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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.
Chester 2 - 1 Tranmere XI
- Thread starter Boz
- Start date
SCooperSomersaults
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Didn't go. It looks like it was a youth team training game for us. Bit disappointed for the 500+ TRFC fans that travelled that a stronger team wasn't put out. It is, after all, only 11 days until the season starts.
Max Power scored our goal. Trialists involved included Zoom's brother who played centre back, Marc Manga (released by Rochdale) and Stephen Connor (ex Everton trainee who played one of the opening games at Heswall I think).
Max Power scored our goal. Trialists involved included Zoom's brother who played centre back, Marc Manga (released by Rochdale) and Stephen Connor (ex Everton trainee who played one of the opening games at Heswall I think).
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Entertaining in parts, but mostly just a run out for some players who desperately needed it.
Tranmere (4-3-3)
Collister
Hollyoak, Abou Baka, Benson, Zoum Baka
Gibbs, Power
Fraughan
Mackreth, Manga
Showunmi
I felt that Collister has improved tremendously when it comes to claiming the high balls in. A lot less flapping and of the six or seven catches he had to make, he only dropped one. People have said for a while he's a decent shot stopper but wasn't really called into making any stops as Chester didn't try their luck from distance, largely due to the good work done by our holding midfielders.
Defence looked pretty solid in the first half, Benson who is a 2nd year scholar took on the big lads Chester threw against him really well. Bakayogo number 2 in his bright yellow boots (sorry I hate flouresent boots, just reminds me of Sean Thornton too much) looked quick and interested, but we didn't get to see enough of him to make a decision as to if he's good enough.
First real chance of the game came after 15 minutes, ball pinballed about the box after the Chester keeper came out and (i think) one of the defenders miscued it under pressure from Showunmi... straight to the trialist Manga... who six yards out with a completely open goal proceeded to fall on his backside, make contact with the bottom of his studs to send the ball looping sideways away from the goal. Would have been funny if it wasn't so tragic. He was immediately subbed, I can't see him playing for us ever again, he's certainly not the needle to play off the big man that we're looking for.
So on comes Chris Shuker 2, another trailist called Connor. Red boots... sigh! But watching this young lad play made the entrance fee worth paying. If we're going to struggle this year in League One, at least if we have players like him playing we will have something worth watching. Nice touches, and AT LAST we have someone who can CROSS the ball, something that Shukes wasn't able to master. Connor played as a wide forward, and often swapped sides with Mackreth. Quick word on Mackreth, who was the number 7... he's a 3rd year scholar now and in this game played 90 minutes but was largely ineffectual and isolated. Chester didn't even bother marking him most of the time, just sent someone over to knock him off the ball if he got it. Could have just been a bad day, but Mackreth looked miles off the first team on this performance.
Anyway back to Connor, who played a neat one-two with Fraughan before putting a sweet cross back across the edge of the area, which Max Power met beautifully as he arrived in the box to power home a header. 0-1. And that's how it stayed until half time, Connor having a few other chances to extend the lead, but the Rovers were on top.
Second half substitutes broke our shape, with Vaulks and Healing coming on for Benson and Showunmi.. making a very disjointed 5-1-2-2 without a target man and without a tall centre back. Chester capitalised with a simple cross in to the tallest man in the box, their number 10 who being a foot and a half taller than the lads he was jumping against had no trouble putting the ball in the net with his head. Moments later a carbon copy of their first goal, the kids at the back just could not compete physically.
Abou was sacrificed as Tranmere were forced to reshuffle again.. Zoumana was switched to centre half and we brought on trainee Cole Stockton to play up front, and reverted to 4-3-3.
Calm was restored and we stopped leaking the goals.. the damage was done, but some solace can be taken that in the closing stages of the game Connor created another chance.. although Mackreth spooned it wide when it would have been easier to score.
For me the biggest positives came from the solid midfield performances of Jay Gibbs and Max Power, both only 2nd year scholars but both sprayed some lovely passes and barely put a foot wrong all game. I'd be happy to see either of them coming on for the first team should injuries start to bite during the season.
Tranmere (4-3-3)
Collister
Hollyoak, Abou Baka, Benson, Zoum Baka
Gibbs, Power
Fraughan
Mackreth, Manga
Showunmi
I felt that Collister has improved tremendously when it comes to claiming the high balls in. A lot less flapping and of the six or seven catches he had to make, he only dropped one. People have said for a while he's a decent shot stopper but wasn't really called into making any stops as Chester didn't try their luck from distance, largely due to the good work done by our holding midfielders.
Defence looked pretty solid in the first half, Benson who is a 2nd year scholar took on the big lads Chester threw against him really well. Bakayogo number 2 in his bright yellow boots (sorry I hate flouresent boots, just reminds me of Sean Thornton too much) looked quick and interested, but we didn't get to see enough of him to make a decision as to if he's good enough.
First real chance of the game came after 15 minutes, ball pinballed about the box after the Chester keeper came out and (i think) one of the defenders miscued it under pressure from Showunmi... straight to the trialist Manga... who six yards out with a completely open goal proceeded to fall on his backside, make contact with the bottom of his studs to send the ball looping sideways away from the goal. Would have been funny if it wasn't so tragic. He was immediately subbed, I can't see him playing for us ever again, he's certainly not the needle to play off the big man that we're looking for.
So on comes Chris Shuker 2, another trailist called Connor. Red boots... sigh! But watching this young lad play made the entrance fee worth paying. If we're going to struggle this year in League One, at least if we have players like him playing we will have something worth watching. Nice touches, and AT LAST we have someone who can CROSS the ball, something that Shukes wasn't able to master. Connor played as a wide forward, and often swapped sides with Mackreth. Quick word on Mackreth, who was the number 7... he's a 3rd year scholar now and in this game played 90 minutes but was largely ineffectual and isolated. Chester didn't even bother marking him most of the time, just sent someone over to knock him off the ball if he got it. Could have just been a bad day, but Mackreth looked miles off the first team on this performance.
Anyway back to Connor, who played a neat one-two with Fraughan before putting a sweet cross back across the edge of the area, which Max Power met beautifully as he arrived in the box to power home a header. 0-1. And that's how it stayed until half time, Connor having a few other chances to extend the lead, but the Rovers were on top.
Second half substitutes broke our shape, with Vaulks and Healing coming on for Benson and Showunmi.. making a very disjointed 5-1-2-2 without a target man and without a tall centre back. Chester capitalised with a simple cross in to the tallest man in the box, their number 10 who being a foot and a half taller than the lads he was jumping against had no trouble putting the ball in the net with his head. Moments later a carbon copy of their first goal, the kids at the back just could not compete physically.
Abou was sacrificed as Tranmere were forced to reshuffle again.. Zoumana was switched to centre half and we brought on trainee Cole Stockton to play up front, and reverted to 4-3-3.
Calm was restored and we stopped leaking the goals.. the damage was done, but some solace can be taken that in the closing stages of the game Connor created another chance.. although Mackreth spooned it wide when it would have been easier to score.
For me the biggest positives came from the solid midfield performances of Jay Gibbs and Max Power, both only 2nd year scholars but both sprayed some lovely passes and barely put a foot wrong all game. I'd be happy to see either of them coming on for the first team should injuries start to bite during the season.
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Showunmi good but not match fit, was sweating, huff and puffing by 10 minutes in and the feeling was oh no not another Ricketts.. but fortunately I think once fit Showunmi will be worlds away from that bad.
Chester's tannoy announcer not knowing the name of their sub keeper was hilarious.. as was them only having one goalkeeper jersey, you couldn't make this stuff up!
One last thing to mention, was eerie as anything in a football ground with empty white walls all the way around, no advertising boards at all besides evo-stick behind the goals.
Chester's tannoy announcer not knowing the name of their sub keeper was hilarious.. as was them only having one goalkeeper jersey, you couldn't make this stuff up!
One last thing to mention, was eerie as anything in a football ground with empty white walls all the way around, no advertising boards at all besides evo-stick behind the goals.
Boz
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Interesting report, if slightly worrying re Mackreth. Given he was the only 2nd year to be taken on a full contract, when the likes of Baker(who'd been on the bench) and Ross Rule weren't, I was expecting to hear something better of him.
Boz
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I've now had the benefit of seeing the highlights on the Chester site. Fraughan had a decent game it seemed and Mackreth certainly put in one quality cross. However as NeverBeat indicates, we certainly appeared to get overrun in the second half.
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highlights video (32Mb) from a chester fansite:
right click and save as..
http://www.natv.co.uk/TRANMERE 27-7-10.wmv
right click and save as..
http://www.natv.co.uk/TRANMERE 27-7-10.wmv
The Corner flag
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- Dave Challinor
Cheers dave
About spot on with the report.
Agree Liam Benson looked good, organised the defence well. Zooma's little brother looked better at right back i thought. Keep switching round.
Gibbs was quietly effective and also agree Mackreth was a big letdown, hear good reviews of him but went missing.
Don't think Connor would survive in league one (far too small), Fraughan was ok, played at centre mid, not his postion really.
Was nice to watch the kids and had some good phases but also thought 1 or 2 more of the first team would have got a game.
Cole Stockton (cool name) showed some nice touches maybe one for the future. =D>
About spot on with the report.
Agree Liam Benson looked good, organised the defence well. Zooma's little brother looked better at right back i thought. Keep switching round.
Gibbs was quietly effective and also agree Mackreth was a big letdown, hear good reviews of him but went missing.
Don't think Connor would survive in league one (far too small), Fraughan was ok, played at centre mid, not his postion really.
Was nice to watch the kids and had some good phases but also thought 1 or 2 more of the first team would have got a game.
Cole Stockton (cool name) showed some nice touches maybe one for the future. =D>