Dutch trialist gets chance to make mark

Jul 16 2007 by Nick Hilton, Liverpool Daily Post

DUTCH trialist Gerd Bakker will be given another two pre-season games this week to show his potential to Tranmere Rovers.

The wide man from Rotterdam played the best part of an hour in Tranmere’s opening friendly, a 6-0 win at Cammell Laird on Saturday.

Bakker is also pencilled in by manager Ronnie Moore to play against Heswall on Wednesday and at Marine next Saturday.

Bakker played most of his career in the Dutch third division, which is part-time, but has attracted positive reports.

The trial was set up through contacts of Tranmere’s Dutch goalkeeping coach John Achterberg and chief scout Dave Philpotts.

Moore said: “The lad is quick and can play wide or up front. It is worth having a look at him.

“He’s trained with us for the past fortnight.

“He will play in the games on Wednesday and Saturday, then we will have to make a decision on what we’re going to do with him.”

Moore was more than satisfied with Tranmere’s performance in the first of nine pre-season friendlies scheduled before the League One campaign kicks off on August 11.

Playing two different line-ups in each half at Kirklands, the manager used all 22 of the professionals on his books – with the exception of midfielder John Mullin who missed out with a knock.

Moore said: “I was well pleased. I thought we adapted ourselves well and did the right things.

“We created a lot of chances and the only reason I would have to nitpick is that we should have scored even more goals. We will work on that.”

Tranmere’s annual pre-season games against Lairds have been tight affairs in recent years but this time the Unibond Division One South part-timers could not match Tranmere for fitness or sharpness.

Moore said: “We should be winning games like this and that is no disrespect to Cammell Lairds. They normally give us a hell of a game but they were up against 22 professionals who have been training full time for two weeks and this time you could see the difference.

“I was pleased with our fitness levels.

“There is still a long way to go, of course, but I was happy with that performance.

“It was nice to see some of the different combinations we tried: Antony Kay with Shane Sherriff at the back, then Ian Goodison and Ben Chorley.”

Moore was encouraged by a first look at midfielder Adnan Ahmed, the first of Rovers summer signings who joined from Huddersfield in May.

He said: “Adnan had a good second half. He got on the ball and passed it well. I think there is plenty to come from him.”

Moore said he plans to follow the same pattern of using different line-ups in each half of Wednesday’s game at Heswall. But the line-ups and combinations will be different.