• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

Cards v Rovers

Boz

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Iain Hume
Last season's trip to Kingfield saw our heaviest defeat of the season, 4-1, with a late worldie from Norwood not enough to dull the pain. The hosts have been struggling this season, but a good win at Torquay last weekend is likely to have fired them up again. They lost 3-1 in the reverse fixture at PP, during Paul Carden's short care-taking stint, but missed enough chances in that one.

Rovers have lost the last two games on the road, unluckily at Lincoln but deservedly at Macclesfield. Micky is not a fan of changing line-ups, but circumstances force it on him here. Sutton suspended at the back, so Ihiekwe replacing in central defence. Up front he has to start Andy Cook, my preference would be alongside Mangan, but Norwood a possibility. In midfield, will he go for a diamond again, or a more conventional 442 with wingers? Probably the former on recent experience. Will Wallace start? If he does will need a defensive player Jennings/Maynard alongside, with Hughes playing the anchor role, but that would mean one of Kirby/Tollit missing out.

Prediction. Expecting a decent turnout from SE based SWA along with travelling numbers who missed last season's midweeker, so somewhere around 350-400. Think the losing run on the road should come to an end, but a score draw feels most likely.
 
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I missed last season's game, which must go down as one of the worst nights in our history, an abject performance in a period when we were shambolic under Brabin. I am looking forward to visiting a new ground and don't expect a repeat this time around. Although Woking had chances at PP, Paul Carden was in charge that day and we were pretty disorganised defensively. On the other hand, a repeat performance from our strikers would be welcome given their recent form.

I would go with the following team:

Davies
Vaughan Big Mac Ihiekwe Ridehalgh
Hughes
Wallace Jennings
Tollitt
Mangan Cook

This is a game we simply have to win if we are serious about winning the title. There are actually frosts forecast for Woking for the next couple of nights, so I hope there are no problems with the pitch. It would be nice if Dover could do us a favour by denying Lincoln victory in the televised game tomorrow night.

I think Boz is right with his prediction of the Rovers numbers and I think we will get back on track with a win.
 

Sparky

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As RLC suggests there are question marks over the pitch which has apparently been frozen the last few days and the temperatures aren't forecast to get much higher. Postponement would not surprise me which would be really frustrating as we need to get back on track with our league form ASAP.

As for the team, I would bring Steve Jenno back in but personally would go with a 4-4-2 approach. Mangan/Cook up top with a midfield 4 of something like Tollit, Jenno, Hughes & Kirby (obviously I'd like Dawson out wide but that's not going to happen).

I'm not sure Wallace should come back in but much will depend on performances in training over the last couple of weeks.

We need to win this one.
 

Boz

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Very frustrating, as I'm in the SE this weekend and hoped to make the game. I suppose it's good it was called off early to prevent fans travelling.

From a Rovers perspective, the only positive is that Sutton will miss only one league game and the Trophy match with Chelmsford. However, we are building up a fixture backlog already and further progress in the Trophy will add to that.
 
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No real surprise. I think this is the first game we have had postponed due to the weather since we have been down here, so we can't complain too much. However, we now have a glut of midweek away matches which is a pain. Fortunately, with the squad strength we have, we can cope better than most with fixture congestion.

Really need Dover to do us a favour now.......
 

Ian

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If Dover do manage a win tonight, they'll only be a point behind us, so it's getting tight up at the top.
 
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Yes, but we will have two games in hand on them, plus we still have to play them at home. I think Dover are too inconsistent to finish above us, so I am still more concerned about Lincoln.
 

Ian

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Dover are looking a bit flat here.
 
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Scrappy game but a deserved win for Lincoln on Lincoln TV. Miller aside, Dover are crap, no quality at all. Rhead went off injured, which is one ray of light. Have to hope Lincoln don't win again on Tuesday.
 
M

Mal

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On the bright side, the top 5 places are looking to be amongst 6 teams, with Tranmere having a few points in hand over 4 and 5. barrow have to play current top 3 one after the other. Lincoln will have to have a major loss of form for Tranmere to catch them. I still think it is now a playoff season. Have to hand it to Cowley. I just hope MM manages to find a formula that gets the forwards to be more free-scoring, rather than a team playing nice triangle passes and lots of possession.
 
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We just need to find the kind of form we had in the first two months under Micky, with Cook firing on all cylinders, and see where it takes us. If Lincoln do slip up - which does not look likely on current form, but who knows over 20 matches - we have to be ready to capitalise. They have only lost once in 23 games in the league, and if they continue that form until the end of the season there is not a great deal we can do.

Watching Dover tonight, you would fancy our chances in the play-offs if it did come to that.
 

Ian

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Watching Dover tonight, you would fancy our chances in the play-offs if it did come to that.
We are completely hopeless when it comes to playoffs. I would have zero confidence based on past performances. Let's hope Lincoln slip a bit.
 

Boz

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I agree with Ian, play-offs always a lottery and would be best avoided. It doesn't look likely, that Lincoln will slip up, so Rovers have to rediscover the form that took us to the top and build up momentum.

With hindsight wonder if Micky regrets going for the win at Sincil Bank. If we'd have shut up shop and taken the draw, things would be a lot tighter at the top now.
 
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I agree with Ian, play-offs always a lottery and would be best avoided. It doesn't look likely, that Lincoln will slip up, so Rovers have to rediscover the form that took us to the top and build up momentum.

With hindsight wonder if Micky regrets going for the win at Sincil Bank. If we'd have shut up shop and taken the draw, things would be a lot tighter at the top now.
I just don't think that is the way Mellon works. He is a positive manager, which is why he has taken us from ninth to title challengers. It is more reasonable to suggest that had mm been in charge all season, we could well be top now.
 

Boz

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I agree it's likely we'd have been top with Micky in charge from the off.
 
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Mal

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Just looked at the tables. Out of 27 games, Lincoln have played 15 at home, two more than Tranmere. If Tranmere win the two home games then they will have 4 more points at home than Lincoln have. Lincoln have a few midweek games and in this weather and travelling long distances, anything can happen. So I have changed my mind. Catching them is feasible.
 
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Results today certainly went in out favour, with FGR only drawing at home and Barrow losing again. We are now seven points clear of sixth place, having played the same number of games.

On recent performances and given the number of games each of the top five has played, you would say Rovers are the only team that look capable of catching Lincoln. However, we really need Barrow to recover from their woeful recent form and get something against Lincoln on Tuesday, as an eight point gap will probably be a bridge too far.
 
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