• 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.

Transfer window

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Alan King, Barry Dyson
We are halfway through the season and the transfer window will soon be opening again. Unusually, we have a number of players whose current arrangements end this month.

Steve McNulty and Adam Dawson will probably have their loans replaced by permanent deals, which I'd welcome.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Matt Hill and Adam Mekki's contracts expire soon. Should we try to keep them on? Personally, I'd keep Matt and Adam. GTF looks short of fitness, so I'm not sure yet.

Lee Vaughan and Ben Tomlinson's loans end during the transfer window. Should they be kept on? I like Vaughan, but Tomlinson's not done much.

Finally, Jonnie Margetts and Carl Stockton's loans end soon. Should we be bringing either back? I think we need at least one more striker and I'd bring back either or both if they are playing well.

January is Gary Brabin's last chance to make significant changes to his personnel. Personally, I think he's no longer short of numbers and should only be bringing in players whose quality would improve the team. I expect no more than a couple of new signings.
 
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I largely agree with what BBTC says above. We already have enough quality in the squad and I don't think we should be making major changes in January. The manager simply has to get more out of his players.

This is my assessment of the individuals mentioned above:

Dawson - keep
McNulty - keep
GTF - ??? Clearly has quality, but have we seen it often enough and is he really suited to this level of football ?
Hill - keep
Mekki - keep
Vaughan - keep
Tomlinson - release
Stockton - release
Margetts - keep (and return from his loan)
Kirby - keep
 

bigmart

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I would agree with your assessment on all of the players RLC.
 

Boz

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GTF was putting himself in the shop window by signing for us, short-term. He's not done badly in terms of creating things and on balance, if he doesn't have a better offer, I'd keep.

Matt Hill has gone off the boil a little lately. While I would keep, would also like Ridehalgh to be given a chance at left-back.

Cole Stockton still has a few years left on his contract. We'd probably need to pay off his contract to get rid and I'm unsure he's that bad.

Otherwise agree with RLC. I'd also like to see one or two of the youngsters who've been farmed out given a chance off the bench to inject a bit of vitality into the side.
 
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I'd also like to see one or two of the youngsters who've been farmed out given a chance off the bench to inject a bit of vitality into the side.
I agree. It would be nice to see one or two in action to see what they can do and how they cope. As GB was looking after junior pros at Everton before he joined us, I'm surprised he's been so reluctant to do this. I appreciate that with only room for five on the bench, he'd be taking a risk - but it might be a risk worth taking. Unless they are not performing at their adopted clubs - but we never hear about them.
 

Ian

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Stockton has had many chances and won't improve - release. We still need to give Margetts more games but I'm unsure about Mekki who blows hot and cold and Kirby need to be given a chance after his loan spell but I still have my doubts.
 

Sparky

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As hard as Mekki works, he isn't good enough on a regular basis to be part of a successful side. Whereas Dawson who is a cut above clearly is.

Agree with Ian about Stockton. He can't get into southports side at the moment. He's had loads of chances with us and hasn't done it. GTF apart from scoring at forest green has done nothing. Too slow and lethargic and not what we need.

We need energy and pace and our lack of it contributed to today's showing amongst other things.
 
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I don't agree with Sparky about Mekki. He has been one of our better performers this season and he is good enough for this level.

More broadly, I am concerned that Brabin has suggested he will be making yet more changes in personnel in January. I think he should be told to work with what he has got, not throw good money after bad and disrupt the squad even further mid-season, repeating the mistake we made last season. A couple of weeks ago he was telling us how delighted with this squad he was: he believed these players were good enough (so do I, in general) and it is his responsibility to get more out of them.
 

bigmart

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Regardless of who we can get in or out if we keep the same manager we will not be anywhere this season
 
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Mal

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Personally, I think we should have the team play at Cammel Laird football ground until the team proves itself worthy of stepping out onto Prenton Park.....
 

Cowshed Kid

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And a Tweet from Hill this morning to say he's signed to end of season.
 
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Hill has not been convincing recently, but I am pleased that he is staying because of his good character and positive influence off the pitch. Jeff Hughes looks a really good signing, the kind of midfielder we need. He can also play wide left, which perhaps means Dawson is not coming back ?
 

Sparky

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It'll be a real shame if Dawson doesn't come back. Hughes is a totally different type of player but a genuine wide man. A good left foot who is decent on set pieces and penalties and has scored plenty of goals in his time. Not a bad age but not much pace which Dawson did have.

A decent signing though at this level I think and hopefully he'll make a winning contribution this afternoon.
 

Boz

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There is mention of Dawson having a hernia op,which means he won't be fit until February. While Hughes is a decent player, I'm unsure he's what's needed right now.
 

Sparky

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Mekki signs until the end of the season with a 'performance based option' for next season - whatever that means.

I was a real doubter of Mekki who didn't impress me early on. However as well as improving his work rate, his quality both at set pieces and crossing has improved a lot and he deserves this. He has faded in the second half of games of late but this is probably because he is the only player recently capable of creating anything.

I just hope GTF doesn't follow suit and sign.
 
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I just hope GTF doesn't follow suit and sign.

I think he probably will.

I am pleased about Mekki who, as Sparky says, has been our most improved player this season and has a fantastic work rate. Technically, he is still fairly limited however, and the fact he has been one of our best performers speaks volumes about our underachievement this season.

Still no word on Mangan. If as expected, he goes, I am sure it will be the final straw for many supporters.
 

Ian

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Ohh the irony. See they are banging the old well beaten drum about creating lots of chances and with some luck dah dah dah victories will be just around the corner.

Probably helps if you keep your goalscorers then!

Agree about Mekki sparky. I was very unsure at first but he has improved and is at the moment one of our better players. Puts in a good shift but does tire around the 70 minute mark.
 
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