• 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.

League Two Rovers v Pirates

Match result

  • Tranmere

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Draw

    Votes: 4 40.0%
  • Bristol Rovers

    Votes: 4 40.0%

  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .
Rovers v Pirates
Posted by Ian
Prenton Park
Saturday, April 9, 2022 - 03:00 PM
Until: Saturday, April 9, 2022 - 05:00 PM
(Adjusted for timezone: Europe/London)
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bigmart

bigmart
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Ian Muir
Looking back I wonder if the loss of Glatzel and a fit Spearing have been key factors. Why players with perceived pedigree, like McManaman, have not delivered is strange. Maybe he just needed the money.
Think mcmanaman is finished, he doesn't look upto it now sadly and ss one of our top earners frankly bern very disappointing.
For me another thing that needs to change is signing players then barely playing them, Merrie barely got a look in until recently, Watson was shipped out at first chance, Maguire hasn't been seen in months and not even on the bench today when only 6 subs were named
 

bigmart

bigmart
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Ian Muir
Not sure that’s true. He was rubbish when he did play although I thought Merrie was good today but has hardly featured.
Went in the January window which was first chance to offload him. He didn't look particularly good but to not give him much of a chance is just odd.
I like Merrie there's a decent player in there, he needs to be given a run of games in centre midfield next season
 

Charlton1975

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Jason Koumas
The style of play is nowhere near as poor as some people make out. I am perfectly happy with how we approach the home games certainly, and the football is clearly better to watch than it was under Parry, Brabin and others.

I think our alleged 'negativity' in the first half of the season was because the striking options were so poor, so we had to keep games tight. Since January we have actually scored a fair number of goals at home.

There is no way Mellon will be fired, even if we do miss out on the top seven. His record is still second to none at this level.
We cant keep harping back to Parry and Brabin, those days are long gone and irrelevant now. Mickey is a pragmatic manager, we can see that. Pragmatism is fine (if you like to win games when you arent entertained) when we are winning, but I do think that we need a fresh approach now.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
They outnumbered us in midfield, and I think that is why Warrington struggled physically. However, he still produced some nice passes, and in the absence of Morris and with Hawkes not performing at the moment, I think we need him for his creativity.
Just felt that Warrington was struggling today and it would have been better to have taken him off. He also faded in the Carlisle game, though understandable given what we were up against there. While Hawkes disappointed today, he is physically stronger. Sometimes younger players need a time out.

As for Micky, the time to evaluate is at the end of the season. While our recent slump in form with an enhanced squad from the January window is very disappointing, it's still possible for us to make and win the play-offs so keeping my powder dry for now.
 

ADD

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Norwood
As for Micky, the time to evaluate is at the end of the season. While our recent slump in form with an enhanced squad from the January window is very disappointing, it's still possible for us to make and win the play-offs so keeping my powder dry for now.
I agree in the sense it is time to evaluate at the end of the season though I simply can't share your optimism. IMO no chance we will go up now.
In fact I would wager he won't be sacked even if we don't win another game this season.
MP has nailed his colours to the mast and will accept what I consider a failure given how poor the League is this season is though others on here will of course disagree.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
We cant keep harping back to Parry and Brabin, those days are long gone and irrelevant now. Mickey is a pragmatic manager, we can see that. Pragmatism is fine (if you like to win games when you arent entertained) when we are winning, but I do think that we need a fresh approach now.
I am not 'harping back' to anything. I am comparing his performance with those of previous Tranmere managers, which is perfectly valid. The quality of the football under Mellon is not as poor as under a number of his predecessors.

Mellon's 'pragmatism' has won us promotion in two of his three full seasons in charge, and we reached the play off final in the other season. He is a serial promotion winner, which is why he will be here next season.
 
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I didn't say that. I think it is better than a team that is 9th in the table however. My point was that we have lost to far too many teams that would love to have our squad.
I think we have actually got one of the best records in the division against teams in the bottom half, certainly at home.
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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Went in the January window which was first chance to offload him. He didn't look particularly good but to not give him much of a chance is just odd.
I like Merrie there's a decent player in there, he needs to be given a run of games in centre midfield next season
I think we might have had to ship Watson out in order to afford Hemmings.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
I agree in the sense it is time to evaluate at the end of the season though I simply can't share your optimism. IMO no chance we will go up now.
In fact I would wager he won't be sacked even if we don't win another game this season.
MP has nailed his colours to the mast and will accept what I consider a failure given how poor the League is this season is though others on here will of course disagree.
It's not often I get called an optimist on here :)
 
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Aldo
I was expecting a drubbing today, and so to get a point against an inform BR was a pleasant surprise. Injuries , illness suspensions have really messed up the last few months. Losing Glatzel as he was forming a lucrative partnership with Hemmings, losing Spearing, Davies, and now Morris and MacDonald. We have struggled to find a way to create chances or score goals all season , but there are reasons to be optimistic. The football has been a bit of a mixed bag this season but I am firmly in the Mellon camp, I don't want the management team living in constant fear of chop, I don't think that helps.
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
Watson was shipped out at first chance,
Not sure that’s true. He was rubbish when he did play although I thought Merrie was good today but has hardly featured.
Watson came with a fine reputation and signed a two-year contract. He is playing regularly for Salford, who are now above us in the table. He was excellent today, making both Salford goals. So, why could Micky not get the best out of him?
 
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Watson came with a fine reputation and signed a two-year contract. He is playing regularly for Salford, who are now above us in the table. He was excellent today, making both Salford goals. So, why could Micky not get the best out of him?
Or alternatively, why could he not deliver despite being a regular in the side in the early months of the season ?

I wonder whether the pressure of playing for his hometown club got to him. Warrington, Morris and others are creative players that do not have any problem expressing themselves in this team, despite the alleged 'negativity' of our approach.
 

drwhoman

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We bemoan our situation but who would be a Crewe fan? Now relegated. Unless there is a dramatic turnaround we will be playing them, Stockport and possibly Wrexham next season.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
The Watson situation is a difficult one to assess. As he’s proving at Salford, Ryan is a decent player but it didn’t seem to work out with us. He didn’t often get deployed in a more attaching role like the tip of a diamond and maybe given our lack of firepower then could have used in the hole behind the striker. The previous season at Northampton he’d got most of his goals in the second half of the campaign. Not all signings hit the ground running, think of Jay Spearing’s poor start last season, although covid might have played a part in that. I’d have preferred to keep him, but as suggested we needed to free up a wage to fund Hemmings…
 

Charlton1975

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Jason Koumas
I think we have actually got one of the best records in the division against teams in the bottom half, certainly at home.
We are ninth in the table, after being comfortable in second. We are on a horrendous run of form, against teams from the top and lower sections of the league. You cant butter this up, it is simply not good enough.

I would love to watch a game through your eyes as you seem to see something very different to the rest of us ha ha.
 
Joined
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We are ninth in the table, after being comfortable in second. We are on a horrendous run of form, against teams from the top and lower sections of the league. You cant butter this up, it is simply not good enough.

I would love to watch a game through your eyes as you seem to see something very different to the rest of us ha ha.
At least I actually watch the games.

And who are 'the rest of us' ? Do three individuals on a forum represent the opinion of the entire Tranmere support ? Do 6,000 supporters all want Mellon sacked tomorrow ? Have you conducted a survey ?

We are actually ninth in the six game form table, with nine points from six. When you consider that run included games against Mansfield, Sutton and Bristol Rovers, that points return is not too bad. The longer term away form is poor, but that is another issue.

Where we were two months ago is irrelevant, although Mellon has kept us in contention at the top all season. Finishing outside the play offs is not a disaster. We improve the squad over the summer and go again.
 
Last edited:

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
It really is a must win at Bradford. The bantams have lost 6 out of their last 8 at home.

You know what that means!!
 
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It really is a must win at Bradford. The bantams have lost 6 out of their last 8 at home.

You know what that means!!
Yes, on paper it is probably the 'easiest' of the remaining away games. Stevenage will be fighting for their lives, and I think Orient are a decent side who were poorly managed for a time, based on our previous meetings with them.

I would drop MacManaman and bring Spearing back into the side in a midfield diamond. The centre of midfield has been poor away from home in Spearing's absence, and I read a statistic that we have lost every away game where O'Connor and Warrington were a midfield duo. That does not surprise me.
 
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