at Barnsley so I know a bit about him. "He can hold the ball up, has got good pace and is a strong, aggressive lad with a thunderous right foot shot. On his day he can be a real handful. But, beacause of the quality of strikers at QPR ahead of him like Tony Thorpe, Paul Furlong and Kevin Gallen, his first team opportunities have been restricted. "Richard's career has come to a bit of a standstill and this could be the opportunity he needs to kickstart it again and get some more first team football under his belt." Nevertheless, Pacquette does have experience, having played over 40 times for QPR's first team. Last season he had a successful spell on loan at Conference outfit Stevenage Borough where he scored four goals in 10 appearances over three months, though he also had to serve seven games suspension for two red cards! He returned to Loftus Road where he scored goals in the first team to earn a starting place at the Millennium Stadium for their Play-off final defeat by Cardiff City. |
Latest | February 2004