• 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.

Cheltenham v Rovers

Boz

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Iain Hume
Our record at Whaddon Road isn't great, the only win being thanks to an Andy Mangan goal in our first season at NL level. Cheltenham have changed manager and improved significantly since our opening home league game of the season. While Michael Duff has made a difference since taking charge, it sounds from the local paper that there have been loan players coming and going and a potentially season-ending injury to their French midfielder Atangana, so it may be a good time to play them. They played in a 352 in their last game, losing 1-0 at Crawley.

Too early to say what changes MM will make, probably depends on any other arrivals during the week. If Perkins is match-fit, you'd expect he'd replace Harris and Banks for Gilmour, but subject to any injury doubts that might be it for changes.

Prediction: may be one of the poorer turnouts for the SWA, given the time of year, think we've got up to 900 tickets and doubt we'll take the full allocation. Following on from the Moss Rose, expecting another draw
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
Glad you've tried to move us on a bit earlier than usual, Boz. I think everything has been said about the Spurs game.

The optimist in me tells me that Micky will "get a reaction" from the team and the arrival of Perkins and recall of Banks will strengthen midfield and create more chances, resulting in a welcome and long overdue away win. I can't contemplate another defeat or even another goalless performance.
 

Ian

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Aldo
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I think your right BBTC. With the arrival of Perkins and now Banks back in the frame that will bolster our midfield and I think the players will want to move on quickly from the 7-0 hammering. The players will have also had a much needed rest from the demanding Xmas period and I think we'll see a really good performance here.
 

Cowshed Kid

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Bobby Hutchinson
The week without a game will seem like a summer holiday for the players.
I'm sure there'll be no problem morale wise. They were very close to going in all square at half time on Friday.
MM has a week to assess fitness of Perkins.
With Ollie back he may surprise us and give Jonny Smith a shirt - he did ok at Maccs.
If we don't win and we're found wanting by a couple of points at the end of the season, this'll be an away fixture we'll look back on as a lost opportunity. The final third of the season doesn't offer many of them.
Waiting on club to confirm there's a second coach going as realistically it's likely our last away game.
Rovers win for me!
 
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ian goodison
ever since the Exeter game when we were unplayable I,ve been waiting for a reaction from mm & the players not sure whether it,s fatigue playing a part but we really need to step up a gear, drawing at home to Yeovil who can,t buy a win when starting with a gary brabin line up ie 5-3-2 had me shaking my head going for 1-1 but hope for better
 

Cowshed Kid

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Bobby Hutchinson
After the two cup draws at home, we needed a reaction for the replays and we got them each time.
There's no lack of motivation in the squad as I can see.
Give me a home draw against Yeovil than a defeat against, eg, Dover any day.
 
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ian goodison
hi CK I wouldn,t call defeats to crewe, Grimsby, notts co, & bury plus draws with Yeovil & Macclesfield the reaction micky was looking for
 
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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Johnny Smith has a knee injury, so won't be featuring.

I think we will stick with the 532 after the improved performances at Bury and Macclesfield. I would guess Banks, McCullough and Perkins will make up the midfield three, with Norwood and Jennings up front, which on paper looks a very promising side. We definitely need to target this game for three points, as most of our remaining away fixtures are - again, on paper - far tougher, and we will have to win two or three matches on the road to stand a chance of making the play-offs.

While I expect to see a decent display, I am not as confident of a victory as some people above. In the last two away matches we played well but only picked up one point, and every fixture away from home is tough at this level. Cheltenham have actually been one of the form sides in the division in recent weeks, and this won't be an easy game.

There are three coaches booked already, and Cheltenham is a decent away day and is not too far away. I think 5-700 SWA will travel and they will hopefully see our fist away win in three months.
 
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aldo
be interesting to see miller and nors play hope they hit it off . also will harris lose his place with banks back and perkins in looks an good midfield . still going for 2-0 miller and nors
 

Ian

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Yeah AM, I’d imagine Harris is down the pecking order a bit now. I’m assuming the new guys are fit and ready to go! We might see a completely different performance than what we are used to if the new guys play a part.
 

bigmart

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We really need to get back on track with 3 points, I am going for a 2 1 win with Jennings and Norwood scoring
 
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I would guess Perkins will start, but Miller will be on the bench.
 
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aldo
man city have batterd burton 9-0 in the lg cup semi final 1st leg . thats 15 goals scored against rotherham & BURTON makes me feel a little better the Burton chairman has said they would make 500k over the 2 legs . good on em for getting there . have to feel for the fans most of then did not get there till 30 mins in and it was 1-0 by 38 mins it was 4-0 wow
 
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I find it all quite depressing really. You did not get thrashings of that size when lower division clubs played top sides twenty or thirty years ago, and it just shows how much wealth is concentrated at the top now. Impossible for most PL clubs to compete with the top four or five, let alone us.
 

drwhoman

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Agree RLC and relevant fans gloat about it! I read somewhere that the oil financed City team cost around 600m.
 

Ian

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I find it all quite depressing really.
Completely agree. I hate it when the commentators say it’s embarrassing. The only thing embarrassing is the ridiculous gulf and immense wealth these top sides have. What the hell were Burton meant to do?
 
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Mungy's Hairdresser
For sure, there’s an elite within the elite at prem level, proven right here! & I agree that the only embarrassment is the thieving at Prem level which I believe City have recently flouted again in terms of the legal rulings?
 
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
For once, I think we are all agreed about the Burton match. It brings our recent defeat into a better perspective, but we can hardly gloat. We can just console ourselves that we held out for forty minutes against Spurs, by which time Burton were already four goals down. And now they have got to face a second leg at home.:( They did a fantastic job in getting so far, beating "bigger" teams with bigger budgets. The sad thing is that the days of the cup giantkillers may soon disappear, at least in the later rounds when the big clubs tend to play their best team.
 
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aldo
yes city had 585m of players with 5-600 m worth not playing . its so annoying and realy worrying what if the prem goes tits up and the money stops comming in .most of the teams in the prem are losing big money . it cant go on if one player takes 600k aweek like some of em do . and the price some of the fans have to pay one day they wont be able to pay then they will be in the poo. you have to feel for burton . dont think city will give them the whole gate like spurs did for us .
 
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