• 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 Ravens

M

Mal

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Good job Cook is happy... Anyway, winning is all that matters. And Tuesday is now critical.
 

Ian

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We weren’t great today but we got the win and thats all that matters now. We’ll certainly have to step up on Tuesday night and I think we will.
League table looking great tonight! Roll on a Tuesday.
 

Cowshed Kid

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A tough game which demanded full effort from all eleven. The sort of game that two seasons ago I'm sure we'd have bottled.
Scottie on top form with at least three blinders.
So strange that despite our overall dominance, in my view the back five we're the best performers. Bucko was tremendous and moan about the long ball as much as you like, if it's a long"forward pass" that leads to a goal I'll take it any day. There's a world of difference between a "hoof" and a long pass.
Equally, I don't think they can be criticised for not closing down. Second half, especially, as the clock ticked down they still made their presence known rather than just concede the ground.
Nice little cameo from Tollitt but he's just too keen to be a superstar in the limited time he's getting at moment. And that not a criticism - it's only natural.
I think he'll start Tuesday and, knowing he's got the full game ahead, will lift his head up and look up at the crucial time.
Don't think Rides went over the half way line much all game, certainly not as much as Bucko, but did nowt wrong.
Macca at his p*** taking best, shielded a ball to byline from at least 20 yards and their lad couldn't see round him let alone get the ball.
Cookie and Nors are clearly determined to make themselves the "Wright and Bright" of our league.
Some great link up and unselfish work between them.
So, Tuesday it is.
Another genuinely tough one.
With their game in hand we can't lose.
Wind back to November.......... who'd have dreamt?
 
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I thought Tollitt would have come on a bit earlier, as the game was drifting a bit in the second half. It is difficult to read Mellon's intentions. Did he hold him back because he intends to start him on Tuesday and wants to get as much out of him as possible ?
 

Cowshed Kid

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Agree RLC, I thought he'd be be given half an hour. Ginnelly can't be faulted for effort but there were occasions when he was reluctant to run at them.
In first half he was given some passes which, with better control, he could have really created something.
 

Boz

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Quite a lot to add, having seen other people's thoughts.

Bromley were an awkward opponent. They got in our faces, got away with a few fouls [it seemed open season on Ginnelly early on], but were mostly playing the ball on the deck or out to their wide players. Where things didn't click for them was the final third, where I was expecting more, given their prolific forwards. However, on another day, they could easily have grabbed an undeserved point.

I take CKs point about good long balls, like the one from Buxton which led to the goal and there is always merit in mixing things up. However today, there were a number of aimless long balls, which came straight back at us.

Defensively, I thought we were generally solid, although sitting a bit deep at times. Good saves from Scott Davies, the central pair were sound and Buxton warmed up well after a quiet start. I was less convinced by Ridehalgh, whose distribution was patchy and his reluctance to venture forward made me yearn for Eddie Clarke.

Midfield, Harris had a very good game, as did Connor Jennings. Ginnelly didn't really impose himself on the game. Norburn was a mix of good and bad, great ball to Norwood in front of goal and good run onto Connor Jennings through ball, which he put just the wrong side of the post. On the debit side, gave the ball away quite regularly and a feeble daisycutter shot, when he could have passed to better placed team-mates. Thought Hughes should have replaced him a bit earlier.

Up front, Cook worked hard but had a fairly quiet game. Norwood was infuriating, given some decent chances which he failed to convert was par for the course, but thought he was out of order gobbing off to Tollitt, when he didn't pass to him. Tollitt had a low key appearance, probably the best thing he did was battling to win a throw-in. I'm unsure on today's evidence if he is ready for a start on Tuesday.

An impressive crowd today, who helped pulled the team over the line.
 

drwhoman

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We will see on Tues. interesting that we have the best GD in the league and much better than Macc.
I have not done the research but it suggests that they do not hammer teams but keep winning by the odd goal. If we can shut them out on tues....,
 
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Toliitt was hardly given the ball when he came on, partly due to the disjointed nature of the play. On the one occasion he was in possession he beat two or three opposition players before firing wide, in the incident referred to above. At Orient he played thirty minutes and was excellent, creating three or four chances. No reason why he can't start in my view.

I also disagree about Ginnelly, who I thought moved intelligently and was tidy. He does not have the explosive pace to beat a man, but he is not that kind of player.

I agree that there were too many long balls and the midfield need to up their game on Tuesday, particularly Norburn. We seem to be going for the ball knocked in behind for Norwood too often, whereas a few weeks ago there was a more imaginative build-up, with more variation in our play.
 

Boz

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I agree from the highlights seen that Tollitt had a good spell at Orient and didn't think there was anything wrong in going for goal himself, rather than passing to Norwood, in no better position today. Before today, I'd have said start Ben on Tuesday, now am less sure.

On Ginnelly, have seen him 3 times now and he doesn't give the impression of a game changer. Jake Kirby is also neat and tidy on the ball for example.
 
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I think Ginnelly is better technically than Kirby but I am surprised Tollitt did not start today, likewise Eddie Clarke. I think we will need more creativity against Macc than we had today, so it will be interesting to see who the manager goes with.
 

Boz

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I thought we'd have benefitted from using Eddie Clarke today. Wouldn't be surprised with the same starting xi v Macc on Tuesday though.
 
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Interesting that Micky said he was not happy with the pitch today. The groundsman was fired a few weeks ago and I wonder if that has caused some issues.
 

Boz

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Can’t say that I noticed anything amiss with the pitch, were any more details given by MM?
 

Cowshed Kid

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Pitch looked fine to me.
Always thought Kirby flatters to deceive but agree with Boz that he probably offers the same as Ginnelly. Some compliment from me!
SWA in good voice second half.
We can make a difference on Tuesday.
 

Ian

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Ginnelly is not convincing me at all. I’m still wondering what he does in games. He drifts in and out for me without much effect.

I’d definitely have Tollitt out there on Tuesday night.

Back to the game, I thought a lot of the decision making was poor from the passing to the shooting and Norwood had various efforts in the first half and should have done better with them shooting tamely on various occasions.
 

joe

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Couldn't make the game but my lad did. Said it was strange that the mowers came out at the end of the match. If true, very odd. Unless they were scarifiers. Also said that the water jets were on prior to and at halftime, which seems daft to me.
 
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