• 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 Shrimps v Rovers

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We travel to The Globe Arena on Sunday aiming to overturn a one goal deficit and keep our season alive.

I would start this game with similar tactics and personnel to the first half on Thursday. I think that open, energetic style is the one that really suits us as a squad, and obviously it is imperative that we start the game on the front foot given the scoreline.

I thought we put some great deliveries into the box last night, certainly in the first half, but an obvious failing was that Vaughan was too isolated. With that in mind, I would be tempted to drop Morris, who seemed almost surplus to requirements in midfield last night and was occupying the same areas as Khan and Feeney, and start with Woolery or Lewis and give them the express instruction to get up in support of Vaughan. Feeney was disappointing after half time, but I thought his first half display was decent and his set pieces were better than in recent weeks, albeit we did not capitalise on them. I thought Ridehalgh was excellent and deserves to keep his place.

The first goal is crucial, as the old cliche goes, but in this game I think it really is true. It is difficult to see us breaking down a packed defence if we need to score two in ninety minutes, whereas if we score first and early, and force Morecambe to open out for the first time in the tie, anything is possible. Morecambe are obviously favourites, but it is hardly beyond us to win the game in ninety minutes and at least take the match to extra time.

COYWB !
 
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A good analysis, RLC. Morecambe will have been set up to defend and counter-attack yesterday, but probably they would have been surprised by the Rovers lineup. CBT nearly caught them out. I just wonder if they will be more ready for him on Sunday, so we will need to adapt and not rely on him so much. I’d be tempted to try to stretch their defence more, perhaps by playing Woolery on the right. It would be risky, but we need to pressurise them from the start and score as soon as possible.
 

Ian

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All guns blazing to get that first goal and really shake them up. Come on Rovers! This is what we do, when the chips are down, we fight back!! Where there is faith, there is light and strength! SWA!!
 
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Looking at the weather forecast for Sunday, it could be torrential rain for the whole match. I hope not, as that would slow things down too much.
 
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Looking at the weather forecast for Sunday, it could be torrential rain for the whole match. I hope not, as that would slow things down too much.
It could even be a postponement, as I doubt their drainage is efficient as ours.

It made me laugh that we had the sprinklers on in torrential rain last night !
 
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Looking at the forecast, the rain arrives when the match has finished.
 
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aldo
bring it on 4-0 rovers I will be looking at the mobile from my kitchen while making loads of duck spring rolls and getting a gourmet night sorted
 
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Good analysis that and agree re Morris. I wonder if Dawes might be tempted to play Nugent alongside Vaughan however - realiise that puts the onus on CBT to defend/ come back but given how Morecambe defend so deep and cede majority of possession it's not the risk it would be against a "normal" side.
Nugent might be the catalyst to get Vaughan more half chances from knowckdowns / layoffs which was the one thing missing when all of Rides/ CBT's crosses and Feeney corners were coming in.
I also still think Feeney's setpieces while better are not up to snuff - deliveries are too looping and I would have Rides/ Khan taking many of them instead as they seem able to whip the ball in more as with Rides cross for the goal.
As RLC says absolutely agree first goal is key - they score first we will not win - if we do then all bets are off.
 
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bring it on 4-0 rovers I will be looking at the mobile from my kitchen while making loads of duck spring rolls and getting a gourmet night sorted
Just when you are feeling a little apprehensive, all you need to feel positive again is to read the next post from AM. ;)
 
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Just reflecting on the goals we conceded on Thursday, it does seem that defending set plays is a bit of an achilles heel for Dawes. We conceded very similar goals at Port Vale earlier in the season, despite dominating the play. An area where we need to tighten up.

However, if the second half of this tie has the same outcome as the second forty five in that game, I won't complain.
 
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Too many of them after over 50 years!
Regardless as to whether Tranmere end up in League One or Two next season, what do people think about giving Dawes and Parkinson the chance to manage the team full time? The Palios’ have followed a logical selection process that has demonstrated logic doesn’t necessarily select the right fit. Or maybe the wrong questions were asked! At least we have seen how Dawes reacts in areas of team selection, player motivation and on social media (e.g. interviews) and for me they have demonstrated more than someone who has had some success many years ago. I’m a bit concerned we end up with another square peg in round hole salt and pepper pot....
 
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Regardless as to whether Tranmere end up in League One or Two next season, what do people think about giving Dawes and Parkinson the chance to manage the team full time? The Palios’ have followed a logical selection process that has demonstrated logic doesn’t necessarily select the right fit. Or maybe the wrong questions were asked! At least we have seen how Dawes reacts in areas of team selection, player motivation and on social media (e.g. interviews) and for me they have demonstrated more than someone who has had some success many years ago. I’m a bit concerned we end up with another square peg in round hole salt and pepper pot....
It's perhaps a little early to think about this. Ideally, I'd like to see how the pair cope on Sunday and hopefully on Bank Holiday Monday. However, what I will say now is that the idea of bringing in another manager to work with Dawes and Parkinson should be avoided. We all know why Mark wanted to do this before but it didn't work last time and is one reason I have some sympathy with Hill. He was "the outsider" and couldn't bring his own team in. So I think Mark should either appoint Dawes or look elsewhere and allow the new man to bring in his own team. Given those alternatives, I think I'd like to see Dawes given the job. I don't think a trial basis is fair to him nor would help to attract (or retain) players, so I think a rolling year's contract would be appropriate. I've seen enough to know how well Ian handles the team and the press. My only concern is how the team reacts after a defeat, which is why I'd rather wait until the end of the season. As I suggested earlier, the idea of a mentor should be considered to give Ian the benefit of some experience in handling some of the more difficult situations he is likely to encounter.
 
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I agree with BBTC that is a bit early to make a judgement. I like the way we play under Dawes, but Palios is bound to wonder whether he can sustain an improvement in form over 20-30 games, as we simply don't have enough evidence to know that. However, if it was a straight choice between Dawes and an external journeyman appointment like Hill, I would rather take a risk on Dawes.

Of the names currently bring discussed only Dave Challinor excites me, and I think that is who MP will turn to if we get knocked out tomorrow, not least because it seems clear that he wants the job.
 

bigmart

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Bradford made that choice and it didn't work out, if we can get Challinor that would be ideal for me.
 
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I have to say that Dave Challinor would be my choice too. He fits the bill because:
1 He's a tried and tested, ambitious manager with a decent record of success at two clubs.
2 Rovers would be a manageable step up for him.
3 He is a former player who knows and loves the club.

All three of those criteria are important, not least the last one. He would not feel an outsider, as Hill must have. And the fans would cut him some extra slack.
At least he knows Andy Parkinson well and hopefully could work with him. I don't know how or if Ian Dawes would fit in. If the worst happened and Dawes had to leave, I am sure he would have no shortage of offers.

Above all, this next appointment MUST work.
 
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Too many of them after over 50 years!
Personally, I think Dawes should be given an opportunity. Challinor had to start somewhere in order to gain experience. All managers have. Still, assuming Dawes wants to manage a team, unless Tranmere takes a chance in him, he’d have to leave. There is, of course, the question that is unanswered - would he want to be manager? Perhaps he prefers being behind the scenes. I just think, as I alluded to earlier, he has demonstrated a natural affinity towards management.
Anyway, Palios will have a choice. I believe Nuno will be available soon!
 

Boz

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I agree managerial decisions need to be parked until the season is over. Dave Challinor's star seems to be rising, turning around a struggling Pools side, but he is under contract and their chairman's unrealistic valuation of the club apparently drove away the Americans who ended up buying into Wrexham. so he may come at a cost with an impact on the playing budget.

There are some interesting points made with regard to where things went wrong on Thursday. It wasn't so much we defended the initial set-pieces badly, more the second phase and ID recognised this in his post-match interview. I was disappointed that while he was on the field, Rovers set-pieces/corners were left to Feeney and it is the main thing I'd be critical of Dawes over. Liam's been below par in that area for a while, there was ample time get get others involved in the role and set plays aside, I'm not sure he was involved that much. Finally as the game went on, we seemed to fall into kick and rush mode in the middle of the park and players losing their cool. We've no longer got Ollie Banks with an eye for a killer pass and occasional worldie, but did wonder if Crawford's more probing, possession-based style could have worked here, none of the trio of subs made a significant difference.

Turning to the second leg and there are some hard choices to be made here. Being optimistic, if Rovers get a lead in normal time, the game goes to extra time and possibly penalties then we need at least one of Vaughan/Nugent to be available for spot-kicks and neither are capable of lasting 120 minutes, so wouldn't start with both. I can see the attraction of having someone up with Vaughan and would look at either Lewis, who provides a physical presence or Woolery, who worked well with Vaughan in the brighter spells of the season. Morris had a quiet game on Thursday, though some allowances can be made for him being in and out of the side recently and suspect that it's Kieron who'll make way, though I'd drop Feeney. Otherwise, injuries permitting, the same line-up as Tuesday.
 
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I was sitting by the corner flag at the Kop end on Thursday, and I thought a number of Feeney's deliveries were very good, but were either defended well or were not attacked due to lack of bodies in the box. However, I agree there could be more variation in the set plays.

I think Feeney has suffered from never being rested and rotated by Hill. He is 34 and I think the schedule in the second half of the season has simply been too much for him. I think the same has been true for some other players, including Woolery.

I think recent history shows that the appointment of a manager is the most important recruitment decision a club makes, and I would go for Challinor even if if we had to pay, say, 100k to 200k in compensation and there was some hit to the wage budget. My feeling is that he wants the job, and when managers want to move club they generally do, by one means or another.
 
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Sparky

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Yep challinor is my first choice.

as for tomorrow, I think we do need to incorporate Woolery somehow. He is second top scorer and whilst he’s been poor in the last few months (like many of our attacking players), he has pace and a goal in him. On the right of Vaughan earlier in the season he was excellent
 
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I love the Daws and Parky way just wish it was done a couple of games b4 as would have given them a chance just want a good performance 4-0 after 30 mins then I will make all of the player's food for free and shave my head for charity lol
 
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