Richard Pacquette and Sam Sodje

[I.C.@G&NFC]

Couldn't make the game tonight, totally knackered. How did Richard Pacquette and Sam Sodje perform? Is Richard our missing link?

 

The profiles from various QPR sites:-

 

Richard is another highly rated young player at QPR. Whilst in the under 17's team he looked a great prospect but injuries seemed to hold him back until last season when he came back to the under 19's team and began to show more of his potential.

 

He made his first team debut against Huddersfield last season and despite some moans from the over critical QPR fans the experience in that game, and the Stockport match he started in, did him a lot of good.

 

This season he has made the step up to the reserves with ease scoring eight goals so far this season. He has also made several appearance's in the first team and with each game he seems to improve a little bit more.

 

<table width="80%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td bgcolor="black"><img src="/forums/images/hr.gif" width="2" height="2" alt="" style="display: block" /></td></tr></table>

Richard is a strong forward with lots of pace but his main flaw is his finishing. He gets into some great positions but hasn't quite added the finishing touch yet. He does tend to score spectacular goals rather than tap ins but I am sure as he gains more experience the goals will begin to come for him and he will become a very important player for us.

 

<table width="80%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td bgcolor="black"><img src="/forums/images/hr.gif" width="2" height="2" alt="" style="display: block" /></td></tr></table>

Richard is a big strong striker with bags of pace, no little skill and a penchant for the spectacular! He has progressed well through the ranks at Loftus Road. Despite being just 18 he did have his fair share of first team action through last season, hitting the target on two occasions. He was also last seasons reserve team top scorer and looks to have a good future ahead of him if he can focus on the simple as well as he does on the sublime.

 

<table width="80%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td bgcolor="black"><img src="/forums/images/hr.gif" width="2" height="2" alt="" style="display: block" /></td></tr></table>

Local player who progressed through the Youth ranks and signed professional seventeenth birthday. Strongly built striker who was a regular goalscorer during his youth team days, once scoring all four goals against Liverpool in a 4-4 draw in an Under 18 match. Will remember his First Team debut with mixed emotions as it came on the day Rangers were relegated from the First Division at Huddersfield in April 2001. Followed this substitute appearance up with a starting place in the next match against Stockport County. Since then he has established himself in the first team squad and scored his first goal against Bury in 2001 and netted another a few weeks later against Cardiff.

 

Three websites and absolutely nothing about Sam Sodje:-

 

http://www.stevenageborough-mad.co.uk/playerview/loadplaydet.asp?player=43167

[David Holden]

I hope you were using Jeeves for these searches <img src="/forums/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

"Three websites and absolutely nothing about Sam Sodje"

 

Well you could always just pop along to the official Stevenage Borough website's forum and ask us. Why, has he signed or is he trialling for you?

 

Sam is a guy who will always give 100%. Very good in the air, but has this Sodje family trait (also evident with elder brother Efetobor at Crewe) of completely forgetting team orders and doing things his way. Very enthusiastic lad whose exuberance is often misinterpreted by referees - resulting in most of our red cards over the past couple of years. If he could just 'calm it' a bit, concentrate on his positioning, defensive play and on being able to remain on the pitch until the final whistle goes, he could be a useful signing.

 

By the way, I reckon you've signed a decent keeper in Paul Wilkerson. Able to pull off some breathtaking saves, but he's very much a confidence player. When he's high on confidence he can be one of the best in the Conference, but when he's at the other end of the confidence scale he can look a totally different player. I wouldn't want to keep him as second choice for too long if you intend to start the season with your keeper from last year, as if he becomes disillusioned, you won't see the best of him.

 

Interesting to read that report on you match the other night, and that you were trying a French keeper by the name of Dominique Jean or something like that. He actually played the second half of a Stevenage Borough PSF at Ware the other week. Couldn't give you any information on him though, because Ware didn't attack us in that 45 minutes.

 

All the best for the coming season, and I'm looking forward to making the trip to Gravesend.

 

Cheers

 

Mark P. (SBFC)

 

 

[Andy Y. (G&NFC)]

Thanks for the posting Mark. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif" alt="" />

 

Some interesting information. Well I have managed to miss the entire programme of friendlys so I couldn't say what shape our team will be on Saturday week, or who will be in it!

 

Those of us with longer memories than " those glory hunters who only started following our team in the last couple of years. " (I had to say it just once!!!) will remember Sams brother when he played for you lot in the FA Cup, when you beat us 5-1 at our place with one of the best displays I have seen at Stonebridge Road. In the second half in his own penalty area he turned out of trouble so quickly, the entire forward line went the wrong way! and the bloke selling burgers as well as the crowd, even some bloke having a pee in the nearest bogs p****d all over the boots of the guy standing next to him. OK maybe a slight exageration there!

 

nice to see friendly people posting on our site1 looks like this relaxing of the rules could be a winner Dave. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smilie_switch.gif" alt="" />

[Guest]

Yes indeed I do remember that incident in the FA Cup tie. It was a wonderful piece of skill, and while Sam tries to imitate his brother sometimes with those pieces of trickery, he doesn't really have the same finesse. I usually love watching players with individual qualities, but in Sam's case he really needs to be drilled into playing as part of a team for the full 90 minutes. If you can manage that, you'd have one hell of a defender.

 

Besides that Efe Sodje piece above, my main memories of that cup tie at Gravesend was the very early goal which G&N scored and thinking "Christ, what are we in for", and the home supporters standing around me who were some of the friendliest I've met at any non-league ground. Hope that hasn't changed.

 

By the way, my memory actually goes back even further to another cup tie years before thatStevenage match when I was living in east London and following Orient. Can you guess which one? I remember seeing press reports during the week's build up to that match of a striker called Portway and his legendary scoring record. Sure enough he gave Gravesend a deserved first half lead at Brisbane Road. Thought you were very unlucky and hard done by to go down 2-1 in the end to two very late goals.

 

Not long now before your trip to Broadhall Way, and I'm sure you'll be made very welcome. Come into the Broadhall Suite, our social club before the match for a pint or two and a general get together. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif" alt="" />

 

Cheers

 

Mark P. (SBFC)

 

[David Holden]

I see he scored a last minute equaliser for QPR on Saturday.