Trialists you rated but managers didnt

[Voice of Reason]

Not me personally, but i do recall a very well respected pilgrim and Journalist waxing lyrical about Osvaldo Lopes. He went on to say something along the lines of "We will base the rest of our team around him" - i never saw the game that made this normally level headed individual get so excited, but suffice to say the player in question never offered anything.

 

[Banners]

Lopes was brilliant in the 3-0 away FA Cup win against Bury. I was similarly enthused.

 

[Knibbsworth]

Not necessarily trialists but does anybody remember the "almost" signings of Mario Haas and Jurgen Saumel?

Seemed like they were signing for ages and then never did...

Also not a trialist, but I thought Nathan Thomas was an exciting and fantastic player at the time as Sheridan wasn't playing him and wanted him out. Most fans seemed non plussed when we released him. He was the best thing about watching Argyle back then in my opinion, a terrific aggressive threat to have. It didn't surprise me he impressed enough clubs after Argyle to warrant a few big money moves.

A few big money moves? I think Sheff Utd paid £300-350k for him from Hartlepool, but that's the only significant money paid for him.

I agree that he was exciting, but he was also inconsistent. He had a good spell at Hartlepool, but otherwise seems to have flattered to deceive throughout his career. Three and a half years after leaving us, he's just signed a season's loan at L2 Notts County, suggesting that the undoubted potential remains unfulfilled.

Well that's the point, it's an opinion I had which many other considered judges didn't share.

£350,000 is a lot for a player considered not good enough for a midtable League Two side, which presumes he was considered non league quality by Sheridan. He was also taken on by a Championship club and loaned by a flying League One title contender. It's fair to say he has proven Shez wrong a bit, what have Alessandra and Reuben Reid and JS's other favourites gone onto in that time? Constant League Two relegation scraps (a bit like Shez for a while).

 

[StevePAFC]

I remember a lad called Joe Holt being on trial for us in the summer of 2011.

A tricky left winger who when he played was skinning full backs for fun (although I can't remember the standard of opposition too well) seemed convinced we would take him on but Peter Reid passed up the chance, either that or at the time we couldn't afford him!

 

[memory man]

I remember a left back playing in Paul Wotton's testimonial- was it against a Belgian side? Don't know his name but he was exceptional - but no one at the club could have been similarly enthused because we never heard any more about him.

 

[TommusDoggus]

The only one that springs to mind is Paul McVeigh.

 

[Quintrell Green]

I remember a lad called Joe Holt being on trial for us in the summer of 2011.

A tricky left winger who when he played was skinning full backs for fun (although I can't remember the standard of opposition too well) seemed convinced we would take him on but Peter Reid passed up the chance, either that or at the time we couldn't afford him!

I was moved to check him on WIKI . He was released 20 years ago by Wigan and a piece about him in the Liverpool Echo even goes as far to say he had spells at Plymouth MK Dons and Tranmere. He obviously did not stick at these clubs and was last heard playing non-League for local team Cammell Laird named after the former Merseyside Shipbuilders. Judgement on him by 3 FL managers proved to be correct apparently. It is a hard business.

 

[pastiesforlife]

Didn’t Paul Huntington play in a friendly against somebody like Plymouth Parkway? He ended up at a higher level.

A Trialist had mixed fortunes and seems to score regularly in Scotland.

 

[Deacster]

Lopes was brilliant in the 3-0 away FA Cup win against Bury. I was similarly enthused.

He really had something but was just too raw.

 

[mervyn]

Does anyone remember during Graham Souness's reign at Southampton he acquired a trialist who claimed to be the brother of (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) Cyril Regis. He so looked the part that Souness put him on as sub in a match, then took him off six minutes later when he realised he'd been hoodwinked, and the bloke wasn't even up to park football standard. Later turned out he wasn't the relative he claimed to be either.

 

[GreenThing]

As a youngster, Neil Webb had a trial with us and wasn’t deemed good enough.

 

[pastiesforlife]

Does anyone remember during Graham Souness's reign at Southampton he acquired a trialist who claimed to be the brother of (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) Cyril Regis. He so looked the part that Souness put him on as sub in a match, then took him off six minutes later when he realised he'd been hoodwinked, and the bloke wasn't even up to park football standard. Later turned out he wasn't the relative he claimed to be either.

George Weah's cousin?

 

[chunkymonkey78]

Ali Dia.

Never understood that story, was Souness really that slapdash he stuck someone on the bench, then pitch, without ever seeing him train or perform?!

 

[mervyn]

Does anyone remember during Graham Souness's reign at Southampton he acquired a trialist who claimed to be the brother of (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) Cyril Regis. He so looked the part that Souness put him on as sub in a match, then took him off six minutes later when he realised he'd been hoodwinked, and the bloke wasn't even up to park football standard. Later turned out he wasn't the relative he claimed to be either.

George Weah's cousin?

That’s the one. Well remembered.