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Exiled Bull marvels at our midfielder:
He’s still a youngster but can win the ball in the air or on the ground, has pace and is improving all the time at passing the ball accurately. Those possession mistakes are holding him back a little but compare to last season, they are becoming fewer all the time.
Harry’s pace is his most exciting asset for me. In what was another moribund affair, the most recent home game against Dagenham was enlivened by “H”, most notably when he collected the ball and glided past two opponents as if they weren’t there. I was even more heartened when our London-born midfield was not overawed when on the bigger stage of Villa Park. Twice he zoomed past midfield opponents and twice in panic he was bought down at the expense of a booking. A Fourth Division player making Premier League opposition nervous gets you noticed. The name of Pell will certainly be in the database of several larger clubs by now.
Outside Edgar Street prior to the Dagenham match, I bumped into an acquaintance who is a part-time scout, though not of the dibbing variety. He was cagey as ever when working but looked genuinely blank when I mentioned the name of Pell. So I gave him a quick potted history. I felt no guilt, offering only detail he would see with his own eyes or could look up within minutes. I added, with more than a touch of desperation, “It will take a big fee ...”
Like many other Hereford watchers, I need to justify to myself why I continue to attend. In the past, there’s been Stevie Guinan, Tamika, Gav, Paz, “Lisa” and even “Jenny” – people who could pin my hopes and optimism upon. Harry is currently the closest the Bulls have so sorry about the extra weight young Pell. I’m afraid meeting supporters’ expectations is just one of those aspects that players have to deal with.
Of course, we know little about Harry’s temperament. There may be aspects of his personality which grated at both Charlton and Bristol Rovers. As an example and I’m not saying any of these applies to our beanpole youngster, there are certain players who could start an argument in an empty room and simply talked themselves out of a job. There are certain individuals who simply make an arse of themselves away from the training ground and attract headlines (guess who). There’s the barrack room lawyer type. Or someone so intelligent that the manager feels threatened (“hello Richard Sneekes”) If Harry can match or mould his personality to that of his manager, I can see him making an impact at Championship level at least.
Edgar Street could be a great learning zone for Harry. One of the benefits of being at Hereford is that once signed, players have more time to develop their potential than they would elsewhere. Recent examples include “The Beast” – just how long did he get by with just “raw potential” status? Likewise, “Fleet” – how many other clubs would wait until October for a forward to find the net? Loyalty works two ways, Stuart.
In the meantime, I think we should all savour young Harry’s talents while we still have them.