[Archived] David Hoilett

[RoverRich]

We have a young talent on our hands who the club put a lot of effort into getting over here, he has broken into the first team at the age of 19, obviously has pace and skill yet some people are still moaning. Give the lad a chance and stop writing him off so quickly! He must have something about him. Just because he isn't as good as Duff was when he first broke through doesn't mean he is gonna be no good. We all saw just how good Duff was and why he ended up at Chelsea. Junior has got time on his side and if nurtured correctly can be a very good player. If he can add an end product to his play like Duff and Lennon developed over time we will have a very useful player on our team. He has potential but is still learning at this stage. I am sure there would be a lot of fans moaning at the club for letting him go if in a few years time he is playing week in week out for a top club in Europe.

[den]

We have a young talent on our hands who the club put a lot of effort into getting over here, he has broken into the first team at the age of 19, obviously has pace and skill yet some people are still moaning. Give the lad a chance and stop writing him off so quickly!

Hope you don't include me in this "writing him off" charge.

BTW, Duff didn't develop an end product, he had it all along.

[DeadlyDirk]

I'm keen for him to stay at least for another year or two, it's way to early to judge him at the moment, afterall this is the first time he'd played in a top flight division, not to mention the Premiership which is one of the toughest leagues in the world.

He hasn't been given the run of games to judge him on yet but certainly has some potential once he's learnt his trade a little more.

He's also been getting rare chances in a struggling team which makes it a lot harder to make an impact than when you come into a decent side. In my eyes he can certainly be better than the likes of Diouf and Pedersen which might not be saying a lot but it's not as though we have a queue of other options for the flanks.

I don't see the need to compare him to Lennon so much either, Lennon was crap, over rated and inconsistent at best until around 18 months ago. Hoilett is only 19 or so and has plenty of time to improve yet.

[Hughesy]

I think he has quick feet Hughesy, but I haven't seen him skin anyone for out and out pace yet. Never got past his full back once at Wigan.

He did however beat a man for pace when defending at home, when a team broke - was it Defoe for Spurs?!

[S15]

So what?

[Majiball]

[b]Yes he definately is, pace and quick feet are a special talent and we mustnt lose that, he is progressing nicely and each game I am seeing things such as his ball retention improving and is getting back quickly to help his defence, must be difficult in your first season in the prem and he has done well - a must keep!!

He's threaded one or two good balls into the box as well.

The main issues for me are he still has plenty of time to develop. He's probabaly on a few grand a week, so a couple O hundred grand a year. So we either let him go and use our couple O hundred to find a player with pace, good feet, room to improve and is Rovers grown? I don't think its possible at all, keeping him is the best option for our club.

Even if in a couple of years, he's not progressed then there will be buyers for him, just look at Giles Barnes.

[Hughesy]

He's threaded one or two good balls into the box as well.

The main issues for me are he still has plenty of time to develop. He's probabaly on a few grand a week, so a couple O hundred grand a year. So we either let him go and use our couple O hundred to find a player with pace, good feet, room to improve and is Rovers grown? I don't think its possible at all, keeping him is the best option for our club.

Even if in a couple of years, he's not progressed then there will be buyers for him, just look at Giles Barnes.

Spot on.

We heard for years that SWP and Lennon were not good enough & had no end product - either would walk into most teams now though!

We would be stupid if we wanted him to leave.

[Eddie]

SWP lost his way at Chelsea, but when he was at Man City the first time there weren't too many being overly critical of him. He's always had the skills.

Lennon still isn't the greatest crosser in the world, but the reason why I, and a few others, wanted him included in the Bentley deal was because his base allows him to get to the byline and put more balls in than you average winger. Even if Bentley 2/5 of Bentley's crosses are fantastic and Lennon is only 1/10, Lennon will get that many more chances that he may well end up creating more. Pace is so dangerous.

We have none.

[Majiball]

Spot on.

We heard for years that SWP and Lennon were not good enough & had no end product - either would walk into most teams now though!

We would be stupid if we wanted him to leave.

You've got to consider his development stages and he's 6 months into the hardest one of all, Elite level first team football. I'll wager he flew through the youth ranks, and then spent time at a level he did well at and last year as well. Trouble is this year he's playing in one of the hardest leagues in the world, it will take him much longer than 6 months to be effective at this level.

Some seriously good players have come here and flopped, whilst he's not set Ewood on fire he hasn't exactly flopped. But he's doing alright so he has a chance of developing into a player who can cut it at our level and one that may reap serious rewards at the end of it??

Its just not easy going from being one of the best players in your squad to bottom of the ladder with us.

Perhaps if we actually employed a shrink he could help guide him and at the same time build up a good relationship with him.

[Nafe_rovers]

I always get excited when he plays....Hopefully he will develop into a good player!!

[Hughesy]

You've got to consider his development stages and he's 6 months into the hardest one of all, Elite level first team football.

Very true - we have seen him 7 or 8 times and people are already writing him off - pathetic!

[S15]

Very true - we have seen him 7 or 8 times and people are already writing him off - pathetic!

Not true, I'd written him off after seeing him play 2 or 3 times.

[JAL]

Not true, I'd written him off after seeing him play 2 or 3 times.

We cant lose him as hes only a kid, theres plenty of time to shape him and give him a platform for success at Rovers.

The weaknesses in his shooting was there for all too see, but that doesnt mean to say he cant improve especially at his age.

Hoilett has that ability to collect the ball in a tight situation and sprint off the mark which for a defender is extremely difficult to defend against.

Can see why an experienced manager wants him to play this way out wide, so that if he loses the ball the team will be able to defend better against the opposition without exposing the team too much. But when the management team begin to feel comfortable that he wont losse the ball then i'm sure they will put him in a more central role on the pitch.

The next bit of Juniors development has to be on what he does next, and try to excel in the end product part of his game. All takes time lots of it.

It will be disappointing for all concerned if he decides to leave in the summer.

[LeChuck]

Even if Bentley 2/5 of Bentley's crosses are fantastic and Lennon is only 1/10, Lennon will get that many more chances that he may well end up creating more. Pace is so dangerous.

I think your numbers are perhaps a little bit low (Lennon is certainly better than 1 in 10!), but the overall point is a good one.

Also...I think Lennon's pace and skill allows him to get into easier crossing positions, usually he's free of defenders and often in a position where he just has to cut the ball back.

Bentley (and the likes of Beckham) had no choice but to develop a brilliant cross that could whip round the defence and into the box, because he doesn't have the pace to get into better positions.

[Kelbo]

Not true, I'd written him off after seeing him play 2 or 3 times.

Football is very much opinionated but your comment amazes me, to write a youngster off, learning in one of the toughest leagues in the world!!

I cant understand those comments at all!

It takes time!

[S15]

Third time... WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[roversmum]

Way, way too much time...

[Pinch]

Way, way too much time...

Really? As opposed to seeing Diouf or Peds? We've a paper-thin squad, not exactly bursting with low wage-earners, youngsters or pace. There is at least the possibility that he will progress into a premiership-quality player. It would kind of gall me to see him go to Hamburg and make good. How long did we hold on to Derbs? I'd like to be a little more sure of what he can (or can't) offer before he leaves Rovers. I'm with Hughesy though, I think his Dad's already got him a new club in Germany. I'm hoping we're wrong and he stays for at least another season.

As an aside, did any of you read that interview with his younger brother, Jaineil?

interview

I remember when Jaineil was with the Rovers academy but it sounds like he is permanently with Mainz now?

[bennyboyt11]

Pinch, I think Mum was talking about Shillito

[Amo]

I think you need a jackhammer to get humour across these days...

[Pinch]

Pinch, I think Mum was talking about Shillito

Aaaahhh, right...and Mum didn't see that Shillito was joking about having made his mind up about Hoilett after seeing him only a couple of times. But was he really joking? I guess we'll never know.

[Kelbo]

Third time... WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Thats the reply from someone with little knowledge of football!! sorry pal

Thats why scouts watch players in a number of games before they buy them!!

[S15]

Thats the reply from someone with little knowledge of football!! sorry pal

Thats why scouts watch players in a number of games before they buy them!!

That's the reply of somebody with no knowledge of ironic humour. "Sorry Pal."

[Blueandwhitemike]

works better when it is funny, like the first one

[roversmum]

Just not in the mood for daft jokes at the time, Pinch...

Mind you, given the number of folks who come on the boards giving some new player grief when he's only played about ten minutes' football for the club...