• 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.

Rovers v Mansfield

Rovers v Mansfield
Posted by Ian
Prenton Park
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 - 07:45 PM
Until: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 - 09:30 PM
(Adjusted for timezone: Europe/London)
Categories

Upcoming dates
All times have been adjusted for the timezone: Europe/London

This event has expired and has no upcoming dates
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,872
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
Really enjoyed tonight's game and pretty much agree with all RLC's comments. It was a really enjoyable match well contested between two evenly matched teams. The standard of the football is far superior than in the VNL and, from what I've seen so far, the belief that there is little difference between that league and EFL2 is a complete myth perpetuated by the wanabees! In fact, from the handful of games so far (which may not be representative) the standard seems higher than our last brief and disastrous visit to this level. Bring on Saturday!
I agree completely about the standard of play. The gulf between this level and the NL is enormous and it is refreshing to see teams come to Prenton Park and try to out-football us, rather than resorting to gamesmanship.

Because of the higher standard of play I actually get less hung up on the result, and enjoy the game for what it is.
 
Last edited:
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,872
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
It is interesting that on the Mansfield forum several Stags fans commented that we were the better side and that they were very impressed with our football.

It has been a positive start.
 
M

Mal

Guest
being darn sarf , i couldnt make tge Mansfield game. The highlights showed more of Mansfield attacks than Tranmere. Question, the two goals at Swindon followed Scot D hoofball. has the team stopped playing out from the back? there seemed to be a lot of headball as well in both game, based on highlights only.
 
Joined
1 Aug 2017
Messages
262
Player
Mungy's Hairdresser
I also think that MM’s managerial astuteness & tactical skills will shine through better at this level in a decent footballing environment rather than some of the ridiculous situations we faced in the VNL!
 
Joined
1 Oct 2005
Messages
5,691
Player
Alan King, Barry Dyson
I agree completely about the standard of play. The gulf between this level and the NL is enormous and it is refreshing to see teams come to Prenton Park and try to out-football us, rather than resorting to gamesmanship.

Because of the higher standard of play I actually get less hung up on the result, and enjoy the game for what it is.
Anyone at the Stevenage game would realise within five minutes that the home side were better than most teams we faced last season. However, I think the best teams in the VNL could probably hold their own in the EFL. There is a much bigger gap between top and bottom in both L2 and VNL. Without really replacing the players we've lost through defection and injury, we are more than holding our own. In general, promoted sides don't go back down. FGR survived last year despite losing a few players and Macclesfield are only struggling because they overachieved last year under their excellent ex-manager. Three up, three down could easily be justified.
 

Ian

Super White!
Admin
Joined
21 Sep 2005
Messages
12,019
Player
Aldo
Manager
Kingy
I missed Tuesdays game so thanks to everyone for the input into the game. I managed a bit of commentary and it sounded like a stalemate from the 1st half.

Would we have possibly won the game with a more potent strike force?
 
Joined
18 May 2012
Messages
769
Player
ian goodison
shard to say ian as both teams had reasonable chances to be fair cole & nors link up well its just the defenders are more savvy now coles marker had his hands all over him and as the ref didntblow up he carried on its up to cole to wise up or get a bit more savvy himself
 

Sparky

Member
Joined
8 Sep 2009
Messages
7,532
Player
Chris Greenacre
Like Ian I missed the game but back for Saturday. Although still early days the concerns of some SWA are who will score if Nors has an off day.
Mullin has never got more than 10 over a full season and Cole doesn’t look too sharp in front of goal at the moment but hopefully that will come.

Last year we were lucky we had 2 front men who each got 20 plus. Most decent teams with 2 up top have a 25 a goal season man partnered by a 10-15 goal support striker e.g and Aldo and Malkin. Hopefully Cole will get a goal soon as some fans will unfairly get on his back if results don’t go well.

Also we have the likes of Smith, Jennings and Banks who are all capable so hopefully they’ll step up.
 
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,872
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
I missed Tuesdays game so thanks to everyone for the input into the game. I managed a bit of commentary and it sounded like a stalemate from the 1st half.

Would we have possibly won the game with a more potent strike force?
We did not create that many chances, but nor did Mansfield. Neither team did enough to win, but it was an excellent game of football between two decent sides.
 
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,872
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
Anyone at the Stevenage game would realise within five minutes that the home side were better than most teams we faced last season. However, I think the best teams in the VNL could probably hold their own in the EFL. There is a much bigger gap between top and bottom in both L2 and VNL. Without really replacing the players we've lost through defection and injury, we are more than holding our own. In general, promoted sides don't go back down. .
I don't really agree to be honest. I think the gulf is absolutely massive and even the struggling teams in this division would give most National League sides a hiding. By the standards of this division Cheltenham were a poor side, but I remember thinking that there were only one or two NL teams I saw last season who were better than them.

The clubs that have prospered after promotion have completely reshaped their squads. Lincoln only have one or two players remaining from their NL title winning side and FGR did not replace many players, with the result that they struggled badly.

Our starting eleven has actually been reshaped quite significantly. Banks, Smith, Zoum, Caprice and Ellis are all regular or semi-regular and we have got far more skill, pace and movement in the team than we had last season. As an example, Jay Harris was one of the better passers of the ball at the level below but looks quite lacking in technique in this division.
 

Boz

Member
Joined
30 Sep 2005
Messages
8,851
Player
Iain Hume
Like Ian I missed the game but back for Saturday. Although still early days the concerns of some SWA are who will score if Nors has an off day.
Mullin has never got more than 10 over a full season and Cole doesn’t look too sharp in front of goal at the moment but hopefully that will come.

Last year we were lucky we had 2 front men who each got 20 plus. Most decent teams with 2 up top have a 25 a goal season man partnered by a 10-15 goal support striker e.g and Aldo and Malkin. Hopefully Cole will get a goal soon as some fans will unfairly get on his back if results don’t go well.

Also we have the likes of Smith, Jennings and Banks who are all capable so hopefully they’ll step up.

Think Stockton has only once got into double figures for the season and that involved half a season in the NL and half on loan at Morecambe. Mullin is also marginally younger than Stockton.
 

drwhoman

Member
Joined
30 Jun 2008
Messages
2,658
I see Cheltenham gave Garry Johnson his P45 earlier this week. The way we are going a mid-table outcome looks quite possible this season which would be acceptable I think.
 
Joined
1 Oct 2005
Messages
5,691
Player
Alan King, Barry Dyson
Our starting eleven has actually been reshaped quite significantly. Banks, Smith, Zoum, Caprice and Ellis are all regular or semi-regular and we have got far more skill, pace and movement in the team than we had last season. As an example, Jay Harris was one of the better passers of the ball at the level below but looks quite lacking in technique in this division.
We are going to have to agree to differ. If we still had Clarke, Norburn, Ginnelly and Cook, and Buxton and Sutton were fit, only Banks of the players you mention would be first choice. With last season's squad, I'd be confident of a top half finish this term. Recent signings now mean we have a stronger squad than 2017/18 in every department but attack, which remains a concern.
 
Joined
15 Mar 2010
Messages
13,872
Player
Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
Manager
John King
Smith would definitely be first choice; he is one of our key players. I also doubt Micky would prefer Clarke to Zoum, as he did not prefer him to Ridehalgh, and Caprice offers something completely different to Buxton - pace. It will be interesting to see who is selected when those two go head to head. Likewise, Sutton won't necessarily be ahead of Ellis in the pecking order, and Mark is certainly more mobile than Ritchie.

In any case, players like Clarke and Ginnelly were never regulars last season, so I don't think you are comparing apples with apples.

The team has been reshaped and improved this season, with greater pace and mobility, something I think Mellon would have wanted regardless of who stayed on in the summer.

In any case, most of the players mentioned are not typical of National League standard at all. We had the best squad in the division two seasons running, accumulating 177 points, and with a couple of exceptions, most NL teams were at nowhere near the same level as us.
 
Last edited:
Top