Alty v Rovers

[bring back the cowshed!]

We are now actually closer in terms of points to the relegation zone than to automatic promotion! Yes, it's still early days, but it seems that already there are a lot of teams challenging for play-off places.

It did seems strange to play Holness when Ihiekwe would have been ideal in a back three with his pace. I did call for changes in the formation, but perhaps there were too many.

I know stats can be misleading, but I did notice we had 68% possession. What did we do with it? Alty had four players booked. Did they play a spoiling game?

 

[Tartantranmere64]

We had plenty ball especially in the second half but until the final 10 did precious little with it.

Alty's bookings came from tackles from behind. Hard but not nasty.

Holness should cop blame but he's the fall guy for many. He wasn't the worst.

 

[Ian]

As predicted before the game, plenty of possession but we cannot break teams down. Same old story.

 

[Mal]

What is your opinion now? What do you think HSS changed?

Stand by my comments from last week. I can see a team which doesn't have purpose, which looks leaderless and is really struggling to create the intensity and pressure to win games. Other than Gateshead away, when we went mental for eight minutes and scored three, the season so far has consisted of toil and poor decision making on and off the field.

Yes, it's early days, but Brabin has to find a way to energise his teams to start aggressively and impose themselves. Today left me wondering not how bad Rovers are, but actually how good are Altrincham, because they didn't have to play that well, especially in the first 70 minutes to be better than us.

The main problem today was that although we played two wing-backs in the first-half we never got beyond their back line (same problem as last week). Only when Jackson came on and Mekki switched did we find some joy and looked like we could open up Alty. Ridehalgh was a complete spectator in the first-half. Not required to defend, but never receiving the ball out wide. The main problem is not our defence, it's our midfield. Jennings (who did start to impose himself in the last 20) looks clumsy and slow. Harris flits in and out of the game, plays little triangles in areas which won't hurt the opposition and takes woeful set-pieces and Maynard? Oh boy. Slow, immobile, total lack of spatial awareness. Looks like we signed him from Halifax rugby league club.

It's not quite panic time, but I can't see how our tremendous support can stay with a team which is so passive and half-hearted for much longer. It could get a bit ugly if we cannot see off Kiddy on Monday. Sad times.

 

[Tartantranmere64]

To be fair I've only seen them once since Alty and that was at Sputhport where they were equally as abysmal. Thinking of banning myself until promotion is secured.

So, to answer your question: I don't know. But I'm very happy!

 

[Tartantranmere64]

Either i'm a jinx or there's another Tranmere Rovers out there: take the worst elements of the Boreham, Alty and Sputhport games and I give you.... Tranmere Rovers 0, Barrow 1.