[Archived] Reserves

[Kamy100]

Think that people are being extremely harsh on Formica, he is very very highly rated in Argentina. He needs a proper pre-season and hopefully then he will start to show his talent, last night he did shows some excellent touches, just needs more time to adjust. Time to judge him will be next season.

[Hughesy]

Problem with a lot of foreign players is their strength….rovers will be working Formica hard on his core strength and his stamina….I know that Roberts said on Twitter than Formica has a "left wand" & I also have heard he looks very good in training….just give him time.

Rochina from what iv seen looks like a young player that we have not had for years, real ability that like some say shows bits of Barca class about him…..they wouldn’t have offered him a further 2 year deal if he was poor would they!

Give them both time, and im sure we will have some good business on our hands. As for throwing them into starting spots, id be cautious, a few games without a goal at a young age can hurt confidence, he needs to be introduced gradually.

[herbergeehh]

I thought Formica was right-footed..

Just watched the reserves highlights on RoversWorld, great stuff. The step up to the Premiership seems to be massive though, both teams' players gave their opponents far too much time on the ball, and Rochina exposed this every time he was involved (again, from the highlights only). Rochina's big test comes when he is put under real pressure, the kind he will experience in the Premier League. You can see in the video that he has got great composure and ability, but that is probably due to his experience at a higher level.. poor pressure does create space for Barcelona's 5-a-side, difference between a star and a decent player is that Xavi can do these things against the best players in the world.. Just a reality check on my behalf by the way, not negativity

On a side note, pleased to see Formica track back and even slide tackle an opponent. Morten Gamst Pedersen, you should try it sometime

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Didn't we nearly will the Central League in 1965/6?

I think we won it that season. One bright light in a shocking campaign.

[Muddboy]

What do people think of Michael Potts after seeing him in the reserves?

Looks like he's always in the thick of the action and he's chipped in with some goals as well this season.

Could he be nearing a first team chance?

[Parsonblue]

What do people think of Michael Potts after seeing him in the reserves?

Looks like he's always in the thick of the action and he's chipped in with some goals as well this season.

Could he be nearing a first team chance?

Rumour has it that he has been released and will leave at the end of the season. He's improved this season and should carve out a career lower down the leagues. I think he would struggle to make an impression at Premier League level.

[philipl]

Look at Dzeko, Torres etc big money players signed in January who have flopped so far, Formica needs a pre season, he is very talented but will take time to adjust to the country as well as the pl.

Problem is, he is not adjusting- he is at a complete standstill and Rovers are worried sick about it.

[Parsonblue]

Problem is, he is not adjusting- he is at a complete standstill and Rovers are worried sick about it.

Formica looks completely lost at times during his odd appearances for the Reserves. He is clearly struggling to come to terms with the game here and his lack of English isn't going to help. A couple of weeks ago he was tried as a striker, on Monday he started on the right wing and then ended in the centre of midfield. In all three positions he has failed to make any impression.

In contrast, Rochina, has blossomed in recent weeks for the Reserves and on Monday night really looked the part.

I think the situation with Formica really highlights a problem with the so called plan of bringing in young players from South America or Africa. Clearly they need time, as individuals, to adapt to a new language and culture and that's before they get anywhere near a football pitch. If we are bringing lads into the Academy, and as long as the Academy coaches believe they are talented enough to make it in English football, then fair enough. That is a long term project which gives sufficient time for players to adjust to a different way of life. However, when we are paying £3.5 million pounds for a player in January, one would have hoped that the player would have been showing some signs of settling down by mid-April. In our present position, that money could have been used to bring in an established player who was ready to play from day one. At the moment one can't help feel that Formica has been another Venky gamble, another shot in the dark, that has completely backfired.

[JAL]

Problem is, he is not adjusting- he is at a complete standstill and Rovers are worried sick about it.

Looks like come next january he (Formica) will have to go back to his homeland with £3.5m up the swanny.

[imy9]

Complete standstill after three months is hardly surprising, especially having been bought in January, not played for months and been injured too.

[JAL]

Complete standstill after three months is hardly surprising, especially having been bought in January, not played for months and been injured too.

Your making excuses Imy9.

[imy9]

Id say it was using some common sense.

Patience is a virtue. The average time used to be 18 months, after which time you could assess a player properly for your club and judge his impact, I guess it's two months and two reserve games.

[92er]

Complete standstill after three months is hardly surprising, especially having been bought in January, not played for months and been injured too.

I'm sure at the time it said Formica had missed 5 weeks.

The judgements appera to be being made on the basis of training and a number of Reserve games-Parsonblue could fill in how many.

[sparkspakespoke]

Id say it was using some common sense.

Patience is a virtue. The average time used to be 18 months, after which time you could assess a player properly for your club and judge his impact, I guess it's two months and two reserve games.

Spot on, patience is needed here. To write off a player before he has played a first team game really is jumping the gun!

[Parsonblue]

I'm sure at the time it said Formica had missed 5 weeks.

The judgements appera to be being made on the basis of training and a number of Reserve games-Parsonblue could fill in how many.

He has appeared in three Reserve League games - one of which was behind closed doors - and he has appeared in at least one behind closed doors friendly. At the moment he simply looks overwhelmed by it all - in stark contrast to Rochina who seems to grow in confidence with each Reserve match. I suspect the time to judge Formica will be at the start of next season and write him off for this campaign.

[den]

Spot on, patience is needed here. To write off a player before he has played a first team game really is jumping the gun!

What you're actually doing here, is writing off judgements of people who know something about football and have seen him play - with absolutely no evidence of your own.

and if you read these posts, no-one has written him off.

[imy9]

What you're actually doing here, is writing off judgements of people who know something about football and have seen him play - with absolutely no evidence of your own.

and if you read these posts, no-one has written him off.

JAL- Looks like come next january he (Formica) will have to go back to his homeland with £3.5m up the swanny.

If thats not writing him off then what is?

[JAL]

JAL- Looks like come next january he (Formica) will have to go back to his homeland with £3.5m up the swanny.

If thats not writing him off then what is?

Imy9, you said wait 18 months to assess the guy.

If you know your stuff and know what hes going to be up against, a couple of months should be more than enough. All you need though is just one attribute to shine through to give you belief that he can make it just one. So does he possess that one attribute i.e. in skill, pace, trickery, strength or any other attributes, if he hasnt, then you begin to seriously question the professionalism currently being employed at the club, do you not.

Rochina has stood out right from day one over Formica down at Brockall i'm led to believe.

[imy9]

Imy9, you said wait 18 months to assess the guy.

If you know your stuff and know what hes going to be up against, a couple of months should be more than enough. All you need though is just one attribute to shine through to give you belief that he can make it just one. So does he possess that one attribute i.e. in skill, pace, trickery, strength or any other attributes, if he hasnt, then you begin to seriously question the professionalism currently being employed at the club, do you not.

Rochina has stood out right from day one over Formica down at Brockall i'm led to believe.

I did not say wait 18 months to assess the guy- read my post again, I said it used to be the case that you wait 18 months before judging players and their effectiveness, but even so 3 months and a few reserve games is ridiculous to write someone off.

What do you say of Dzeko? Nearly 30 million and has been here for months, should he be packed off? Henry, Bergkamp to name two players who struggled badly when they first got here but after a year they were firing on all cyclinders.

Formica has skill, pace, trickery etc, read Kamy's comment he is VERY highly rated but needs time to adapt, new country, new language, new team, injuries, these are not excuses this is life.

Also a number of the players have commented that Formica has looked brilliant in training "wand of a foot"

[sparkspakespoke]

"Looks like come next january he (Formica) will have to go back to his homeland with £3.5m up the swanny."

What you're actually doing here, is writing off judgements of people who know something about football and have seen him play - with absolutely no evidence of your own.

and if you read these posts, no-one has written him off.

No if you read the Jals post above thats excatly what has be done

I'm not saying he will make it but after moving to a different continent at a young age, not speaking the language, not being fit and then getting injured I think he deserves a blittle more time.

Hopefully next season after settling in and having pre season training under his belt we will see why he was so highly rated at home. Maybe not but then will be the time to judge not now.

[92er]

Formica has skill, pace, trickery etc, read Kamy's comment he is VERY highly rated but needs time to adapt, new country, new language, new team, injuries, these are not excuses this is life.

Someone re-read the article by the expert on South American football.

The suggestion was that Formica was quite rated, rather than very highky rated.

[joey_big_nose]

Looks like come next january he (Formica) will have to go back to his homeland with £3.5m up the swanny.

JAL - considering you similarly totally wrote off Hoilett last year and he has now turned into a outstanding talent, perhaps you could have learnt some of the value of patience.

[imy9]

I have read a number of articles actually which state that he is very highly rated, go one page back and thats how Kamy says people in Argentina view him.

[Kamy100]

I have talked to a few South American Football Correspondents, including Tim Vickery, they have all told me that Formica is very highly rated in Argentina. He is seen as someone who has the potential to break into the national side, they have said that had the European Clubs not gone in for him in January then it is likely that Boca would have snapped him up.

That said it is true to say that there is some concern at Brockhall. Initially he looked very good, but recently seems to have hit a brick wall in terms of the progress that he was making, that is entirely understandable, he has moved to a new way of living, can't speak the language and a totally new style of football. I am told that his attitude is superb and has been working very hard to get upto speed. During the reserve match on Monday there were some glimpses of the talent that he has. Impossible to judge him one way or other at the moment, he needs time to adjust, much better for him to have a proper pre-season and then see where he is at the start of next season.

[imy9]

Thanks Kamy, great to hear that his attitude is first class, this should help him in the coming months.