Rovers v Gillingham

[aldoes mustache]

this is a joke what the hell is going on its going to be a long season .

 

[Ian]

Disaster. 532 not working here. Hopeless defending in general, Ridehalgh struggling, too many aimless balls upfield with Payne giving away pointless fouls again. Mullin has been decent and was unlucky early on when he hit the post with a curler.

 

[Boz]

It’s been a poor half from Rovers only Mullin’s early shot and turn which it the post coming near to testing their keeper. Poor defending for both goals, defence looks disjointed and there hasn’t been much creativity from the midfield. Changes needed, but don’t know which ones MM will make. Payne at risk of getting himself sent off might be one to take off.

 

[Boz]

Good fight-back to earn a point but a lot for MM to ponder.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

An awful first half and again we have not played for ninety minutes, but at least we showed the character to earn a deserved point.

As I thought would be the case, the 352 did not work at home. In the first half there was a lack of creativity from midfield and not much coming from the wide areas either, with Morris having a poor game and the only outlet on the left provided by a full back. However, aside from the formation there was some incredible sloppiness on the ball in the first period, and an apparent lack of understanding at the back, with too many crosses coming into the box from the left in particular and poor communication between the centre halves at times.

In the second half the personnel changes and the switch to 433 improved things. For all the criticism that Banks gets, he is the only one of our midfielders who consistently looks to play forward and we missed his creativity in the first period. I thought Woods also gave us something different at right back and was a good outlet on the right hand side, as well as being solid defensively. Let us hope he stays fit. Hepburn Murphy had a positive impact with his pace and energy and was unlucky not to create the winner at the death.

Elsewhere, I agreed with the sponsors' choice of Mullin as man of the match: he was the better of the two strikers and he deserved his goal. I actually thought Payne did OK again in the link role, despite the interventions of the boo-boys, and he provided the assist for the equaliser. Jennings had a very poor first half, frequently giving the ball away and committing fouls, but showed a cool head for the first goal. I thought Manny started the game slowly but was the best of the centre halves. Perkins was Perkins.

We are still inconsistent but at least we are starting to pick up points and are up to the heady heights of seventeenth. I don't think there is a clear formation or team selection that works for us in all circumstances at the moment, but hopefully that will change over time.

It was good to see a healthy crowd of 6,500 plus in Prenton Park, for a fixture that would have attracted less than 5,000 in our last season in League One.

 

[Sparky]

Couldn’t understand Mullin being replaced. Does Micky not think he can last a full 90?

Ray didn’t impress me again and felt for Nelson when taken off at half time. I’m sure it was Ray who was marking the scorer from the corner.

At least we didn’t lose

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Couldn’t understand Mullin being replaced. Does Micky not think he can last a full 90?

Ray didn’t impress me again and felt for Nelson when taken off at half time. I’m sure it was Ray who was marking the scorer from the corner.

At least we didn’t lose

I think he just fancies Payne to be around the six yard box in the closing stages, like he was last week: as well as he played, all of Mullin's efforts were from outside the box ,other than the equaliser.

I also prefer Nelson to Ray, but I thought the defence as a whole was poor in the first half.

 

[keep the faith]

1st half we played like a pub team who had just turned up on the day, I thought Davies was at fault for both goals from were I was sitting agree defence all at sea, 2nd half was much better it,s strange how we see things as I thought ray was great after the break could have sneaked it at the end if payne had followed the cross from the sub potter looked good feel perkins tries to the work of 2/3 players at times but what stamina hes got

 

[Ian]

It was a shocking first 45 but so much better after the break. Banks made a big difference and we should have really won the game with the chances we had. Woods looks very composed, I hope we see more of him. Pleased for Mullin who was MOTM, he had a really good game.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Mellon has confirmed that Mullin had cramp and had to come off.

I thought Pringle had a decent game for Gillingham played in a central role, which is where Evans used him during his best days at Rotherham.

 

[Ooh Johnny Johnny]

Those fans who had considered Mullin to be a "marginal, squad" player should now have the humility to recognise his qualities. Micky has never given him a proper chance at this club, pitifully relegating him to the fourth striker role behind Miller, Ferrier and Payne at the start of the season. If it had not been for injuries to Miller and Ferrier, he would still be warming the bench. Mullin's pre-match interview summed up his frustration. Honest, hard-working and skilful, he was, today, head and shoulders above most of his team-mates - two great chances in the first half that he created out of nothing, another two in the second half, a well-saved penalty and, finally, a cracking finish which proved to be just reward for his effort. Enough said.

The second-half performance will perhaps lull some into a fall sense of security. Gillingham were a very mediocre side. That game should have been an easy three points and we failed to capitalise on the opportunity. We were really dreadful in the first half, particularly in defence, which meant that we were always chasing the game. Once again, the tempo was far too slow and the commitment was lacking. Even Perkins, uncharacteristically, gave the ball away cheaply on several occasions which exposed our back-line. The 3-5-2 failed miserably. Hopefully, we'll now consign that formation to the dustbin. The second half demonstrated that a 4-4-2 formation is a 'must', home and away, given our existing squad resources. I don't believe that we have the personnel to "adapt to circumstances" as Micky often likes to say.

By contrast to Mullin, Payne continues to disappoint. He won 1 aerial header in the first half from 12 attempts, 2 in the second half from 5 attempts. His work-rate is just good enough. And he missed a sitter in the latter part of the game which would have seen us home and dry. To be fair, he did make a couple of nice touches when we began to pass the ball and was integral to the goal. But just not enough.

On a positive note, in addition to the outstanding Mullin, Potter looked really assured on the ball, Calum Woods was outstanding when he came on at right back and Banks looked like his enforced 'break' had done him some good. And that second goal, a team effort, was just sublime.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The 3-5-2 failed miserably. Hopefully, we'll now consign that formation to the dustbin. The second half demonstrated that a 4-4-2 formation is a 'must', home and away, given our existing squad resources.

The 352 formation got us a good performance and a good result at Rotherham last week. It is a case of choosing different formations depending on the available players and the quality of the opposition.

A 442 formation will not work in every game; indeed, it did not work today, as we used a 433 formation in the second half which you don't appear to have noticed.

 

[ADD]

Those fans who had considered Mullin to be a "marginal, squad" player should now have the humility to recognise his qualities. Micky has never given him a proper chance at this club, pitifully relegating him to the fourth striker role behind Miller, Ferrier and Payne at the start of the season. If it had not been for injuries to Miller and Ferrier, he would still be warming the bench. Mullin's pre-match interview summed up his frustration. Honest, hard-working and skilful, he was, today, head and shoulders above most of his team-mates - two great chances in the first half that he created out of nothing, another two in the second half, a well-saved penalty and, finally, a cracking finish which proved to be just reward for his effort. Enough said.

The second-half performance will perhaps lull some into a fall sense of security. Gillingham were a very mediocre side. That game should have been an easy three points and we failed to capitalise on the opportunity. We were really dreadful in the first half, particularly in defence, which meant that we were always chasing the game. Once again, the tempo was far too slow and the commitment was lacking. Even Perkins, uncharacteristically, gave the ball away cheaply on several occasions which exposed our back-line. The 3-5-2 failed miserably. Hopefully, we'll now consign that formation to the dustbin. The second half demonstrated that a 4-4-2 formation is a 'must', home and away, given our existing squad resources. I don't believe that we have the personnel to "adapt to circumstances" as Micky often likes to say.

By contrast to Mullin, Payne continues to disappoint. He won 1 aerial header in the first half from 12 attempts, 2 in the second half from 5 attempts. His work-rate is just good enough. And he missed a sitter in the latter part of the game which would have seen us home and dry. To be fair, he did make a couple of nice touches when we began to pass the ball and was integral to the goal. But just not enough.

On a positive note, in addition to the outstanding Mullin, Potter looked really assured on the ball, Calum Woods was outstanding when he came on at right back and Banks looked like his enforced 'break' had done him some good. And that second goal, a team effort, was just sublime.

I think this and RLC's summary are very fair. We were so bad in the first half it was amazing but yes much better in the second. Payne I thought did better than some on here suggested (the new Stockton). Woods looked good and is the shoe in RB for me if he stays fit. Potter should be a starter week in if fit. One question where did Maddox go? He was fit enough last week to be on the bench - surely not another injury?

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Those fans who had considered Mullin to be a "marginal, squad" player should now have the humility to recognise his qualities. Micky has never given him a proper chance at this club, pitifully relegating him to the fourth striker role behind Miller, Ferrier and Payne at the start of the season. If it had not been for injuries to Miller and Ferrier, he would still be warming the bench. Mullin's pre-match interview summed up his frustration. Honest, hard-working and skilful, he was, today, head and shoulders above most of his team-mates - two great chances in the first half that he created out of nothing, another two in the second half, a well-saved penalty and, finally, a cracking finish which proved to be just reward for his effort. Enough said.

I will ignore your deliberate distortion of my earlier comments and will simply quote the current goalscoring figures of our forwards:

Jennings - 3 goals
Ferrier - 2 goals
Payne - 2 goals
Mullin - 1 goal

Those figures hardly suggest Mullin is 'head and shoulders' above his competitors. Nor does his record at Morecambe and Swindon, where despite being a regular starter for several seasons he never reached double figures.

Today's performance was the best Mullin has produced in a Tranmere shirt by some distance, but a lot of his displays last season when he started games were anonymous. You might want to consider that by leaving him out of the side and demanding more from him, Mellon has made him hungrier and is getting better performances out of him. Just a thought.

My feeling remains that Ferrier, Payne and Mullin have different qualities and will all have a role to play this season, and no one striker is 'head and shoulders' above the others. I have never said that Mullin is a bad player, simply that he is not significantly better than his competitors.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Payne I thought did better than some on here suggested (the new Stockton).

Yes, I agree. He will have an important part to play this season.

 

[Ooh Johnny Johnny]

The 352 formation got us a good performance and a good result at Rotherham last week. It is a case of choosing different formations depending on the available players and the quality of the opposition.

A 442 formation will not work in every game; indeed, it did not work today, as we used a 433 formation in the second half which you don't appear to have noticed.

Which game were you watching? Second half: RB Woods, LB Ridehalgh, CBs Ray and Monthe, Midfield Jennings, Potter, Banks and Perkins, Forwards Mullin an Payne

 

[Ooh Johnny Johnny]

I will ignore your deliberate distortion of my earlier comments and will simply quote the current goalscoring figures of our forwards:

Jennings - 3 goals
Ferrier - 2 goals
Payne - 2 goals
Mullin - 1 goal

Those figures hardly suggest Mullin is 'head and shoulders' above his competitors. Nor does his record at Morecambe and Swindon, where despite being a regular starter for several seasons he never reached double figures.

Today's performance was the best Mullin has produced in a Tranmere shirt by some distance, but a lot of his displays last season when he started games were anonymous. You might want to consider that by leaving him out of the side and demanding more from him, Mellon has made him hungrier and is getting better performances out of him. Just a thought.

My feeling remains that Ferrier, Payne and Mullin have different qualities and will all have a role to play this season, and no one striker is 'head and shoulders' above the others. I have never said that Mullin is a bad player, simply that he is not significantly better than his competitors.

You're a broken record, RLC.
Mullin will outscore Payne any day if given the chance.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Which game were you watching? Second half: RB Woods, LB Ridehalgh, CBs Ray and Monthe, Midfield Jennings, Potter, Banks and Perkins, Forwards Mullin an Payne

The one you apparently misunderstood. Jennings was just behind the strikers in a 4312 (or 433) in the second half.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

You're a broken record, RLC.
Mullin will outscore Payne any day if given the chance.

LOL. Why has not he at any stage in his career so far then ?

Payne scored 15 goals in this division two seasons ago. Mullin has not scored that number in a single season in his whole career.

Making baseless assertions with aggression does not make for good reading........

 

[Ooh Johnny Johnny]

LOL. Why has not he at any stage in his career so far then ?

Payne scored 15 goals in this division two seasons ago. Mullin has not scored that number in a single season in his whole career.

I respectfully suggest that we review this debate at the season-end on the basis of goals per game played...