• 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 Cobblers

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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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Yes, but he is more expsoed now than he was playing three years in the conference against big lumps who he was happy to kick two bells out of. Strikers in league two are generally faster and trickier and he struggles with it.
He has played at this level before many times, most recently with Luton. In 2014-15 he was voted in the PFA team of the season in this division.

If you look at the mistakes he has made in recent games - such as against Swindon and Mansfield - they were not down to pace. They were because his reactions around the eighteen yard box are not as good as they used to be.
 
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aldo
yes nelson is out of contract in the summer . i think i would leave steve on the bench . and give him a break some times taking the players out of the firering line is better for them . could give him a little rest might get him back in full flow .
 

ADD

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Norwood
Nelson indeed is out of contract but as I read it Milwall refused to let him go to Swindon which I assume means one of 2 things 1) they are still contemplating offering him a new contract and want to decide after they see how he goes with us, or 2) they think they will get more money for him through a tribunal fee than Swindon were offering as he will still be under 24 at the end of this season and is a homegrown player.
Incidentally that would be a concern for us as as we found with Alabi there is no negotiation and it could well be a biggish number in Sid's case he has played at Championship level albeit not so recently.
Re who to drop as I believe Nelson will start - I keep hearing that McNulty has been carrying an injury but I have never heard MM mention it or read what it is? Either way the chance for him to be rested would surely help in that regard.
 

Ian

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He has played at this level before many times, most recently with Luton. In 2014-15 he was voted in the PFA team of the season in this division.
That was 4 years ago. Having said that, he's probably slimmer now than he was then!
 
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aldo
gutted not to be there tonight . in in barcalona . we are hear for the week i was given tickets to the barca v madrid copa del game tomorrow . looking forward to it ive got the smallest flag in the world hope i can get it seen . the beers will be going well soon hahaha
 

Ian

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Enjoy the game AM!
 
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aldo
i will not sure my wife will . haha she will get her own back with the shopping she has planned . the first few beers have been great . the san mi is 6.5% its great oh just getting ready to go for tapas . have a good time tonight want only good positive vibes . a good performance and a cracking win tonight please boys . up the whites
 
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That was 4 years ago. Having said that, he's probably slimmer now than he was then!
Yes, but he was just as slow then as he is now. He has never had any pace but managed to play comfortably at this level. McNulty injured his shin / ankle a few weeks ago, missing one game, and I don't think he had been fully fit since then. I agree that we have to look to the future, and it might be right to start with Nelson.
 
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442 with Pringle and Morris wide, Nelson and Monthe at centre back. Macca not in squad.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
McNulty's absence from the squad suggests he might be carrying an injury. Otherwise much as expected, save thought Smith might get the nod ahead of Morris
 
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We have played a lot of good football but have struggled at the back without McNulty. Nelson and Monthe have not played as a pair understandably. Northampton are very poor. Frustrating.
 

Ian

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Hugely frustrating but I agree. The back doesn’t look as assured without McNulty and that was a bit of a nightmare half for Monthe too. They do look poor but we are also guilty of having a lot of the ball and doing nothing with it. Lots of passes but no penetration.

Need to step it up second half.
 
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Very disappointing. The first half was quite promising, despite the horror defending for the opening goal, with some decent football, particularly down the left hand side through Perkins and the hugely impressive Pringle. We did not create a great deal, but had two or three good chances in addition to the equaliser. However, more kamikaze defending in the final minute of the half saw Northampton undeservedly retake the lead.

The second half was awful. I worried that if we made too many changes to the starting line up, with too many new faces, we would see a disjointed display, and that is what happened unfortunately. There was no pattern of play in the second forty five, with Norwood too isolated and lacking the support of a genuine strike partner, and a total lack of creativity when Pringle went off. I don't think Micky had his best night tonight. I could not understand the decision to remove Pringle, who had clearly been our best player, and move Jennings, who had a very poor game, to the left hand side, out of position. I thought Mullin was unlucky not to get on the pitch as well, as we needed more physical presence up front.

Of the newcomers, I thought Morris was pretty poor. He always seemed to cut inside into traffic, and did not really link up with Caprice, although I won't judge him on one game. Nelson started very nervously and there was clearly a lack of understanding between him and Monthe. However, he did improve in the second half and was noticeably more vocal than Manny. We missed Steve's organisational and leadership qualities at the back. Pringle was outstanding. Always available for the ball, linking the play and with an absolute wand of a left foot. Unless he was injured, I could not fathom why he was taken off.

Of the rest, I thought Luke McCullough had a decent game and Perkins was neat and tidy. The others were below par.

When you make major changes to the squad in mid-season, matches like tonight's become almost like pre-season games, with limited understanding between players and no real partnerships on the pitch. Hopefully the newcomers will bed in quickly, as we can't afford too many more displays like the second half.
 

Ian

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Yes, it was very disjointed against a pretty poor side. It’s hard to judge the new players on one game but nothing really stood out and in such a game it was probably hard for this to happen. Pringle was probably the best of the bunch. Looked hungry, always wanted the ball, was positive in possession and I think he’ll stand out more than the rest.

Something has to be done up top as well as you can’t have Norwood sprinting around picking up scraps all game.

The only one real decent bit of quality from the lads was the goal which was well worked and well taken.

As RLC says though there were too many below par today and it’s another three points gone. Really need to start picking up points soon.
 
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Mungy's Hairdresser
Also, how the new signings are bedding in with the rest of the playing staff who got us to this point. When I hear MM’s comments it’s often his way or no way, just hope we don’t have an implosion.
 
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Northampton were absolutely woeful as well. They created nothing apart from the two goals, which were both the result of really poor defending. Unfortunately, in the second half we could not offer anything any better.

We clearly needed to make major changes to the squad, as the players who have departed were not good enough for this level. However, tonight showed that integrating the newcomers is not going to be easy at all. We might just have to write off the rest of this season as a period of squad development.

Hopefully things will settle down.
 
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ian goodison
apart from the passage of play for the goal and a couple of half chances we were very pedestrian mellons subs were too like for like, mullin must wonder why he turns up for work I love Jennings but must be given a rest. at the moment can,t see were a win is coming from northants like a few teams this season who look average all seem to have a game plan which we alas don,t
 
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Mungy's Hairdresser
Didn’t dare say what RLC quoted about 14/15 but I feel that vibe too! Despite Stockton’s poor goal return we only lost one game in which he started this season? I’m not saying it’s directly relatable but maybe we are over complicating things & should have stuck with more of the consolidation squad that got us to this point? Signing vets & young smarts is all well & good but do they embed with our Vanarsma heroes? Tough job which I’d like MM to respond to
 
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